If they want more people to switch to EVs specifically, they absolutely need to try to make some changes if they can.
Chargers: In a world where many people are living in old apartment buildings and condos, people are going to need public chargers. I don’t just mean enough for 20 people. If we want a big societal switch, we need to be able to assure people that they won’t encounter what happened in Texas recently. 60 chargers is still pretty rough if your city has half a million people in it.
Cost: MANY people can only afford used vehicles. This is not only because of the up-front cost. Parts for repairs can become a massive factor when deciding what type of car to buy. Even if you can get a used car for 6K, you might not go for it if you know that certain important repairs will cost you up to 20K.
Design: There are concerns for a lot of people with things being too screen-based. Some people like knobs that you can change without having to look away from the road. How many functions will be stuck behind a subscription? Will an update brick your car? Is it ok to tow normally, or will it sometimes require a special flatbed that most people can’t afford? Do we have the battery fire thing under full control yet?
If every single car eventually becomes too expensive, driving will either become a “caste” thing, or people will put things together at home that might be even worse for the environment. Shoddy DIY repairs can also count for this.
Let’s say there’s a pair of new parents, and that they don’t have family support. This is already a common reality for many new families.
Let’s say that now there’s a mandated enlistment because of a war. Which parent will go? Will they play rock paper scissors, or will they have to trust the government to randonly decide for them? Is it ethical for the government to decide who goes? Is it ethical for them to make new parents make that choice?
If they’re both going, who will care for the young child? I certainly wouldn’t trust strangers to watch babies en masse if the parents would be gone for a very long time at minimum.
Maybe mandated enlistment isn’t where it’s at, and maybe we should also be making sure that we’re giving people a reason to want to fight for their country again. Laws against fleeing will only do so much when we have such a large planet.
Do you do a better job when you’re forced to do something, or do you do a better job when you’re passionate about something?