Are EVs the Digital Equivalent of HDTV?

摘要

Are electric vehicles (EVs) a digital disruptive technology that will replace analog internal combustion engines (ICE) parallel to how digital high definition television (HDTV) supplanted analog cathode ray tube (CRT) TV? Or perhaps EV is merely a sustaining innovation and ICE will rule forever. The digital revolution from analog, mechanical, and electronic has shattered technology forever in HDTV, LED, telecommunications, fiber optics, printing, solar panels, computers, cell phones, and nanotechnology. The authors are now asking the question "Does EV technology embody sufficient digital advantage to supersede ICE?" The answer requires creativity in quantifying the digital advantage in technology, economics, energy and pollution. The authors further propose that "The digital revolution is primarily driven by the energy efficiency of minimizing losses in energy input and signal storage and transmission. The byproduct of energy in-effi-ciency (signal corruption) is harmful local pollution and rapid depletion of competitive resources in the struggle for life. Pertaining to ICE, can humans afford to waste 600% more energy and pollution?" There is another digital divide that has driven this article. Those without EVs consider them too expensive and impractical, yet have 70% customer satisfaction with ICE. In contrast, EV owners have 90%+ customer satisfaction and consider it their best car purchase and bargain (life cycle cost).