The laws of physics remain immutable. The few “breakthroughs” scientists discover don’t defy those laws; they’re new understandings of laws we didn’t know existed or only theorized might exist. Legitimate scientists and Normal Americans recognize and understand reality, which is why they don’t declare gravity to be a social construct and “fly” from tall buildings. They know it’s not the fall that kills you; it’s the sudden stop at the bottom.

Democrats, on the other hand, because they’re morally and intellectually superior to Normals, make their own reality and try to force everyone else to live in it. That’s why electric vehicles—EVs--were absolutely, positively going to be the future by various  specific dates, just like the planet was doomed by various specific dates. That made thoughtful folks wonder why we bothered with all the EV hysteria if we were going to be doomed on those same dates?

As 2024 approached, most Americans—enough to make a difference—caught on to the EV hoax. Most of the market understood EVs cost far too much, have far too little range, take too long to charge, cost far too much to insure and repair and don’t meet most American’s needs. Democrats were outraged that Normals refused to live in their EV reality. 

Then Donald Trump became president again and dismantled all the government EV mandates and incentives, and lo and behold, reality descended like a mighty river and Ford, Chevy and Stellantis suddenly recognized economic, if not physical, reality to the enormous relief of their shareholders. They abruptly shelved their EV plans, and Ford even cancelled production of its F-150 Lightning pickup, the vehicle that was absolutely, positively going to be the future.  When owners asked it to do truck things, it miserably failed, which truck owners inexplicably took to be a bad thing.

But blue states are immune to reality, states like New York which mandated all school buses be electric by 2027. But with the new Trump reality, New York parents have suddenly discovered that electric school buses are disasters.  

Why? EV batteries lose about half their range in cold weather—New York has some of that—and batteries take far longer to recharge. If it’s cold enough, they won’t charge at all. Worse, heaters draw enormous amounts of electricity from batteries, and that’s a particular problem with bus-sized passenger cabins. Keep the kiddies warm and there’s not enough range to cover even the shortest bus routes.

One of the reasons the F-150 Lightning had to fail was Ford told owners not to use the cabin heater and rely on the steering wheel and seat heaters instead, which tended to allow frost to quickly obscure windows. Translate that dubious recommendation to school buses and you begin to apprehend reality.

While the electric bus rule is to apply across the state of New York, parents in the Lake Shore Central School District are the ones vocally speaking out. WIVB News4 reported last week that parents are worried about their children’s health as bus drivers turn down the heat in the buses or even turn it off altogether as they try to conserve battery life. In fact, that is a recommended practice for EVs, which perform very poorly in the wintertime. And that is exactly why they should not be used to transport children to and from school in freezing temperatures.

This isn’t a new revelation. Back in 2023 at my home blog I reported on the problems Teton County—Jackson—Wyoming was having with its short-range, public transit, electric buses. Also in 2023, Norway was also having EV bus problems:

Graphic: Social Media Post

What kinds of problems? Virtually no range, ridiculously long charging times, batteries that wouldn’t charge at all, no heat in cabins, buses that just stopped working, and no parts at any price.  Other than that, electric buses were and remain the future.

Why is the media only now beginning to report on the EV doom loop that has been, for years, spiraling inexorably down? A Democrat administration, with its Democrat media propaganda arm, pressuring car makers with all manner of explicit and implied threats were keeping the EV hoax alive. Virtually every EV story in the press was EV cheerleading akin to reporters asking Hillary Clinton or Kamala Harris how they could be so wonderful.

EVs were absolutely, positively going to be the future and neither physics nor reality were going to be allowed to get in the way. Until, that is, Trump II. The always present and overpowering downsides of EVs became so obvious they couldn’t be cheerleadered away, and the complaints of the parents of frozen school kids couldn’t be ignored any longer.

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Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.