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The Secret Perks of Driving Electric | Cynthia Williams | TED

Electric vehicles need to be more than just eco-friendly — they have to be more chic, convenient and affordable than their gas-powered alternatives, says sustainability leader Cynthia Williams. She explores what it’ll take for an electric revolution to succeed in the US, calling on corporations, policy leaders, investors and more to collaborate in unprecedented ways.…

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Electric vehicles need to be more than just eco-friendly — they have to be more chic, convenient and affordable than their gas-powered alternatives, says sustainability leader Cynthia Williams. She explores what it’ll take for an electric revolution to succeed in the US, calling on corporations, policy leaders, investors and more to collaborate in unprecedented ways.

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36 Comments

36 Comments

  1. Alejandro Fernandez

    November 20, 2023 at 11:30 am

    We need more EVs now!

  2. Rahul Rana

    November 20, 2023 at 11:31 am

    It is better idea for the future new generation also motivation for all young love and appreciate from nepal❤

  3. Alejandro Fernandez

    November 20, 2023 at 11:33 am

    TESLA: THE ONLY AMERICAN MADE CAR (unlike Ford GM, made in china/mexico, painted in US)

  4. Mikael Dahlgren

    November 20, 2023 at 11:36 am

    The secret perk of affording an EV

  5. Alejandro Fernandez

    November 20, 2023 at 11:36 am

    A 30K TESLA IS way cheaper to operate than A camry

  6. Alejandro Fernandez

    November 20, 2023 at 11:37 am

    TESLA is the only american company in the top 10 most reliable cars

  7. Alejandro Fernandez

    November 20, 2023 at 11:38 am

    Tesla range decreases less than a gas car in winter

  8. Alejandro Fernandez

    November 20, 2023 at 11:40 am

    Teslas are the safest cars in the market

  9. Alejandro Fernandez

    November 20, 2023 at 11:41 am

    Tesla s have a lower incidence of car fire than gasoline cars

  10. Alejandro Fernandez

    November 20, 2023 at 11:42 am

    Tesla is the ONLY american brand that is able to compete in the chinese market

  11. Ed Siebert

    November 20, 2023 at 11:59 am

    seems more than a little “sponsored by Ford”

  12. photobobo

    November 20, 2023 at 12:09 pm

    Yeah but, Ford is not Tesla, not even close.

  13. Pramgod

    November 20, 2023 at 12:25 pm

    To much BS Ford…

  14. Alex Galvez

    November 20, 2023 at 12:42 pm

    EVs are by definition dumb. Fossil fuels forever ding bats.

  15. Clint Thompson

    November 20, 2023 at 1:49 pm

    I see this for what it is.

  16. Home Wall

    November 20, 2023 at 2:02 pm

    We could have electricity during an outage with gas cars, too, but we didn’t need it because our grid was a bit reliable. As we all shift, we all will suffer when they can’t provide the energy source they’ve forced everything to use.

  17. Allen Markham

    November 20, 2023 at 2:34 pm

    Infrastructure changes should include moving refueling delivery from public stations to places where vehicles are parked for longer periods of time – residences, workplaces, hotels/motels, etc. That doesn’t mean there will no longer be a need for refueling stations for long-distance travel, but with battery chemistry changes now being explored, we may have “all-day” batteries that could last 600 or so miles, basically enough miles for most drivers to want to stop overnight when making a long-distance trip. Public refueling every 50 miles may not make sense.

  18. Lorontoinette

    November 20, 2023 at 4:17 pm

    I can’t believe how much americans hate on EV’s. I kinda understand, the ease of gassing up in a few minutes, not having to plan around the charging, can’t get as many miles out of an EV as a gas car. But EV’s are not for everyone yet…but i’m sure they’ll become better and longer ranges and the early adopters (mostly europe) are guiding us!

  19. Kaby Summit

    November 20, 2023 at 6:16 pm

    Cynthia seems like a sweetheart and her message of moving over to EVs is 100% correct.
    The problem is the big 3 domestic automakers are pulling the plug, so to speak, on their EV cars and trucks. Why? because these products are less competitive than the leading ones, and they require new technologies that are too costly to build. We’re not even going to talk about the dealership network that is gauging the consumers. Keep your eyes opened and ears peeled. I wish the information I get is wrong and the Ford and GM will build and sell millions of their EVs and stop killing us with Co2 emissions. Meanwhile, Tesla is the way to go.

