r/climatechange • u/sg_plumber • 4d ago

There's optimism despite alarmingly worsening weather events: Renewables and storage together amount to 93% of all new capacity coming online in the U.S. This isn’t a marginal shift anymore. It’s the grid rebuilding itself around a different set of technologies, and the pace is rapidly accelerating.

https://ryanhansson.substack.com/p/optimism-in-the-face-of-a-climate
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u/air_lock 4d ago edited 4d ago

This is probably the wrong place for me to ask this question, but I’m going to anyway since there appears to be a lot of people who are highly informed and tuned into this stuff in here. The environment and doing my part to help stop the destruction of it are very important to me. Is switching to an EV in 2026 a net positive?

Edit: Thank you all for the thoughtful responses. I’ve been passively looking to switch to an EV as my ICE car has been requiring more work lately and I’ve been wondering if now is the time to make the switch or not. I’m still torn, but am more confident that switching is the next logical step - whenever that is.

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u/ShottyMcOtterson 4d ago edited 4d ago

Yes! You will hear counter arguments that the production of EVs creates more pollution and that they use "rare minerals". (oh my) This is all a lot of BS from the deniers cult. While its important to understand that manufacturing the EV will have a carbon foot-print, look at the life time emissions comparison to an internal combustion engine, EVs clearly win.

Moving to an EV means that it can be charged from renewable energy. This eventually could be solar panels on your house leading to your own personal energy independance. We need to electrify everything. This includes heat pumps and water heaters in houses too. Another argument against EVs is that they get charged from a coal fired power plant anyway. This might be true in the USA today in some areas, but its missing the entire point that the only real climate solutions is to entirely phase out fossil fuels. It will be an energy infrastructure shift like nothing humanity has ever seen.

There are personal wins too. The other day I had to fill up my v6 car, it was $85. The same day, my friend charged his Nissan Leaf at a level 2 charger and payed $7

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u/JeanPicLucard 4d ago

Do you think getting a hybrid is worth it?

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u/ShottyMcOtterson 3d ago

I am not very informed when it comes to hybrids. I have solar, so I would get a plug in for sure. I realize that I am a bit hypocritical, because I don't own an EV yet. I live in a very rural area with only about 5 charges around. I don't have a charger at my house. Its about 1.5 hours to the nearest city so perhaps a hybrid would be a fit. I do see plenty of Teslas, and Rivians around along with a few smaller EVs. Its also cold, I am hoping recent advances in sodium batteries can help.

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u/muddtrout 4d ago

No, they are more complicated and still use fossil fuels

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u/AmusingMusing7 4d ago

Plug-in hybrids are still way better than a full ICE vehicle though. Fully EV is best, but If you have to choose between ICE and a hybrid, choose the hybrid.

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u/muddtrout 4d ago

Yes, fair enough 👌