For the record, the problem in Norway was that government programs to encourage electric vehicle ownership were too successful and incentivized people to drive instead of use transit. Also, the financial incentives for purchasing electric cars mostly went to people who were already wealthy.
this post was submitted on 03 Nov 2023
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Who would've thunk that adding just another lane makes more cars appear.
Journalism is fucking dead, what the hell is that fucking title, clickbaiting trash
But is it a clickbait in this case? The title is exactly the question the article thoroughly answers.
But the title also neatly sidesteps all of the nuance that a user needs to actually understand what is happening. But "Norway experiencing unintended consequences from poorly executed EV incentives" won't drive clicks the same way
Perfectly stated 👏
I thought the same until realizing it was from Vox, a typically left leaning site.
So clickbait trash is fine as long as you agree with it?
Not at all. I realized the title was likely not clickbait. While I agree it was crafted to get clicks, the article does actually follow the title.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Norway’s muscular EV push has garnered headlines in outlets like the New York Times and the Guardian while drawing praise from the Environmental Defense Fund, the World Economic Forum, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Worse, the EV boom has hobbled Norwegian cities’ efforts to untether themselves from the automobile and enable residents to instead travel by transit or bicycle, decisions that do more to reduce emissions, enhance road safety, and enliven urban life than swapping a gas-powered car for an electric one.
The federal government now offers tantalizing rebates to Americans in the market for an electric car, but nothing at all for more climate-friendly vehicles like e-bikes or golf carts (nor a financial lifeline for beleaguered public subway and bus systems).
“The argument is to make the tax system more fair,” said transportation state secretary Kroglund, “and not give benefits for things that are unnecessary for the transition to EVs.” As a result of the new policies, Norwegian sales of some high-end EVs, like the enormous Chinese Hongqi SUV, have collapsed.
The national government’s decision to subsidize electric cars but not e-bikes makes no sense from a climate perspective, although the United States Congress made the same mistake when it passed the Inflation Reduction Act last year.
But if local initiatives aren’t matched with supportive federal policies, Norway’s experience suggests that an influx of electric vehicles can hinder efforts to escape the automobile’s urban stranglehold.
The original article contains 2,849 words, the summary contains 236 words. Saved 92%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!