imo, i dont think theyre a "scam" exactly, but i do think the attitude that theyre an ecologically viable solution for human transportation is formed from propaganda. on a small scale it doesnt look so bad. when you consider the other amount of resources it takes to create them, theyre not a very eco conscious product at all. is it a sustainable solution? i would argue that they are not. if all cars were replaced with EVs we would have to mine that much more, which is destructive in a multitude of ways. the amount of electricity and infrastructure to facilitate all of the charging...i mean the texas grid melts down from peoples HVAC usage...there are much more sustainable solutions for travel, but in places like the US, its just not gonna happen without a full flip on the infrastructure in most places. and that costs tax dollars that could be better spent bailing out some corporation...im not sure what exactly defines solarpunk vision, but in a self sufficient and sustainable society, there should be more shared resources (electric public transit), infrastructure for bicycles/human powered travel, decentralized power grids, etc.