• nikt@lemmy.ca
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    11 months ago

    A great way to slow down transport electrification is to promote alternatives to stall unification around standards.

    Even if hydrogen turns out to be a better technology in the long term, unifying around a single standard for now is the best path to getting off fossil carbon. Not surprising that AB conservatives are promoting distractions.

    • tleb@lemmy.ca
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      11 months ago

      Plug-in EVs don’t really make sense for people who live in apartments, condos, or renters of any kind (why commit to an expensive car you might not be able to charge at your next house?). Hydrogen EVs will work basically the same as a gasoline car.

      I really don’t think this is a nefarious move by the government to keep gas cars on the road, but is just trying to keep the oil industry relevant when we don’t have gas cars.

      • Nik282000@lemmy.ca
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        11 months ago

        This message is brought to you in part by: PetroCanada, Suncore, BP and your federal government!

      • Rob Bos@lemmy.ca
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        11 months ago

        Speaking personally, charging ports are a very high priority for our next apartment. Most places are either already in progress or planning to.

        Edit: although we did just give up our car so it’s less of a priority now. Might be in future though.

        • tleb@lemmy.ca
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          11 months ago

          In my experience renting, I didn’t really get to pick and choose features but was mostly just stuck with whatever crummy apartment I could afford and actually get in a city with <1% vacancy.

          Solving the housing crisis would be a huge step in moving forward on plug-in EVs tbh.

    • nova_ad_vitum@lemmy.ca
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      11 months ago

      Hydrogen will only be a better technology when its storage density is greatly increased. It’ll require an actual breakthrough in chemistry. I hope it happens and I support research funding towards that goal but I don’t think we can plan policy around something like that.

    • Hypx@kbin.social
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      11 months ago

      Battery cars were at one point an alternative to diesel or ethanol cars. The problem with green tech is that it is very new and there can be no set standard.

      • Avid Amoeba@lemmy.ca
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        11 months ago

        What are you talking about? Not only there can be a standard, there has been a standard for a decade now and automakers are investing hundreds of billions into their BEV roadmaps along with their current production. At this point in time and for the foreseeable future, BEV is the standard.

        • Hypx@kbin.social
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          11 months ago

          That is just wishful thinking from people who want a BEV monopoly. In reality, the whole thing is a giant experiment and could fail.

          • nova_ad_vitum@lemmy.ca
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            11 months ago

            The only way it would fail is if there is a major breakthrough in hydrogen storage technology in which case the existing gas station model would remain viable. Calling the transition to BEVs wishful thinking makes absolutely no sense at this stage of the game.