Not really. Many of us have known for a long time that electrification was the obvious way forward. The reason others don't is that the O&G industry are hindering progress through media.
Europe
News and information from Europe 🇪🇺
(Current banner: La Mancha, Spain. Feel free to post submissions for banner images.)
Rules
- This is an English-language community. Comments should be in English. Posts can link to non-English news sources when providing a full-text translation in the post description. Automated translations are fine, as long as they don't overly distort the content.
- No links to misinformation or commercial advertising. When you post outdated/historic articles, add the year of publication to the post title. Infographics must include a source and a year of creation; if possible, also provide a link to the source.
- Be kind to each other, and argue in good faith. Don't post direct insults nor disrespectful and condescending comments. Don't troll nor incite hatred. Don't look for novel argumentation strategies at Wikipedia's List of fallacies.
- No bigotry, sexism, racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, dehumanization of minorities, or glorification of National Socialism. We follow German law; don't question the statehood of Israel.
- Be the signal, not the noise: Strive to post insightful comments. Add "/s" when you're being sarcastic (and don't use it to break rule no. 3).
- If you link to paywalled information, please provide also a link to a freely available archived version. Alternatively, try to find a different source.
- Light-hearted content, memes, and posts about your European everyday belong in other communities.
- Don't evade bans. If we notice ban evasion, that will result in a permanent ban for all the accounts we can associate with you.
- No posts linking to speculative reporting about ongoing events with unclear backgrounds. Please wait at least 12 hours. (E.g., do not post breathless reporting on an ongoing terror attack.)
- Always provide context with posts: Don't post uncontextualized images or videos, and don't start discussions without giving some context first.
(This list may get expanded as necessary.)
Posts that link to the following sources will be removed
- on any topic: Al Mayadeen, brusselssignal:eu, citjourno:com, europesays:com, Breitbart, Daily Caller, Fox, GB News, geo-trends:eu, news-pravda:com, OAN, RT, sociable:co, any AI slop sites (when in doubt please look for a credible imprint/about page), change:org (for privacy reasons), archive:is,ph,today (their JS DDoS websites)
- on Middle-East topics: Al Jazeera
- on Hungary: Euronews
Unless they're the only sources, please also avoid The Sun, Daily Mail, any "thinktank" type organization, and non-Lemmy social media (incl. Substack). Don't link to Twitter directly, instead use xcancel.com. For Reddit, use old:reddit:com
(Lists may get expanded as necessary.)
Ban lengths, etc.
We will use some leeway to decide whether to remove a comment.
If need be, there are also bans: 3 days for lighter offenses, 7 or 14 days for bigger offenses, and permanent bans for people who don't show any willingness to participate productively. If we think the ban reason is obvious, we may not specifically write to you.
If you want to protest a removal or ban, feel free to write privately to the admin that applied the rule (check modlog first to find who was it.)
Also the USD was backed by oil. The US would never allow countries to truly decarbonize since it undermines the value of the dollar.
Somehow US media always brings those "why Europe sucks at things" articles, even on topics where the EU is actually holding up substantially better than the US, like electrification of road vehicles of all categories and domestic industries staying in that business. That said, Europe is certainly in a death struggle against Chinese competition but things are not nearly looking as lost as with the domestic US industry in the sector.
Thank the right-wingers and conservatives who undermine green efforts at every turn.
I really do not like people boasting about how foreign dictatorships are doing everything better while bashing our local democracies. If this guy wants to see an electric truck, he can simply walk onto European streets. They are there. And they are available from those "incubent manufacturers" that he bashes in the article.

I really do not like people boasting about how foreign dictatorships are doing everything better while bashing our local democracies.
I mean, electrification is one area where China is significantly and undoubtedly outdoing every single democracy out there. How democratic China is has no bearing on that fact.
How democratic China is has no bearing on that fact.
It does matter because this is totally what chinese state propaganda is broadcasting to the world. The old playbook the soviets have been doing
It also happens to be true.
ah yes, the old soviet ploy to make the everyone think their society is flourishing by... improving their society. damn sneaky commies
I don't know if I agree. A dictatorship decides to make more batteries and so the industry bends. Land is taken by the state to build mines. Little regard for the people or the environment.
All of this makes it easier for China to just move to electric, and part of why the EVs they export are so cheap.
They subsidise by environmental impact and possibly human suffering.
* Not to mention they own the battery market.
I don’t think there’s a country in the developed world with a government that finds it distasteful to subsidize the consumption of their populace with environmental and human suffering. Moral superiority isn’t the difference being spotlit here. I think China just controls more manufacturing of its own which makes pivoting their society more efficient
The question was about politics and economics, not morals.
I would hope not supporting suffering and destruction doesn't need to be explicitly stated to be understood.
I'm not sure the argument "EVs are bad for the environment actually" works as well as you think it does.
Norway walks into the room.
Have been seeing e-Atros in Switzerland and Germany daily during my commutes this year, they are everywhere if you keep your eyes open.
Small sample from the US but I've seen some all-electric Penske trucks making deliveries to nearby warehouses. Day-cab semis with full 52' trailers
https://www.pensketruckleasing.com/truck-leasing/leasing-services/electric-vehicles/
Penske doesn't make trucks.
Peterbuilt has several EV models. So does MAC. The industry started R&D in electrics years ago.
True but the batteries in them still are from china.
Why has your map removed parts of Europe?
EU map
Wrong. What about Norway and Iceland? Why are they included?
It is a map of the EEA, which is EU + EFTA*
'* excluding CH, since they voted no.
Oh, hey another grouping of European countries that I didn't know yet!
Is Liechtenstein included in this or not?
You can find the answer to that question and many others in the Wikipedia article on European integration.
Yes, Liechtenstein is included. The Swiss voted against it in 1992, whereas the Liechtensteiners voted in favor.
I had to check because I was not sure but interestingly enough Liechtenstein is in fact member of the EEA, while Switzerland is not, even though Liechtenstein is in a customs and monetary union with Switzerland.
Bad news Norway…
It's some weird map, looks to be Schengen with Switzerland removed and Ireland and Iceland added...
Yeah and it is telling that you weren't convinced by an affordable, simple and cheap electric hatchback commuter car, asshole.