The funny part about these types of articles is that the author almost never says they bought and drive an EV themselves
The most common excuses for not buying an electric vehicle are mostly unfounded
This article is reprinted by permission from NerdWallet.
As more Americans consider an electric car, many shoppers still have questions and concerns — some of which are actually outdated or unfounded.
This year will see the release of more electric cars — and even pickup trucks — prompting 27% of likely shoppers to say they would consider buying an electric car in the next four years, according to a study by J.D. Power. And the popularity of EVs continues to rise. While auto sales were down 21% year over year in the final quarter of 2021, mostly due to parts shortages, sales of electric vehicles rose 72%, according to Kelley Blue Book analysts.
Despite a surge in popularity and improved capability, the common objections to buying an EV continue to be “all the usual suspects,” says Stewart Stropp, senior director of automotive retail at J.D. Power.
Popularity? With whom? The upper middle class and the rich? There are 5 excuses, the first being “Limited range.” Yes, range is better the more expensive you go. Then
Few charging stations
Nearly half of respondents in the J.D. Power study cited doubts about the charging infrastructure. Stropp again sees a disconnect because nearly all EV owners charge at home.
The typical driver would make as few as six stops at a public charging station every year, Stropp says. “But a more robust network of fast charging stations would help alleviate buyers’ concerns.”
Huh what? 6? Are these people driving 700-1000 miles a year? What do people in apartments do? How about those with townhomes in NYC who park on the streets? Is there a way to keep hooligans from disconnecting and messing up chargers?
Then “limited selection and utility.” Well, how well would they work to replace, say, a minivan? And “lack of information.” Perhaps they should have said “media who lies”, because we get quite a bit of that, especially about the tax credits. And here’s the biggie
4. Too expensive
The extra expense of getting an electric car was cited as an obstacle by 43% of respondents in a 2020 survey conducted by Consumer Reports. While the purchase price of EVs looks higher than gas cars, that perspective ignores the big picture. In fact, “consumers can save a lot of money in the long run by switching to an EV,” according to Chris Harto, Consumer Reports’ senior sustainability policy analyst.
Once all savings are factored in — leasing incentives, tax breaks, fuel and repair savings — “the typical total ownership savings over the life of most EVs ranges from $6,000 to $10,000,” Consumer Reports states.
How long is this ownership? These EV cultists think we’re all going to keep them for 10-20 years. A $7,500 tax credit doesn’t mean you save $7,500, it means a reduction, one time, in your net earnings on your W2. Who says there will be leasing incentives? Especially now. And, the residual value, ie, what the manufacturer thinks the vehicle will be worth in 3 years, is one of two major factors. It took a long, long time for people to start believing that a 3 year old hybrid had value. How about with EVs?
(Clean Technica) iSeeCars is a website that specializes in collecting data about the new and used car markets. In its latest report, it says electric cars in general experience far higher depreciation after three years than conventional cars — 52% versus 39.1% for sedans, 39.7% for SUVs, and 34.3% for trucks. However, Tesla vehicles outperform the market. The Model S depreciates 36.3% at the end of a 3 year lease while the Model X depreciates 33.9.% over the same period.
So, not as bad as you’d expect, but, still not good for most. Think people are going to trust GM and Ford EVs? And, then there’s the issue of the consumer saying “nah, that used price is way too much, I won’t pay that.” And, again, government will have to implement one or more types of taxes – road miles tax, property tax, purchase tax, etc – to make up for the loss of the gas taxes. How about repair costs? We don’t really know what they will be yet.
The Powers That Be keep trying to force this on people. People who are not clamoring for them.
Read: Most Common Excuses For Not Buy An EV Are Debunked Or Something »