Why don't you own an electric car?

[Bicycle Bob]

I live sixty miles from the nearest stoplight, but usually drive 80 or 120 to one of the better shopping areas, every month or so. Availability would be my next concern. I do have a Charger electric bike, but its little brain got damp and died.

[jamesqf]

'Cause I don't have a spare $109K, of course.

I'm assuming that by "car", you mean a vehicle that'd meet a lot of my driving needs, not a glorified golf cart or "neighborhood vehicle", and not a DIY conversion (that I don't have the free time to do). So that leaves a Tesla as the only option that I know of.

[Frank Lee]

I do the bulk of my local bidness on foot, bicycle, or electric bike, so only need to fire up a bigger vehicle when load is bigger, or weather really inclement. Can't justify an electric car for that.

The next tier, then, is out of town bidness. I rarely just go to the next town or two over; it's mostly to towns 60 to 350 miles away. Dang- an electric won't make it. Plus my car averages over 30 and can get 40 when I play my cards right- what are the savings?

Then there is MN winter, bitter and lasting about 8 months/year, which significantly negatively impacts electric vehicle operation. I too loathe my electric coop and will avoid giving them as much bidness as possible. So all these chargers and heaters and whatnot ain't gonna happen.

[luvit]

range.
this would mean i would only use it for grocery shopping 1 or two times a month. really.

i also cant justify having a car payment higher that the gas i spend in my paid-off car.. for how little i could use it.

[RobertSmalls]

I can't get acceptable speed and range at a price that even comes close to making sense. The environmental benefit is small at best if you run the thing on grid electricity, i.e. mostly coal.

If, five to ten years from now, $20k can buy a Honda/Toyota/Ford PHEV with enough electric range to handle my commute, and excellent aerodynamics offering great highway fuel economy when running on gas, then I'll consider replacing the Insight.

[AJI]

I went for "can't afford one", though I should really have added the range option too. If I ever bought an electric car it would be a second car because I don't think I see myself selling my current car - anything else I buy would be as well, rather than instead of.

So because I already own a car I can't afford another, let alone an electric car. There has never really been a cheap electric car in the UK - the cheapest is probably the G-Wiz and those sell for a reasonable amount even second hand. Also, I see myself as fairly open-minded and understand that electric vehicles aren't yet what they will be, but the G-Wiz is just too much of a compromise for me to ever consider owning one. A Smart EV would be much more up my street and has the equipment and safety that I expect from a proper car. And of course, those aren't even slightly in my price range.

The range issue would only come into play if an electric car was my only car. Although most of my journeys are short, I do occasionally make longer journeys that would be a nightmare on public transport and therefore a car with the required range is the only option.

[bgd73]

They are not strong enough. I could not vote, no proper statement.Not only about range. I mean physics of my location. Of course, if I were in a public pole about anything vehicle related,and actually won with democracy, even the gayness of painting cars pink would leave mine with a hopeless sense of masculine...

waterproof electric with dual range AWD and "mudders"...a possible. Just give that ground to the aluminum side vent like an old 707.


I bet 300 trillion fake dollars to my one real..they haven't done it.

[MadisonMPG]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

I do the bulk of my local bidness on foot, bicycle, or electric bike, so only need to fire up a bigger vehicle when load is bigger, or weather really inclement. Can't justify an electric car for that.

This.

Personally:
I ride my bike all over town now that I have a decent riding one. We don't have bike lanes, but I ride in low traffic times.

My dad commutes 30-35 miles one way, and an electric car isn't yet capable (and affordable) of that distance (round trip).

[roflwaffle]

I've had trouble dredging up the money I need to fix up the cars I have! Even $1000 for NEV is beyond my current abilities (Damn you job market!).

[Christ]

Originally Posted by roflwaffle

I've had trouble dredging up the money I need to fix up the cars I have! Even $1000 for NEV is beyond my current abilities (Damn you job market!).

I just trashed my bank account buying a $575 vehicle. Don't feel bad.