    • Suzy in Stitches

      November 25, 2023 at 7:51 pm

      They know the infrastructure isn’t ready for ev

  20. Kevin Wells

    November 21, 2023 at 12:04 am

    And what about floods? Or even just heavy rain with an inch of water on the road? I have driven through flood waters, because I had no choice. Exhaust and intake were ‘vertical’ – we did not have a name for it, but it was meant for off road and situations such as flood. How do we do any off this with electrical vehicles? I’m sure it will be understood and fixed, but it’s not a talking point right now except among people stranded, with vehicles on fire, in various flood situations. Seriously. The talk was fine Cynthia but there needs to be reality about all of this, including charging station locations, cost of the vehicle, production capability (or lack thereof) for these vehicles…. It’s the future. But everyone wants it without real planning. Good luck. Don’t be mad at me. But I don’t care anyway.

    • cloudpoint

      November 21, 2023 at 2:54 am

      EVs are not bothered by minor floods. Add a propellor and a rudder if you like. Try running a wet internal combustion engine though.

  21. Yesthatsmee

    November 21, 2023 at 8:47 am

    How is this commercial a TED talk?

  22. 黄海

    November 21, 2023 at 11:00 am

    What does GM mean here? I searched for it but found it has a lot of explanations…

    • Christine Plummer

      November 21, 2023 at 3:18 pm

      General Motors

  23. Gökhan Zengin

    November 21, 2023 at 11:06 am

    TED is the best

  24. Andy Cordy

    November 21, 2023 at 1:09 pm

    I love this presentation and I love the optimism.

    What concerns me gravely is that the wole industry has the same vision and it is short sighted.

    A brief mention is made here of urban sites and lower income households but that’s not where any of the US manufacturers are pitching.

    So little thought has been put into the practicality of charging points. When was the last time you spent 3 hours plus in a gas station? How can people living in apartments use on street charging when they don’t have a garage? How many charges to make a major road trip, even with a range of over 300 miles?

    There are so many huge voids in the planning down which the industry can plunge. Battery swapping is the ONLY way to resolve these issues and Nobody is taking it seriously.

    • Daniel M

      November 21, 2023 at 6:08 pm

      3 hours plus charging, huh? Unless you’re using a single-phase emergency charger that’s not normal.

  25. Aria Jac

    November 21, 2023 at 3:27 pm

    Why do they always talk about good things about going electric but not the bad things?
    Another scam in my books.

  26. Phillip Coffman

    November 21, 2023 at 9:06 pm

    It’s exciting to see pressure to build the electric charging infrastructure.

  27. Johanna Zamora

    November 22, 2023 at 11:51 am

    Yet another person that things we will get out of this mess with single occupancy vehicles.

    Honestly.

    It’s the same thing over and over.

  28. Chloe Parsons

    November 23, 2023 at 12:58 pm

    I feel like the thing that could maybe take us and the internet to a better place is less hatred and war (on people’s religions, bodies, rights, and freedoms). I feel like the pandemic has emboldened people to speak their minds and to spew hatred without any consideration for others. People seem so much more focused on themselves than they once did and I think repairing needs to come from leading with love, kindness, and a regard for the well-being of others.

  29. Nakkisampyla

    November 24, 2023 at 6:06 am

    It was a massive loss to GM when they discontinued EV1 and invested only old ICE vehicles, especially SUVs.

  30. Tom Henderson

    November 25, 2023 at 3:14 pm

    More propaganda from Ford. Nobody wants an electric car

  31. Chandrakanth Saravanan

    November 25, 2023 at 9:00 pm

    I loved this TED talk.. She explains the importance of of EVs in environmental benefits and unexpected ones like powering a home during outages.

  32. Søren Bruun Jensen

    November 26, 2023 at 7:14 am

    What abort the fact, that the total number of EVs in NYC is as low as 2000? The rest arent interrested at all. Not all citizens are suburbanist with own driveways.

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