Over one million people have viewed the Instagram video I made while stranded at a broken Electrify America charging station in my $2000 Nissan Leaf, whose range after 12 years is down to just 20 miles due to battery degradation. A huge portion of those 1 million people are electric vehicle skeptics, and the things many of them are saying in the over 10,000 comments are wild.
In addition, the U.S. arm of the British tabloid The Sun even wrote an article about my situation. It seems I’ve somehow found myself in the middle of a massive culture war. Behold some of the jaw-dropping comments that make it clear just how divided America is when it comes to electric cars.
Let’s show the reel that started this whole thing, and try to imagine you don’t have the context of having read about the car here first:
View this post on Instagram
This video depicts me frustrated that three Electrify America charging stations are broken at the same time that my 2011 Nissan Leaf — a vehicle that I bought for just $2000 and that will end up being $1000 after a rebate from my power company — had pretty much no juice left. This shouldn’t be surprising to a regular follower, since I’d previously noted that the vehicle’s battery had degraded to about 40 percent capacity, meaning it will power the vehicle only about 20-ish miles on flat ground.
The video ends with me stating that I’m likely going to have to ditch the nearly-dead Leaf in that parking lot and take an Uber to my destination, though I actually managed to find a Level 2 charger nearby, and later I drove the Leaf home; I state in the video’s caption that America’s charging infrastructure still needs work.
It’s OK To Be An EV Skeptic
This was enough for anti-EV extremists to go wild and to use my clip as ammo to promote an anti-EV agenda. I want to make clear before I go further: I don’t use the term “extremist” in the headline lightly (also it’s worth noting that there are just as many extremists on the other side, obsessed with Tesla to a degree that’s almost cult-like). It is OK if you don’t like how the government is forcing EVs upon everyone (I myself am not 100% onboard with it), and it’s even OK to hate EVs themselves (though I find that objectively weird given how technologically impressive electric cars are) — if people did just those two things, I would not use the term “extremist.”
It is totally OK to be an EV skeptic given relatively long charge times, significant infrastructure issues (including the grid’s inability to handle it all), high average EV cost (a huge player in dividing EV fans from EV skeptics, as price makes it a class issue), battery degradation concerns (especially not knowing the battery condition when buying used), range anxiety (especially in winter or when towing), concerns about mining of minerals in batteries, road/bridge concerns related to high weight of EVs, concerns over how violently EVs can burn in a crash, and on and on. Some of my closest friends hate that Americans are being forced to buy EVs when we so love our gas cars. I don’t hold that against my friends. That’s totally fine.
But people in the comments of my Instagram reel did not just voice their displeasure over America’s EV push or with EVs themselves or with any of the other issues I mentioned; instead, they went overboard, calling me a “sheep,” frequently mentioning “virtue signaling,” implying that I’m somehow a “sucker” who bought into some kind of government trickery, and bullying me. Hard.
America Is Intensely Divided On Electric Cars
I’ve been in the media limelight for nearly a decade, so this stuff truly does not affect me one bit, but for those of you who are maybe having a tough day, I’d recommend you stop reading. Some of this is tough to see, but it’s indicative of the incredibly volatile place America’s EV transition finds itself in socially — this is a culture war, make no mistake about it:
dave_chungus_connery went absolutely wild with his comment above, stating:
If your dumb enough to buy an EV, you deserve worse than this. I hope your life becomes so miserable that you move to a red state specifically so that you can purchase a firearm and then blast a tunnel through your brain with it.
Yes it is you FUCKING LOSER ! IT’S ALL A BIG SCAM ! WAKE UP YOU FUCKING LOSERS ! ELECTRIC WILL NEVER WORK, PERIOD. END OF STORY ! ????????????????????????????????????????
I can’t get over the fact someone can be so ugly ?
Or you can work on that double chin and walk
Misogynistic Views Towards EVs
This lady needs to call a man
Libtard!!! Lol. Ha ha!!!
Sell car, buy testicles.
