I think much of the opposition to electrics on the right is naturally based on those in the petro-chemical industry fearing a loss of jobs. The industry is what supports the economy of much of America, particularly fly over country.
Personally, I can't wait to get my hands on an affordable electric vehicle, the performance curve is as they say awesome.
As is often pointed out, there is not enough generating capacity presently to support a conversion to electrics but it seems to me a conversion to electrics doesn't mean the demise of the oil industry and its vital jobs the industry will just need to retool. Energy is energy
No, actually, although I have spent most of my adult life in the oil industry. I live in a place where there are often miles between houses. Where the wind blows, snow drifts, and I have seen temperatures as low as -60 and windchills that calculated at -146 F. Batteries don't work very well in such weather and that is when you will need them the most. It IS a matter of life and death, quite literally. Now, while temps in the -20 to -30 range are more ordinary winter fare, it is 129 miles to the next major town (five figure population) in two directions, farther if one heads west, and nothing between here and Canada to the north. THere are no gas and go stations every five miles, even, and walking in that weather is a death sentence.
In other words, unless and until these systems can maintain cabin temperature, maintain sufficient charge while sitting and not hooked up to a charger in that weather to not only get me there and back while running the heater and lights (because there is only 8 hours of daylight in the dead of winter), but have enough of a reserve to keep me alive (from freezing to death) if I get stuck, these things are just a deathtrap. Add in that the battery pack has a shelf/charge cycle life that is far inferior to the internal combustion engines I own, and it's a non-starter.
