Electric Cars: Political Chess Pieces
Governments around the world are shifting policies that are likely to make electric vehicles more common (1). The shift toward this technology has several positive impacts, but also many negative implications. These include loss of jobs, strain on the oil economy, and changes for tax systems. These problems often affect certain countries more than others, and certain people more than others, which leads into a discussion on politics in relation to technology.
In class, we discussed objects having politics. For example, low overpasses in one region were deliberately build low to control flow of people. Those who were wealthy and could afford cars could pass under the overpasses, but those who were poor and relied on public transport (which was taller) could not pass (2). Politics surrounded these overpasses and may also be seen today in the move toward electric cars.
Countries who produce vast amounts of oil and rely heavily on export of it would be in trouble if electric cars became more popular. The countries enacting policies favoring electric cars may be using electric cars to gain power over these oil-reliant countries. Not only could the governments of countries hurt, but the people of the countries would too. New tax systems may be enacted, costing citizens huge amounts (1). This further displaces power.
As with the Model T, low overpasses, and other technologies or objects, politics has an important role in the rise of electric vehicles. The policies being enacted likely benefit certain people and groups while undermining others. This, though, is the politics of technology.
Sources:
- Dia, Hussein. Jobs, Tax and Politics: Three Ways Electric Vehicles Will Change Our World. The Conversation, 15 Mar. 2018
- Winner, Langdon. “Do artifacts have politics?.” Daedalus (1980): 121–136.
- Alevizos, Theodore. “The Rise of Electric Vehicles.” The Patriot Post
- Matei, Chris. “Electric Vehicles Are Poised for Their ‘Model T’ Moment.” Visual Capitalist, 19 May 2017
