I guess I should realize that there are a lot of countries around the world where auto makers are simply unwilling victims of government intrusion into their automotive markets.
An increasing number of car companies are understanding they have no choice but to abide by government demands to convert to electric power—or at least to convert a majority of their vehicles to electric power.
Although that does not apply to the U.S., it would appear that GM and Ford have been swept away with the same enthusiasm that has infected the rest of the world. True, GM's biggest market is China, and Ford is still duking it out in Europe. But let's not forget that most of their profits come from their home country.
With a huge number of conventional vehicles still running—and on track to continue for decades—it would seem obvious that the demand for electrification will be far in excess of consumer demand for electric vehicles for quite a while. I don't have the slightest idea what these municipalities or the companies involved with them will do when they realize that electrification will take longer than they anticipate.
Meanwhile, as we have seen for quite some time, most car companies seem almost obsessed with the idea of converting much of their assets to electrification. It is quite possible, as an executive once told me, that the future of mobility may not be powered by recharging batteries, but by any number of alternative technologies, such as commercialization of oxygen or hydrogen.
Whatever the future holds, it probably will not be invented by a bunch of politicians who are forcing huge decisions on the part of car companies that may or may not agree with those decisions.
It is probably time to suggest to the car companies and their political leaders that they rein in their lofty ambitions and try to understand reality. It is time—if there is still some time left—for car companies to adopt a more moderate approach by covering their bets and allowing for something less than "bet the farm."
In the coming decades, it will become obvious that more than one power source will be necessary. In a tortoise and hare race, the hare does not win out. And for good reason, in reality, we will see the same outcome: A methodical approach to reducing emissions will be the winning strategy. Enough is enough.