91–100 of 450 posts
I wholeheartedly believe, in order for electric vehicles to survive in the US, we will need government intervention not just simply in car subsidy. We will need some sort of infrastructure subsidy to make this happen. Either give incentive to gas station or even corporate buildings. Companies that provide more charging stations for employees to charge their cars during work gets bigger tax cuts. Also, the US will nee…
That day will only come if they produce a cheaper car, just like Android ecosystem with Samsung makes cheap phones. TESLA cant do it, because their per unit car profits are too high. We need a new car manufacturer that keeps its per car sale margins low and rely of volume.
Or GM?
I wholeheartedly believe, in order for electric vehicles to survive in the US, we will need government intervention not just simply in car subsidy. We will need some sort of infrastructure subsidy to make this happen. Either give incentive to gas station or even corporate buildings. Companies that provide more charging stations for employees to charge their cars during work gets bigger tax cuts. Also, the US will nee…
ITT people who haven’t heard of Tesla’s supercharger network.
My big issue is that in the places that electric cars make the most sense (cities) it’s hardest to own them. What am I going to do, run a really long extension cord from my condo to the random parking spot I found around the block?
You won't like this idea but in Japan you're required to show you have a place to park your car before you're allowed to buy one. If there was a market for parking spaces with power it seems like they'd start showing up pretty quickly.
Paired with a dramatic energy tax I’m good with it.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Was talking to staff at the rental counter in Phoenix. They said that they stopped buying hybrids when gas dropped back down and the fact that they were costly to maintain... (More moving parts). Fleet sales were a big driver when gas prices were higher Plus, hybrids are a gutless jack of all trades and master of none
Depends a lot on the hybrid. Prius is the most reliable car you can buy. When I sold mine at 130k miles, it still had the original brake pads. You are right about the jack of all trades, and IMHO that's a good thing.
While the transaxle and battery pack add their own significant costs, complexity, and failure modes, they also eliminate a lot of the components on a conventional gas engine vehicle.
In my area, it is common to see a lot of hybrids used as taxis. Some of the older ones I see likely have 500k miles.
I wholeheartedly believe, in order for electric vehicles to survive in the US, we will need government intervention not just simply in car subsidy. We will need some sort of infrastructure subsidy to make this happen. Either give incentive to gas station or even corporate buildings. Companies that provide more charging stations for employees to charge their cars during work gets bigger tax cuts. Also, the US will nee…
All of those things are already happening in parts of the US.
That day will only come if they produce a cheaper car, just like Android ecosystem with Samsung makes cheap phones. TESLA cant do it, because their per unit car profits are too high. We need a new car manufacturer that keeps its per car sale margins low and rely of volume.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> "I live in an apartment, I can't charge one, on the street" I agree with pretty much everything you said, but I still can't fathom how electric cars are going to make more than a dent in NYC where most cars are stored streetside.
> I still can't fathom how electric cars are going to make more than a dent in NYC where most cars are stored streetside Consumer/taxpayer demand for a solution, like most problems in a capitalist democracy. I imagine streets where every nth parking spot has something that looks like a beefy parking meter, but will allow thick-ish extension cords to run from a car to it. Turn it on with an RFID tied to which house yo…
They neglected a huge part of the coming electric vehicle picture: lightweight, slow-speed electric vehicles. Almost 60% of US car trips are 5 miles or shorter. (2017 ref: https://nhts.ornl.gov/tables09/ae/work/Job63697.html , 2009 ref: https://nhts.ornl.gov/tables09/fatcat/2009/vt_TRPMILES.html ) Scooters, e-bikes, and electric cargo bikes (not to mention the human-powered versions!) will soak up an enormous portion…
I don't think so. A car is the most outwardly visible status/everything symbol you have. This is important, especially for men without a family. They're not going to want to be seen in a Renault Zoe or a scooter.
Oops.
My big issue is that in the places that electric cars make the most sense (cities) it’s hardest to own them. What am I going to do, run a really long extension cord from my condo to the random parking spot I found around the block?
They make a lot of sense for shared ownership. In my city, there's a cooperative running a fleet of cars, similar to bike sharing programs, with dedicated parking spots that have electricity.
- traffic is bursty - why would car makers incentivise this?