This is essentially what I was wondering about – was it possible to evolve metallurgy with a different principal energy source and charcoal or coal used "only" for redox reactions?
Thinking about it, it would be necessary to discover electric power before industrial revolution in a geography with a product of precipitation and elevation drop like e.g. Norway or Costa Rica have (and this would have to be "normal" geography, not exceptional).
One more requirement for cars in addition to the precision manufacturing is a mobile source of energy like the ICE.
Now I'm wondering if an alternative history with industries revolution powered just by water would be possible (once there is steam engine/turbine, internal combustion engine/turbine is just a matter of time).
@ajsadauskas @WaterWaiver @AllNewTypeFace @25kV
maybe, if climate change was taken seriously already 25 years ago, non-negligible share of principal gas infrastructure could have been hydrogen-ready by now...
@Blair
BTW the video author is here in Fedi and deserves a mention: @TechConnectify
(Sorry for a dupe if this is one, I didn't see him mentioned the replies I could see so far; cc @urbanism )