When does the present time start? When does the unusual turn become the norm? I’m surrounded with EVs. I read about electric cars, I write about them, and I talk endlessly about them to everyone who will listen. But now, I’ve begun to consider the possibility of a day when I won’t need to. Then, what will I write about?
EVs will be widely used. They’ll act normally. The bubble will pop, leading to a collision and eventual unification of the fossil fuel and electric car worlds. On a recent excursion from the suburbs into Brisbane, I observed the early signs of an EV and renewable energy spring. A Tesla Model 3 was perched in a used-car lot where it appeared to belong, and solar panels had taken the place of a shopping center’s shade sail. Teslas are so prevalent, according to my neighbors, that they have given up counting the Model 3 vehicles on the road. When the Model Y starts being delivered the following month, this will be even more true.
EVs are encroaching on traditional advertising, even when one is watching TV in the evening. Ampol boldly displays EV chargers on the forecourt alongside the gasoline bowsers, whereas the RACQ includes a man unplugging the EV charger for a woman as the car is returned after repairs.
On occasion, electric vehicle features appear in the news, although the story has since changed. They are no longer the terrifying beasts that used to ignite in the garage, run out of power on the freeway, and disrupt the domestic power grid when plugged in.
When I originally acquired my cherished Tess three years ago, I referred to her as a unicorn that farts rainbows. She was a magical beast, of course, with no hazardous emissions. It was common to hear, “Oh, yes, EVs are the future.” I would be careful to emphasize that the car was already present. And now we have Hyundais, Kias, and the eagerly awaited BYD Atto 3.
The present has merged with the future. It won’t take long for it to pass into history. Tess will be a typical, everyday Tess.
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