I would never be so uncouth as to call anyone an ignoramus, either online or to their face (with the possible exception of some of our politicians. They should wear NASCAR style jackets so we can see who is sponsoring (owns) them, but that's a separate issue.)
I try to buy American if the US product suits me. Unfortunately, that isn't always possible. I try NOT to buy Chinese because they aren't our friends. Things change - 80 years ago, Japan, Germany and Italy were our mortal enemies. Now we are driving around in German and Japanese cars, sometimes wearing Italian suits and so on, and we think nothing of it. Fact is, one size does not fit all, even with domestic products.
Here on TBN, many of us need the capabilities of a full sized F-whatever gasoline or diesel pickup truck. There's no shame in that, it is the vehicle that fits the requirements and can do the job properly. It is the right tool for the job. (But I do have to laugh when I see a monster bro-dozer, lift kit and all, driven by someone the height of my wife - 5'2" - parked on someone's lawn at a yard sale . . . )
Buy the vehicle that meets your needs. You might need more than one vehicle, a truck for work and a small (possibly electric) runabout for errands.
Are we being "forced" to buy electric cars? I don't think so, but we are definitely being encouraged to. Some states have banned the sale of new ICE cars after 2035, but we can still buy used, and by 2035, electric cars will have become very capable indeed. Eleven years is a long time in electronics, and remember that the ICE has had over 100 years of development so any improvements are going to be incremental at best.
As to BYD's $10K or $15K car, when the average sale price of a new car here is about $45,000, and the average sale price of a used car is about $24,000, there are going to be a lot of people who will overlook things like slave labor and geopolitics. If China Inc. can duplicate something like a Honda Accord or a Camry for $25K or less, brand new, Honda and Toyota are going to be in big trouble, just like GM, Ford and Chrysler got hammered in the 70s and 80s when the Japanese car companies absolutely ate their lunches. If we want to stay competitive, we are going to have to sharpen up our game.
A lot of the "bad press" about EVs is courtesy of the big oil companies who aren't anxious to lose their cash cows (a/k/a you and me) to alternative fuels. They are using the identical arguments as the tobacco companies used to claim smoking wasn't harmful. FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) are their comrades in arms. Unfortunately, many of our politicians and legislators are beholden to them for campaign donations, so while they can't actively come out FOR electrification, they can subtly obstruct it.
Or not subtly. I want solar cells on my roof to charge my electric car - net fuel cost is zero. Except the solar cells have fat tariffs on them, which raises the cost and extends the breakeven point by years, the power company - with approval from the PSC - discourages interconnection and discourages net metering so I can't sell surplus power to them, some states have punitive registration fees for EVs ($250 in New Jersey), all justified by convoluted imaginary logic which results in actual barriers to adoption.
Some of this doesn't even make sense. I have a neighbor who rails against solar power, he hates it, he hates the idea of it, he insists it is no damn good and never will be - but his daughter convinced him to install solar panels and when he catches his breath between rants, he boasts about his $25/month power bill . . . go figure . . .
Best Regards,
Mike/Florida