Politics And EV Ownership
What does the bullying and the misogyny tell us about the state of Americans’ EV transition? I think it highlights just how vehemently a significant portion of the population detests electric cars; they hate EVs so much that anyone who drives one is no longer an “us,” but rather a “them,” and a cursed, emasculated “them,” at that. Many folks made assumptions about my political preferences, too, and all because I drive a $1000 Nissan Leaf:
“Typical liberal,” writes Instagrammer t1_jossh. “But your being a good little Democrat. Stop complaining and do your part. It’s not supposed to make sense,” saintcloud69 writes, implying here that I’m under some kind of government trance.
“I think these are the same people that voted for you know who, hows that all working out…Trump and gasoline 2024,” writes Instagram-user yorkie_sydney. “It must be hard to be a liberal, like if you get stranded but you also voted for no guns so your’e just going to have to sit there if anything happens,” chimes in Instrammer kev_the_truth.
“This guy probably voted for Biden too …” wrote scooter_diablo_dffd. “You people support lithium and cobalt mines that basically enslave children,” states damniel_gets_lost. That latter comment about mining is echoed throughout that comment chain, as are assertions that electric cars are, in fact, no cleaner than gasoline cars (the best research out there has found that new EVs are, in fact, cleaner than new gas cars).
Instagrammer stupidweekends asks: “do you get to keep your woke patch?” Instagram-user 23_whiteboy_summer_23 says something similar: “The consequences of your choices. Stay woke cornhole.”
Here’s my video-response to these comments:
View this post on Instagram
Skeptics Circulate Claims That EVs Are Dirtier Than Gas Cars
Electric vehicles should not exist. Their footprint on our planet is SOOOO much more toxic than fossil fuels.
Instagram user cuetlachtli_ writes:
Electric vehicles are a scam and are worse for our environment. People need to stop buying…into this
User ant7t2 follows up with:
Go back to petrol & be normal. you ain’t saving no environment bro.
Then there’s el_chabelo73 who says:
It looks that you didn’t research anything about those cars and the damage that they cause to extraction of lithium WAKE UP
Instagrammer tat2rob73 tells me to stop being a sheep, before claiming that EVs put out more carbon than gas cars (a largely inaccurate claim for new cars when evaluated over lifetime-use, though this article isn’t meant to debunk all these claims, but rather to highlight the extent to which many Americans are critical of America’s EV path). Here’s the full comment:
Quit being a sheep and follow along just a start they will shut off electric at anytime they want to that’s what they won’t so they can control you and besides to make that car puts out more carbon ruins the earth than a gas vehicle for its life of being on the road and that have ass car is going to ruin roads faster so there’s more money out you’re pocket to pay higher taxes to fix the road its going get with it sheep
It’s worth noting the beginning of that comment, “follow along just a start they will shut off electric at anytime they want to that’s what they won’t so they can control you,” because this idea that EVs are a way for the government to control your movement is, by far, the biggest concern that people in the comments of this reel have voiced.
The Biggest Concern By Far: EVs Are A Tool That The Government Is Using To Limit Your Motion
Without question, the most commonly-mentioned concern in the 10,500+ comments is that the U.S. government is using EVs to control its citizens’ movements. It goes without saying that there’s no proof of this, but nonetheless, it’s something that worries thousands of Americans.
“Non reliable energy will make you reliant on those who control it (government). This is how they will imprison and enslave us,” writes Instagram user 81ronin41 in the comment above.
“All by design – a means to control our movements,” shares shane1122469 in the comment above. Instagram user g_mabev1957 wrote something similar, saying “It’s all about control, all they have to do is turn off the electricity. Wake up people.”
Instagram user ronin_skater_138 (a similar username to the other 81ronin41, curiously), writes in the comment above:
It’s by design. They want you to get so frustrated you just give up, move into the pod in your nearet 15 minute city, eat the bugs, own nothing, and like it. It’s the progressive agenda in a nutshell.
Then there’s this comment from Instagrammer phiyaatv, in which they refer to me as a zombie and liken EV ownership to a “plandemic”:
Sorry but I feel no sympathy for any of these zombies. Maybe he should’ve done his due diligence and he wouldn’t be in this situation. Evs and the climate crisis are as big of a scam as the covaids plandemic ????
Writing on the wall. Read it, believe it. ‘They’ want us helpless.
