Hacker News
points by danans 12 hours ago | 0 comments
I noticed the same in India not long ago. Unlike in the US, there is broad cultural aspiration toward electric vehicles.

Even tuk-tuk/rickshaw drivers (who are largely lower income) have EV choices, while in the US lower income workers - like rideshare drivers - don't have many cheaper electric options, since EVs are mostly priced for upper income people.

It doesn't hurt that India has to import the vast majority of the petroleum it uses, and has unlimited solar resources.

[–] jillesvangurp 7 hours ago
Most countries in the world have to import their oil and gas. Which generally means EVs are very attractive as they can run on locally produced electricity. This is happening all over the world at this point. Including quite a few developing nations across Africa, Asia, South America, etc. Ethiopia banned imports of ICE vehicles a few years ago. They are going all in on EVs. Same for Kenya I believe. They aren't doing this to save the planet but because oil imports are expensive, especially if you have to pay for it in dollars and don't have a lot of exported goods to earn those dollars with like is true for a lot of developing nations.

The only countries trying to slow this down currently are those with a lot of vested interest in oil and gas. Or a lot of legacy car production. Everyone else is cutting their dependence on importing either of those things.