I can’t remember the city, sorry. Many decades ago they had a very bad fire. As per usual, many fire departments from other cities came to help. All they could do, more or less, was stand by and watch. They were able to provide some manpower, but all the equipment they brought was useless. It didn’t fit the local hydrants.

I am sure many of you can cite case after case of the cost of not standardizing. In this case, the city burnt and there was really no way to calculate the cost of not standardizing fire equipment. Well, some good came from it. Some folks, the ones who were smart stepped back and said, we need to take a look at this. So they did. Nowadays, all fire equipment has been standardized. Throughout the country, one city uses the same sized equipment as any other city. The disaster of non-standard fire equipment will never again be repeated.

When folks all come to their own standards, it is expensive. It is a problem we should not repeat, but we do. The result is that it is again expensive. And it cost a lot too. At one time, when my headlight went out on my car, I’d go down to the store and buy a new sealed beam light. It was standard, no matter who built the car, the light was the same.

It took me all of three minutes to replace the light. It cost me $10.95. I didn’t need a special patch on my shoulder to certify that I knew how to replace head lights. Now. Well. If you need a sealed beam headlight, good luck. I’m not even sure they make them anymore.

It is worse than that. Now that I have an electric car, I must look for a charger compatible with my car. There are at least 3 types if level three chargers. How’s that for standardization.

So. If I decide to set up a charge station, as the old service stations, I must install 3 chargers, which, by the way, are very expensive. I would need two for Teslas and one for the rest. Maybe two or three more. I don’t know. Who could have foreseen that?

I guess not one person with the power to standardize things ever considered the cost of not standardizing. So, I drive up to the place on my map that says that there is a charger. My car says my battery is just about dry and I discover, guess what. that charger will not charge my car.
What do I do now? Where is there another charger compatible with my car in less than 30 miles.

Well, I guess there is one thing. I can drive to where they sell generators, fill it with gas and start charging my car. For that matter, before I light out on my trip, I put a generator in my trunk filled with gas. If it has 220 outlet on the generator, it will likely take 4 or 5 hours to get it charged up enough to get to the next charger that I can use. If it is not not compatible, I can gas up the generator, break out the sleeping bag and wait.

Standardization for the electric auto industry is not an option. It is an necessity. Without it, the electric car will fade away, as it did before. Most folks drive more than I do, 10 or 15 miles a day. Many like going on extended trips. If they can’t do it in an electric car, they will not buy one, no matter what the going green folks have to say.