this post was submitted on 03 Mar 2026
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xkcd #3214: Electric Vehicles

Title text:

Now that I've finally gotten an electric vehicle, I'm never going back to an acoustic one.

Transcript:

Transcript will show once it’s been added to explainxkcd.com

Source: https://xkcd.com/3214/

explainxkcd for #3214

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[–] AbsolutelyNotAVelociraptor@piefed.social 136 points 2 days ago (74 children)

As an EV owner, I have recieved an interesting amount of reasons why people won't buy them:

  1. The autonomy is not real (so far it's been in my case and in any case, in italy, for how people drive, the declared consumptions are all fake because people here only drives by pressing the accelerator to the bottom)
  2. What if there's a blackout in the whole city and you can't charge your car? (The whole city, for a long time? I'd be worried about other stuff, but go on...)
  3. What if all the public plugs are occupied when you want to charge and you find yourself without battery to go to "ork tomorrow? (ALL OF THEM? At the same time? And why are you waiting to charge your car until it reaches 1% charge?)
  4. What if you come back from a long trip and have a 10% battery remaining and then you recieve an emergency call and have to leave immediately and you can't because the 50-60km you have in your battery are not enough to reach your destination? (I can get to a quick charge station and get 200km in 15mins or so? The world is not ending? And if it's THAT urgent then I should be calling an ambulance anyway, because I probably need one)
  5. I don't want an automatic car! I love changing my gear! (Thank fuck I got rid of the clutch and the gears... never been happier when I drive!)
  6. Ah... but the speed, the torque of a thermic sports car... (Dude, you can't afford a sports car, what the thell are you talking about? And even if I can't either and I have a pretty average EV, you should just press the accelerator of an EV to the bottom and see for yourself)
  7. But it's all about the feeling... the sound... (oh, I get it now... you want to "feel powerful" making everyone look at you and your noise making machine... yeah, I can't compete there, and I don't even want to anyway)
  8. But the electricity is made by burning fuel! (Most of it comes from green sources and, anyway, what the hell do you think your car run on? Water? Are you not very intelligent?)
  9. But the lithium comes from child labor!! (Says while casually using their iPhone, wearing clothes made in a third world country...)

After this, they usually proceed to make absurd claims like "I don't care, I just don't trust EVs.

[–] lepinkainen@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

The best argument against the blackout bit: Ukraine

Every single used budget EV was bought up by Ukrainians when the war started. Nissan Leafs, older Hyundai Ioniqs, Renault Zoes

Gas stations were bombed and the whole logistic chain for delivering gasoline and diesel was disrupted or prioritised for the military

But everyone had power at least for a part of the day, so they could charge EVs.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago

What if everyone woke up at about the same time and plugged in their toasters to make breakfast? ARMAGEDDON.

ICE cars grow in fields, that's just science.

The EV battery will wear out and cost eleventy million dollars to replace, and we have to throw all the old batteries in rivers.

EVs catch fire! no way gasoline could catch fire!

and finally, what happens if you give up on life and want to end it all? Can't die in a sealed garage with an EV running!

[–] Sineljora@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

I didn’t see this one: I’ll never buy a car made after 2011 for privacy reasons. (As well as repairability)

It seems like my best bet is to retrofit an older petrol car. I’d spend a lot, probably even more than what a new car costs in cash, but I haven’t found a great ev swap plan yet, so hopefully in the future. I’ve saved a couple of totaled cars from the scrapyard so far.

I’d honestly probably spend upwards of $100k in cash on a privacy-first new EV with features I want, but apparently the car industry doesn’t want to make a product for me. (Not the slate truck)

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

My 2018 car has no privacy issues. Also, I DGAF about people knowing I drive to and from work. If you are really concerned about privacy, don't use the internet.

[–] lepinkainen@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

My dream car is one of those UN spec Toyota Land Cruisers that can run on any dirt water that resembles diesel and can be repaired with a roll of duct tape, a large spanner and a hammer in the middle of a jungle.

https://www.offgridweb.com/transportation/toyota-gibraltar-the-secret-factory-that-builds-trucks-for-the-un/

They don’t meet any emissions requirements though so they’re fully illegal in any western countries 😅

[–] Tja@programming.dev 62 points 2 days ago (12 children)

Very much similar to my own experience. The blackout is the funniest, because gas stations don't work in a blackout, while solar panels do (assuming you disconnect them from the grid).

I would add one:

  • But I couldn't drive 1.000km without stopping (how often do you do that? It doesn't seem safe anyway....)
[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

What ICE car goes 1000km without filling up?

[–] Tja@programming.dev 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

A bunch of German diesels have 70L+ tanks and can comfortably cruise under 7L/100km at highway speeds. Passat, Audi A4, A6, and A8, BMW 3, 5 and 7 series, Mercedes C, E and S class.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

So the trick is just burn more fuel!

My hybrid is running at 4.8-5 L/100.

[–] Tja@programming.dev 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

That is under 7L too...

PS: if you had a 50L tank you car can do 1.000km too

[–] lepinkainen@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

A few diesels in theory if you drive economically

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago

maybe on the internet. and we'll just ignore all the pollutants Diesels spew.

[–] AbsolutelyNotAVelociraptor@piefed.social 34 points 2 days ago (8 children)

Oh, yeah! I forgot that one! 

When you ask them how many times they found themselves with a thermic car doing 1000km without stopping they usually tell you: never, but what if I had to?

Bitch, if you need to do 1000km without stopping, you should be taking a train or a plane. Driving 10-12 hours without a single stop is bad and dangerous.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago

When you ask them how many times they found themselves with a thermic car doing 1000km without stopping they usually tell you: never, but what if I had to?

What if a comet was headed for your town and it has a radius of 500KM? Check and mate, libtard!

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago

Driving 10-12 hours without a single stop is bad and dangerous.

Americans do this on July 4 weekend, the highways are carnage.

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[–] OddMinus1@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

My father in-law uses that added argument all the time. Who the hell needs to drive for 10 hours straight without taking a 30 minute break.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

It's the same mentality as V8 pickup buyers. But what if I need to tow my yacht one day? My truck was pretty damned convenient that day in 2017 when I had to move my brother-in-law's sofa!

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3.What if all the public plugs are occupied when you want to charge and you find yourself without battery to go to "ork tomorrow?

It sounds crazy, but I'd sit and wait the five minutes, much like I've done for pumps on occasion.

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

have a 10% battery remaining and then you recieve an emergency call and have to leave immediately

I actually have been in similar scenario, but one hour charging at home will get me to any such place (or I could have, you know, hit up a supercharger on my way)

The complaint may be that it’s an emergency but how often can you not even wait an hour? Especially since it’s half gone by the time I unload the car, use the rest room, etc

[–] pineapplelover@lemmy.dbzer0.com 24 points 2 days ago

Another point to add for 9, all the EV parts can be recycled. The metal body is recycled in to new cars and battery components are also recycled in to new batteries.

Relevant technology connections video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtQ9nt2ZeGM

[–] blauergrashalm@feddit.org 19 points 2 days ago (4 children)

My reason for not buying an EV: it's still a fucking car. Bit less shit, but still shit.

That should be Number 1 Reason to not buy an EV!

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