Libertarians and Tesla?

Guest Post by Eric Peters

I received a letter (below) from a reader who took issue with my taking issue with electric cars generally and Tesla specifically. This reader claimed to be a Libertarian – which staggered me like a punch from Ali in his prime.

I figured it was worth an at-length reply since there are actually a lot of people out there who think Elon Musk is a Libertarian.

Which, to me, is like believing Caitlyn Jenner is a woman. 

Paul writes: I’m a libertarian Tesla owner and also a writer on the costs of the car and have written on how the costs of ownership are similar to a Camry, but the car drives better than most Porsches, is safer than any other car tested and very economical if you drive a lot.

You talk constantly about the 45 minutes it takes to do a fast charge and that is a disadvantage.  But it saves time every week not going to a gas station and that adds up. My wife loves the car and the technology is so beyond anything else available.  It ready is like going from a flip phone to an iPhone.  If they weren’t fabulous, they wouldn’t sell like hot cakes without any advertising.  They will be very competitive and profitable once all subsidies are gone because they have such a simple design.  So few buttons in the interior to cost money and break.  So few moving parts to break.  Motor just validated to work for a million miles.

My reply: If you’re a Libertarian, I assume you oppose using government force to compel the manufacture of a product and its purchase, and also the artificial favoring of a product via subsidies and such . . .? If so, then it is hard to for me to understand how you can claim to be a Libertarian and defend Tesla – or electric cars generally.

At least as they currently exist. If it weren’t for all these mandates and subsidies, we might actually have economically viable and functionally sensible electric cars. 

Instead, we have vehicles like the Tesla and the others have no significant natural market; they exist almost entirely because of “zero emissions” mandates and federal fuel efficiency mandates – neither of which are very Libertarian. Tesla is also the recipient of massive subsidies, as are the individual “buyers” of its cars (which are “sold” at a net loss each).

I always pose the question: If EVs – Teslas and otherwise – are such hot tamales, why is it necessary to mandate their manufacturer and subsidies their purchase? Gas engined cars are viable on their economic and functional merits; they do not need subsidies to exist on the free market. This is inarguable – because it’s been demonstrated.

EVs like Teslas and the others do need subsidies and mandates  – and cannot exist as other than very low volume toys for the affluent – without them.

If you’d had to pay full market price for your Tesla, would you have bought it? If you have a Model 3, that would be in the neighborhood of $55,000 or more. For a smallish sedan, not well-built, with less room than a Camry that costs $24k or so.  

Yes, I do talk constantly about the 45 minutes it takes to recover a partial charge at a “fast” charger… because it’s clown-car absurd. It takes 5 minutes or less to refuel a gas car to full.

How is it progress or otherwise appealing to literally quintuple (and then some) the time it takes to refuel a vehicle? Gas costs $2.40 per gallon but time is priceless.

You have to recharge more often, too – because the range of the EV is less. It is like driving around a gas-engined car that can only go 150-200 miles (or less)

And you can’t fully recharge at a “fast” charger. Which is like driving around a gas-engined car with a 100-150 mile range. Or less.

Which means having to wait more often.

Also having to think constantly about plugging in, dealing with the cord and all of that. The actual plugging-in isn’t that big a deal, but you do have to do it and think about doing it, rain or shine, winter and summer. Most people only need to gas their car up once a week and then forget about it until it needs to be refilled.

And “safer than any other car tested”? Perhaps the Model 3 (or the Model S) scored as well as others in their respective class of car, which is how the government rates “safety” – which is really a crashworthiness rating. But to claim either is “safer than any other car tested” is false. You talk about fewer moving parts – true – but neglect to mention the complexity of the electronics and the issue of their longevity as well as the longevity of a battery subjected to discharge/charge cycles.

But that debate isn’t the fundamental one.

The fundamental debate is about the government forcing EVs onto the market by regulatory fiat and mandates. And the subsidization of EVs, which is nothing less than a form of wealth transfer via force – and that is something a Libertarian ought to object to.

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ursel doran
ursel doran

Eric, thanks for all the good thoughts. This new bit will be of interest on a detailed Tesla review.
https://www.yahoo.com/finance/video/engineers-found-tore-apart-teslas-104430752.html

Beans
Beans

My gas engine car has much less chance of catching on fire than any battery-powered car.

Not to mention that I don’t have to put stress on the electric grid when I want to ‘refuel.’

I love pointing out to the local EV drivers that they are coal powered. They hate it. Like it burns…

Dutchman
Dutchman

Wait until those suckers are out of warranty. Who will fix them? No dealer network. How long will there be spare parts? Will anyone buy a used one?

I have two late model Volvo’s – in Minneapolis, I’m OK – but there wasn’t (several years ago) any Volvo dealers in North or South Dakota – how the hell would you get a Tesla fixed in SD or ND? I guess you don’t – it’s a California car.

I was behind a Model 3 the other day – gotta say it looks cheap, tiny directional signals.

Beans
Beans

There’s one of the high-end Teslas in my city that the owner stuck a Bernie sticker on it.

The city should issue a smug alert everytime the idiot takes it out.

starfcker
starfcker

Aren’t you all the same crew whining about how wonderful your flip phones were, and how dumb smart phones were? Can’t teach a dumb dog new tricks. Stay in the right lane. Please

Iska Waran
Iska Waran

It would just be a matter of personal preference if it weren’t for the tax credits.

Boat Guy
Boat Guy

All the negatives aside electric cars are the leftist government push and that’s it ! Have you seen the commercial using the Jetsons song we as taxpayers pay for every time it airs
Meet Fed Brainwash , his boy soy boy daughter Judy Jane the life partener blah blah ….

James
James

Musk has besmirched the name of a great man,luckily,the man Tesla will live on while this company finally bites the dust.

I would say the band that took the mans name will also be around a lot longer with their blues based rock that has made millions happy for over 3 decades,and got a bit of payback for Nikola with the excellent song “Edisons Medicine”

suck the soot hippies
suck the soot hippies

i stick with earthfucker, my old diesel pickup. 600 miles on a single tank. good for running over teslas that have run out of magic smoke.

Onnie

I believe Paul is a writer — for Tesla. I believe Paul would have many positive things to say about whatever subject you paid him to write about.

Taint Boil
Taint Boil

Where. Does. The .Electricity. Come. From ………

James
James
Apex Predator
Apex Predator

And the rabid virtue signaling continues apace…

Free speech forum

Why should the US go to war with 1.6 billion Muslims to protect 14 million Jews?

Horst
Horst

There are people thinking Musk is real. The more you digg, the more obvious it gets he is a front. Just look at that, fake too, cave story this year. Ridiculous.

sofa
sofa

maybe a “public school Libertarian”.(?)

j ob
j ob

I think Elon is simply ‘cruisn for bruisn’. He wants to unload his Tesla debacle and move on to space.

Rossa
Rossa

There’s think tank in the U.K. that is now demanding that we go all electric by 2032. Wants Govt to ban all diesel and petrol (gas) cars. No idea about the cost of all these charging points even if EV made any sense. And the subsidies are being cut here not just for EVs but all renewables as we’re being inundated with deals on solar etc., to beat the deadline when the subsidies get cut off next March.

Oh and the EU is now investigating VW for cheating on the safety crash tests. If that’s proven to be true then all manufacturers have probably done the same. So I wouldn’t say any car, let alone a Tesla, is as safe as that Tesla owner is claiming.

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