>All of the cars I listed are real street legal cars (no NEVs), available for purchase today (no concepts), that are plugin electrics (no hybrids) with a range in excess of 100 miles, with a price less than $40,000. These are viable inexpensive cars. That was the criteria. Arguing that these don't count because they're not comparable to one that costs 50% more, isn't fair.
My argument is that the cars are priced the same as Tesla. You are paying less but getting a compromised car in many respects(range, charge time, reduced interior quality/size). You are basically buying Gen 1 tech at standard price.
>The software you’re citing for Tesla is gimmicks and cruel jokes.
I think we are not going to agree on this but these days they have an excellent UI experience. You haven't actually spent an extended amount of time in a modern Tesla have you? These other cars you cite have gimped infotainment compared to Tesla so they have to be augmented with Carplay. Some people would prefer to use their iPhone as it can be upgraded, fair enough. Tesla decided to go in another direction.
But Tesla also throws in nice to haves such as Sentry mode, games etc. These are non-existant on the other platforms even as an option. Why would you value something like Sentry mode at 0$? It is a value add for some even if you don't want to use it.
>The state with longest average commute distance is New Hampshire at 46 miles.[0] Even if that’s one way, that’s only 100 miles a day. Assuming you can only charge overnight, you’ll never use that extra range. You'll never even go below 50% if you can charge at work.
This is Gen 1 EV mindset. You are paying ~35K for a car that can't go long distances/cannot fast charge? The Mazda cannot even match the 2012 Nissan Leaf. I was researching the Mazda as a potential vehicle since I really like their cars but this is not something I could fathom paying for and not feel ripped off. It is not fast, not really luxurious, has short range. It has no redeeming qualities other than it is Mazda's first EV.
[1]:https://insideevs.com/news/452551/mazda-mx30-dc-charging-tes...
At that point you are not getting 35K worth of value out of these cars. A basic gas car is more competitive at this price range. The collection of people who would pay 35K for a 100-150 mile EV but not buy a gas car or pay more for a viable EV has got to be quite small. In fact I'd wager that the car shortage + Carpool lane access in some states + aggressive incentives is whats driving any sales of these cars. In the case of the Mazda they are only selling in CA from what I understand.