Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,585 posts, read 81,206,701 times
Reputation: 57821
Maintenance required for an internal combustion vehicle is not what it used to be. With synthetic blend they can go 7,500-10,000 miles before needing an oil change, and gas is only $2.50, about what it was 10 years ago. Even my Challenger only needs gassing up about every two weeks, on a road trip I can go about 500 miles between fill-ups. For me, there is no substitute for the sound of a dual exhaust and 300+ horsepower, or even the turbo kicking in on a 4 cylinder engine, and cars are more than just an appliance to get from point A to point B. They are also a fun toy to be enjoyed.
I suppose for a Tesla owner there can be some of that, but it's still too quiet.
We are toying with buying one. Here are the impediments:
Price. They are mongo expensive. A used one might be possible, depending on financing cost.
Size and features. The volt is the only one that appeals to us at all, and it is awfully small. The back seats are stupid (useless).
Long term viability. We tend to keep cars for decades. Is electric a flash int he pan that will soon be replace by something else and parts will become scarce/expensive?
Handling. Are they practical to drive on snow/ice?
Power. What happens if power goes out while it is recharging? Wake up and you cannot go? (Our power went out last night for example, and several times earlier this week and our standby generator is not working for some reason). Maybe you just still go using the gas engine. Is is practical to drive on gas alone with the battery dead?
The whole concept makes me uncomfortable because you cannot do anything if you run out of electricity, unless the gas engine is reliable and practical.
If the batteries go dead and freeze, are they ruined like car batteries? That could make winter very expensive.
Need. We are not ready to buy a car right now, but our van probably has 2-4 years left at best, so we are working on selecting something to replace it. However the difference between a volt and a van is huge. We still sometimes have 7 people and 2 huge dogs and chairs/beach stuff, or camping gear in the van. Cannot do that with a Volt. Will we end up regretting it?
I am not sure a Volt is or will ever be practical for us other than as a third car, and it is too expensive to be a third car. However we are considering it and trying to determine whether our lifestyle can be adjusted to make a volt practical. The idea of not having to stop at gas stations is appealing. The only advantage of gasoline that i see is that you cna carry some gasoline around
I like electric cars like the Tesla Model S because of the performance, not the "eco" BS. However, currently I live in a city with harsh winters and a current limitation of electric cars is that heating up a car in sub zero temperatures is not very good for the battery's life, a limitation likely to be around for a long time.
So unless I move back to someplace more tropical or moderate, forgive me for preferring gas guzzling AWD utility vehicles and V8 coupes.
I like electric cars like the Tesla Model S because of the performance, not the "eco" BS. However, currently I live in a city with harsh winters and a current limitation of electric cars is that heating up a car in sub zero temperatures is not very good for the battery, a limitation likely to be around for a long time.
Something you can do with EVs and halfway cars like the Volt is to preheat the car while it's still plugged in, using the phone app. That means you can get into the car warm and use very little energy maintaining that heat. And most use seat heaters to keep you warm using less to heat the air that you're not actually needing to have warm.
Speaking of Volts, I had 4 adults in mine many times, including my 6'4" son in the back sat with his wife when going out to dinner. And the hatch is pretty cavernous, in fact.
People like choice why not Diesel, CNG or Propane?
Emissions and they are still fossil fuels. Not hard to figure out. With many cities and regions starting to penalize carbon emissions form cars and trucks and not even letting them in the city centers during peak times of the day, EVs are the ONLY solution.
I say go for it, if you need a truck. CNG works great - I've driven many a vehicle in Europe that had been converted from gasoline to CNG and it drives like any other car. But you really have to care to spend the money make the conversion. In Europe gas prices are high enough to make people care. In the US they aren't.
I'm getting ready to go on a road trip. 3800 miles. Totally impractical with an electric. On the return trip I'll be towing a trailer weighing between 5000 and 7000 lbs. Totally impractical with an electric. In between, there will be some extended road trips. Totally impractical with an electric. Electrics are nowhere near ready to replace gas and diesel powered vehicles.
Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
2,254 posts, read 2,739,837 times
Reputation: 3203
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlaskaErik
I'm getting ready to go on a road trip. 3800 miles. Totally impractical with an electric. On the return trip I'll be towing a trailer weighing between 5000 and 7000 lbs. Totally impractical with an electric. In between, there will be some extended road trips. Totally impractical with an electric. Electrics are nowhere near ready to replace gas and diesel powered vehicles.
I would agree, for your particular case. However, most people don't take long road trips. Or pull trailers. For those people, electric may be viable right now. Most people commute to work, pick up their kids at school, go to the store, and maybe an occasional trip. Maybe a trip. Many city dwellers head to the airport to take a trip. So an electric car may work for them.
Not a generic case but I do have a buddy with a Tesla Model S. He lives in Cincinnati and it is his only car. He's driven to Key West, LA, Maine, Minnesota, etc purely on electricity. Sure, not everyone can afford a Tesla but using an electric car for many people is certainly possible.
Last edited by Stonepa; 09-07-2016 at 01:16 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
