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Fewer people are buying electric cars in the US

businessinsider.com

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Re: Fewer people are buying electric cars in the US

#111

Post by krallja »

stalfosknight wrote: post #19
klardotsh wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep. The Chevy Bolt (not EUV version) was the absolute perfect size in EVs - nice compact hatchback, plenty of storage room, still a standard 5-seat layout (albeit the seats were... not the most comfortable ever), could park it absolutely anywhere even in Seattle, excellent. I sold that car in 2020. Fast forward about 4 years and the EV market is all just soulless massive tanks needing Oversized Load flagging trucks…

I've always been a fun and sporty 2-door coupe kind of person. I'm not aware of any EVs that fit that description and don't cost several arms and legs for some damn reason.

Go test drive a MINI Cooper SE Electric Hardtop 2 Door, it might fit your needs.

Re: Fewer people are buying electric cars in the US

#112

Post by tchalla »

lukas099 wrote: post #78
rappatic wrote: post #60

The article talks about range concerns as if they're simply incorrect or ill-founded: > Niedermeyer said that while an electric car can meet most people's driving needs, it struggles with edge cases like road trips because of the need to recharge. Since Americans have been promised a one-to-one substitute for their gas cars, this seems like a failure; an EV should be able to do everything a gas car can. This idea per…

People focus too much on edge cases when making life decisions, imo. > We need a dining room for when we have parties (has a party once every 2 years; room sits empty 99% of the time) > We need a guest bedroom (guests could stay at the hotel down the street) > I need a pickup truck (driver is an accountant who maybe picks up a couple bags of mulch from Lowes twice a year) I'm glad I live in a prosperous society where…

And you’re focusing too little on the impact of edge cases. Think geometric mean, not arithmetic mean.

Re: Fewer people are buying electric cars in the US

#113

Post by Animats »

"But an analysis from CarGurus found that EV prices were still 28% higher than gas-vehicle prices on average."

That's the problem. The product costs too much. Way too much.

Auto companies have tried to position electric cars as a premium product. The electric version usually comes with the highest trim level. In the truck sector, it's ridiculous. Ford just raised the price of their base electric F-150 by $5000. "The new starting prices for the Ford F-150 Lightning will range from $54,995 for an entry-level Pro model to $92,995 for a Platinum Black trim." The base price for the 2024 gas version is $36,570.

Tesla's Cybertruck is only sold in the high-end models. Base model will be on sale in 2025, maybe. Rivian is in the "Super luxury all-wheel-drive electric truck" category, according to Edmunds.

This despite steady decreases in battery prices.

If the US auto industry doesn't get its act together, BYD and Toyota will take over the low-end market.

Re: Fewer people are buying electric cars in the US

#116

Post by captainkrtek »

Animats wrote: post #113

"But an analysis from CarGurus found that EV prices were still 28% higher than gas-vehicle prices on average." That's the problem. The product costs too much. Way too much. Auto companies have tried to position electric cars as a premium product. The electric version usually comes with the highest trim level. In the truck sector, it's ridiculous. Ford just raised the price of their base electric F-150 by $5000. "The…

Agreed. New cars are already expensive, EVs take that a notch higher.

Re: Fewer people are buying electric cars in the US

#117

Post by bombcar »

WrongAssumption wrote: post #109
lukas099 wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People focus too much on edge cases when making life decisions, imo. > We need a dining room for when we have parties (has a party once every 2 years; room sits empty 99% of the time) > We need a guest bedroom (guests could stay at the hotel down the street) > I need a pickup truck (driver is an accountant who maybe picks up a couple bags of mulch from Lowes twice a year) I'm glad I live in a prosperous society where…

So would you buy a car with a 50 mile range?

Maybe. Maybe not.

But I certainly wouldn’t pay a $10k premium over a similar vehicle with a 300 mile range and easy recharging (read: hybrid gas).

Re: Fewer people are buying electric cars in the US

#118

Post by beaned »

rappatic wrote: post #60

The article talks about range concerns as if they're simply incorrect or ill-founded: > Niedermeyer said that while an electric car can meet most people's driving needs, it struggles with edge cases like road trips because of the need to recharge. Since Americans have been promised a one-to-one substitute for their gas cars, this seems like a failure; an EV should be able to do everything a gas car can. This idea per…

> 93% of trips are less than 30 miles, but the vast majority of drivers take occasional trips

But they still take these occasional trips, and getting there in an expected way is important to people.

So I think the relevant statistic is not what % of trips are short, but what % of owners take a trip that may induce range anxiety once every few years or more? If I knew I had a big road trip planned for two years from now it'd still affect my choice for a new car today, if I felt that I might be limited by range.

Re: Fewer people are buying electric cars in the US

#119

Post by thayne »

iteria wrote: post #94
lukas099 wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People focus too much on edge cases when making life decisions, imo. > We need a dining room for when we have parties (has a party once every 2 years; room sits empty 99% of the time) > We need a guest bedroom (guests could stay at the hotel down the street) > I need a pickup truck (driver is an accountant who maybe picks up a couple bags of mulch from Lowes twice a year) I'm glad I live in a prosperous society where…

It's about how often the edge case comes up. 4 to 12 times a year, I need to drive 300 miles to visit my family. 10 to 30 times a year, I'll drive 50 to 60 miles to visit friends/family or see specialist doctors or take trip to some interesting event. But on the vast majority of days I drive less than 10 miles a day. My edge cases come up fairly frequently and I don't really have a good fall back for them i could spe…

If an EV were significantly cheaper than an ICE, then maybe it would be worth the extra hassle and expense of figuring out an alternative for an occasional long trip. But EVs are often more expensive, especially compared to a used ICE. So the benefits, at an individual level, often don't outweigh the downsides, even if it is only relevant occasionally.

Re: Fewer people are buying electric cars in the US

#120

Post by darknavi »

simplyluke wrote: post #101
rappatic wrote: post #60

The article talks about range concerns as if they're simply incorrect or ill-founded: > Niedermeyer said that while an electric car can meet most people's driving needs, it struggles with edge cases like road trips because of the need to recharge. Since Americans have been promised a one-to-one substitute for their gas cars, this seems like a failure; an EV should be able to do everything a gas car can. This idea per…

“Never cross a river that is on average 4 feet deep” comes to mind here, to borrow from Taleb. Most people I know take annual or more frequent road trips for travel, sport, or to visit family in neighboring states. These aren’t edge cases, they’re normal and predictable parts of peoples lives.

EV driver here who takes many road trips a year in them, so my hobbiest enthusiasm certainly guides my thinking.

How impractical is renting a car for a once a year trip? EVs have a lot of upsides in terms of never going to a gas station and having less maintenance.

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