Thursday, August 25, 2022

Dragging the US into the EV age

Since I'm on the verge of getting an EV, (a Tesla Model 3, Long Range, dual motor), I'm sort of jazzed about electric cars. One thing that shocked me was poll data indicating that over half of people looking for a new car are interested in an all electric or plug-in hybrid. No wonder the wait time for my 1st choice, a Hyundai Ionic 5 went from ~6 months to ~20-24 months. That forced me to reluctantly (because Musk is what he is, an unpleasant fellow) look at the Tesla Model 3

At least with Tesla, the wait time was a mere ~3 months. Well, it used to be ~3 months about 3 months ago when I ordered the car. Tesla has stopped taking orders for the Model 3 because demand exploded and the company cannot build them fast enough to come close to keeping up.

The Verge posted an interesting article about EVs. 
California is ready to drag the rest of the US into the EV age

The state is prepared to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles starting in 2035

California is poised to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles — a far-reaching policy that is likely to reverberate throughout the rest of the country and the world.

On Thursday, the California Air Resources Board will issue the new rules that were first rolled out by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2020, which would require 100 percent of new cars sold in the state to be free of carbon emissions, according to The New York Times.

The rule would phase in over time, with 35 percent of new passenger vehicles sold by 2026 and 68 percent by 2030. California says that over 16 percent of new car sales were “zero-emission vehicles” in 2022 — up from 12.41 percent last year and 7.78 percent in 2020.  
California’s stance on new car sales is extremely consequential given the state’s status as a standard bearer for clean air regulations. To date, 14 other states have adopted its progressive zero-emission vehicle program for passenger vehicles, which was launched in the early 1990s and has spurred automakers to develop hybrid and fully electric cars. California is also one of the largest markets for car sales in the world, with nearly 15 million registered vehicles on the road and 1.85 million new vehicle registrations in 2021.

Zero-emission means the vehicle is all electric, not hybrid gas and electric. It really does look like the US is going to go into the EV age. Not because government wants it, but because enough people want it. Battery technology is going to need to improve significantly.


Qs: About 2 years ago, who would have thought it possible for a state like CA to act to ban gas engine cars by 2035, (i) without riots in the streets, which is (ii) a massive change, and (iii) in the midterm future?

What are gas stations going to do, sell ice, tater chips, questionable sushi and beer? 

Who would have thunk that Germaine, being the the old ossified fossilly gasbag he is, would be so close to being on the edge of a major change like this?


The Model 3 in my color, 
with the surprisingly effective 
(without the $15,000 autopilot
software - thanks, but I'll drive myself)

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