As someone who has looked into EVs as a possible daily driver alternative because of their low-maintenance and high-efficiency nature, I still get turned off by a few factors. Environmental damage from lithium mining, the slave labor to produce it, EV infrastructure, software issues, the danger of lithium fires, lithium disposal, etc. To me, it's a technology with great potential, but one that isn't ready enough to be pushed as hard as it is by the government (that in itself is another red flag).
I think after the initial hype, consumers are starting to realize the massive shortcomings of EVs and that's why demand is falling steeply. Automakers are clearly seeing the trend and scaling back on EV development. Oil has its issues, but it's still the best option we have. Plus now that we have synthetic fuels coming down the pipeline, it makes keeping ICE around even more tempting. There's still potential to be unlocked with ICEs while EV tech gets perfected enough to be a viable replacement/companion.
Hydrogen is a whole other can of worms, but I think it's a good thing that manufacturers are exploring every possible way to get cars down the road. We just need the government to let the market decide instead of making the decisions for us.
