I’ve noticed something that’s either a sneaky trend or I’m just overly sensitive. I see articles that seem to be in favor of electric transportation that will squeeze in a seemingly minor issue before we can reach mass adoption. It reminds my of the tactic of “negging.” Negging is used by people trying to pick up someone, like in a bar. It is basically a tactic of giving someone a compliment that includes a criticism, so that the target’s defenses drop and they are manipulated to want the negger’s approval. Here’s an example: “You have such beautiful eyes. Why would you hide them behind unattractive glasses like those?”
In the EV world, I see comments like, “EVs are great! I can’t wait until there are more charging stations… more range on a charge… faster charging…
You get the idea.
So I started making videos to illustrate why these negs are actually a bit deceitful. I have been waking up at 4AM lately, unable to get to sleep. During these early mornings, I usually awake with ideas already formed in my mind. I may be overly impressed with these early morning “Eureka!” moments, but some of my friends roll their eyes when I explain them. In this case, I woke up thinking about the movie North by Northwest, one of my favorite Hitchcock films. Specifically, I was thinking about the scene where Cary Grant is attacked by a crop dusting biplane.
My idea? The image of a crop duster chasing me, the “crap buster.” (You know, busting the negs, because they’re crap…) Are your eyes rolling yet?
As my first crap busting assignment, I decided to attack one of my most disliked, how long it takes to charge versus filling a tank with gasoline. This may be a valid concern for those driving several hundreds of miles at a time, but for the average commuter, with access to at least a 110V / 12A outlet at home or work, it’s a non-issue. To the uninitiated, EV-curious, it seems like a valid issue and causes them to wait for some future development, rather than enjoying the benefits of EV driving right now.
Here’s that first video. What are your thoughts?
