And the market dominant Teslas, among others, are primarily built on Chinese battery supply chains, the Scandinavian battery manufacturer having going out of business (Northvolt).
So extracting selling oil and natural gas and taking the proceeds to buy strip mined heavy metal ticking time bomb of environmental catastrophe SUVs, and this makes people feel good. As if it would cancel things out.
Turns out it's pretty good to live in a country with huge amounts of natural resources, small population, non-existent immigration, and flexible self serving morals.
If you can't tell, I'm jealous that I'm not Norwegian, who wouldn't be?
Tell me what EV activity related industrial activity comes remotely close to the Deepwater Horizen accident or the hundreds of other catastrophic oil spills? What part of EV production REQUIRED emitting pollution as part of its operations for all eternity? What part of EVs are burned as part of everyday driving?
The challenges of European battery manufacturers is just as much related to USAs IRA. Some of them shifter their efforts to the US as a result. The lesson is that EU needs to be as serious as China and USA in supporting their battery manufacturing industry.
There are now dozens of battery giga factories being built all over Europe so there is some progress at least.
Morrow in Norway is still doing OK for instance. It has its challenges like everyone in this difficult market. But with more and more tariffs and such on China I’m optimistic that it’ll work out.
You've never been to Norway, I guess?
A decade ago the rightwing dog-whistle synonym to this was the phrase "homogeneous society". Whenever I see it I think the writer thinks he's figured out a way to say "foreigners bad!" but in a more sophisticated way.
There's a lot of countries that are homogeneous and are economic failures. And then the US, which has historically had A LOT of immigration, is still the biggest economic force on the planet. And those German, Chinese, Polish and what have you immigrants throughout American history is a big part of our success.
China got no oil money, so they collect sunlight and build more energy capacity than everyone else combined.
Curse as a blessing.
A third point is that quite a lot will have the option to charge at home. If you charge at night, prices can be dramatically lower than gas.
Assuming an consumption for a typical EV of 16 kWh / 100 km and an typical price of 1 NOK / kWh, that's 16 NOK per 100 km (or about $1.6).
If you take an typical ICE consumption of 5 liters / 100 km, and a typical pump price of 20 NOK / liter, that's 100 NOK per 100 km for the ICE (or about $10).
Of course during winter, electricity can be much more expensive than during summer, up to 4-5 NOK / kWh. But even at 5 NOK / kWh, it's still cheaper than gas.
but no mention of range loss in freezing weather ....
EVs work fine in the cold in Norway. Here’s how they do it Cold temperatures can affect an EV’s battery. But range issues can be averted if drivers are prepared - https://www.fastcompany.com/91011373/evs-work-fine-in-the-co... | https://archive.today/9B3ot - January 17th, 2024
Upcoming sodium chemistries perform well down to -30C without the limitations lithium chemistries face. Preheat vehicle before leaving a charger, ensure sufficient EV charger density, etc.
But it's been perfectly sufficient for us. We seldom travel that long during winter, and there's plenty of fast chargers around if we do. Typically one or two charging stops is all we need, and we'd have one stop for restrooms and drinks/snacks regardless.
When it's not biting cold, it's not something we think about. And our Renault is certainly not the best in the battery department.
If you’re charging at home you are topped up every morning anyway. My commute needs 10% battery and I honestly couldn’t tell you the winter impact because it doesn’t matter, just plug in at night and fully charged in the morning.
Also if you don’t do long trips in the winter and you can charge at home there are a few benefits:
* Remote/Timed defrost/pre-heat. There were probably 10 mornings last winter that I got into a fully defrosted and preheated car while the neighbours were scraping their windows.
* No need to visit petrol stations. This is an all-year thing but it is time saved and in the winter you’re not standing in a forecourt in those freezing conditions.
The postal service changes all jts vehicles on Svalbard to electric. Svalbard is an island close to the North Pole.
I think many EVs have resistive heating elements as backup to the heat pump? But it’s brutal on range of course.
bookofjoe•8mo ago