That is the Democratic Communist Swamp terrorists plan by pushing electric garbage has zero to do with emissions and climate change political hoax its about control. They can cut the power and boom nobody is going anywhere. Vote Red
That’s their whole plan to keep people from moving around. You think if everyone drive those things. They would be able to move around freely. hell no, all they have to do is turn of your charging stations at your not going anywhere, ANYTIME
And more from arteims21:
FYI EV”s Are For MICRO CITIES!! WHERE YOUR EVERY MOVE IS MONITORED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THIS TYRANNICAL GOVERNMENT REGIMEjosh_weiland
Wait til they shut your shit down bec your social credit score was low in 2023
Welcome the dystopia of electric car control. Thank your local government, electrical supply company and the owner of that site.
“They don’t want you traveling.”
Jeremy.forget.90 wrote:
Hahahahaha..you drank the kool aid. Obviously you believe what you hear and do no homework. Thinking this was all a good idea until now lol good luck with that electric toilet @davidntracy
Battery cars are the biggest hoax since the election of Pappy Bi-duh-n. Zero market demand and zilch infrastructure support. I dare ya to take one of these ???? piles across the country. And don’t dare take the family with you. Your odds of making it look to be about the same as going west with a wagon train. Farce. Scam. Joke. Swindle. Brought to you by the US govt. Figures.
Almost like your Government lied to you about all the false information making it better than when it’s actually about to offer? Nahhh your Government wouldn’t lie to you…
There’s A Class Component To All Of This
America isn’t awful – you’re just a mindless sheep with more money than sense. Enjoy your uber – fucking tool hahaha.
Spend 100k on a car that doesn’t even work. Liberal logic. Mean while rednecks have a 40 year old pickup that’s half rusted out flyin down the road breathing air and sending fuel while the old degenerate laughs at you liberals stranded with a charger handle in your hand.
It’s also worth noting in response to the above comment that I own a bench seat-having, stamped tailgate-equipped, long bed, regular cab, gun rack-equipped, carbureted, straight six, four-speed manual-having 1985 Jeep J10, and I bought my coworker Jason a 1989 Ford F-150 with a 300-inline six and a T18 four-speed stick. So these assumptions folks are making about me couldn’t be more wrong. I address this in the Instagram reel I made yesterday (the same one I posted earlier).
The Sun Article
He said he planned to head to Pasadena and hoped he would reach his destination with enough charge.
David had only traveled 15 miles but the battery’s range was down to nine.
The driver had to pull over as the battery had reached a “dangerously low level,” but he was met with a long line of electric car drivers waiting to charge their respective vehicles.
I ran out of charge because my EV’s range had depleted. That happened.
But I often see websites hide behind excuses like “The facts are true and from primary sources,” when the reality is that editorial fairness goes well beyond that. Media bias is so much more than just about whether you write a true story, it’s about which stories you decide to cover in the first place. I noticed this at a previous employer; our site was running anti-Elon Musk stories far too frequently, in my opinion (and I’m not a Musk fanboy at all). Every time an Autopilot failure happened we wrote a story. Every time Elon tweeted something dumb, we wrote a story. Were these things real? Yes. Were they technically newsworthy? Sure. But every now and then you have to step back and question whether the whole of your coverage fairly represents a situation, and at the old shop it seemed like the whole of our coverage implied that Elon was a dingus and that Autopilot was useless garbage — neither of which are true.
As for the Sun, the whole of its coverage would lead one to surmise that electric cars are awful, and as a regular EV user and car journalist who covers EVs, I can tell you: This is so far from true. Here are some of the stories The Sun has written recently:
Again, these stories may be 100 percent accurate (I doubt it, but let’s roll with it), but that still doesn’t mean the coverage isn’t deeply biased. Again, it’s not just about whether a publication writes a true story, it’s about what they choose to cover in the first place.
It’s also about providing context, and that’s what both The Sun and the reel commenters seem to be lacking.
My Nissan Leaf Situation Is Hardly A Microcosm For EV Ownership At Large
My Nissan Leaf does not in any way represent a typical EV ownership experience, and in truth, I could have easily avoided being stranded. My reel was meant mostly to criticize Electrify America, a company whose chargers are known for being dodgy. For me to arrive at a station and see three out of four chargers broken, and two cars waiting to juice up, was frustrating. I think anyone would have been a bit annoyed in that situation.
