I'm not one to say never. I've lived too long to know better. What I can say is at this moment of time, I've taken an EV out of consideration because of the drawbacks. I do think there are some real advantages although I don't think charging at home is one of them (it takes 5 minutes to gas a car). I do think there is a real issue with ALL electric after seeing the Ford Lightning. That is an awesome truck. But 150 miles when towing (and presumably when carrying a load)??? And a 12 hour recharge time? That's not practical.
I do think infrastructure for charging is getting better and more available but it remains to be seen how it will hold up when apartment dwellers start having to charge their cars. It's not like a gas station where people fill up in 5 minutes and vacate the pump.
In Europe the electric recharging costs are approaching fuel costs. And that's what I expect here. Those who can afford solar will do that but those who can't will pay more for the car and more to charge it.
My other concern with electric cars is that when the electronics go bad, then the vehicles is basically unusable. Tesla isn't exactly known for being reliable either.
agogley ... agreed, over the course of my lifetime (71 yo), I too have learned to Never, say Never. This topic has the potential to create a long string of experiences and exposure to EVs in Our Futures. The news about various "issues" are surfacing in the news about EVs.For Example: in the wake of IAN in FL, Fire Chiefs in the heavily damaged cities (Naples, Sarasota, Ft. Myers and more), relayed some scary stories about EVs due to the Lithium Batteries. There were numerous cases cited about EVs that caught fire after the cars were partially submerged in Salt Water form the flooding. Acoording to the Fire Chief in Naples, once the fires erupt, with the batteries burning, it takes an HOUR of pouring water on it to put the fire out. And they don't burn CLEAN.... plenty of pollution in those fumes. In another story just put forth on the News cited a EV School Bus that burst into flames in CT. The Town was testing these new Buses before putting them into use. Thank God no one was near it or in it !! The fire Dept. just let burn itself out! And then just yesterday, the news program (Fox News - Jesse Waters), pics of kamala harris , our illustriative VP, was touting the new EV Yellow School Buses that are being rolled out for use in CA. Despite her drooling over the memories of riding on a yellow School bus in her youth, it was revealed that these buses are made by Blue Bird (?). There is a pending $1BILLION order being sponsored by None other than the good Ole USA (Our Tax Dollars) in incentives to the various Bus manufacturers including the biggest Blue Bird . Jennifer Granholm, Eneregy Secretary is a former memeber of the board of directors for guess who? Blue Bird's Parent Company. See the pattern of Follow The Money, the Oldest game there is!!
Is a EV going to be in my future... Perhaps as a retiree who does primarily local trips in My 2022 Acura MDX with 2 X a months trips to south Jersey to visit Grandkids (230 miles round trip). With age comes Wisdom (someone said that somewhere), I will very much proceed with Caution toward EVs. Time will Tell as it ususally does.
agogley ... agreed, over the course of my lifetime (71 yo), I too have learned to Never, say Never. This topic has the potential to create a long string of experiences and exposure to EVs in Our Futures. The news about various "issues" are surfacing in the news about EVs.For Example: in the wake of IAN in FL, Fire Chiefs in the heavily damaged cities (Naples, Sarasota, Ft. Myers and more), relayed some scary stories about EVs due to the Lithium Batteries. There were numerous cases cited about EVs that caught fire after the cars were partially submerged in Salt Water form the flooding. Acoording to the Fire Chief in Naples, once the fires erupt, with the batteries burning, it takes an HOUR of pouring water on it to put the fire out. And they don't burn CLEAN.... plenty of pollution in those fumes. In another story just put forth on the News cited a EV School Bus that burst into flames in CT. The Town was testing these new Buses before putting them into use. Thank God no one was near it or in it !! The fire Dept. just let burn itself out! And then just yesterday, the news program (Fox News - Jesse Waters), pics of kamala harris , our illustriative VP, was touting the new EV Yellow School Buses that are being rolled out for use in CA. Despite her drooling over the memories of riding on a yellow School bus in her youth, it was revealed that these buses are made by Blue Bird (?). There is a pending $1BILLION order being sponsored by None other than the good Ole USA (Our Tax Dollars) in incentives to the various Bus manufacturers including the biggest Blue Bird . Jennifer Granholm, Eneregy Secretary is a former memeber of the board of directors for guess who? Blue Bird's Parent Company. See the pattern of Follow The Money, the Oldest game there is!!
Is a EV going to be in my future... Perhaps as a retiree who does primarily local trips in My 2022 Acura MDX with 2 X a months trips to south Jersey to visit Grandkids (230 miles round trip). With age comes Wisdom (someone said that somewhere), I will very much proceed with Caution toward EVs. Time will Tell as it ususally does.
It can take between approximately 3,000-8,000 gallons of water, applied directly to the battery, to fully extinguish and cool down a battery fire. The largest of Fire Engines might hold as much as 1,500 gallons but usually around 750 gallons. Not good.
No one has posted on the thread for months. Notwithstanding the IAN Hurricane in FL and the aftermath of Fires that erupted as the EV Car batteries got wet with Salt Water, I'm sure the country has been made aware of the number of fires in various locations in NYC from e-Bikes and e-Scooters - the lithium batteries get hot and erupt into fires probably because apartment residents are charging the batteries in their apartments or in the hallways adjacent to their apartments. The Fire Commissioner of NY has issued an Advisory Warning to NOT charge the batteries in apartments. This past week, on Ann Street in lower Manhattan, a Parking Garage collapsed Killing one person and injuring 5 other. Actually it's a Miracle that others weren't killed. The key reason was too many cars parked on the roof of the steel and concrete structure erected in 1925. There are apparently Building Violations that were cited years earlier about detected "cracks". The investigation continues as to what the Capacity of cars permitted vs how many cars were on packed onto the roof level. And, The Blame is being directed to EVs!! Now being reported that the average F-150 Lightening has gross weight of over 6,000 lbs!! The Batteries are 2,000 lbs. Most of the EVs have like weight figures. The garages were never configured for the number of 6,000 lbs vehicles! And if they loaded the roof level with 10 or more vehicles than was permitted = the collapse. Now there is a scramble to Inspect multi-level Garages all over town. Like the lack of Charging stations, Metro areas are Completely Unprepared for EVs. The weight issue of EVs which may show to be the main culprit of this garage collapse, is only "lightly" addressed by the Media. They are detracting the reality of more Growing Pains of EVs. And don't forget the fact that AM radios have already been excluded from Teslas for years, and now Ford issued a notice that all 2024 vehicles will have AM radio excluded from all Ford cars!. I suspect the reasons are twofold: 1) All carmakers have gravitated to eliminating CD players , forcing more Music Streaming (at your add'l costs) - my 22 MDX doesn't have a CD player nor the Hard Drive which my 2019 had. 2) Some research shows that EMFs from the batteries interfere with AM signals. The same research warns of the amounts of EMFs emitted from EV vehicles and the impact on the Human Body. Don't Ever Sit In One while it is charging!. Moreover, AM -Talk Radio is the radio signals used for Emergency Broadcasts / Warnings.
Despite the great Elon Musk : Only Fools Rush In , the song goes.... Good Advice IMHO.
I was seriously considering a ZDX until I ran the numbers. With gas in my state at half the cost of California and electric double their cost, I am only minimally ahead in anticipated fuel costs vs my RDX. Not enough at this time to offset the anticipated inconvenience and early adopter risks, nor have any near term ROI.
In other states where the government subsidization is stronger, there may be a stonger case, but for now I don't see a path where I'm in an EV for at least 5 years.
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