Hahaha.

As opposed to supporting a country that... (fill in the blanks, there is an infinite supply)

If you don't see musk as one of the singular greatest threats to this planet, I dunno what to tell you. It is certainly not just the salute, that was just the most public he's been about his true self. If I recall those Nazis had some thoughts on the Holocaust as well.

With that level of indirection gymnastics, you can accuse anyone of anything.

(This comment written in the language of a brutally colonizing and genocidal empire.)

I have no doubt most CEOs are psychopaths, but they also don't own a global Nazi mouthpiece like twitter, or have more money and resources than several small nations.

Feet firmly planted in reality, thanks. You definitely sound like your advocating for musk.

what he does in his free time is one thing (i don't care about that), being high when he is working for a government ruining people's lives and jobs is another.

Others have addressed your other questions, but I want to add that the "coil whine" that irritates you is probably the car's slow-moving warning system. EVs are effectively silent at slow speeds because there is no engine noise or road noise, so they are required to make an annoying sound when maneuvering to get your attention. While it is an important safety feature, I agree some are very obnoxious.

With my cheap over night tarrif (UK) I pay approximately 2p a mile, I'm planning a road trip to Europe soon and have calculated with a pay for discount EV charge card, I'll average about 14p/mile. I'm saving between £60-£80 a month compared to my old diesel car, which pays off the charger install ~£900 in a year. Diesel price have dropped in the UK since I got mine.

For servicing it's coolant every 3 years or so, and that pretty much it. We have a MOT in the UK, for every vehicle over 3 years old, then yearly, that covers more than what is needed on the yearly services for my car. Only thing it doesn't cover is lubricate the charge port, but I think I'm ok with that

Also the cabin noise is almost silent, no gears, constant predictable acceleration, and I can plug anything I want in to the 240v outlet in the back seat

We are in the middle of a crisis. You don't need an other reason.

You can either look ugly in an EV or drive straight towards dystopia in a cool looking ICE vehicle.

They make decent “point A to point B” cars

which is, coincidentally, what most people need from a car ;)

It's been shown again and again that evs require less maintenance.

China would love so much to rule the world, that’s why it hasn’t entered any war in the past 40+ years

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hundred-Year_Marathon

the global south are happy to enter the comparably advantageous economic deals

are they happy? and are the deals advantageous? can you back up your claims? 😂

As for “dictator”, look at the approval rates of Xi in China

oh yes, the approval rating of a dictator in a dictatorship is very valid metric 😂. (hint hint: they are irrelevant even if they were not fixed. any kind of approval rating bears zero relevance to whether the country is a totalitarian state or not, or whether the country is a threat to its neighbours or not).

it’s not exclusively Russia to blame

of course. the poor russia was forced to attack the neigbouring country. fuck off, troll.

there is no such thing as "sphere of influence" you are entitled to. your country end at your borders.