Jim Carlucci exchanges views with like minded US EV campaigners.

A few words regarding EV politicking and the incessant claims that there is "little public appetite" for electric cars. All EV pretenders seem determined to falsely base these statements on the American market, the American public, American gas prices: Europe - it is surely obvious to a donkey - is the blindingly obvious logical marketplace for ELECTRIC ie. petrol-tax-free vehicles: the carmakers know this, and the politicians know this only TOO well.
In Europe we pay 5.50 dollars a gallon for petrol and, yes, as a result are also generally farmore sensitized to the appalling effects of vehicle pollution than our US counterparts. Most importantly, the media in Europe are quite happy to maintain the status quo: car advertisers are by far their biggest and most generous sponsors; programme makers, newspaper editors and the like will stop at almost nothing to "talk up" , product place etc. etc. and generally reinforce the ICE-mantra in order to please the carmakers and ad agencies.
EV's, attractive, long-range EV's like the Nissan Altra, GM EV1, or Chrysler Epic get virtually ZERO publicity in Europe's media : here the 'EV genie' is still being kept firmly in the bottle: all seem determined to maintain the OIL and ICE food-chain indefinitely with Europe's 500 million population (twice the market potential of the US) being subject to a virtual EV-taboo.
US carmakers - to paraphrase a certain Bond film - please take note: "THE WORLD IS NOT THE USA!!! and you know it full well..." (let's face it: if gas prices had risen to 5.50 dollars a gallon in the US as in Europe you would now be driving 300 mile a charge pure electrics...)

US EV campaigner responds:
Jim is right that The World is not just the US. Each world region: Asia, Europe, Africa, South America, etc. have different needs, economies, and therefore a very different perspective must apply.
Sure, US gas prices are too low, the automakers and the media too stubborn to change, and too little 'real information' is being made available to the public. The American people, like other people are not stupid, just not informed (perhaps/probably purposely mis-informed?).
Perhaps other areas of the world need a CARB of their own, located in the worst air quality cities.
Perhaps, other areas of the world also need a 'BAAQMD' to push for EV charging in public areas. The Government could if they wanted to go a long way to 'use the media' to enlighten the public. Are they really committed to EV use at all?

Jim responds:
You say that the public is "perhaps" mis-informed - well ALL the evidence really constantly leaves no doubt whatsoever that the media ,carmakers and petrol-tax-addicted governments (4 dollars per gallon is tax) have always attempted to preserve that good'ol OIL+ICE foodchain. Massively lucrative CAR-ADVERTS subsidise, ergo compromise, the traditional media as no other product does (except for tobacco in the 50's and 60's and beyond) - this is why the Internet IS such a rEV-elation on the hitherto shamelessly under-reported subject of electric vehicles. TV companies and newspaper proprietors will stop at almost nothing to persuade car advertisers that their ads SELL cars....hence the endless demented ICE-mantra reinforcement. Every other subject imaginable - from shady weapons deals with Indonesia or Government sex/spy/funding scandals - gets ruthless gloves-off scrutiny from the traditional media - and bravo to that....but self-interest uniquely persuades journalists to keep the gloves and lid on when it comes to alternatives to the ICE...but this is really only emphatically the case everywhere except the USA. In contrast to the US, real, long-range EV's (120+ mpc) are never mentioned here in the UK let alone made available. The media will not change their King CANUTE editorial strategy unless the internet-enlightened public begins hitting 'em with the proverbial baseball-bat.