I like and appreciate your insight Chav. But all the things you don't miss, are the very things that I've always loved about cars. And for me it comes down to this. I'm 71 years old and my driving is minimal at best. I've not bought a new car since March 2012, still have it and the odometer just turned over to 60,000. Considering I've no desire to buy another car, much less pay a premium price for one, I don't see me owning an electric car in my life time.
(1) They are a poor idea that has to be supported by government edits and large tax breaks.
(2) People are such frantic "supporters" that they have to continually add their 2 cents to any discussion.
(3) In a drive out to the west coast coast from the Chicago area in my older Roadmaster, I would be out there HOURS before the electric car.
(4) Electric cars are continual money-losers for people and have to be supported by laws, tax breaks, stipends, incentives and outright threats. That is not the free market.
(5) Electric cars use elements that are sometimes rare and, in any case, have to be mined somewhere in the world. Don't feel comfortable with that ? Then walk.
(6) Inevitably, many people who want electric cars or want them supported by government mandates, DON'T actually drive an electric car themselves. Hypocrites.
(7) Electricity doesn't just come from the air. It's large electric lines. coal, oil, gas and nuclear power. It's not "fairy dust".
(8) Sound is artificially added so people know it's actually on and coming and to give the "feeling" of power. Rather sad.
(9) When governments have to mandate and order electric cars to be built, something is wrong.
(10) You want to buy an electric car ? It should be your freedom of choice and also should "freely" be up to you. No tax breaks for electrics or penalties for internal combustion "non-compliance". With the government involved to such a high level with parking areas, tax breaks and the like, something is wrong.
(11) The infrastructure will not support such widespread mandates for electric power and there are not nearly enough private charging stations.
(12) Living in an apartment, the is NO place to effectively charge and electric car.
The topic question was, "....Will they prevail?" We know your thoughts regarding EVs but how exactly do you think vehicles, say 100 years from now, will be powered?
The topic question was, "....Will they prevail?" We know your thoughts regarding EVs but how exactly do you think vehicles, say 100 years from now, will be powered?
Chris, your question above wasn't directed to me, but I'll offer my answer. Since we all know that money talks, I think cars 100 years from now will still be powered by gasoline.
Sadly, I (or you) won't be here 100 years from now to see if I'm right or not, I do feel what will prevail is proof that EV cars were another short-lived "fad" that fell short of its promised greatness.
Now should I be proved wrong, it will only be if the makers of EV cars provide a battery that will sustain a charge for long, long periods (i.e. years) of time without needing to be charged, attended to, or replaced.
The topic question was, "....Will they prevail?" We know your thoughts regarding EVs but how exactly do you think vehicles, say 100 years from now, will be powered?
In 100 years, perhaps fuel cells or they might have nothing to do with roads. It is ALWAYS a bad idea to have governments get involved, as they are in ordering mandated new car technology. Using tax and legislation threats are pathetic.
Virtually all who are asked, "Well, what electric vehicle do YOU drive, the answer usually is, "Ummm, well, right now I, ummm, don't drive an electric car. And, uhhh, I am waiting for tax and other (unfair) incentives to go up more."
Electric vehicle people also tend to "protest too much" and frantically urge for regular cars to be banned and battery cars mandated. They are afraid of the free and open market.
Someone wants an drive electric car ? That's fine and it's their right. DON'T order or mandate others to do as they do.
The Tesla is great daily driver in my situation. My commute is 5 miles, 10 miles back and forth; I work 7 days in a row, charged the car to 80% at the beginning of the week, lost about 40% of the charge over the next 7 days without recharging. I use standard outlet, 110V/15A, have not installed yet Level 2 charger. Charging is slow, about 30% for 24h but fits my lifestyle. Closest supercharger is about 5 miles away from my home. Charging at home is twice cheaper compared to supercharger. Overall, my energy expense is 50% of the price of gasoline.
My purchase is not eligible for any rebates, paid the car cash and have no loan on the vehicle. The alternative vehicle I considered was similarly priced German luxury plug-in hybrid crossover. I chose American car and a mechanically simpler technology. The alternative was V6 + twinturbo + automatic transmission + electric motors + battery holding power for only 40 miles. We keep our cars for long time, so considering how many things can go wrong eventually, we opted for the simpler Tesla's design.
A friend of mine, who owns 2 Teslas, helped swing my wife's opinion too.
Believe it or not, Tesla Y was #6 best celling car in the US in 2022, no incentives for buyers were offered in 2022. A naysayer should ask herself, "way the heck are these people buying?", 252,000 vehicles, surpassing Honda CR-V. BTW, I had to wait 7 months for delivery. Now the things are changing with the worsening economic conditions, hence the hefty recent discounts, but that enlightens the potential for increased productivity and hopefully dropping prices.
The Y is very nice product overall, few annoyances here and there, but driving is a blast, and the software is very well designed and integrated. The car has a premium feel although there are more to be desired. You just jump in the car and go. No fobs, no keys. The car senses you phone and unlocks, locks automatically when you leave the vehicle, the car is activated by pressing the brake pedal.
I did not buy the Tesla to save money or to "save the planet". I was looking for the driving experience, ease of maintenance, and the pioneering technology.
My wife and I have 3 other gasoline cars, the oldest 2 are maintained by me. The 3-rd one is fairly new, so it still goes to the dealership for maintenance. So, I do keep my ICE gearhead satisfied and my hands dirty, but just enough.
I don't know if EVs will be widely adopted, there are many issues with infrastructure that need to be solved: superchargers, electric grid capacity, battery technology, battery recycling etc. ... in the meantime I plan to enjoy a product that has proven viable.
I do have one big concern though, and that is the fire risk. Also, I don't have nor would trust the autopilot software.
Again, thank you for your considerable input and first-hand experience with your Tesla EV. Honestly though, it is still not enough to convince me that they are a viable alternative and/or reliable substitute for our gas powered cars. But hey, that's just me.
Again, thank you for your considerable input and first-hand experience with your Tesla EV. Honestly though, it is still not enough to convince me that they are a viable alternative and/or reliable substitute for our gas powered cars. But hey, that's just me.
George, I am not trying to convince you or anyone else here, just wanted to clarify some facts and present an EV user point of view. I didn't even want to respond but there was so much negativity expressed in earlier posts, particularly in Mike's replies.
Again, thank you for your considerable input and first-hand experience with your Tesla EV. Honestly though, it is still not enough to convince me that they are a viable alternative and/or reliable substitute for our gas powered cars. But hey, that's just me.
George, I am not trying to convince you or anyone else here, just wanted to clarify some facts and present an EV user point of view. I didn't even want to respond but there was so much negativity expressed in earlier posts, particularly in Mike's replies.
I didn't take your comments as trying to convince me or anyone else. I appreciated your input as an EV driver. It's always important to get both sides to every issue. When I started this thread, I didn't dream that it would still be going this long. It's obvious that there are some varying opinions. That was the only purpose of the post. THANK YOU for sharing yours Chav.
