How do they account for the cost of having to rent ICE vehicles for road trips that do not suit EVs (some do, and some do not)? Do they factor in the cost of insurance, which some say is much higher for their EVs? I have owned PHEVs and like them quite a bit, but if I'd bought them new I still wouldn't have reached the payback period. It seems that a PHEV typically costs $12k more than the ICE version, so the payback…
For most US drivers, EVs offer emissions benefits and cost savings
51–59 of 59 posts
Re: For most US drivers, EVs offer emissions benefits and cost savings
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
The Manual Gearbox Preservation Society ( https://tmgps.org/ ) is a notable counterexample. I look forward to teaching my kids to drive stick. Stick makes driving more engaging then automatic's point-and-go. Engagement breeds attentivity. Texting while driving stick is obviously decreased because both hands are actively required to drive. None of their friends will be able to drive my manual car. I don't know why any…
I had no trouble managing my mug of coffee while driving stick. (Before cupholders were universal, and before texting). It required some deft coordination to get out of the parking spot and getting up to speed, but I spent most of my time in fifth gear and staying there. One hand is just as free as it is in an automatic. Texting while driving remains a bad idea, but I don't think a stick shift would prevent it. I cou…
Righties tend to fiddle (not shift) with the shifter or have the right hand on the wheel most of the time. Texting offhanded with the left is miserable.
The truly dedicated can drive one-kneed, heel-toe, drink coffee, and text simultaneously. But manual definitely makes texting more obviously stupid by requiring intermittent use of the second hand.
Re: For most US drivers, EVs offer emissions benefits and cost savings
#53Earlier quoted context omitted.
The Manual Gearbox Preservation Society ( https://tmgps.org/ ) is a notable counterexample. I look forward to teaching my kids to drive stick. Stick makes driving more engaging then automatic's point-and-go. Engagement breeds attentivity. Texting while driving stick is obviously decreased because both hands are actively required to drive. None of their friends will be able to drive my manual car. I don't know why any…
What downsides for the _average_ driver (who just wants to go from A to B comfortably and safely) does an automatic have? Back when I still drove a non-electric vehicle, I really appreciated an automatic giving me one less thing to think about (which means a little bit more attention to the things that matter like safety).
Re: For most US drivers, EVs offer emissions benefits and cost savings
#54Earlier quoted context omitted.
The Manual Gearbox Preservation Society ( https://tmgps.org/ ) is a notable counterexample. I look forward to teaching my kids to drive stick. Stick makes driving more engaging then automatic's point-and-go. Engagement breeds attentivity. Texting while driving stick is obviously decreased because both hands are actively required to drive. None of their friends will be able to drive my manual car. I don't know why any…
What downsides for the _average_ driver (who just wants to go from A to B comfortably and safely) does an automatic have? Back when I still drove a non-electric vehicle, I really appreciated an automatic giving me one less thing to think about (which means a little bit more attention to the things that matter like safety).
No downside really.
But as an analogy closer to HN, is there any advantage to knowing about software and operating systems and networking if all you're going to do is watch netflix on a walled-garden phone?
Same answer, no advantage really.
But knowledge is rewarding, understanding systems is fun.
Re: For most US drivers, EVs offer emissions benefits and cost savings
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
Back in the day, in my EU country, everybody drove shift gear. Automatic gear was frowned upon. Nowadays everybody drives automatic. People like ‘boring’ comfort, it shows everywhere.
The Manual Gearbox Preservation Society ( https://tmgps.org/ ) is a notable counterexample. I look forward to teaching my kids to drive stick. Stick makes driving more engaging then automatic's point-and-go. Engagement breeds attentivity. Texting while driving stick is obviously decreased because both hands are actively required to drive. None of their friends will be able to drive my manual car. I don't know why any…
Same here, in only a few years!
There might be no long term use for it (but near future use certainly, since all our regular cars are standard, only the truck and EV are not) but having another skillset is always good. And it makes driving so much more engaging.
Re: For most US drivers, EVs offer emissions benefits and cost savings
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
I had no trouble managing my mug of coffee while driving stick. (Before cupholders were universal, and before texting). It required some deft coordination to get out of the parking spot and getting up to speed, but I spent most of my time in fifth gear and staying there. One hand is just as free as it is in an automatic. Texting while driving remains a bad idea, but I don't think a stick shift would prevent it. I cou…
Which hand dominant are you? My guess is you're a lefty so being offhanded with coffee in the right, which you don't have to look at, is no biggie. Righties tend to fiddle (not shift) with the shifter or have the right hand on the wheel most of the time. Texting offhanded with the left is miserable. The truly dedicated can drive one-kneed, heel-toe, drink coffee, and text simultaneously. But manual definitely makes t…
I bet a teenager would at least give it the old high school try.
Re: For most US drivers, EVs offer emissions benefits and cost savings
#57My experience - in the Nordics, but this is transferable - is they are also much nicer to own and drive. I don’t know anyone who went electric and then went back. The generation who went electric a few years ago is now on their second or third electric car. The makes and models in favour is changing (cue tangent on Tesla brand death in Europe) but the power source choice is not. So as more people get one, I expect th…
Depends on who you ask, I suppose. One study in the last year showed only around 1% of EV owners in the US planned to go back to gas for their next car. A different study showed that number was actually 46%. Yet another said it was actually 22%. I'm inclined to think the number is closer to the higher end, at least in the US. There's still a lot of areas where the charging infrastructure is awful, and if you live in…
There is a lot of crap going around on Facebook that takes a highly qualified study, they take a fact like “90% of Tesla owners who get rid of their Tesla after one year go back to gasoline cars.” And they twist into “90% of EV owners go back to gasoline cars”. And you know, it’s Facebook, people read the facts that reinforce their biases, they aren’t actually looking for useful high quality information.
Re: For most US drivers, EVs offer emissions benefits and cost savings
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
EVs are great in, say, Norway. But the population of the country Norway isn't even half that of the city Tokyo. Less people means less cars on the street which translates to less cars using up charging stations. Once things get crowded and you have to wait in line to get your vehicle charged, it becomes a bit annoying.
Well, I live in one of the most densely populated places, the Netherlands. This is not an issue I've encountered. The solution really is : just add more charging spots everywhere. Electric infrastructure is everywhere, charging spots don't need to be concentrated near a gas station. Here in the Netherlands they are everywhere. You just have to get into the habit of using them more often for smaller periods of time in…
Re: For most US drivers, EVs offer emissions benefits and cost savings
#59The selling point for EVs is the much nicer ride they now produce (much quieter interior, much better acceleration, usually much better technology package) and the potentially much cheaper operation depending on your driving situation.
I am an example of the new electric car buyer. I test drove a toyota crown and a toyota bz and the bz surprised me with how much drastically better it was to drive. I then did the math on operating it and vs my 12 year old SUV it will save me between 3 and 5 thousand a year on fuel costs and probably another few hundred on maintenance because I now have 3 kids and drive 25k - 30k kms a year vs 10k kms when I bought the suv. If the battery actually last 10 years I will likely save 30-50 thousand on op costs so it was a no brainer to go electric. If the battery pricing improves and the terrible charging infra improves, when I go to replace my second car in five years I will probably go electric there too, mostly depending on the charging infra since I still do some longer inter city/province driving for which the bz will be a pain in western Canada.