Podcast 21: Why Australia sucks so much at EVs FFS | with Ketan Joshi

Good podcast although I would prefer if some nuances were highlighted a bit more strongly. There is no doubt that Electric cars (which not all EVs are, most EV sold are *not* cars but bikes by at least a 10x margin) have very large benefits over gas based ones and if we could switch the existing fleet overnight without spending any energy this would be a massive step forward in reducing emissions *and* increasing general health (you rightfully mentioned particulate pollution). But the reality is that: 1- we cannot switch overnight, people won't spend that money if they don't need a new car, renewing the fleet will take us far behind 2030, so any gains in pollution or carbon emission reductions are going to be globally quite small (it's easy maths, just try it Giordano). 2- producing those new E-cars emits as many emissions as ICE ones, and that is still a very large fraction (not the biggest but a very significant one nevertheless) of emissions. 3- those emission gains are realized when these cars actually circulate on the road, where their emissions compare favorably to ICE cars (for cars running on fossil fuel electricity) and very favorably (for cars running on renewable electricity). And that last part is the relevant one: gains are realized when driving (meaning, not on production), and that is where cars, as vehicles, are particularly inefficient because they use 90% of the energy they consume to transport their steel mass rather than the human. So, not only does it take enormous time to change the fleet (even with incentives), but we still need to burn significant carbon to produce these new cards, and after that, we only make real gains in emissions if we do drive them, which consists of wasting 90% of that energy transporting the car itself. This is where lightweight, human-size electric vehicles make way more sense than E-cars:| - they require 100 times less carbon to produce than a car, so the gain is massive even without driving them - they consume 10x less energy per km than e-cars so the gain is also massive - their range is extremely comfortable - they are way more healthy than cars (many studies note vastly improved cardiovascular health for ebikes) So we get: - an immediate, and lifetime minimum 10x reduction in emissions compared to a car - better health - super low price and super fast fleet replacement (compared to cars) Also a final point: noting that coal-produced electricity still emits carbon is *not* an argument against E-cars vs ICE cars, but it is definitely an argument against E-cars vs ebikes. And the reality is that the grid will take also take a long time to be replaced with renewables, so this must be taken into account when making a choice of vehicle. In all cases, of course, choosing an ICE car is never a good choice. But that does not mean that choosing an E-car is a good one either when there are better alternatives. Love and carrots, keep up the good work. Laurent

Well said, Paul.

A radical rethink in our private and collective behaviour regarding transportation and travel is also much needed.

A bit more on evolving ultra-capacitor technologies which should render batteries and the associated emissions and toxins in their life cycles obsolete, plus emphasis on our pressing need to move away from the private motor vehicle would have been useful.

You have backed a wrongun here Giordano. Here's why. https://newmatilda.com/2021/04/26/scotty-from-marketings-hydrogen-dream-is-all-hot-air-heres-why/ . The best option has always been public transport which doesn't worm outside metro. Besides which, hemp batteries are 8 times more efficient than lithium and don't require conflict minerals. EVs are stupid, heavy and already obsolete. VW invented a diesel motor not too lng ago that did 100km per litre. Google highly efficient combustion motors that got bought buried by oil companies.

Hi Giordano - I sent a link of your EV video to the BestInTesla weekly news channel and they've included it in their video - hopefully a bit more traffic for you! https://youtu.be/IjMX61Kzc6A?t=1321

What your Victoria government is proposing for EVs hits close to home for me, because my state has been doing the same sh!tfuckery for a few years now. Indeed, just today I had to pay a $120 "fine" with my annual registration because… I drive an EV. And next year our lawmuckers want to double that "fine" to $240! Let me state right up front that I have no quarrel with everyone paying their “fair share” to maintain the roads. It is part of our social contract, no matter the drivetrain or fuel of our individual vehicles. But there are fairer, more equitable, BETTER ways of collecting such road taxes as we transition to electric vehicles. Years ago I suggested such a solution to our lawmuckers, but so far it falls on deaf ears. Maybe you could put this bee in the bonnet of your Victoria representatives: http://bit.ly/payroads