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To the Editor:
President Biden wants 67 percent of our vehicles to be EVs by 2032. So, what are some of the obstacles?
Safety experts are increasingly raising concerns that the large weight of EVs could pose serious risks to public safety. EVs can often weigh thousands of pounds greater than comparable gas-powered vehicles (2023 Hummer EV pickup has 2,900-pound battery).
The "baseline fatality probability" per car crash climbs by 47 percent for every 1,000 pounds the vehicle weighs, their extra weight can cause longer stopping distances and poses a significant threat to pedestrians in car accidents.
Aging infrastructure, particularly parking garages, may not be ready for the significant deployment of EVs. EVs with batteries made from materials outside USA only qualify for half the $7500 rebate. EVs experience drastic range reduction when weather dips below freezing, up to 40 percent lower.
A trip from Washington, D.C., to Little Rock, Ark., could take 17 hours in a regular car. Add about 8 to 12 charging stops to the mix and the trip could easily take 7 to 10 hours longer, unless it is winter causing those numbers to be much higher. Because there are very few shops that can work on electric vehicles, your options are limited to going to the dealer.
Are you an electrician? If not, you may be putting your life at risk by working on your own car. These electric vehicles are no joke, the orange wires throughout electric and hybrid vehicles carry very high voltage. Should they catch fire, they burn very hot, take hours to extinguish, and the smoke is very toxic.
An 18-wheel EVs in the U.S. are allowed to be 2,000 pounds heavier and the rig will cost 2.8 times as much. Additional problems - charging stations, our electrical grid will need major upgrade, bridges may need upgrading, road wear and tear, special tires due to weight, etc.
Conventional trucks have a substantial advantage when it comes to range. They can travel up to 2,000 miles without refueling, compared to up to 500 miles for current electric semi-trucks. The absence of a widespread heavy-duty truck charging network greatly limits electric trucks.
The most fuel-efficient petrol car today is the Toyota Yaris Hybrid getting nearly 70 mpg (imagine what it will be in 2032), and it doesn't have to be plugged in. China's Nio EVs lets its drivers "swap batteries" in 5 minutes at strategic locations and hit the road quickly. Here today, cost effective, no grid upgrade, no long waits. Smart moves!
Do we kill off our cow herds like Ireland and New Zealand, do without dairy products, and eat plastic? Do we all wear monitors and be taxed by the gas we pass? Do we add algae to our diet to absorb our gas? Or are we smarter than that!
Remember, China and India won't meet climate goals until 2060, nearly 30 years after us. Their CO2 climate impact doesn't just hang over their countries but impacts us all like the Canadian forest fire smoke.
Arthur Keller
Beavertown