6 ms·

This is a false dichotomy. One's own vehicle is far from one's only mode of transportation.

cptskippy 8y ago
For those with the means yes. Not everyone can afford an Uber/Lyft across town or state. My EV can get me to the airport and with a bit of charging only just get me home. A ride share is $40+ off peak. Public transit isn't an option. If I lived further out in the suburbs such a trip wouldn't be possible without more prolonged charging. You might balk at dropping $40+ spontaneously but a lot of people don't. I remember working a salaried position and still not being able to afford a spontaneous invitation to lunch with coworkers and I have never in my life been in financial trouble. EVs might be practical in a dense Urban setting with access to Public transit but the further you are from urban centers the less practical it becomes exponentially.
- Cerium 8y ago
  If my wife's in the hospital I'll find the cash for a taxi. The fact that EVs are practical in dense urban settings is great since those have the largest air quality problems that can be addressed by the centralized (or green) power generation that EVs utilize.
0xffff2 8y ago
This is really dependent on where you are. Where I live in Mountain View you're absolutely right. Where my dad lives 20 minutes from a paved road in the middle of California with no cell service, his truck is quite literally his only mode of transportation. Of course these are extremes, but most people live somewhere in the middle. Owning an EV will never be less limiting than owning an ICE vehicle. Whether it's an acceptable trade off will always be an individual decision.
- lovemenot 8y ago
  >> Owning an EV will never be less limiting than owning an ICE vehicle. Never may be too strong a word. Electricity is likely to continue flowing to more locations for longer than petrol stations will continue to get restocked.
  - smogcutter 8y ago
    EVs are more infrastructure dependent, though. Much easier to store a little emergency gas than electricity.
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]

For those with the means yes. Not everyone can afford an Uber/Lyft across town or state. My EV can get me to the airport and with a bit of charging only just get me home. A ride share is $40+ off peak. Public transit isn't an option. If I lived further out in the suburbs such a trip wouldn't be possible without more prolonged charging. You might balk at dropping $40+ spontaneously but a lot of people don't. I remember working a salaried position and still not being able to afford a spontaneous invitation to lunch with coworkers and I have never in my life been in financial trouble. EVs might be practical in a dense Urban setting with access to Public transit but the further you are from urban centers the less practical it becomes exponentially.

Cerium 8y ago
If my wife's in the hospital I'll find the cash for a taxi. The fact that EVs are practical in dense urban settings is great since those have the largest air quality problems that can be addressed by the centralized (or green) power generation that EVs utilize.

0xffff2 8y ago

This is really dependent on where you are. Where I live in Mountain View you're absolutely right. Where my dad lives 20 minutes from a paved road in the middle of California with no cell service, his truck is quite literally his only mode of transportation. Of course these are extremes, but most people live somewhere in the middle. Owning an EV will never be less limiting than owning an ICE vehicle. Whether it's an acceptable trade off will always be an individual decision.

lovemenot 8y ago
>> Owning an EV will never be less limiting than owning an ICE vehicle. Never may be too strong a word. Electricity is likely to continue flowing to more locations for longer than petrol stations will continue to get restocked.
- smogcutter 8y ago
  EVs are more infrastructure dependent, though. Much easier to store a little emergency gas than electricity.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]