But not only did I get out of that situation unscathed thanks to a local charger that worked just fine (but was a bit slow, partly because the Leaf’s Level 2 charging is limited to 3.3kW), but I could have avoided that conundrum quite easily.
First off, I knew that my Nissan Leaf’s range was severely limited. I should have planned accordingly, and there are a number of apps out there to help me do that. EV Navigation, for example, accounts for elevation change, which was a factor in depleting my Nissan Leaf’s severely degraded battery pack perhaps a bit more quickly than I’d anticipated. PlugShare is a very common app that, had I been more used to charging on the road (I generally charge at home and at work), I’d have already had in my arsenal, and that would have told me that the three Electrify America plugs were broken.
In large part, me being stranded was my own doing. Were there some chargers broken? Yes. Does my EV only have 15 miles of range due to severe degradation? Yes. And if you just reported these facts without context, as The Sun did (for the most part), then sure, EVs would seem like a pretty bad proposition.
View this post on Instagram
But the car cost me $1000 (after a rebate). That’s dirt cheap. And its battery degradation is due largely to poor thermal management, and is not at all indicative of the degradation you can expect from most modern EVs (earlier EVs like my BMW i3 also had issues on this front, to be sure).
The truth is that I got stranded not because EV batteries are crap (modern EV batteries have been shown to last much longer with minimal degradation) and not because our infrastructure is that awful here in California, but because my car is a dirt cheap junker, I did not plan properly, and this particular Electrify America station wasn’t well maintained.
A $1000 Nissan Leaf at one faulty Electrify America charging station does not represent EV ownership as a whole. Not by far. So Instagrammer cwhiten11, you can relax with your comment:
Ya’ll better share TF out of this video before they delete it. This is EXACTLY what we all been saying.
I’m not deleting that clip, as it did happen, though I know it’s being unfairly weaponized to push an anti-EV agenda.
What’s The Takeaway, Here?
I want to be clear that, hidden in some of the rather alarming language, there are some valid criticisms of EV ownership in these comments.
Regardless of what these “experts” are telling the sheep, EV’s are basically only good for shorter commutes… dependable extended range commuting is not a valid option at this time and this happens more frequently than most people realize. I drive by a large charging station a couple times per week and it is full of vehicles without anyone near by… where are the drivers of these vehicles at at 5a??? They are not eating or shopping while the cars are charging…
Electric cars or one of the biggest . You’re not saving any money 25 $30 to charge your car takes an hour I’m gonna blow right past you in my fossil breathing dragon. Under five minutes to put gas in it at the end of the night. I’m home with my family and you’re out there Dicken around. Looking for a charger. Congratulations she just became a statistic of the government.You are now a puppet.
There are some astonishingly ignorant people and, in some kinda daily double bonus, they often seem to be pretty mean for no apparent reason.
Being reactive and mean takes no intelligence.
Being compassionate requires understanding, which requires intelligence.
I don’t like to take a scorched Earth approach; I’m very much so a live and let live kind of person. But when that notion isn’t reciprocated, and people actively do their best to drag me down, and in the more extreme cases wish me dead, just because of my own personal beliefs or whatever else, it’s very hard to not feel the same way about them. It’s the Tolerance Paradox in it’s fullest effect. As I say in my other comment, it has me so tired
I’m with you both, but this place – theautopian.com has wonderful conversations and a community that seems to respect differing opinions. Totally worth spending most of you day reading and commenting on.
I do still love it here, but in probably the last 6 months or so, I have definitely noticed an uptick in a lot more negativity than there used to be. That’s the price of it becoming more popular and well known though. Win some lose some
So much this
Government trying to limit our movement? Ummm maybe check in with your prepper neighbor that drives an EV and just installed a bunch of solar on his bunker. Last time I looked, it was much easier to make electricity than ANY of the petroleum products that are ABSOLUELY government controlled. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Ok so not much to add. I think it’s painfully clear the kind of.. uh.. people (?) commenting that vitriol.
