Electric car sales gain pace despite hurdles

Anyone can build an EV these days. The Vietnamese are making them in a US factory. The motors and batteries are mechanically simple, easy to manufacture and can be churned out of Chinese factories in vast quantities.

This is what has Toyota sacred, as well as Honda, Mazda and the Japanese government. That's why the Japanese are pressuring the world to continue with gasoline-burning vehicles that rely on Japan's supremacy in making reliable but polluting combustion engines. The future ain't bright for Japan!

Im making my own electric car in my garage. It's easy.

Anyone can build an EV these days. The Vietnamese are making them in a US factory. The motors and batteries are mechanically simple, easy to manufacture and can be churned out of Chinese factories in vast quantities.

I would not say it is easy. EVs require higher sophistication in software and semiconductors that can be integrated into the future development of self-driving functions. EVs are more sophisticated than ICE cars in the level of software, computing power, and semiconductors. ICE cars are traditionally more difficult in the hardware parts.

EVs are increasingly more convenient and friendly to the environment.

The biggest problem with Japan is the procurement of core resources to build EVs or any car. Japan has been struggling to procure semiconductors and even metal resources. This is due to the weak Yen, and the decline of industrial competitiveness. China, India, USA, Vietnam, Indonesia are massively hoarding resources for their industrial capacity. Japan always comes too late! This is the true reason why Japan can't pivot to EVs, aside from the societal problem of guaranteeing full employment for everyone in Japan.

@michael

Im making my own electric car in my garage. It's easy.

Have fun. A more popular option is converting your beloved gasoline car into electric. Quite a few people are doing that these days at home, as conversion kits are available on the retail market. The motors, batteries and software can be procured as integrated modules or systems that you install rather than build yourself. Good luck. You'll be helping save the environment.

The problem will be insurance and licensing, especially if you're in Japan! LOL.

There’s the same or more polluting and resources wasting like before. Admitted, it’s all less visible now when only considering or looking at the EV cars. In fact, for the higher prices you indeed get more value as you additionally just also buy yourself a good feeling of having done something for the environment, while of course only been tricked paying more for less and lying into own pockets.

Great! But what about people who live in apartment blocks? How are they gonna go electric?

EVs sound good in theory, but in reality are not the "green " vehicles they are purported to be.

The manufacturing industry itself relies heavily on fossil fuel-generated power, and EVs require more energy to be produced. A major issue is the mining of rare earth metals that are necessary, and the manufacturing of the battery cells(which also have a limited usable life. Each vehicle has a much larger carbon footprint (than Ice vehicles) during the production, and it takes at least several years of operation to match the equivalent ICE vehicles.

In addition, because of the significantly increased weight of EVs, tire wear is significantly higher than conventional vehicles. Tire wear is also an "emission".

And then there's issues of : limited range, long charging times, fire dangers, etc.

And don't forget the disposal issues after the serviceable life ends.

Not green at all.

China is a leader in the electrification of cars, with favourable policies helping sales to double in 2022.

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All is state owned in China by the CCP and funded by them-be happy to know that there are components in Chinese cars made by slave labor.

Chinese manufacturers like BYD or rival carmaker NIO are "the most competitive in the world, work harder and smarter", Musk said himself in January.

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With no trade unions nor freedom of speech;dissent is easily quelled by the CCP.

The Chinese can outproduce and undercut others,countries and foreign producers with a view to dominating the market.

Buy Chinese at your peril..

Aftermarket customer service is not a concept easily found in China

The sooner we switch to cars that have zero emissions at the tailpipe, the better. Already, the long term cost

of owning one of the cheaper EVs is less than the long term cost of owning an ICE car.

China has more EVs on the road than all the rest of the countries, combined, but it generates much of its electricity with coal and petroleum, at least for now.

Remember how we use have internet connection on the power outlet and now it obsolete, EV connection point will be the same in 10 years obsolete.