a hell? Maybe not in the way you are imagining because to be clear, I love my Tesla Model 3 and I never regret my purchase. I don’t regret my switch to electric either. If I had to do it again, I would do it again without hesitation. I am convinced of the advantages of electrical engineering. But what I didn’t know at the time was the fact that willy-nilly I had to incorporate some form of cult (for some). I will try to analyze this new social phenomenon in which I am now a new actor.
About this article
This is feedback on the everyday electric car and the associated social impact. I have owned an electric car for over a year and I am worried about the future. Hatred or other verbal attacks against electric vehicle drivers are becoming more and more common. I am trying here to analyze this disturbing phenomenon.
Without knowing it and without really wanting to, the purchase of my Tesla wanted to take me to the electric car camp. I wanted to enter the arena that resists this Thermal pros to electric pros. Because whether we like it or not, owning an electric car inexorably puts us in this game. Curious people ask us questions every day, often very open to this new type of drive. Always the same questions on the program: what is autonomy? How much does a refill cost? Etc. Some even bring surprising facts, untruths very far from reality and above all full of clichés. Someone asks me how I manage to drive without heating in winter or whether I can buy an electric car made from children’s mines without a guilty conscience.
Such clichés and lies annoy me to the utmost… Apparently the electric car is not so ecological in their eyes. It’s even dangerous. But why do they come to this conclusion? ? Why do electric cars bother some people?
Discussions can then climb the towers from simple verbal battles on social networks or discussions over an aperitif to insults and taunts even attacks and vandalism. That can be the everyday life of some electric vehicle drivers. But why ? Why some people absolutely want to convince others of the advantages of their type of drive ? Who is right ? Is the electric car just a green fantasy doomed to fail? Or is the thermal car an abomination that must be put to an end? And if the verbal sparring ignites the canvas, it’s because it’s not that simple.
In 2035, the sale of thermal cars will be banned in Europe
It’s factual. It’s done (for now) and for me this law banning the sale of new thermal cars in Europe in 2035 shares responsibility for this growing escalation of hostilities. For some, like François-Ferdinand of Austria, this law is the mobility of tomorrow, the act that triggers everything. A death knell that marks the end of a certain era that some would like to linger longer. But why ?
Before that, electromobilists were considered marginal, green wounds, as some would say, who wanted to change the world with a new type of drive. The electric car was not a threat. And people were free to accept it or not.
This law is forcing manufacturers and users to switch to electric cars with the effect that more and more new 100% electric models are announced on social networks and other specialized sites. We won’t lie to each other, finding an ad for a non-electric car in 2022 is quite an achievement.
All manufacturers are affected, even those whose V8 sound is part of their DNA. Alpine, Porsche, Ferrari, to name a few, will have to go through the electrification box, much to the dismay of some users who see the end of a myth there.
So passing this climate law is happening in a way the starting point of this unhealthy rivalry between Anti-Ve and Pro-Ve. To convince yourself, just read the comments of users under each publication that deals directly or indirectly with the electric car. Incidentally, this will also be the case under this release!
This is a new societal problem that is beginning to gain momentum and whose battle should peak by 2035, the date when new thermal cars will no longer be allowed on sale…
Why are electric cars scary?
That’s really the question you need to ask yourself.. Why does the electric car have so many negative stereotypes? There are several reasons for all this. Firstly, the purchase price. Much higher than a thermal car, the price is the first obstacle for the French. Despite bonuses and other aids, an electric car is far too expensive. Then make the connection with the differential autonomy of a thermal and we have there the fertile ground of a certain animosity with the electric: those users who are however eager to acquire one are frustrated.
Blessed bread for those who want to convince themselves that this type of car is ultimately not for them.
The second reason is related to the notion of a vehicle’s autonomy. Thermal and especially diesel vehicles have accustomed us to large capacities that can far exceed 1000 km. This character has become magical. It has become a necessary standard for some, in short, a comfort zone.
Electric cars have very different properties than their thermal counterparts. They are therefore portrayed with much less autonomy than their ancestors. And there lies the whole problem. Some people refuse to change their perception of a vehicle’s range. They are convinced that they need these 1000 km. But how many people make this type of trip on a regular basis?
According to the statistical data and study service SDES are on average a car journey takes 19 minutes and 63% of the French use it to get around every day. That corresponds to almost 36 kilometers per day. A number that has remained relatively stable over the past 30 years.
The complexity of the responsible electric car?
A thermal has to fill up at a gas station when its tank is empty and it’s more or less always the same ritual. It’s different with an electric car: There are several ways to fill up with kWh.
Charging at home, at public terminals, free terminals in supermarkets, superchargers with just as many subscription cards and modes of operation, which on top of that have prices that can range from single to double. Of course, there’s a lot to confuse, and it’s one of the most confusing aspects of electric cars. That needs to be changed and normalized. There are also problems with defective terminals, which can make your journeys more difficult.
Rudeness on the rise
However, another phenomenon is beginning to gain importance: rudeness, and they are as numerous as they are varied.. And that is what prompted me to write this article. For some time now, I’ve seen a form of anti-EV hatred gaining power with the aim of making life hell for EV owners: terminals occupied by thermal cars, degraded or even destroyed terminals, broken cables from charging cars, scratches, projectiles thrown or even insults … so many things that can make life difficult for electric car drivers.
We have two electric cars in our household, a Tesla Model 3 and a Dacia Spring. If my wife and I notice the same thing about the condition of the bollards and the rudeness around them, I also see some form of anti-Tesla hatred. Some time ago I was the victim of insults and projectiles being thrown at my car.
An electric vehicle space occupied by a thermal car
Unfortunately, I’m not the only one noticing this type of growth phenomenon. More and more initiatives on social networks show these rude things with the hashtag #BalanceTaThermique. YouTube channel Wham Baam Teslacam regularly broadcasts such rudeness. The Teslas have the advantage of having cameras that constantly film and allow the car’s surroundings to capture these daily offenses in pictures. But on the anti-EV side, things are also being organized around social media, particularly with operations organizing lockdowns on Tesla or Ionity superchargers.
Note that these blockages can be expensive. The provisions of Article R.417-10 of the Highway Code are very clear: if you are not authorized to park in these car parks, you will face a fine of 35 dollars for awkward parking. Like parking in a handicapped space, you’re exposing yourself to distance by the pound.
The only solution to calm the situation is not to overbid and try to talk as much as possible. All clichés about the electric car are easy to demonstrate. There are many official documents that explain in detail the advantages of this mode of transport. The IPCC report is an excellent starting point. Those who doubt the French grid’s ability to accommodate so many electric cars can read the studies and forecasts by RTE, our electricity transmission grid manager. Some have the bad idea of using anti-suction bumper stickers, but this is clearly not the solution as it is simply banned. The most peaceful solution remains dialogue.
Anti-car suction cup stickers abound, but it’s banned…
It is clear that the electric car will not stop and its market share is steadily increasing, while conversely sales of diesel vehicles are declining. The registration statistics prove it.
The electric car is one of the solutions to global warming. However, it is not the only key and completes a series of detailed solutions in the climate plan, which hopes to raise user awareness worldwide. Whether electric or thermal, it is important to use our car as little as possible, giving preference to public transport, the bike or walking. We have to gradually get out of this abundance and overconsumption.
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