this post was submitted on 01 Aug 2025
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Replacing gas powered cars with electric ones because they're "less polluting". Sure, they produce no gaseous emissions, but they make up a lot of that difference with increased tire particulates, road wear, and general pollution from the raw materials required. Don't even get me started on self driving cars.
What we should really be doing is building and enabling as many viable alternatives to driving as possible. Intercity buses and trains, frequent intracity bus service with wide service areas, bike lanes, deconstructing highways going through city centers, etc. Cars have a place in our society, but we've made them the only viable way to get around and it's killing us.
Electric vehicle do wear down current tires more, and they do cause somewhat more wear on the roads ... but these are issues that can be solved by creating better, more durable tires and roads.
And the 'raw materials' do cause damage to the environment, but much less over the lifetime of the vehicle than a gas engine. And, the majority of the materials needed for the batteries can be recycled, so future vehicles will have less environmental impact.
I agree that we need a mix of vehicles and I'm most places the mass public transportation options are very lacking, but overall I think if someone needs a car, they should look for an electric one.
I agree, if you're going to get a car it's great for folks to get electric cars. My point is that they are not even remotely the silver bullet people think they are, and allowing that thinking to persist is killing us. We need viable alternatives to driving, and we need them 30 years ago.