My issue is lithium. Not lithium in and of itself, although there are obvious ethical and environmental concerns with mining it. My problem is all the people screeching at you about lithium when I’m quite sure the Leaf uses a lead battery (correct?). Have all the opinions in the world (unless those opinions are about someone’s appearance or you’re trying to pigeonhole a stranger into your narrow mindset of what they MUST be to fit your igrorant narrative.) BUT they better at least be grounded in fact.
Of course, that’s a tall order as it’s clear a lot of these folks have two brain cells left and they’re fighting for third place.. so.. an unlikely and tall ask. But I hate hate hate someone trying to prove they know everything but don’t even have a single foundational fact correct.
No, the Leaf has always used a small Lithium Ion battery, it’s just a victim of first-generation EV design – poor thermal management systems that allow the battery to degrade.
Ah, well now I know. I’ll be honest, I never really knew a damn thing about the leaf except its poor thermal management, which I think is in the Bible at this point. Oh and that Lily Tomlin drove one in Grace and Frankie.
Just installed a range extender on my EV for the apocalypse! It’s called a “bicycle rack”. Apparently it runs on Funyuns!
Heh, I call my bike “reliable transportation” for similar reasons.
Are any of these commentators the AMC fanboy who more-or-less threatened to kill you for disparaging the AMC 360 engine?
PS: Your dramatic reading of the letter in your living room is still one of the best moments of comedy I’ve ever witnessed.
Buying a car you like with money you earned is now un-American. Got it.
Duh! You have to buy it with government hand outs!
Well he did get a rebate from So Cal Edison I think.
“Trump and gasoline 2024” did the whole Lordstown vaporware thing not happen??
Trump and gasoline? He’s a gasbag, alright.
Totally not worth much for a comment, but I don’t think “The Sun” is much to worry about.
IIRC, they make articles about some Only Fans model whenever she posts a reel to Instagram just because she was open about getting a BBL once or whatever.
They don’t have much journalistic integrity me thinks.
Was it good for website traffic, though?
I’ve been casually looking at used Leafs because of your experience. I rarely travel more than 20 miles in a day, and could easily charge at work and home.
check out some 2016 e-golfs with the 84 mile range battery. They have gotten pretty cheap, plus you may even get a $4k tax rebate (personal subsidy). For better mileage the 17-19 models get 125 miles. 2019s should still have about 4 years of battery warranty as well.
While there’s a ton of loons out there, never forget that a large number of these are likely from troll and bot accounts. Instagram comment sections have become increasingly unhinged to the point where no rational human being would ever comment on any video. Post anything, no matter how bland, and you’ll be met with someone whose entire purpose is to antagonize you.
Honestly, I’m ready to ditch the platform entirely. It’s certainly addictive, and outside of connecting with small businesses and friends (a nice feature and something I wish I could keep) it’s mostly trash.
Some similar names too. What I don’t get is who spends their life to make these things.
Instagram’s failure to ban bots and trolls is so infuriating. Any time I use a hashtag—any hashtag whatsoever—I get some bot in my comments hawking crypto scams or steal-your-content promo pages.
Or porn bots. There are far too many of those asking to have private conversations too.
Yeeeep.
You acknowledge this fact, but did not complain about it being one of the infuriating things… Interesting. Very interesting.
Oh, no—the infuriating aspect is implied.
For the longest I had a PHEV (Volt) and a F250 Powerstroke, lol….EV’s and PHEV’s aren’t bad, but the Leaf is a PoS.
I’d be happy to be able to buy an old used EV in the +-$5,000 range that would provide maybe 150 mile reliable range just as I can buy a used ICE car for that much.
Man, reading through those comments really solidifies my decision to buy a used PHEV earlier this year.
I must confuse the crap out of people about my masculinity with a fleet containing: a PHEV, a full size V8 truck, a rear-drive V8 luxury car, and a 62.5HP British sportscar.
I love that choices exist, and my cars all serve a specific purpose for my family. Those millions of viewers fell right into the trap of what a $2000 Leaf was for… creating content for our favorite car website.
Just wait until the liberals learn that you drive polluting Jeeps through sensitive deserts and are subjecting kittens to dangerous Ferrous Oxide chemicals!
To sum up: We shouldn’t have been trusted with the internet.
Thanks for confirming that they’re every bit as stupid as one imagines.
Oh boy. I’m sorry you have to put up with all this crap, David. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: David Tracy is one of the most genuinely nice people on the planet.
