While EVs have been a thing for a while, historically emissions would not have been a significant consideration: in most places most electricity would still have originated from fossil sources (including coal!). That has only changed with the recent increase in renewables.

For many people the issue is that they can’t afford an EV. Sadly those ICE cars are still more common (and oftentimes, cheaper…), and hence easier and cheaper to obtain second hand. With current fuel prices EVs would be a no brainer, but if you can’t get or buy one, i.e. due to lack of money, you would be stuck with it.

And maybe: if society punishes those that take action for climate (by making such desirable actions cost money), that may be a problem in itself.

Alternatives to driving (rather than EVs) would be a better solution in any case - pollution by tires is a real thing - but transit access often correlates with higher housing prices, and new housing and public transit developments take a while.

Rather than blaming those that need their car due to society being designed around it, I’d rather blame those that had a hand in designing it this way (and maybe those that choose to drive in a fossil-powered car, despite having money or have exceedingly good access to public transit to where they want to go).

While a fair criticism at a glance. Those oil companies have done all they could to ensure their own longevity, from suppressing evidence on climate change to lobbying for a car-centric society. You can’t blame emissions solely on the person diving a car, when that decision was in part made for them due to the lack of alternatives to them.