The Infrastructure Bill and now the Climate Change Bill will give electric cars and their charging industry a big boost through cash. What could possibly go wrong? This article discusses the many remaining obstacles, some of them represent challenges to urban planners and designers. It also concludes that the biggest sustainability challenge for transportation isn't even electrification.


------------------------------
[Klaus] Philipsen FAIA
Archplan Inc. Philipsen Architects
Baltimore MD
------------------------------

Thanks - this is an excellent and very interesting article with a lot of detail (and humor).  I have to admit that for most of it, you are (reasonably) so articulate about the challenges and sticking points that your conclusion that anyone who has driven an EV will not go back was surprising to me (I thought you were going to end up elsewhere).  I hope you will follow up with your thoughts about how you think we might overcome these obstacles - because I do feel that there has been a lot of progress, and eventually there will be a transformation.  I wonder when, and how?

------------------------------
Jonathan Weiss AIA
Jacobs
Philadelphia PA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-16-2022 11:35 AM
From: Nikolaus Philipsen
Subject: Electric driving: At a Tipping Point or Stuck in Byzantine Pricing and Charging?

The Infrastructure Bill and now the Climate Change Bill will give electric cars and their charging industry a big boost through cash. What could possibly go wrong? This article discusses the many remaining obstacles, some of them represent challenges to urban planners and designers. It also concludes that the biggest sustainability challenge for transportation isn't even electrification.

Electric driving: At a Tipping Point or Stuck in Byzantine Pricing and Charging?

Why are there so few electric cars on the road in the US, no matter how expensive the gas, or how climate is on people's minds in a summer of relentless fires, flooding, code red air quality alerts and heat records?  Why are some politicians talking about gas tax holidays instead of getting more EVs on the road? Good questions!

One of the few EV advertisements: Creative but unavailable

The US has now a share of 5.6% electric vehicles, not a large number but some decsribe it as a tipping point from where numbers will go up exponentially. It remains to be seen if the "Inflation Reduction Bill" will boost that growth. Compared to last year EV sales increased over 80% compared, impressive only if one forgets how low the base number was. 

But the road towards exponential growth and success is not guaranteed. Too many obstacles remain, we will address a few of those here, some require creative urban planning and new design. 

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

------------------------------
[Klaus] Philipsen FAIA
Archplan Inc. Philipsen Architects
Baltimore MD
------------------------------