Why Electric Cars Won't Save Us #shorts

In this Our Changing Climate short, I look at why electric cars won't save us from climate change. Specifically, I look at how the material demands of electric cars might very well replace the exploitative economy of fossil fuels but with fewer emissions.


Check out other Climate YouTubers:

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#ElectricVehicle #Tesla #ClimateChange

[NotJustBikes]

In my experience, walkable cities can also be much more pleasant places to live as well. That's a win for everybody.

[JP-zpic]

I own an EV, and I 100% agree with your message.

The problem with EV's is that they are a "less worse" option for doing things within a paradigm that remains ultimately unsustainable. Even putting the environmental impact aside, a system in which everyone must own a personal automobile to access opportunity on an equal basis is a system a high cost of living effectively locked in.

EV's still have their place, but we need to build a world in which people can access opportunity regardless of wealth and social status. Mass transit and walkable environments are a far more cost effective approach, and eliminate huge amounts of waste.

[hellmo]

Electric cars are a way for people to feel like they are making a difference without having to make any changes in their lives. Every time someone suggests people take fewer car trips there are always those people who claim they have to drive 200 miles uphill both ways in the snow. Yes, some car trips are necessary, but half of car trips in America are under 5 miles (2009 NHTS). Imagine if half of all car trips were eliminated because people chose to bike or walk instead of drive. The potential is there, and improvements in alternate transportation infrastructure is what is needed like you said.

[yeeaahhzz]

Not Just Bikes points out what needs to change in North American cities. But politicians that are paid by ICE lobbyists will insist upon more car centric infrastructure. Lithium can be mined sustainably and cobalt free (4680).So until the mindset that voters insist upon saving 10 minutes on their morning commute changes, people will over depend on personal vehicles over lacklustre transit.

[Ascend]

Public transportation needs to be scaled based on usage too. More buses and trains during peek hour. Less during off hours. An electronic monitoring of capacity would be helpful. I really don't like squeezing in a full bus or train.

[aidenactivation]

I agree 200 percent. I want America so bad to be a place where you can get from place to place by train and bus

[christill]

Indeed. I owned an EV from 2016 to 2020. Great experience, but I realised it makes no sense to own any kind of car. Happy to be back cycling for transport, which I should have never gone away from in the first place.

[Lillith.]

I'm lucky that I've always lived in a place like that. When I was a child the car was used for "the big" grocery trip, to visit family, our away games when it was my parents turn, and holidays. My parents biked to work, we biked to school. To get to my first primary school I had to go to the end of the street and bike to the end of a bike path. It was made to give children a safe route to school. It was inaccessible by car, but emergency vehicles could enter.

[derkritiker]

True. If you lease a new car every two years it doesn't matter that you drive an EV.

[ladyselenafelicitywhite]

I have never owned a car and it's been over a year since I have been in one 🙋🏼‍♀️

[devinelgert]

2022: We need to decarbonize!
2037: We need to delithiumize!
2052: We need to dehydrogenize!

[samantharen]

Keep in mind this advice would only be for city dwellers. In my town we have no public transportation and walking/biking isn't practical in -30 C and snowy weather. Not to mention the nearest city is a half hour drive if you need anything other than the essentials.

[TripleGia]

The electricity that these cars would need would also still be primarily sourced through fossil fuels-- 61% of electricity comes from nonrenewable sources. Without fundamentally changing the way we source electricity, it's just using gas but with extra steps.

[chrispawlus]

Only works in towns and cities, I don't want to live in a town or city! I am also a tradesman so how am I going to get tools and materials on the bus? Dumb idea, people want their own personal transport!

[tuckerholstun]

I agree EVs are not a silver bullet and that we should have fewer cars on the road and more walkable cities. However is pretty absurd to suggest that electric cars that require a few hundred pounds of critical battery materials are not a huge improvement over the tens of thousands of pounds of oil a gas car needs over its lifespan (even ignoring emissions). Acknowledging the weaknesses of EVs is good, but only if you clearly state how much better they are for the environment than gas cars!

[rickagfoster]

Mined metals can be reused, mined oil cannot. 🖐️ 🎤

[BarryObaminable]

That's good if you are a city dweller.

Nobody with kids wants to walk to work.

It takes time, and insane housing cost

[chrissscottt]

People want cars. And they can potentially store energy for your home so you can get off the dirty grid. And LFP batteries don't use cobalt.

[cubeofcheese]

Please check out the channel not just bikes! It's an urban planning channel that couples really well with this

[jasminatf]

I’ve been watching your channel for a while and I love it. May I suggest reconsidering how you convey your shorts? Some of them (the tree-planting and this one) may appear like you disagree with the existence of these efforts. Although I think the real point is that they’re good, but we just need to work on other efforts that are more effective :)