A pair of psychologists and an economist at the University of Turku, in Finland, have found that because the average electric vehicle (EV) owner is wealthier than the average person, they still have a bigger than average carbon footprint.
I think what this shows is that EVs are, as of right now at least, more status symbols than climate mitigation tools. While some people certainly do buy EVs because they care about the planet, many don’t really care all that much. I think this is also holding back mass EV adoption in the US. We need EVs to be seen as the sensible choice for the average person, not playthings for the rich and opulent.
We were sad to realize we’d need a car (dog, kid, family and friends in unpractical locations) but we made sure to buy a used electric car instead of just any cheap used car. I mean we put a child in this world, we shouldn’t fuck it up more than absolutely necessary.
I think what this shows is that EVs are, as of right now at least, more status symbols than climate mitigation tools. While some people certainly do buy EVs because they care about the planet, many don’t really care all that much. I think this is also holding back mass EV adoption in the US. We need EVs to be seen as the sensible choice for the average person, not playthings for the rich and opulent.
I think they can be a climate conscious choice and unaffordable. But getting better, and still a worthwhile step.
We were sad to realize we’d need a car (dog, kid, family and friends in unpractical locations) but we made sure to buy a used electric car instead of just any cheap used car. I mean we put a child in this world, we shouldn’t fuck it up more than absolutely necessary.