Electric vehicles are identical to gasoline-powered vehicles in most respects, which is likely to work in their favor. After all, people are more likely to pick up an EV if it is almost identical to the internal combustion engine they already have.

Then again, there are some important differences between electric and ICE vehicles that should remain intact. Because electric cars can do better than gas guzzling cars, and manufacturers should not try to replicate the harmful aspects of fuel injection.

I say this because Ford has announced a new kind of fragrance. Yes, there really was this announcement. And as far as I know, we did not accidentally go back in time to April 1.

So why is this happening? According to a survey commissioned by Ford, one in five drivers claim that the thing they will miss the most once they switch to electric cars is the smell of gasoline. Moreover, 70% of respondents said they would miss that smell to some degree.

So Ford created a fragrance to help these people get used to a car that does not use the irritating fuel to get around. According to Ford, the fragrance is "designed to guide these drivers into the future of driving through their sense of smell. It is a high-end fragrance that blends smoky accords, rubber aspects, and even "animal" elements that are a nod to the Mustang's heritage.

This is definitely staged, as Ford does not intend to actually sell this fragrance to the public. Instead, it is intended to "dispel the myths surrounding electric vehicles and convince conventional car enthusiasts of their potential."

However, there may well be a market for this kind of thing, since there are people in the world who like the smell of gasoline. Just as there are devices on the market that allow electric cars to reproduce conventional engine and exhaust sounds.

Some people associate these things with driving, and if they have to drive a car that does neither, they may try their best to recreate it. This should never be done, nor should such thoughts be entertained. [An electric car should be an electric car. For not burning fuel and having no engine noise are the best things about propulsion today.

Indeed, EVs have other advantages. Regenerative braking, cheap fueling, and maintenance costs are just two examples. But the fact that quick explosions don't spew exhaust fumes and fill the atmosphere with smog is significant.

Not only do electric vehicles not spew nasty pollution upon ignition, they do not leave traces of electric odors in the air when charged, as gas and diesel do.

In addition, electric vehicles are nearly silent. Most electric vehicles emit some noise at low speeds, but this is more for the safety of pedestrians than anything else, and at high speeds the motor emits a high-pitched whine. However, compared to the engines of conventional cars, EVs are much quieter.

Frankly, I can't wait for EVs to outperform ICE cars. Can you imagine how much more peaceful the world will be without the constant roar of traffic? Every time I have to walk down a busy street, that thought comes to mind. I expect the air quality to visibly improve as well.

Let the electric cars be electric cars and let the byproduct, the olid, disappear along with the internal combustion engine.