Electric Vehicle Thoughts, Questions & Answers

[Rob Croson]

I don't think EVs are going away any time soon. Individual vehicles and models, most definitely. But the technology will only get better and better. Faster charges, higher capacities, lower prices, etc. That's just the way technology works. Having said that, I don't think ICE vehicles are going away any time soon. The limitations of EVs are too varied and numerous to enable them to rapidly replace ICE in the immediate future.

If I could get an economical EV that would go minimum 200 miles on a charge, I would probably take a serious look at it. But as long as it costs upward of $30k, it's a pipe dream.

 

[Sethodine]

I don't think EVs are going away any time soon. Individual vehicles and models, most definitely. But the technology will only get better and better. Faster charges, higher capacities, lower prices, etc. That's just the way technology works. Having said that, I don't think ICE vehicles are going away any time soon. The limitations of EVs are too varied and numerous to enable them to rapidly replace ICE in the immediate future.

If I could get an economical EV that would go minimum 200 miles on a charge, I would probably take a serious look at it. But as long as it costs upward of $30k, it's a pipe dream.

My personal prediction is that by 2025, EVs will average at least 400 miles in range, with any given model EV being cheaper than it's equivilant gas variant (so, Toyota Camry EV being cheaper than the Camery ICE). Or else, the manufacturers may average out the price of the EV and ICE variants, so that the choice between the two has more to do with the buyer's preference than the cost of the technology itself.

 

[Ty]

Battery and motor costs WILL come down but they are going to have to come down quite a bit to equal the ice models.

Truth is, an electric vehicle would probably suffice for most of us on a daily basis even with the current limitations (ha!). But, most of us aren't ready for that yet. At one point, my wife said she didn't want a smart phone. "I don't like texting" she said... Try to pry herself away from her phone now.

I can totally see the rental car places evolving to include gas trucks rented by the hour. They'll carry more of the larger, trip-friendly vehicles and not move out of the airport type of rentals but rather expand into the "and" market for people who just need a truck on appliance pick-up day or yard-waste day. Hey, I'm not against EVs but I'm also not ready to give up my truck!

 

[Rickb]

Battery and motor costs WILL come down but they are going to have to come down quite a bit to equal the ice models.

Truth is, an electric vehicle would probably suffice for most of us on a daily basis even with the current limitations (ha!). But, most of us aren't ready for that yet. At one point, my wife said she didn't want a smart phone. "I don't like texting" she said... Try to pry herself away from her phone now.

I can totally see the rental car places evolving to include gas trucks rented by the hour. They'll carry more of the larger, trip-friendly vehicles and not move out of the airport type of rentals but rather expand into the "and" market for people who just need a truck on appliance pick-up day or yard-waste day. Hey, I'm not against EVs but I'm also not ready to give up my truck!

Ty, good news! Tesla Motors has announced the soon to be revealed Tesla Pickup Truck and the Tesla Semi-Truck.

 

[Sailor Dog]

You have a keen sense of humor. Total Edsel sales approximately 116,000 units. The Tesla Model 3 currently has 400,000 pre-orders. With those numbers, I anticipate future EV sales to increase dramatically and that one day you may even be driving a model EVElio in the make America smart again messaging on the value of EVs and alternative energy vehicles.

Definitely believe that EVs and hybrid powertrains will represent the majority of sales in a decade or so but like we currently see with ICE vehicles only a few of the many that have been in production historically still remain. I wouldn't want to pick the 10%... probably more...of relatively faddish EVs that lack a solid foundation that can survive scrutiny (Consumer Reports should put many of the current crop of EV trikes out of their misery). Especially without strong financial backing or automotive roots or Kettering smarts. I prefer the ELIO's foundation in the near future sales of an almost quasi-hybrid powertrain (remember that alternator) carried forward over the next decade. ICE vehicles represent over 95%? of all sales currently (demand will be almost nonexistent for the alternatives for at least a decade!). The ICE (semi-hybrid) ELIO will lead (in a couple years) to a superior EV ELIO that can stand on its own... by which I mean... greatest mileage range and safety at the lowest price amoung EV autocycles. PS... pardon my lack of clarity...feel free to translate what I have said

 

[Ty]

Ty, good news! Tesla Motors has announced the soon to be revealed Tesla Pickup Truck and the Tesla Semi-Truck.

LOL... I saw that. Eventually...

 

[AriLea]

And 90% of future EVs will have gone the way of the Edsel...

If I get our drift, yes 90% or more of all new products go away within 5 years. But that's a product or company startup thing, not so much a technology thing.
As to the whole class of ev's, i.e. the tech, no these will not go way so long as they continue to improve against gas powered. And that's pretty likely. But also they could easily morph into something else like fuel cells.
That could be like dinosaurs, they didn't actually go away, they just became birds.
Same with ICE drive, that will never go away, it may simply become CNG powered, or H2 powered at some point. H2 is interesting, it supports both fuel cells and ICE.

 

[Ty]

...Discuss amongst yourselves. Pretty cool.

 

[Jelio]

Who could afford one. The insurance alone is more than I could pay for a truck. I'll keep my 2008 Dodge Ram Big Horn.

 

[Trusting]

To save you looking it up, the starting price is $70,000.