Oil companies see the end is coming for them. They are making a desperate attempt to stop progress.

Canada’s Globe and Mail pulled one of these today, with an anti-EV clickbait-y headline:

Oh no, the cost to charge my EV just doubled

The article focuses on high prices at fast charging stations, while willfully ignoring that that vast majority of EV charging is done at home. We get one line about how cheap his home charging is, and at 9c Canadian per kwh, it is indeed cheap - which completely punctures the stupid headline.

Still, despite that cheap home charging, the author ends his EV bait with this evidence-free hypothetical:

At a small fraction of the operating cost of a gas-powered car, EVs can make a lot of sense for drivers contemplating the switch. But if savings slide from 90 per cent to 30 per cent? I fear that many drivers may just shrug and stick with gas.

Toyota failed at their development of a good modern EV.

They’re sinking a TON of effort into discrediting them in the short term. They started this marketing push with a series of anti-ev releases a couple weeks ago.

As somebody who’s been watching this scene for many years, it’s been funny to see how it has developed.

In the early days of Tesla, Roadster and Model S, they would get mentioned in the press with sort of gee-whiz “here’s the latest tech” tones. Then, if the story was featured anywhere that allowed user comments, the internet peanut gallery would pile on with every reason why they imagined EVs don’t/can’t work. There was nothing organized, just the natural reaction that we always see against any new idea whatsoever.

And then, as the numbers of cars on the road increased, and they became more familiar, we saw them on the road, we saw them on YouTube, the Model 3 ramped up, etc. . . The internet peanut gallery simmered down. They never shut off completely, but we got to a point where an article about an EV could come out, and the comment section would no longer be dominated by fiery debate about whether EVs can even function as cars.

I thought that would be the end of it. But no. . . Now we’re seeing the (seemingly) organized pushback in the media, in the press, etc. Now we’re getting the actual anti-EV propaganda with backing from. . . . somewhere. And it’s hilarious to me, because it’s so obviously too late to matter. The horse has left the barn. There are literally millions of electric cars on the road now, and people know what they are and what they can do. There is no more real mystery about range, charging, etc. It’s hard to explain to people why an EV can’t work when they’ve already got one, or their neighbors have got one, or their cousin has got one, etc.

This is how disruption happens first they ignore, then the laugh and ridicule, then they actively fight the idea, then they join the disruption. We are somewhere between #2and 3 right now.

What’s going on? Why is all the EV hate in the media ramping up?

With major incumbents such as Ford and GM pulling back on EV goals, it is plausible that the increase in anti-EV propaganda is a combination of multiple factors:

• Long-term adversaries striking when the industry is perceived as weak. The oil industry, anti-EV pundits, people with short positions on EV companies, etc.
• The incumbent OEMs may be fomenting some anti-EV sentiment to prop up the ICE market that they are leaning on more than planned for the foreseeable future. An effort to stem the hemorrhaging of sales to pure EV competitors (Tesla, Rivian, etc.)
• Media doing what media does: get clicks with negative press. Where they have historically enjoyed getting clicks from anti-Tesla articles, they see an opportunity to broaden the click farming via general anti-EV articles.

I’m often surprised that this subreddit insatiably eats up anti-Tesla media propaganda, but then bristles when the same media turns to general anti-EV propaganda. Suddenly, the reaction changes, and the propaganda is unfounded and worthy of criticism. The lack of introspection is disappointing.

I listen to a daily podcast called “tech news briefing” by the wall street journal and just yesterday it had two EV hit pieces in it.

One was talking about how EVs are dangerous when they light on fire. They mentioned one big EV fire in Tennessee. When they asked the fire department about it, that was the only EV fire case they’d ever seen… So they’re fearmongering yet it’s not even common.

That being said, there was interesting info. EV fires, even if not common, are different than ICE fires and do need to be treated differently. But it was just weird.

Then in the same podcast it was saying that the grid can’t handle EV cars

The amount of EQS and EQE SUVs I see goes up by the day. If the mercedes faithful are giving up on ICE cars - I think ICE is done. Mercedes drivers are the most conservative drivers there are.

Sure, prices could come down, but it isn’t an issue for anyone who can actually afford a new car. If a new civic starts at 25K - I don’t think EVs have to be any cheaper. For 25K you can get a new Bolt, much nicer car than a civic.

It’s gone up like 10000% for sure.

If you’re seeing this on some form of social media, it’s because it prompts engagement, and you’re probably now tagged as someone “interested in EVs” so you’re getting served up that content.