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All it takes for EV's to explode and finally surpass combustion cars from the market is to put a low cost, good enough quality electric car in the market. Combu

All it takes for EV's to explode and finally surpass combustion cars from the market is to put a low cost, good enough quality electric car in the market. Combustion engines must be put in the past. They're still better in some ways, but that will change.

squarefoot 7y ago
A two seats version of this car with some more range would be a godsend in congested cities. Sort of an electric Smart at half the price.
- hocuspocus 7y ago
  The only realistic godsend in congested city would be to ban most privately owned cars.
- kumarvvr 7y ago
  Definitely. I would also make it smaller. Reduced weight equals reduced cost and improved range.
Leherenn 7y ago
I think people often ignore charging issues, especially for city cars. Most people live in flats with street parking, there's absolutely no infrastructure existing at the moment to solve the problem that those people cannot charge at night.
- bdamm 7y ago
  I wonder how big a problem that really is. Folks in flats with street parking also have good access to transit. Cities will become incentivized to convert parking meters to charging stations using street light power. People often can charge at work, and for some cars, rapid charging is an option. Also autonomous driving taxis are coming, despite the challenges, and so more folks might subscribe to a car as a service, either Uber or Zipcar. So between these various changing transport options I wonder if flat dwellers parking their commuting car on the street is something soon to be viewed as an anachronism.
  - Leherenn 7y ago
    It's a bit of chicken and egg issue, and it will get better over time, but I think that right now, and probably in the next 2/3 years, it's going to be a big problem. I'm not saying that it's insurmontable, just that price is not the only thing that stops people from buying electric right now.
  - ineedasername 7y ago
    I'd love to see it happen, but what's the incentive for cities to add ubiquitous charging like that?
    - chillacy 7y ago
      Hopefully they get to make a lot of money from that.
      - ineedasername 7y ago
        I guess if apartment renters have no easy alternative the city could charge a high premium, and it would be worth it to have overnight charging instead of chasing down a station on your own time.
    - mikeash 7y ago
      What’s the incentive for cities to have the ubiquitous street parking they have now?
    - greglindahl 7y ago
      Air quality is one. Wanting to help with climate change is another.
  - Aaargh20318 7y ago
    > Folks in flats with street parking also have good access to transit. Which isn’t very helpful if you need to visit places that don’t have good access to transit. For example my parents live in a small town about 30 minutes away by car. If I were to visit them by public transport that would be a 2+ hour journey. On a weekday. Most of my visits are on Sundays and that’s a whole different story. It would practically be impossible to visit them without taking a day off work.
- djrogers 7y ago
  We have no charging at our beach house, but there are over a dozen charging stations at the Target down the road, and at least some are usually empty. It's simple enough to spend an hour charging while buying groceries, and as this model builds out it will be even easier to get a full charge while out running errands. Even without home charging, it's still easier than stopping at the gas station...
- PanMan 7y ago
  I keep seeing this as a main issue with EV's. But it's something that can be changed. In Amsterdam most streets have electric charging points. The city made it really easy to apply for one, and lets you skip the (multi-year) waitlist for parking permits. My friends with EV's just charge it in the streets, no problem. I don't see why other cities couldn't do the same.
jfk13 7y ago
> All it takes for EV's to explode Given the history of battery issues in various products, this seems like an unfortunate choice of phrasing!
- MayeulC 7y ago
  You could probably say the same about any kind of energy storage (or generation), above a certain density. It isn't like gasoline cars haven't had their fair share of issues with combustion. I'd be willing to bet that it is harder to burn a BEV (or air, hydrogen, LPG) parked in the street than an ICE.
- rcMgD2BwE72F 7y ago
  >According to a recent FEMA report, “from 2014 to 2016 an estimated 171,500 highway vehicle fires occurred in the United States, resulting in an annual average of 345 deaths; 1,300 injuries; and $1.1 billion in property loss
dathinab 7y ago
And charging stations. Sure in some countries it's common that people have (small) houses but e.g. in Europe, it's pretty common to have housing blocks with parking on the streets without any electric charging station, or maybe one half a kilometer away which is often blocked by non electric cars. With the charging times of electric cars you can not charge them in a "drive by" manner like you do for non electric cars. I guess placing a bunch of (not very slow) charging stations on all Supermarket parking lots would probably be enough for the beginning given the range of new electric cars. At last for people which mainly use them in the city. But without some political regulation, benefits or similar I don't see that happening (at last not in Germany in the next view years). Anyway, I hope that when I buy a car next time it's feasible for me to go for a electric car (without having a second non electric car or similar).
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
einpoklum 7y ago
> All it takes for EV's to explode Won't their popularity dip a bit if they explode? (rim shot)

squarefoot 7y ago

A two seats version of this car with some more range would be a godsend in congested cities. Sort of an electric Smart at half the price.

hocuspocus 7y ago
The only realistic godsend in congested city would be to ban most privately owned cars.
kumarvvr 7y ago
Definitely. I would also make it smaller. Reduced weight equals reduced cost and improved range.

