Thanksgiving with the Republican family

[hauckeye]

Met up with my extended family, all of whom are on the red team. We don’t usually talk politics, but I heard them talking about electric vehicles and wind energy. They brought every single horror story: EV drivers can’t charge up on a long trip; someone had to replace a battery and it cost $27k; takes hours to charge the car, etc. Nephew lives in Texas and during the bad winter “of course all the wind turbines froze up”. I spoke up and said battery technology and infrastructure will improve, we’re just at the beginning of the EV era. Sister then says “then why are they pushing EVs now?” Was surprised that other sister has purchased a hybrid. They allowed as how that is ok since it doesn’t depend on electricity alone.

They seemed somewhat ok with solar panels but it takes too long to get your money back.

I gave up at that point 😂😂

[yankee87]

1. Progress wiil proceed

Whether or not the Luddites want it, technological progress will proceed. These are the same people who said get a horse when automobiles started. Just nod politely and pity them.

[hauckeye]

9. I thought of the exact same thing - "get a horse"

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Sister victim of binary thinking. We don't switch on vast infrastructure instantly w/o deployment

And during deployment, things will be adjusted and change.

But really, she has been suckered into defending old money and orange cons who use other people's money.

[underpants]

3. They swim in the propaganda everyday

All day. A joke, a casual aside, editorial comment become reality as it’s repeated and repeated and repeated.

[Diamond_Dog]

7. Plus Faux News on the teevee in the background all day

[lindysalsagal]

12. I couldn't eat with that. Drink, maybe!

[Diamond_Dog]

13. Oh no, never at my house.

I meant that Republican family members in their *own* homes have that drivel on as background noise throughout the day. That’s why they come up with some of the weirdest statements that just make you scratch your head.

[RAB910]

4. In fairness, plugin hybrids are a superior solution to pure EVs at this point in time

[dalton99a]

5. +1. With at least 30 models to choose from

[Raven]

6. Don't give up. Many people can't afford to try some of the new technology now. Solar

panels are a good example: I would love to install them at my house but they are still financially out of reach for me and I can't afford to wait for the long payback. Same with wind.

If your family can open their minds and take some baby steps, encourage them.

[usonian]

8. WATCH THEM BUY TESLAS

With mind-control info-tainment and remotely locking doors.
It's not a far stretch. "Software ate the world"

It's all easy nowadays, unlike the past.

[JohnnyRingo]

10. Someday they won't want to buy a gas car because...

...it's too hard to find gas pumps. Why should Speedway sell gasoline when they can pull those pumps out and replace them with profitable chargers?

They'll start complaining about the range their ICE car gets, and how hard it is to find someone to work on them. Every car company on Earth is changing to EVs, but they figure they know better and America alone should shun them.

[mainer]

11. Sounds like my Thanksgiving

Had to spend it explaining that no, “furries” are not demanding that schools put litter boxes in bathrooms to appease cat-identifying students. When I told them that national newspapers had debunked this ridiculous rumor, they said they preferred to believe Joe at the feed store.

[Johnny2X2X]

14. Heck, hear the same things here

No charging stations when people who own EVs rarely even use them. $10K to replace a battery when batteries last like 10-20 years so you’ll be replacing the car before then Anyways.

EVs are already a better option for 90% of drivers if they’d do an honest assessment, but people tend to focus on the 10% that they’re probably not the best fit for right now.

And then people lament CA phasing out the sale of ICE vehicles in 2035 when the major auto makers don’t even plan on making ice vehicles then.

It’s a newer technology. It’s not perfect but improving. Infrastructure is improving and will be adequate over the next decade.

So many myths are being perpetuated. Even here on DU.

[Dirty Socialist]

15. At least

At least they didn’t talk about the “evils” of being woke.