Switching to an electric vehicle is not without its problems, though they are minor compared to their benefits.
The issues mostly involve charging infrastructure or the lack of it. Some places do not have public chargers, while other spots are commandeered by drivers of internal combustion engine vehicles.
A Redditor shared their experience with this, posting a photo in the r/mildlyinfuriating forum of two vehicles in spots reserved for EV charging, writing: "Neither are electric vehicles."
EVs reduce to nearly zero the amount of pollution released when driving a car, SUV, or truck. They do not produce toxic gases and can be fully green if they're recharged with renewable energy from the sun or wind, for example.
The production of EV batteries is a hot topic, but even intensive mining for lithium, cobalt, and other metals is low-impact compared to the extraction of 16.5 billion tons of coal, gas, and oil every year. Compare that to the 7.7 million tons of minerals mined for low-carbon technology in 2020.
Even if demand for the latter soars, it will still be orders of magnitude less harmful to drive EVs and use similar products than it is to use the dirty energy sources we're stuck on now. It's not even comparable, as one climate expert broke down.
Buying an EV can even save you money — about $1,500 per year on gas and maintenance. Add a $7,500 tax credit, and you're whistling your way to the bank.
Now, if only those chargers were as ubiquitous as gas pumps — and there was a solution to the people, intentionally or carelessly, preventing others from creating a healthier, more sustainable future for all of us.
"Many states have a state law that says that cars blocking a charger can be towed, because it's a criminal offence," one commenter wrote.
Another Redditor said: "As cyclists have long known, 'paint is not infrastructure.'"
One commenter said: "The worst is the design of the parking spaces that doesn't allow for any alternate location, imo they should set up 2 rows of 4 spots with 2 central poles that have longer cords that can reach all 4 connecting parking spots instead of only allowing one vehicle to park/charge at a time.
"They want everyone to go electric? Provide the infrastructure."
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