Globally, only one in 50 new cars were fully electric in 2020, and one in 14 in the UK. Sounds impressive, but even if all new cars were electric now, it would still take 15-20 years to replace the world’s fossil fuel car fleet.
The emission savings from replacing all those internal combustion engines with zero-carbon alternatives will not feed in fast enough to make the necessary difference in the time we can spare: the next five years. Tackling the climate and air pollution crises requires curbing all motorised transport, particularly private cars, as quickly as possible. Focusing solely on electric vehicles is slowing down the race to zero emissions.
As an avid bicyclist who tried their best to live car-free: it’s easier said than done for anyone living in the US. I used to make 7 mile commutes to work, even in winters that could go below zero some days. It’s doable, but it wasn’t easy either. I completely sympathize with anyone who wouldn’t want to bike in those conditions, even if a whole bunch of people do so in places like Finland.
But the worst part is the infrastructure. Motor vehicles dominate everywhere. Motorists are routinely hostile to bicyclists. Despite my best efforts to be safe, I’ve had multiple close calls and was once nearly rear-ended by someone who was going about 50 mph. Technically I did get hit - I had veered to the right just in time to feel the side of their car brush on the side of me. Miraculously suffered no injury, and only one of the support bars on the rear rack had been dented in.
Point is, unless the infrastructure changes, I would never expect others to switch to biking. It is dangerous.