With its highways and suburbs, modern America was built around the automobile and powered by fossil fuels. The oil crises of the 1970s provided an opportunity to change course and move to renewable energy, but momentum proved to be very short-lived.
The planned Brightline West would help the U.S. catch up on high-speed rail. But to fill seats, it will have to win passengers in an autocentric country.
The electric vehicle incentives in the Build Back Better Act show the dominance of car culture, even for people who are trying to transition to a cleaner economy.