You know how we’ve had movies and books for years prophesying about the coming zombie horde? Reading some of these comments makes me think it’s already here and is active on social media. I mean, with their limited mobility, social media is the perfect venue through which the zombies can literally suck out your brains. Skimming over all these brain-dead, extremist, poorly spelled rants just reinforces my decisions to 1) not have any social media accounts and 2) be seriously thinking of moving to Europe.
Unfortunately, they use the same Internet in Europe.
David, don’t let them get to you. Doing the right thing is always harder than doing the wrong thing.
When Thwaites lets go and sinks Miami, maybe some of them will come around. But probably not.
I’m so tired. I just want to drive my Oldsmobile and think that EV’s are cool and the inevitable march of technology, and also be able happy and enjoy being alive (because it took a long time and a lot of work to get to that point), but the endless onslaught of these people who have been Pavloved into unfettered rage and blind hatred by things like “EVs” or “climate” or whatever make every day just that much harder to push through. And they’re not just on the internet; I live surrounded by these people. I have over-the-counter-customers come in shrieking about the “damned liberals” at least weekly. We just installed a new (already out of date, but that’s a whole different discussion that none of these people are reasonable enough to have with) charger at the dealership I work at, and the sales manager dubbed it “Joe’s Corner” which got hearty guffaws all around. Why is everyone so hellbent on serving their every thought covered in venom and trying to bring others down. Like I said, I’m so tired. Human beings were a mistake
For real. It’s like an entire chunk of Americans just decided to abandon all manners and empathy en masse.
Absolutely this. I’m a tall white guy with a beard working in the automotive/truck/off road world and that seems to make people feel comfortable telling me their shitty opinions or stances on things like this when a lot of the time I don’t agree.
I posted in comments here a while back about how I went to the King of The Hammers off road race a couple of years back and the overtly aggressive in your face reminder of politics and “fuck your feelings” ruined it for me. Mercedes and David agreed. It was a damn shame because it was an event that I really wanted to attend and overall enjoyed the racing action. I’m like… can’t we just enjoy engines and dirt and going fast and watching the shit show and keep your personal agendas out of it? I got invited to go again this year and declined.
I’m a 58 year old white guy, 5’9 218 pounds with a crew cut. It is AMAZING the shit people will say to me when I am wandering around Cabela’s because they think I am one of them. I hear some of the craziest conspiracy shit from these people.
David, man, I love your stuff, but you trying to present rational arguments to Conspiracy Nation is just so much pissing into the wind. Keep calm and carry on as the Brits used to say (though not much anymore). It’s becoming a Mad Max world out there.
And who says electric is unmasculine? Frankenstein’s monster was totally badass.
Remember every accusation is a confession. No “alpha male” ever proclaimed themselves an alpha male. No one who’s manly ever has to claim they’re manly.
“Any man who must say ‘I am the king’ is no king at all”
Good point.
Reminds me of a quip my daughter told me about the difference between knowledge and wisdom…
Knowledge: Frankenstein was the doctor, not the monster.
Wisdom: Frankenstein was the monster.
Damn, that’s deep.
Every now and then I hear about an asteroid that might hit Earth and destroy civilization as we know it. After reading this, I’m cheering for the asteroid.
I’ve really been hoping it would be robot overlords, but I wouldn’t be dissatisfied with the asteroid
Cthulu 2024! Why vote for the lesser evil?
Cthulu 2024: No Lives Matter
lol
Cthulu 2024: This Way Lies Madness
Instead we’ve got a bunch of asses on steroids.
Im consistently impressed with the way social media and the population at large continually lower the bar for humanity.
How many outrageous responses would there be to a reel titled “I bought a $1000 Nissan Sentra that left me stranded after 15 miles”?
Some from the same crowd, likely. There would be people blaming David for the failure and claiming he was an EV shill. They’d do zero research into him and assume he was just incapable of basic repairs.
There’d also be the pro-EV people talking about how much less maintenance EVs take and insinuating that the maintenance was the reason for failure, probably.
Yeah there would, but I doubt it would be to this level of absurd logic pretzels that insta commenters were spewing. Not a man/gov movement control?!?!?!