There is a lot to love about Electric Cars but they are not the perfect solution for everyone. Here are the top 5 reasons you shouldn’t buy an EV.
1. Range Anxiety
I had to start here, it’s been a buzz word since EV’s started. The truth though is that range anxiety for a great many commuters is an actual concern.
Depending on your typical drive, it’s quite possible that even the longest range EV’s might not meet your needs. Range is ever increasing, but if you find yourself making long daily commutes, especially into more remote areas it’s quite possible that you may not be able to reliably charge when you need it. Being able to stop at a any gas station is something that almost all drivers take for granted.
Sure, super chargers and fast charges are scattered around an increasing number of locations, but you may be tacking on 20 or 30 minutes more to your commute to “fill up” before resuming your drive. On top of that, you won’t find a charging station on every corner. Yet.
2. Cost
No one will be surprised that cutting edge technology is expensive. Electric Cars in general fall in the upper premium price range and for that money you’re not always getting the style, features or luxury you would associate with that price point. You money is being spent in other places. You may like the interior of a Model 3 or a Bolt, but it doesn’t scream luxury.
While EV’s provide a unique financial case, see my post “How to afford a Tesla” to see how they are not quite as expensive as they appear, the reality is a Camry, Accord, Civic, etc. will most certainly save you a bundle if that is all you need in a car. When you save $25,000 off your purchase price, that pays for a LOT of gas.
3. No place to charge your car
This is all about convenience. Do you have a place you can charge your car? If you have an open garage by to park it, great. If you park on the street, forget it. You will be living at charging stations. Imagine being tired after a long day and you know you have an early morning coming. Do you stop and recharge for 20 minutes in a mall parking lot or just go home? If you go home, are you going to get up 30 minutes earlier just to charge? You will wind up taking the gas car to work and hope your husband or wife wasn’t going anywhere that day!
Even if you have a driveway, do you have easy access to power? We used to have a single wide driveway. Always swapping one car for another depending on who was leaving first. This would only get worse if your EV always needed to be first in line to be able to plug into the charger.
I recommend to anyone considering an electric car.. figure out your charging situation first.
4. Batteries wearing out
One big concern is what happens when the batteries wear out or fail. Now you’re either spending $10,000 plus on a new battery pack or you have an expensive paper weight in your driveway.
I agree it is a concern in a big picture sort of way. I can certainly understand the trepidation of such a large potential repair bill.
While most manufactures offer long warranties on their battery packs, the do it for a reason. They know that people are shying away from that looming issue in the future. While I would say, save for isolated incidents, that there whole car will be done by the time the battery is, it still remains a big concern on consumers minds.
5. Lack of stock and wait times
I’m cheaping out on the last one here. It’s no issue with the car itself but sometimes getting one can be an issue that steers a customer to another dealership that lets them have the pick of the litter.
As manufacturers increase production of EV’s stock has been increasing but in many areas, you could be waiting weeks for that Model Y, or Mach E. The wait time for some of the newer anticipated entries will no doubt be even longer. If you want the new electric Hummer start begging your favourite dealer now.. and maybe send them some flowers.