How are electric cars relevant to today's society?

I think electric cars—EVs—are very relevant to today’s society in giving us a more sustainable direction for humans to choose. IMO, This is more important in the USA than perhaps anywhere else.

I think many of us are as yet unwilling to realize the damage we have done to the Earth’s eco-systems. As long as we do not see it in our back yards….

As a US Navy pilot for a decade, I flew all over the globe, and I saw the damage first hand. I am concerned for the coming generations, and I am concerned about the level of denial that is still common in my country. I think that the availability of clear positive steps—like buying an EV—are very important to help individual people take meaningful action, and to help groups of people align and get even bigger things done.

Here are some very relevant improvements that EVs can help to usher in:

• We are running out of cheap fossil fuels, especially oil, and we will need oil for a long time for reasons other than energy production. EVs can help us conserve oil so that our children still have it for important uses. And EVs can help keep energy prices low, so that our standard of living does not suffer as oil prices, and pollution, inevitably rise.
• The oil energy economy is causing a lot of pollution damage to human health and in our environment. Converting vehicles to EVs means that we can use ANY power source that makes electricity…to power transportation. This can help keep us healthy and safe, and help us make the change from fossil fuels to other sources of power.
• Solar and Wind have already become cheaper than fossil fuels for electricity production in most situations. But they are still underutilized because of the inertia of the market, and because of the lack of good energy storage to bridge the gaps when the sun is not shining and wind not blowing. EVs are helping us to convert to these renewable sources, and are encouraging development of better batteries that we need. And EVs ARE batteries—that can be used, when not being driven, as part of a more distributed/networked power grid.
• EVs can generally be charged in the early morning hours, which makes the electric grid more efficient and cost effective.
• EVs have just gotten started, and have already caused a significant cultural shift in many areas, where people are much more positive about the future, and taking more and more steps toward sustainability.
• Due to the change in how they are constructed, EVs can be made safer in accidents, and safety systems are easier to build-in—so that accidents are less common.
• EVs are more energy efficient than internal combustion engine vehicles.
• EVs can eventually be “platooned”—which can ease traffic congestion… and further increase driving efficiency