Leherenn 7y ago

I think people often ignore charging issues, especially for city cars. Most people live in flats with street parking, there's absolutely no infrastructure existing at the moment to solve the problem that those people cannot charge at night.

bdamm 7y ago
I wonder how big a problem that really is. Folks in flats with street parking also have good access to transit. Cities will become incentivized to convert parking meters to charging stations using street light power. People often can charge at work, and for some cars, rapid charging is an option. Also autonomous driving taxis are coming, despite the challenges, and so more folks might subscribe to a car as a service, either Uber or Zipcar. So between these various changing transport options I wonder if flat dwellers parking their commuting car on the street is something soon to be viewed as an anachronism.
- Leherenn 7y ago
  It's a bit of chicken and egg issue, and it will get better over time, but I think that right now, and probably in the next 2/3 years, it's going to be a big problem. I'm not saying that it's insurmontable, just that price is not the only thing that stops people from buying electric right now.
- ineedasername 7y ago
  I'd love to see it happen, but what's the incentive for cities to add ubiquitous charging like that?
  - chillacy 7y ago
    Hopefully they get to make a lot of money from that.
    - ineedasername 7y ago
      I guess if apartment renters have no easy alternative the city could charge a high premium, and it would be worth it to have overnight charging instead of chasing down a station on your own time.
  - mikeash 7y ago
    What’s the incentive for cities to have the ubiquitous street parking they have now?
  - greglindahl 7y ago
    Air quality is one. Wanting to help with climate change is another.
- Aaargh20318 7y ago
  > Folks in flats with street parking also have good access to transit. Which isn’t very helpful if you need to visit places that don’t have good access to transit. For example my parents live in a small town about 30 minutes away by car. If I were to visit them by public transport that would be a 2+ hour journey. On a weekday. Most of my visits are on Sundays and that’s a whole different story. It would practically be impossible to visit them without taking a day off work.
djrogers 7y ago
We have no charging at our beach house, but there are over a dozen charging stations at the Target down the road, and at least some are usually empty. It's simple enough to spend an hour charging while buying groceries, and as this model builds out it will be even easier to get a full charge while out running errands. Even without home charging, it's still easier than stopping at the gas station...
PanMan 7y ago
I keep seeing this as a main issue with EV's. But it's something that can be changed. In Amsterdam most streets have electric charging points. The city made it really easy to apply for one, and lets you skip the (multi-year) waitlist for parking permits. My friends with EV's just charge it in the streets, no problem. I don't see why other cities couldn't do the same.

jfk13 7y ago

> All it takes for EV's to explode Given the history of battery issues in various products, this seems like an unfortunate choice of phrasing!

MayeulC 7y ago
You could probably say the same about any kind of energy storage (or generation), above a certain density. It isn't like gasoline cars haven't had their fair share of issues with combustion. I'd be willing to bet that it is harder to burn a BEV (or air, hydrogen, LPG) parked in the street than an ICE.
rcMgD2BwE72F 7y ago
>According to a recent FEMA report, “from 2014 to 2016 an estimated 171,500 highway vehicle fires occurred in the United States, resulting in an annual average of 345 deaths; 1,300 injuries; and $1.1 billion in property loss

dathinab 7y ago

And charging stations. Sure in some countries it's common that people have (small) houses but e.g. in Europe, it's pretty common to have housing blocks with parking on the streets without any electric charging station, or maybe one half a kilometer away which is often blocked by non electric cars. With the charging times of electric cars you can not charge them in a "drive by" manner like you do for non electric cars. I guess placing a bunch of (not very slow) charging stations on all Supermarket parking lots would probably be enough for the beginning given the range of new electric cars. At last for people which mainly use them in the city. But without some political regulation, benefits or similar I don't see that happening (at last not in Germany in the next view years). Anyway, I hope that when I buy a car next time it's feasible for me to go for a electric car (without having a second non electric car or similar).

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

einpoklum 7y ago

> All it takes for EV's to explode Won't their popularity dip a bit if they explode? (rim shot)