• silence7OPM
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      7 months ago

      In practice, we need ebikes, cycling infrastructure, better transit, and EVs. No one thing can be enough to get to where we need to be.

      • activistPnk
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        7 months ago

        Sure but when it comes to investment using public money the worst options need not make the cut. You can count on people to blow copious amounts of their own money on the convenience and luxury of EVs. Public money should be focused on cycling infrastructure in the most full-blown way possible. And if there is still money to spend, then public transit. #fuckCars.

    • silence7OPM
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      7 months ago

      It would be a good move, provided that it’s also associated with rules to stop making huge gas-guzzling trucks as a single-person commuter vehicle.

    • silence7OPM
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      7 months ago

      A lot of cities have started programs which do in fact pay people to move to an ebike.

  • londos@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    How about pay people to retrofit. If they can standardize swaps for the Civics/Camrys/Accords and such, they could make a big dent.

    • silence7OPM
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      7 months ago

      That’s what the article is about: paying people to switch

      • londos@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        Hm, sorry if I missed a section. It seems to be only about trading in old cars for a credit toward a new one. I was suggesting paying people to retrofit existing vehicles to be EVs.

        • activistPnk
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          7 months ago

          Bingo. Indeed you caught on to the problem with this rebate program.

          The article fails to mention that retired cars worldwide go to Africa, where the average age of a car at the time of purchase is 21 years. So the clunkers continue to emit GHG and EV buyers falsely assume they’ve done something good for the planet. They only move the emissions from the US to Africa.

          In that whole article, there is only ONE sentence that covers where the clunkers go:

          “The clunkers go to a nonprofit that breaks them down to recycled scrap and pours the proceeds into scholarships to train car mechanics.”

          Sounds encouraging, but it’s hard to be convinced that they are actually melting down the metals. I want direct 100% reassurance that they are doing the right thing. In fact, melting them down is only the right move if the frame is trash. If the frame and everything apart from the engine and transmission is good, the environmentally sound approach is to convert them to an EV (to thwart the purchase of a new EV). And for engines that are still good, the best move is to convert them to power generators which would only be used during power failures.

          I’m skeptical because if they really are just melting the metals, I would think the revenue is only enough to cover the wages of the scrap workers… not sure about scholarships. But say it’s true that there is spare money in the end. It should go to cycling infrastructure, not cars in any way.

          #fuckCars

          • londos@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            I believe it. All the retrofits I’ve seen seem to be highly custom and/or for classic cars. If someone developed a standard procedure for converting Honda Civics for example, I thought there could be savings and it would make a decent impact since they’re so common.

            I also think some people would be more receptive to an “upgrade” rather than a full on trade-in. People can get attached to their cars for reasons other than economics.

            • activistPnk
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              7 months ago

              There are companies that specialize in doing the conversion to EV. So indeed the gov rebate could theoretically be to cover the cost of that. I think $6k would be sufficient budget.

  • PullUpCircuit@iusearchlinux.fyi
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    7 months ago

    I could keep driving my same car for another 5 years, at the cost of about $150 month plus odd repairs, or I can pay $300/ month for something new. I have big worries about the cost of battery repairs as well.

    I really want to adopt an EV, but my clunker is super cheap to drive and easy to fix.

    • silence7OPM
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      7 months ago

      At some point you end up needing an expensive repair and the price calculus changes.

      • PullUpCircuit@iusearchlinux.fyi
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        7 months ago

        Eventually, yeah. If I add a new motor and clutch over that time the cost goes up to $200/month. I’m still not high enough to justify the cost of a new car with increased insurance and taxes.

  • AEMarling
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    7 months ago

    EV’s are capitalism’s solution to the climate crisis. In other words, they are worthless, except to car-manufacture executives. Invest in public transportation and bike accessibility.

  • Marrenia@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    They want more EVs it will take way more than that - rather than a tax credit system that only benefits people who make above 60 thousand a year to buy EVs, why don’t they just give money back to make it cheaper to buy an EV no matter your income level? Make buying an EV cheaper than the price of a brand new Nissan versa and you might have better adoption rates

  • riodoro1@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    They are paying you to throw away probably the biggest plastic thing you own. How thoughtful.

      • Venat0r@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        those won’t work for 100% of the population

        Surely it’s more like 99% in the USA (j/k) 😉

        • silence7OPM
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          7 months ago

          Realistically better transit plus cycling infrastructure could displace half or more of driving

          • millie
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            7 months ago

            In some places. But if you’re in a non-metropolitan area somewhere that it gets cold and snowy, you’re going to need a vehicle to bring you directly to your house unless maybe you’re downtown, and it’s going to need to have four wheel drive or at least enough weight to grip the snow.

            • silence7OPM
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              7 months ago

              Bikes with studded tires do amazingly well in snowy conditions. The main reason people don’t use them more is that car drivers are a lot more dangerous. Get rid of the cars, and it’s totally doable.

              Even seasonal replacement of cars would be an improvement.

              • millie
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                7 months ago

                If you tried to bike in heavy snow here your entire tire would literally be buried. Especially if there were no plows.

                There are, in fact, places that get real snow.

                • activistPnk
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                  7 months ago

                  somewhere that it gets cold and snowy,

                  Cyclist’s mantra: There is never bad weather, only bad clothes.

                  Especially if there were no plows.

                  If only plows existed.

                • silence7OPM
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                  7 months ago

                  Yes, there are conditions where you are better off on skis or snowshoes than a bike. And there are conditions where you should be in a snowmobile and not a car or truck. What you’re describing sounds like that.