Man I just read a couple of responses above and I have to throw something out here...
There is has been a ton of research and there is ample info out there available to the public on the topic of EVs and pollution. Sadly even more misinformation is readily available because people have been told that life was great in the 1960s and that we should return to that place because it doesn't force anyone to be responsible for shifting their world view or take a look at their choices as individuals and what effect that will have on future generations.
I'm not going to spoon feed the tinfoil hat buzzword crowd here, you are free to do your own research, but in summary: the push for EVs is important because even in the worst scenarios, new EVs do net less emissions than an equivalent hydrocarbon powered car over time. Gas creates more immediate greenhouse gasses than diesel, diesel produces a little less greenhouse but a lot more local pollution, so there's trade there. Stupid OE manufacturers cheating on tests have ruined diesel as a transition fuel for all of us. It's time to get over it.
It's important that new cars shift away from hydrocarbons because it is flat out unsustainable by any modeling that has any sort of consensus backing it, as does electricity generation. But electricity generation, pound for pound, is more efficient than a combustion engine so as a whole it's less of an emergency and requires a real shift in how our power is regulated and distributed. Whataboutism still can't come up with enough whatabouts to accurately demonize battery production and power generation to make it worse that what has been happening around petroleum for the last 100 years. Rape, pillage, piracy, pollution over petroleum is happening today. Outrage over battery mines (a real problem, for sure!) doesn't even begin to touch what is happening right under our own noses to put gas in our tanks RIGHT NOW.
Socialists aren't coming for your diesel, that's such a stupid statement, but bureaucracy might be, which is why we all should participate in discussions about finding solutions instead of playing whiney socialists-are-taking-my-toys-boo-hoo game and get involved. New cars need be green, period. Us old car enthusiasts get swallowed up in that conversation. We don't make a real dent in any of this pollution talk, but we need to be educated and be good examples by not rolling coal and cutting off our cats. Look at what's happened in California. I'm a closet tree hugger for sure, I love California and it's a total s*** show, which is why I just decided to relocate.
I work in motorsports, and I'm so sick of hearing people bitch about being dragged into the future. If you're a real enthusiast get informed, participate in the discussion and look for solutions or else we will all get left behind and not be able to drive our diesels within city limits, and that will be our own fault.
