We've decided to invest in squirt guns to deal with the forest fire problem
I agree but I do think that for the majority of people it would be easier to go from a fuel car to an electric car then it would be to having no car at all. Even if they don't use it daily it still offers them a feeling of freedom and flexibility. I know that you can also achieve that feeling using public transport / walking and cycling everywhere (Dutchie here) but it's quite the transition for people if you didn't grow up in an environment like that.
Its moreso the environment that allows a car free life to feel possible does not exist in the majority of American cities.
By design.
Having a car used to make my life more complicated, not simpler. I had to find a place where to put the damn thing daily, it cost a fortune. Granted, it came in handy once every four or five months. Still, I'm glad to have been car free for the last twenty years or so.
When I need one, I just rent it at one of the shops that are less than a km away. The rest of the time, I use my bike (I can hook a trailer to it if needed), the bus or the metro.