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The EV renaissance is coming with Netherlands and Germany taking stage first

Published

8 years ago

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Oosterhout Supercharger
Oosterhout Supercharger in the Netherlands

The announcement that the Netherlands and Germany has plans to phase out gas cars and replace it with 100% all-electric vehicles could set a precedence for success or failure for the rest of the world. Many industries, governments, and people will be eagerly watching from the sidelines for indications of what the future may hold.

The intricacies of benefits and challenges are greatly unknown. Even the best analysts won’t be able to forecast the impacts of the shift. There are far too many factors at play. Power generation needs and loads can be anticipated through careful calculation, but social and economic responses are usually less predictable. As the Netherlands takes the stage first, the world will watch an interesting evolution unfold.

Social

The most volatile and powerful force is wilded by the collective people. The social climate of the Netherlands can prime the engine that drives change. If they are a progressive and insightful bunch, they may willingly exceed their governments goals. As a whole, the nation may recognize that early adoption leads to a smooth transition.

However, if the people resist change due to fear and uncertainty, the transition may be a long and bumpy road. They may fight to the bitter end to maintain, import, and even smuggle their fossil fuel vehicles into the future.

Economic

Shifting from internal combustion engine (ICE) cars will revamp the Netherland’s entire economy. In a reversed parallel to the uptake of EVs and their infrastructure, ICE cars will face similar struggle as they phase out. We are all too familiar with the questions “but where do you charge it up? Are there enough charging stations out there?”

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The tables are going to turn. Whether by choice or by economic force, petrol stations will begin to shutter and become few and far between. The slowest of the adopters will find it less and less convenient to fuel up their cars. While early EV adopters always had the options to charge at home, a gas equivalent for home fueling seems unlikely.

If gas stations affiliated convenience stores are smart, they will rework their business models to better accommodate EV drivers. In the USA we are already seeing an encouraging trend with companies like Sheetz who have begun to shift from the typical gas station model, and refocus on fast-food, small grocery store, and beverage business. They are installing a few fast-chargers and even in talks to feature Tesla Supercharging stations.

ICE cars are already arguably miserable to maintain and repair. Vehicle service businesses will likely shy away from working on them. Parts will become hard to find. One could argue that there would be a slight uptick in business for ICE repairs centers to accommodate owners who are holding out on purchasing an EV, but will hardly reflect Cuba’s embargo-driven demand for repairs.

The Netherlands already have some forward thinking companies paving the way to EV adoption. Dutch company Fastned is off to a good start and appears to be insightful enough to plan ahead for future growth of its existing fast charging locations. If they are any indication for the country’s willingness to switch to EV’s, the future is very bright.

The global oil industry may not be threatened by losing business in the Netherlands alone, but their national oil industry must be losing their mind. How will they cope? Will they go away completely, or will they somehow adjust their energy focus to renewables in order to save jobs and business?

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We should keep an eye on this exciting movement as it unfolds. The Dutch will be doing the entire world a favor. Highlighting success and errors though example is one of the best ways the rest of the world can learn the best way to accommodate the imminent transportation and energy shift.

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I have a passion for all that is clean, green, responsible and logical. Because of this, I am a big Tesla enthusiast and future owner.

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Lifestyle

Elon Musk seemingly confirms Cybertruck gift to 13-year-old cancer fighter

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, the teen has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

March 6, 2025

By

Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed that he will be sending a Tesla Cybertruck to 13-year-old Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, a 13-year-old Houston boy fighting brain cancer. The teen was recognized as an honorary Secret Service member by U.S. President Donald Trump during his address to Congress on Tuesday. 

A Chance Meeting

The Tesla CEO’s Cybertruck pledge was mentioned during DJ’s short interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. When Collins asked the 13-year-old what he told the Tesla CEO, DJ answered that he asked for a Cybertruck.

“I said, ‘can you do me a big favor, when you get back to Houston can you send us a Cybertruck down there?’” the cancer fighter stated.

Daniel noted that Musk responded positively to his request, which was highlighted by Collins in a post on X. Musk responded to the post with a heart emoji, suggesting that he really will be sending a Cybertruck to the 13-year-old cancer fighter.

