Plugin and all-electric car sales are up significantly; small but growing market share
Think about iphone when it come out, people thought how you going to type without physical keyboard, the battery is so short etc… and now most of the phone market out there is touch screen.
Most of the car out there will have range 300-400miles on a full gas tank which is equivalent to ev car, charging might take long on a road trip but with supercharge the time will reduce significantly. Btw on the regular how often do people go to gas station a week? Maybe once or twice. Comparing to ev if you charge at home everyday, and found a charge a work… you will end up with never worry about it run out for battery.
Ev car has less moving part vs fossil fuel car so it will be much cheaper to produce and more reliable. The reason the price is so high right now is because car companies need money to build infanstructure, training employees (start up cost) once it go in to production phase EV car price will be super low.
Ps: have you notice why the model 3 does not have a traditional speedometer? Why tesla charge 5000 for selfdrive feature but you cant use yet?
You mention the range downside of EV’s. For many people that have several cars they just won’t use the EV for long road trips. The advantages of EVs you ignore are significantly lower operating costs and maintenance. Millenials like the environmental aspects of EVs.
I personally would consider one for a “run-around” car. EVs are here to stay. Sales will increase as time goes on.
I agree with you that there are advantages to them. The argument I was making was that they are still a niche market. I like the concept of fthem, but the infrastructure isn’t there yet for me. I also don’t have the luxury of affording a “run-around” car that costs 35k.
The 35k is the sucker price. Where I live you can lease an EV for $99 a month (some deals are $49). Btw I3s go for just over 100 a month.
Plus insurance. I get what you’re saying, but it’s just not worth it (to me at least) to have a second car that’s electric just to drive around town.
They might be here to stay but there are large powers against them and I am not referring to oil companies. I’d have take a guess and say that almost every utility company is against them despite what you think. They extra draw EV uses puts a crazy strain on grids, substarions and transformers. Power companies can recoup approved capital expenses over a certain period based on a deprecated rate the PSC approves. No PSC has approved any rehardening for EV or higher capacity with new development for that matter. Every utility has fleets of EV’s for the sole fact they can present themselves as experts on the subject and deter any state providing support. There are a few exceptions, CA plays to a different drum then everyone else, TX has a competitive open market, still regulated on the transmission side though. But most everyone else falls under the above structure. If a state would try to add support or rebates all utilities have to say is that it could hurt or strain the states transmission grid and it will get shut down.
By the way, most millennials I’ve talked to about this simple lack the knowledge of the big picture about the impact EV’s will have. They all just think it’s a green solution saving the environment, that energy produced today is cleaner than cars.
Man I need to back off mixing blow and tequila. Wasn’t expecting to wake up to this. Sorry guys I think I was feeling a little Trumpish last night.
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To each his own, but from personal and anecdotal data, once you drive electric it’s close to impossible to go back to ICE. I noticed when I had two Saprks and the Volt, I still went for the Spark because I knew there is no possibility of using gas. Maybe I was also preserving miles for the Volt as well, Sparks had access. Now when shopping for replacement I notice a great reluctance to look at pure hybrids, I want something electric. Since we are pretty much already in the global economy, one should keep in mind that enormous impact of China, talking here strictly of their car electrification push.
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Nmikmik:
You sound like the young people I work with. Like I posted, the millenials. that I work with dream of owning an EV.
Based on my exposure To these people I predict EV sales will continue to climb.
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Haha, I wish I was, I am actually at the tail end but still a boomer 
Buddy - correction: you were feeling a little CNN / NYT / WaPo last night.
Tesla charge the car at prenium price because they need the funds to support their future plans such as ride share (uber without the drivers), solar power, building factory etc. but once that plan go into production phase the price will drop. Model 3 has no traditional speedometer, the steering wheel can be take off for ride share as soon as the legislation pass the bill. Solar power will be use to charge the car so i wont affect the power companies.
GM is planning the ride share in the future too
I guess I’m old fashioned. I want to drive my car, not the other way around.
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Really?! Please, PLEASE show me the solar technology that can produce the required power to refill the power cells. Please, I beg of you to show me this technology because you my friend will have revolutionized the solar industry, nah the entire energy industry, you either have created a new type of solar cell or new type of fusion. I would love getting to say I knew someone who will win a noble prize for science.
You understand the stated solar cells generation rate is at the ideal optimal conditions. Any dust on the cells reduce generation, in a high facing the wrong way, never in a garage, even a thin cloud will reduce generation And it only works during the day. Solar is so over hyped and only exists today because of government subsidies. Power companies build solar fields so they can say they are experts and regulate the industry and collect government subsidies.
Here is the pinnacle of solar technology in cars. A special ultra light car, stripped of almost everything and only enough power to sustain its current drive. Any weight you add i.e. batteries, a/c, radio will need substantially more power generation to run. But as they say, dear to dream my friend.
I know it is not at its optimum state yet but the solar energy can be storage into the “battery pack” then we can use that battery to charge the car. Or at least get half power from solar and half from traditional electricity.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xI166Ps8DIo
This youtube show the tesla battery pack, tesla powerwall and how it is not there yet, the youtuber broke it down to units etc, but the technology evolution will get us close to there.
Some example: Who know that 10 year ago that we will use touch screen phone (when nokia and blackberry still the king and queen and iphone dont even exist)? Who know that a computer can be as small as an ipad air (the ibm computer was as big as a building)?streaming videos via a small device like google chromes.
Solar car might not work but ev car is working and it can drive as fast as 0-60 mph only 1.9s. The heat is the engine enemy thats why tesla cant finish a round at Nurburgring under full power but for sure they will create heat management system to over come it (maybe liquid cooling like the computer?!).
The electric auto market will grow, swept along with the Green Energy tech. Early oil market the cost of a barrel was more than the cost of oil. We are in the early stage of electric vehicles, the storage/battery and infrastructure cost will come down, China investing Billions to go green. Here is an energy market analysts responding to EV question, ( watch full video for background) : Is electric vehicle market real?
The electric market is here to stay, however, as of now, it’s a blip on the radar. California has adopted best, but it’s still a very niche market. It’s going to take years of infrastructure growth, and better battery technology before it makes a dent in the ICE world…at least in the US.
Takes some time for manufacturers to retool prodution. BMW introing new X2 ICE, while highlighting electric at auto shows. China spending B’s to go green-electric, Volvo going all electric in 2 years. EV’s 2018 gaining momentum
Time will tell how many of these get bought outside of CA without significant infrastructure investment.