Why do People see things as one way or the other, how about both?
As my time has ventured deeper into the Electric vehicle world, I'm finding some serious animosity towards these amazing machines. It would seem that most of the comparisons to horses and the coming of the automobile are warranted. The concerns are also warranted, but in some ways I think slightly off perception. Some people now, like people before, see that the world will become one thing or another. That only one thing can win in a fight that doesn't exist. Yes, that's right, a fight that doesn't exist. Unless you have consciously chosen to be anti-fact on this, the majority of the population has agreed, since I can remember, that, "We will need to end our dependence on Fossil Fuels before they run out." This is that time.
"You're power is still mostly made by coal!", shouts the online troll. Yes, but it doesn't have to be and we're all moving towards a world where it isn't. A World where, when we mine a limited resource like coal, oil, natural gas or other organically created fuel source, we do it for high value reasons. When I look to this future, I see a place where people are able to move very freely, cost effectively like never before. Giving them back time and money they'll need with inflation and other socio-economic pressures. I see where fuel use of organics is limited to areas of larger and more scale efficient transportation. Not when moving our average 200lb American bodies a few miles back and forth but to more efficiently transport millions of tons when needed. Or in the rare instances when electric just doesn't cut it.
I completely understand the resistance to change, I saw Wayne's World. Again, some of it is justified. Having worked in Recruiting/HR in Tech for the last 20+ years I can tell you, lots of people will need help with the career change. There will still be the ones, the Combustion Engine Mechanics, who are amazing at what they do, they will be the ones to benefit the most. So, if you consider yourself an "OK, Auto mechanic" you might want to start looking to change your skillset. These are usually the people in an industry that get squeezed out first. Meaning, they'll most likely pay more to keep the person with the most knowledge and a couple of cheaper people for that person to work with on projects. This also means as the world shifts to electric more and more technicians will be needed. That should be great news to you and honestly you thought to yourself, "Oh, crap, that's me, I'm the just OK mechanic". Because for you, changing your skillset to electric will take some education, but it's no where near as complicated as a combustion engine. Which brings me back to why the really great combustion engine mechanics will be highly sought and get paid even better than before.
Example from the Tech Space: When I started my career as a recruiter, COBOL was on it's way out in favor of newer languages. Almost no one wanted to learn it, no one wanted to higher anyone for it, unless in finance or government. Before I started E-Powersport.com, I heard from someone I know that still coded in COBOL. They got a $500,000 job offer, because there's less than 20 people on the planet that could or would take the job. Remember, there will always be legacy cars to fix and for this industry, which is really more of an Energy Conversion than anything else, there will be new and more valuable uses for the Combustion Engine.
Before I started the company, I went around town and checked out bicycle shops, motorcycle shops and Powersport companies. One experience always stands out to me and is a big reason I started E-Powersport.com.
I went into one of the largest local Powersport companies down here. They carry all the big names. I was ready to buy or not, I'd been hearing how hard it was then to get electric vehicles, even a mini-moto. I walked in, the smell of gas and new rubber coming thru my mask. The salesman walked up to me and asked, "Hi, how can I help you today?".
To which I responded, "I'm looking for something that runs on electric. Can you show me what you have?"
His eyes tilted upwards and from behind his mask I could see him laughing and trying to hold it back, "We don't have electric. Our stuff has motors in it."
It was in that moment I realized, these companies, the ones that are already in place, just like the Detroit Brands and Tesla, they have no interest in this until it becomes mainstream. Then they'll tell you they've been doing it all this time. But the consumer isn't as blind as many larger companies think. The Information Age has allowed the World Consumer to be educated to what's going on, if they want. I point to this, because this type of abrupt change within these companies also leads to feelings of fear and animosity. "We were going to stand strong with gas, but now the world view has changed and the company's doing it, but I don't agree." If these feelings aren't addressed within the organizations and with the customer bases, they will also cause issues for further adoption within the markets as a whole.
But, I digress, my overall point is that, We don't need to fear electric vehicles the way we've been afraid of changes before. It may change the way you get your groceries and how much you spend doing it, but also help to lower what you spend on them by taking usage pressures and hence overall costs off larger transportation needs. And yes, both will co-exist, petrol cars and electric cars on the roads for a while. So there's no reason we can't follow the rules of the road, even if we're online. Play safe, Be Uniquely U and lift each other up.
