Give me transit! I live rurally. I’d hope on a train instead of driving four hours to the city but they keep ripping up train tracks here instead of funding transport.
I came here to be the insufferable person against cars to say just that, and you beat me to it. But I’ll add this.
I’ll also preface with, yes electric cars are better than cars with internal combustion engines. IF you need to get a new car, get an electric one, but only if.
However, they also emit pollution from the tires. Sometimes more than cars with internal combustion engines, because they are heavier. Speaking of that, being heavier, they also cause more potholes and thus, makes roads more costly to maintain. And at highway speed, those tires are also noisy.
Then there’s the whole problem of having to store the cars, with surface parking creating heat islands.
And obviously they also kill humans. Inside and outside of them.
So, yeah. Fuck Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives. But fuck the Liberals for being corporate bootlickers pushing electric cars, as if everyone would just need to switch and all the other problems will be fixed.
We need better intercity services! Right now they are actively deteriorating in a lot of parts of the country. Coaches are worse than they were 10, and even 20 years ago. The new VIA Rail trains have abysmal punctuality because of the CN, and they also still don’t take bikes on the corridor. Bike paths and bike lanes are attacked and criticized in every city where they could make an impact.
But all of this is much too woke. When the highways will be congested by electric pickup trucks, it will be paradise. We might just need to add one more lane bro, but then this inefficient and dangerous mode of transportation will be fixed forever.
Electric cars are only there to save the auto industry. Humanity is not running to ruins, it’s taking a car.
Also with the style of car north americans like, big heavy SUVs, a big electric SUV over its production, use, and disposal could pollute more than a smalller, effecient, ICE.
They need to start putting solar on top of surface parking and roads instead of on much needed farm land. The power infrastructure to tie in is already there and cities use more power anyway. Climate change is already messing with crop yields. We will need to plant more to offset the loses.
*FYI - I am speaking of utility solar, not personal home solar.
I thought solar over surface parking could be good in certain conditions, and maybe it can, in small installations. But there has been research done on this subject and it’s not entirely clear. Large photovoltaic farms often increases heat island effect.
There is a cooling effect provided by the panels, because of the shade, but it’s not that much. Putting them inside giant parking lots and over roads could ends up making things warmer around those areas.
Anyway, the point is not that we will require more or cleaner energy for those cars, the point is that they still create pollution, space, and lethal issues.
Car dependency should be reduced. Some highways and elevated expressways should be changed into urban boulevards or even simply demolished. Power usage should be stabilized. Consumption should be reduced. Habits should be changed.
It’s unreasonable to expect everybody on the planet and in cities to have a 2 tons giant cube of metal wasting energy to move itself and the little bag of meat inside everywhere they go. Alternatives to car dependency have to be provided.
I’m sorry but solar panels here and there are not gonna be enough with the current trajectory.
Put the panels on parking lots but why not on farmland where it’s beneficial?
It’s early days, but solar panels on farmland can be better for them. Aussie wool farmers have found some shade on their grazing land is better for the plants and sheep.
Things I’ve read said building the infrastructure out to bring power out of remote areas takes a lot of land and the wires start forest fires and require clearing paths to allow maintenance vehicles. Plus, I was more speaking of useable crop land which where I often see solar installed. Above roads where all the infrastructure runs along already seems like a better option. Plus it shuts up conservatives whining about ugly solar ruining the country side.
Long range transmission is a solved problem. Check out Hydro Québec. The majority of their production happen 700+ km away from Montréal and Québec City.
Above roads sounds like a good idea, until you realize how often drivers hit stuff.
Of course EVs are better than petrol cars.
You know what’s even better than EVs?
Bicycles!
Make cities livable FFS!
Give me transit! I live rurally. I’d hope on a train instead of driving four hours to the city but they keep ripping up train tracks here instead of funding transport.
I came here to be the insufferable person against cars to say just that, and you beat me to it. But I’ll add this.
