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I can tell you don’t own a BEV. The range is a non issue 99% of the time when you’re driving around in your city. Charging at home is both cheap and super conv

I can tell you don’t own a BEV. The range is a non issue 99% of the time when you’re driving around in your city. Charging at home is both cheap and super convenient. Maintenance is cheaper, the car lasts longer. I don’t know a single person who buys a BEV and goes back. I know many who go the other direction. And as adoption rises and technology improves the case will get stronger and stronger.

deleted 2y ago
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jmb99 2y ago
> I can tell you don’t own a BEV. I don’t - my daily cost $1400USD, I don’t think there’s an EV on the planet that will work out cheaper before its batteries fail. Ignoring that I’d prefer one that could tow at least 5k lbs (which I make use of fairly frequently on my daily), seat 6 adults, cost only ~$300/year in maintenance (including tires and brakes), and go 750km without thinking about refuelling. And ideally would be comfortable and have good ride quality, which the vast majority of modern cars simply don’t (unless you spend far too much money). > The range is a non issue 99% of the time when you’re driving around in your city. Charging at home is both cheap and super convenient. I don’t live in the city, and trips to the city are minimum 50km round trip. Doable with most EVs, but that’s assuming I don’t actually go anywhere in the city. I also have to account for winter temperatures going below -30 relatively frequently, so would have to divide advertised range in half to account for regular worst-case conditions. And for used cars, maybe even more, especially if trying to hit anywhere close to the price point I pay for gas cars (and having to buy a car with older batteries). I don’t go into work frequently, but when I do, it’s over 100km round trip, assuming I make no stops. That rules out pretty much all small “city” EVs when taking into account range loss in the cold. Charging at home would be convenient, but I live 30 seconds from two gas stations, so I doubt it would be notably more convenient than that. > Maintenance is cheaper, the car lasts longer. Which EVs are known to last 3-400k miles without needing new batteries or having substantial range reduction? That’s what I anticipate out of my current car with only a ($1000) transmission rebuild at ~250k miles. The engine should outlast the car. Suspension components last ~200k miles, front brakes last 75k, rears last 150k. Tires last 40-60k and cost $500 for good ones. > I don’t know a single person who buys a BEV and goes back. I know many who go the other direction. Offhand I know at least 4. Mostly when they realize that “hey, my range has cut in half during this cold snap and I won’t be able to make it to X” or when they do the math and realize the extra $6-20k they spent they’re not saving in gas and maintenance before they buy another new car in 3-5 years. The ones who keep buying EVs usually do it for the image, or because they’re willing to spend substantially more money and sacrifice some convenience to drive a greener car. Most of both of those types (at least in my experience) also own a new luxury truck for hauling toys and taking kids to hockey, going on camping trips and that sort of thing. > And as adoption rises and technology improves the case will get stronger and stronger. I agree! But they’re not there yet. I would really like them to be, so that fewer people are buying gas cars who just want “a car.” I’d be happy to buy one myself if it made sense, but unfortunately it doesn’t.
itsmek 2y ago
Charging at home is often more expensive than gas in much of California and Hawaii but yes generally cheaper to run if you ignore vehicle cost and lifespan.

deleted 2y ago

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jmb99 2y ago

> I can tell you don’t own a BEV. I don’t - my daily cost $1400USD, I don’t think there’s an EV on the planet that will work out cheaper before its batteries fail. Ignoring that I’d prefer one that could tow at least 5k lbs (which I make use of fairly frequently on my daily), seat 6 adults, cost only ~$300/year in maintenance (including tires and brakes), and go 750km without thinking about refuelling. And ideally would be comfortable and have good ride quality, which the vast majority of modern cars simply don’t (unless you spend far too much money). > The range is a non issue 99% of the time when you’re driving around in your city. Charging at home is both cheap and super convenient. I don’t live in the city, and trips to the city are minimum 50km round trip. Doable with most EVs, but that’s assuming I don’t actually go anywhere in the city. I also have to account for winter temperatures going below -30 relatively frequently, so would have to divide advertised range in half to account for regular worst-case conditions. And for used cars, maybe even more, especially if trying to hit anywhere close to the price point I pay for gas cars (and having to buy a car with older batteries). I don’t go into work frequently, but when I do, it’s over 100km round trip, assuming I make no stops. That rules out pretty much all small “city” EVs when taking into account range loss in the cold. Charging at home would be convenient, but I live 30 seconds from two gas stations, so I doubt it would be notably more convenient than that. > Maintenance is cheaper, the car lasts longer. Which EVs are known to last 3-400k miles without needing new batteries or having substantial range reduction? That’s what I anticipate out of my current car with only a ($1000) transmission rebuild at ~250k miles. The engine should outlast the car. Suspension components last ~200k miles, front brakes last 75k, rears last 150k. Tires last 40-60k and cost $500 for good ones. > I don’t know a single person who buys a BEV and goes back. I know many who go the other direction. Offhand I know at least 4. Mostly when they realize that “hey, my range has cut in half during this cold snap and I won’t be able to make it to X” or when they do the math and realize the extra $6-20k they spent they’re not saving in gas and maintenance before they buy another new car in 3-5 years. The ones who keep buying EVs usually do it for the image, or because they’re willing to spend substantially more money and sacrifice some convenience to drive a greener car. Most of both of those types (at least in my experience) also own a new luxury truck for hauling toys and taking kids to hockey, going on camping trips and that sort of thing. > And as adoption rises and technology improves the case will get stronger and stronger. I agree! But they’re not there yet. I would really like them to be, so that fewer people are buying gas cars who just want “a car.” I’d be happy to buy one myself if it made sense, but unfortunately it doesn’t.

itsmek 2y ago

Charging at home is often more expensive than gas in much of California and Hawaii but yes generally cheaper to run if you ignore vehicle cost and lifespan.