To Put Today's EV News in Perspective, It Helps to Take The Long View

Recent EV headlines have been dire. Tesla layoffs, Ford and Rivian losses, and GM's stumbling raise concerns. EV opponents are claiming EVs are inferior products, foisted on customers by inept governments before their time.

Some is true – EVs are currently too expensive. Charging networks are inadequate and often poorly maintained. Early adopter markets appear sated and the masses haven’t yet seen affordable/attractive models.

But to write off EVs is premature and mistaken. EVs will eventually prove to be the superior technology, and dominate future markets. To understand why, you have to drop the short-term view, and comprehend the inevitable evolution in technology. And look at China.

The EV propulsion system is better: 4.4 times more efficient than ICE vehicles.

EV/battery technology is still young. So is the accompanying charging infrastructure.

But the tech is inevitably going to get better; Battery companies make new announcements near daily, w/respect to chemistries, densities, charging speeds, duration.

That should not be a surprise. With human brains yoked to supercomputers, there’s no doubt as to the direction battery chemistry is going.

Examples: China’s CATL is warranteeing a 1 million mile battery; Lucid Air’s battery can charge about 300 miles in 15 minutes.

That rate of technological change is only likely going to accelerate.

Focusing on underlying technology leads to the inevitable conclusion: today’s bloodletting will be forgotten as EVs - once mature - are destined to be recognized as superior.

In the West, we haven’t yet embraced an electric future. But China has. A report last week from Inside EVs describing the Beijing Auto Show commented, “the showroom floor was filled to the gills with new electrified models from every single domestic automaker. They all had something to prove, and by god, they were trying… No matter the price point, they all had responsive, integrated vehicle interfaces that were quick, pretty, & ubiquitous.”

So, while we let our ideological rivalries get in the way of developing national economic strategies, we run the risk of letting yet another industry that we once mastered slip away. China has intentionally become a world leader in battery innovation/production. It's the leading maker and consumer of electric vehicles. 43% of cars sold in March had a plug, a total of 743,000. The U.S.?  135,000.

We need to understand what’s really happening here, and recognize this for what it is: A global competition for the future of mobility. Then we need to get behind a national policy – irrespective of party is in power – to develop better battery tech & lower cost vehicles.

The effort to remain competitive won’t be comfortable or easy. Mistakes will be made along the way. A leading industry is at stake, supporting millions of well-paying jobs. Do or do not, there is no try.