I’ll also preface with, yes electric cars are better than cars with internal combustion engines. IF you need to get a new car, get an electric one, but only if.
However, they also emit pollution from the tires. Sometimes more than cars with internal combustion engines, because they are heavier. Speaking of that, being heavier, they also cause more potholes and thus, makes roads more costly to maintain. And at highway speed, those tires are also noisy.
Then there’s the whole problem of having to store the cars, with surface parking creating heat islands.
Cars also kill millions of animals every day. There’s around 65,000 deer killed every year in New York state alone.
And obviously they also kill humans. Inside and outside of them.
So, yeah. Fuck Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives. But fuck the Liberals for being corporate bootlickers pushing electric cars, as if everyone would just need to switch and all the other problems will be fixed.
We need better intercity services! Right now they are actively deteriorating in a lot of parts of the country. Coaches are worse than they were 10, and even 20 years ago. The new VIA Rail trains have abysmal punctuality because of the CN, and they also still don’t take bikes on the corridor. Bike paths and bike lanes are attacked and criticized in every city where they could make an impact.
But all of this is much too woke. When the highways will be congested by electric pickup trucks, it will be paradise. We might just need to add one more lane bro, but then this inefficient and dangerous mode of transportation will be fixed forever.
Electric cars are only there to save the auto industry. Humanity is not running to ruins, it’s taking a car.
Also with the style of car north americans like, big heavy SUVs, a big electric SUV over its production, use, and disposal could pollute more than a smalller, effecient, ICE.
This north American wants better options for a smaller more efficient car, preferably electric, but at minimum hybrid. And I have for many years.
Annoyingly, there are very few options being offered by the manufacturers.
They need to start putting solar on top of surface parking and roads instead of on much needed farm land. The power infrastructure to tie in is already there and cities use more power anyway. Climate change is already messing with crop yields. We will need to plant more to offset the loses.
*FYI - I am speaking of utility solar, not personal home solar.
I thought solar over surface parking could be good in certain conditions, and maybe it can, in small installations. But there has been research done on this subject and it’s not entirely clear. Large photovoltaic farms often increases heat island effect.
Source: The Photovoltaic Heat Island Effect: Larger solar power plants increase local temperatures
There is a cooling effect provided by the panels, because of the shade, but it’s not that much. Putting them inside giant parking lots and over roads could ends up making things warmer around those areas.
Anyway, the point is not that we will require more or cleaner energy for those cars, the point is that they still create pollution, space, and lethal issues.
Car dependency should be reduced. Some highways and elevated expressways should be changed into urban boulevards or even simply demolished. Power usage should be stabilized. Consumption should be reduced. Habits should be changed.
It’s unreasonable to expect everybody on the planet and in cities to have a 2 tons giant cube of metal wasting energy to move itself and the little bag of meat inside everywhere they go. Alternatives to car dependency have to be provided.
I’m sorry but solar panels here and there are not gonna be enough with the current trajectory.
Surface parking, yes. Roads, no. Solar roads, while cool, are vaporware and will not work.
I am saying just mount them above roads. Roads have bridges with height limits already, why not build them over roads? It’s dead space.
Long story short: drivers keep hitting them.
See also: recovery zones and sheer bolts for poles
Yes men, terraform more so the car-kin can live happily.
Put the panels on parking lots but why not on farmland where it’s beneficial?
It’s early days, but solar panels on farmland can be better for them. Aussie wool farmers have found some shade on their grazing land is better for the plants and sheep.
Things I’ve read said building the infrastructure out to bring power out of remote areas takes a lot of land and the wires start forest fires and require clearing paths to allow maintenance vehicles. Plus, I was more speaking of useable crop land which where I often see solar installed. Above roads where all the infrastructure runs along already seems like a better option. Plus it shuts up conservatives whining about ugly solar ruining the country side.
Long range transmission is a solved problem. Check out Hydro Québec. The majority of their production happen 700+ km away from Montréal and Québec City.
Above roads sounds like a good idea, until you realize how often drivers hit stuff.