EVcast #366: EV Nuts and New PhDs

Enjoyed the show, guys! Darell is always fun to have in the mix- though I hope he is on more often so y'all can help to bring him out of his shell a bit more- learn to speak his mind more and not waffle so much.

A reminder to keep things in perspective:  Darell's last comment on his EV Bio- "...but mostly I'm a dad."  Well said;-)

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Paul, that comment from D. really struck me as well! How can you not like that guy? Thanks as always for your feedback.

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Hi Bo, Ryan & Darrell,

Thanks for a great show. keep up the good work.

Just a comment on Hawaii: I just wonder why Hawaii is using oil for its power needs when there should be a lot of geothermal power there, like in Iceland- where majority of its power supply comes from geothermal and hydro.

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Thanks Paul. I'm glad somebody realizes and appreciates how shy and timid I am.  ;) Your comment made me laugh. I needed that!

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Excellent Funny Show as usual. Bo you sounded on top of your game except for the technical issues. 

Bo do you have some "Sound" advice for us jr. journalists.  It is my limited understanding that you want to use a handheld microphone for any interview.  They are designed to be short range meaning they only pick up the sound of the speaker and not ambient or background noise. As you mentioned most built-in mics for cell phones or recorders are omnidirectional which means than will pick up a lot of background noise.

If you are using a digital recorder then the the recorder manufacturer will specify compatible brands/models of handheld mics.  Obviously testing your equipment in various conditions is a good idea.  There are also lapel mics that have battery power, boom mics, and wireless mics that all have their advantages and disadvantages.  A more professional set up would include and audio mixer between the mics and the recording device to adjust/balance volume etc. from various mics.  I am told that buzzing from a mic is caused by a swarm of insects or bad wiring connection within the mic or cords.

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Thanks Fred.  The iPhone mic is ideal I think... at least it has been for what I have been using it for with onsite interviews.  If you do not have an iPhone, look for a decent quality handheld MP3 recorder.

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Bo:

I agree that tax credits should be limited, even for something as positive as an EV is.  If EVs are sold with tax credits that are too out of line, there is bound to be a backlash from those that already hate "tree huggers" or idealists of any flavor.  There are those that have an intense, irrational dislike for anyone that's trying to do the kinds of things we do, and we don't need to give them any more excuses to put roadblocks in our way.

I do disagree with Deloitte's conclusion that EVs will take decades to ramp up.  Especially with the BP/ Gulf of Mexico disaster, whose extent of damage to fisheries, wildlife and tourism is still unknown, we may find that EVs gain much faster public support than we otherwise would have.

In 2008, as a series of factors first drove up the cost of gasoline, strong support for EVs spiked briefly; then, as our economy collapsed, the price of gasoline plummeted with it, and we suddenly lost support for EVs again.  It is my suspicion that OPEC is now artificially suppressing the cost of gasoline, in order to keep from spurring the inevitable abandonment of gasoline as our primary source of automotive energy.  I'm sure that they have a very real fear that once the exodus from fuels begins in earnest it will not stop, and OPEC is terribly afraid of doing anything that might interrupt their opulent lifestyle.  They are working feverishly to establish sources of income such as high-end resorts and hotels to replace their oil money, but hopefully they'll fall flat in their efforts.  They have squandered their countries' resources for their most decadent interests, ignoring the educational and social needs of their own people.

It's my opinion that EVs will build a following slowly, but as they build a critical mass and the early adopters of EVs expose their friends, families, neighbors and co-workers to their ample benefits, there will suddenly be an impassioned rush to end our dependence on foreign oil, and the car companies will find that they will have terrible problems trying to sell what gasoline cars they are making.

Several factors will drive down the cost of making EVs, most importantly economies of scale in making EV batteries and chargers.  We will be scrambling for many years to keep up with the demand for charging stations, and there will be a boom in solar panels and home battery storage to support these needs.

The $600 billion or so we spend annually on foreign oil will suddenly be diverted from OPEC, and to more permanent domestic needs: roads, bridges, education, health care, and paying off the debts of a decade of war.

Too much is never enough: everyone assumes that the OPEC countries are rolling in money, but the opposite is true.  Banks consider them good credit risks, and those same oil billionaires are heavily in debt with easy credit.  With even a small decrease in oil income, those billionaires will be going into bankruptcy.  There will be chaos in the Middle East, as the poorest of their countrymen revolt against the rich that have plundered their natural resources.  I suspect what we see will resemble the French Revolution: there will be blood in the streets.

Should this happen as I think it will, we may find the wealthy here in the US will be afraid to take such obscene profits as they have in the last couple of years.  Perhaps we'll see some common sense for the first time in a long time.

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