Marathons are More Impressive Than Climbing Mount Everest

Leroy Marion of autoblog notes that electric vehicles which have higher torque and heavy batteries are much faster than their internal combustion counterparts and becoming more dangerous on public streets. Part of the reason is that in order to move that heavy battery quickly, larger motors are required. No one needs that much power. And as Marion says, “automakers are using extreme electric thrust to hide the fact that drivers are essentially piloting rolling bank vaults.”

We already know that these vehicles will win in a race with those that came before. But it’s now more interesting and impressive to design a lightweight and affordable vehicle. This is the same argument I always make when I see another issue on Mount Everest.

Many people have already climbed that mountain and it’s not impressive. It’s actually exploitative and selfish to do so. What’s more impressive to me now later in life is to run a marathon, a slow, excruciating, and exacting journey that proves true endurance. And even though you’re legs are responsible for getting you to the finish line, you’re doing it together with the community running with you and those cheering you on.

If car companies and regulators cared about the communities they served, they would give them priority over individual desires that could be satisfied at a race track.

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