Many Americans still aren’t sold on going electric for their next car purchase. A poll shows high prices and a lack of easy-to-find charging stations are major sticking points.
That’s because a brand new one is way too expensive for most people, and a used one is still expensive and could have half the range left in the batteries, you have no idea.
We need an EV mini wagon, like mid-80s Nissan Maxima wagon sized, and battery tech needs to get cheaper.
All the car manufacturers want to build giant boats now, as big as can possibly fit on the road and in parking spaces, because of their addiction to profit margins.
Yes, somehow the American car buyer has been bamboozled into thinking that a bigger car is “luxury” and a smaller car is somehow “lower end,” so automakers price their larger cars higher even though the physical size has very little to do with the actual manufacturing cost.
Americans have almost always equated bigger with better. Look at cars back in early 70s. I drove a 73’ Impala, that thing was huge, even by today’s standards
Restoring some fuel economy (increasing range) to a used ICE car can be as simple as replacing spark plugs and cleaning fuel injectors. Even if you’re not into doing that work yourself, that’s not prohibitively expensive.
Doing the same for an EV entails replacing the entire EV battery, which is prohibitively expensive, and which a shadetree mechanic would be hard-pressed to do themselves.
… and also an engine rebuild with new piston rings and possibly even cams and lifters if the old ones have worn down enough. When a ICE car drinks oil like its gas, there’s things you have to do.
Ngl I love my minivan. I can cart my wife, kids, and niblings…or a stack of 4x8 plywood and some 12ft linear boards.
I do wish station wagons were back though. The car would be so much better with a lower center of gravity.
I guess being so tall has the benefit of being easy to get in and out of, especially the third row…but hear me out…what ever happened to rear-facing third rows?
That’s because a brand new one is way too expensive for most people, and a used one is still expensive and could have half the range left in the batteries, you have no idea.
We need an EV mini wagon, like mid-80s Nissan Maxima wagon sized, and battery tech needs to get cheaper.
All the car manufacturers want to build giant boats now, as big as can possibly fit on the road and in parking spaces, because of their addiction to profit margins.
Yes, somehow the American car buyer has been bamboozled into thinking that a bigger car is “luxury” and a smaller car is somehow “lower end,” so automakers price their larger cars higher even though the physical size has very little to do with the actual manufacturing cost.
Or more and more Americans are gigantic and want bigger interior space. I did not fit comfortably in a Mach E.
Americans have almost always equated bigger with better. Look at cars back in early 70s. I drove a 73’ Impala, that thing was huge, even by today’s standards
Closer to 3/4 of the original range
Also the car will report its expected range based on battery health, it doesn’t just naively assume the battery is perfect
Based more on recent performance than battery sensors.
But the point is that batteries are degrading to 75% of new, not 50% of new.
Restoring some fuel economy (increasing range) to a used ICE car can be as simple as replacing spark plugs and cleaning fuel injectors. Even if you’re not into doing that work yourself, that’s not prohibitively expensive.
Doing the same for an EV entails replacing the entire EV battery, which is prohibitively expensive, and which a shadetree mechanic would be hard-pressed to do themselves.
… and also an engine rebuild with new piston rings and possibly even cams and lifters if the old ones have worn down enough. When a ICE car drinks oil like its gas, there’s things you have to do.
I take your point on individual maintenance, but that can also apply to EVs. But statistics show that in general ICE cars degrade faster than EVs
University of Michigan found that vehicles over 10 years old consume 33% to 35% more fuel per mile compared to newer vehicles. Another analysis by EPA researchers found that vehicles with damaged engines and exhaust systems could see a 40% efficiency loss.
You can get a used Jaguar ipace with reasonable mileage on the odometer for less than a new camry if you’re willing to go to where it is.
New vehicles are almost never worth their price.
Man I would love that! Can we get an EV sports car too? FRS, Z car, Miata… Anything like that.
Ngl I love my minivan. I can cart my wife, kids, and niblings…or a stack of 4x8 plywood and some 12ft linear boards.
I do wish station wagons were back though. The car would be so much better with a lower center of gravity.
I guess being so tall has the benefit of being easy to get in and out of, especially the third row…but hear me out…what ever happened to rear-facing third rows?
Rear facing third rows, probably something about being unsafe in a rear end collision.