It's way more comfortable to believe in a fairytale than to perceive what's actually happening. Also many people are tempted to put the general blame on, uhm,´wall street circles, not to use the J-word.
As I always say- there are conspiracies in this world but they are seldom as entertaining or cinematic let alone comprehensible as people like to think. Most often what you see is simply rich people doing what benefits them most, and successful rich people usually act in ways that benefit others in positions to enable and advance their goals, so there is a sort of financial ecosystem where it might be in the best interests of the rich to collaborate, and sometimes they just naturally boost each other. Car makers tend to put money in the hands of steel makers and oil companies and rubber companies. When it is time to pass a law that would make driving cost more, lead to less driving, the car company, the rubber company, the steel company, the drive through restaurant industry, the aftermarket car part companies, perhaps certain tourist and wine towns, there end up being or of people who have money tied up in that, and they often come out to oppose such laws. It can appear they are…
.. all working together when they aren’t always. It’s a pretty simple concept- if you live in a village and hate your neighbors, but the only water in the village comes from a single river, if someone wants to dam that river you’d probably work to stop it as would your neighbors. Even if you don’t work together you’d all be supporting each other because you need water, they need water, common goal.
It is quick to assume that it is community organizations and environmental organizations and such that oppose these things. You may see ads like “no on <big corporate expansion bill> paid for by the nature foundation” or “.. paid for by citizens of <the place>” etc. and see clearly the “good guys” and “bad guys.” Well… sadly no. Many times these organizations are themselves fronts created by big interests (where do you think they got the money to advertise and lobby against huge corporate concerns..?) and named “good guy sounding” names- Mcdonals could change their name to “Natures bounty”
Or something if they wanted and sell the same food. No laws stop most names. Or they are often just other special interests selling you a story about “corporations vs. the little guy.” So, if the car companies and oil and rubber etc. are often fighting the same fight- cars dominate America and are big business in much of the world. It is very hard to make a fortune in a market that is already claimed by huge established names with infrastructure and customers and connections. So you “disrupt.” Of Tesla had just made “regular” cars- they’d have no hook. They, along with others looking to disrupt the industry, lobbied. They paid and coerced journalists and legislators and “influencers” and such. They dropped a car in Iron Man and worked on getting public hype and recognition, creating demand and a brand identity. They worked on legislators and they worked on driving and enforcing perceptions that EV are the future and are better. They got tax incentives and commute lane and parking perks
and other laws and measures to incentivize early adopters. Any advantage to competition for market share. And in their corner were other upstart EV makers who were and are all piling to be “Ford” or “Honda” in 50-100 years. Component makers of things like EV motors and suppliers of rare earth magnets, batteries, and other materials EV use a lot of and ICE use less or none of.
People who make chargers- think of all the money BP and Exxon and such make. Think of all the money there is in owning gas stations let alone the money to corporations that is almost free for licensing stations to carry their name and such? Good luck starting a successful oil company from scratch to rival Exxon in 2023, but if you get in on a charger network from day 0? In 50-100 years or less that could make YOU the new Exxon.
It isn’t just the money. There is power. These things tend to have standards. Standards tend to have patterns and IP protection. Licensing. Control. If you create the standard that defines an industry, you can make lots of money by inventing something once and then sitting back and charging people to use it. Whoever gets in early often has the best odds of defining the standard. Apple and other phone companies and their charges for example, many standards we take for granted in daily life.
It is quick to assume that it is community organizations and environmental organizations and such that oppose these things. You may see ads like “no on <big corporate expansion bill> paid for by the nature foundation” or “.. paid for by citizens of <the place>” etc. and see clearly the “good guys” and “bad guys.” Well… sadly no. Many times these organizations are themselves fronts created by big interests (where do you think they got the money to advertise and lobby against huge corporate concerns..?) and named “good guy sounding” names- Mcdonals could change their name to “Natures bounty”
People who make chargers- think of all the money BP and Exxon and such make. Think of all the money there is in owning gas stations let alone the money to corporations that is almost free for licensing stations to carry their name and such? Good luck starting a successful oil company from scratch to rival Exxon in 2023, but if you get in on a charger network from day 0? In 50-100 years or less that could make YOU the new Exxon.