This book is about Electrically Powered Vehicles... EVs. So many comparisons on YouTube, so many stories about their advantages, and in the media, articles comparing them to internal combustion engine powered vehicles.
Uniformly, gasoline-powered vehicles, gas guzzlers, are cast as polluters, and bad. The environment, moving people off gas powered vehicles and into EVs is something for politicians and interested parties to set goals around for when we will remove from them from our lives, our existence. EVs are to be welcomed, their purchase cost is subsidized from taxation. The proud new EV owner drives away in their new vehicle to do what, plugin, and drive?
There are consequences to driving off a dealer's lot in a new EV. Consequences many reviewers do not take into account, knowingly or not. There are gross errors in comparison of EVs and gasoline-powered vehicles which the current low level of adoption of EVs does not mention.
This is not an attempt to set straight the comparisons, that would take far too long. But, just as the internal combustion engine changed the world, EVs will do so as well.
I need to set some boundaries for this book.
I do not own an EV and do not see one in my future. I do not have solar power. I am not an electrician; I am not a mechanic or a scientist. Most of the videos and comments made on EVs, and home solar power installations are heavy on the cost benefit ratios, leveraging government subsidies, and claiming rebates, and rebate processes. EVs, travel, and home solar installations is not a plug and play scenario. I do not promote or denigrate any particular manufacturer because I have no first-hand experience to draw from. But it is safe to say Tesla will come up a lot as they are the poster boy/girl for EV cars.
I live in Ontario, Canada. Most of my examples and comments are relative to my home Province and country because that is my experience. Reference to comments and information from other jurisdictions, of course, will be made. However, the principals discussed here, and the examples shown, can be a basis for you, the reader, to perform the same analysis in your own jurisdiction.
The Province of Ontario covers 1.076 million km², has a population of 14:57 million. It borders four of the five Great Lakes of North America, Lake Superior, Lake Huron Lake Erie and Lake Ontario in the south. It stretches to Hudson's Bay in the North.
This book is about taking off the rose-colored glasses many people are wearing and looking at the consequence of widespread EV adoption. Above all, it is about evening out the comparisons many commentators are making and the practical implications for all of us.