Teen’s Cancer Battle Inspires

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, Daniel has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12. During his speech, Trump highlighted the 13-year-old’s long battle with his disease. 

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“Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police. The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago. Since that time, DJ and his dad have been on a quest to make his dream come true,” Trump stated.

Daniels officially received an honorary badge from U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran, to much applause during the event.

Surprisingly Partisan

While Daniels’ story has been inspiring, Trump’s focus on the 13-year-old cancer fighter has received its own fair share of criticism. MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, while referencing Daniels’ love for law enforcement, noted that she is hoping the 13-year-old never has to defend the U.S. capitol against Trump supporters. “If he does, I hope he isn’t one of the six who loses his life to suicide,” Wallace stated.

Anti-Musk and Trump accounts on X have also thrown jokes at the cancer fighter’s honorary badge, with some dubbing the 13-year-old as a “DEI hire” that should be looked into by DOGE.

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Lifestyle

Tesla owner highlights underrated benefit of FSD Supervised

Published

2 months ago

on

January 31, 2025

By

Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has been pretty open about the idea of FSD being the difference maker for Tesla’s future.

If Tesla succeeds in achieving FSD, it could become the world’s most valuable company. If it doesn’t, then the company would not be able to reach its optimum potential.

FSD Supervised’s safety benefits:

  • But even if FSD is still not perfect today, FSD Supervised is already making a difference on the roads today.
  • This was highlighted in Tesla’s Q4 2024 Vehicle Safety Report.
  • As per Tesla, it recorded one crash for every 5.94 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology.
  • For comparison, the most recent data available from the NHTSA and FHWA (from 2023) showed that there was one automobile crash every 702,000 miles in the United States. 

FSD user’s tale:

  • As per an FSD user’s post on social media platform X, FSD Supervised was able to help him drive a relative to a medical facility safely even if he was exhausted.
  • During the trip, the driver only had to monitor FSD Supervised’s performance to make sure the Tesla operated safely.
  • In a vehicle without FSD, such a trip with an exhausted driver would have been quite dangerous. 
  • “This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.
  • “The convenience of sending the hospital’s address directly from my iPhone to my Tesla while still inside my house, then just a single button press once inside, and 40 miles later we were precisely in front of the hospital’s admissions area.This experience really underscores just how transformative this technology can be for society,” Tesla owner JC Christopher noted in his post.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Lifestyle

Tesla Optimus “stars” in incredible fanmade action short film

Published

2 months ago

on

January 14, 2025

By

Credit: @SoKrispyMedia/YouTube

There are few things that prove an enthusiast’s love towards a company more than a dedicated short film. This was highlighted recently when YouTube’s SoKrispyMedia posted a 10-minute action movie starring Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, as well as several of the company’s most iconic products. 

The video: 

  • Shot like a Hollywood action flick, the video featured a rather humorous plot involving a group of thieves that mistakenly targeted a Tesla Model 3 driver. 
  • The Model 3 driver then ended up speaking to Tesla for assistance, and some high-octane and high-speed hijinks ensued.
  • While the short film featured several Tesla products like the Model 3, Superchargers, and the Cybertruck, it is Optimus that truly stole the show.
  • Optimus served several roles in the short film, from an assistant in a Tesla office to a “robocop” enforcer that helped out the Model 3 driver.

Cool inside jokes: 

  • The best Tesla videos are those that show an in-depth knowledge of the company, and SoKrispyMedia definitely had it. 
  • From the opening scenes alone, the video immediately poked fun at TSLA traders, the large number of gray Tesla owners, and the fact that many still do not understand Superchargers.
  • The video even poked fun at Tesla’s software updates, as well as how some Tesla drivers use Autopilot or other features without reading the fine print in the company’s release notes.
  • The video ended with a tour de force of references to Elon Musk products, from the Tesla Cybertruck to the Boring Company Not-a-Flamethrower, which was released back in 2018.

Check out SoKrispyMedia’s Tesla action short film in the video below.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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