A new study argues that insufficient infrastructure doomed the first electric cars
With a more robust power grid, petrol-powered cars might have been a minority
“ALL IS ROTARY, beautifully perfect and wonderfully efficient,” said one evangelist for electric vehicles (EVs). “There is not that almost terrifying uncertain throb and whirr of the powerful combustion engine…no dangerous and evil smelling gasoline and no noise. Perfect freedom from vibration assures both comfort and peace of mind.” Translated into Twitter-ese, such views would not sound out of place from Elon Musk. But their author was Thomas Edison, pioneer of the light bulb, in 1903.
This article appeared in the Graphic detail section of the print edition under the headline “The grid’s the thing”
From the October 30th 2021 edition
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