My research question is: Why has the United States fallen behind in the race to electrify cars? This topic interests me because I am an electric vehicle enthusiast and have been following the space for years. My prior experience working on cars as part of my program at Thomas A. Edison High School and my personal interest in engineering-related subjects allowed me to gain a good understanding of transportation from an engineering and design perspective. I am also considering vehicle design as a career and being EV-focused is a matter of forward planning.
Electrification of transportation is one of the most important steps towards a more sustainable future, as transportation is one of the major contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, with about 14% share of the world’s emissions. The competition between China and the US is particularly relevant, as both nations are economic juggernauts on the world stage. At the moment, China has had an insane head start, with Chinese companies selling over 9 million EVs in 2023 compared to the US’s 1.1 million. Some of the questions I am interested in exploring are:
- How does misinformation and disinformation (especially ‘astroturfing’) play a role in slowing EV adoption in the US?
- How have countries such as Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland transitioned to electric vehicles so fast?
- What does the United States plan on doing in order to catch up to China in the electric vehicle space?
Relevant read:
it’s clear from your background in engineering. Looking into them further is a great idea. You’ve laid out your interests well. your research topic sounds promising. The context you gave shows you really know your stuff! You’ve established a great basis for looking into the difficulties and prospects of vehicle electrification. Notably, your focus is on America’s role in the worldwide EV industry
I think your topic is rather interesting. Although I am not a big fan of electrical cars since I love analyzing engines, I understand that electrical cars are meant to reduce pollution in the environment. One question I have is what is the difference between astroturfing and propaganda? I think your main questions are interesting and would like to learn more about this topic.
Now turn this into ONE paragraph and USE the paragraph template sentence-starters.
I found a few good NYT links for your topic. GoTo Research Source Leads sidebar!