If people don't like high gas prices why aren't they opting for electric cars?

Question

If people don't like high gas prices why aren't they opting for electric cars?

Answer 1

Hybrid vehicles are still very expensive.

Answer 2

So much negativity in the previous responses. Are Americans lazy? Yes. Lazier than anyone else? No. Are we so stupid that we'd reject an electric car even if it could do what a gasoline car could do and cost the same? No. We don't need an excuse not to buy an electric car because there are very few available, all have long waiting lists, they're much more expensive and they have severe limitations. Tesla Motors may be able to remedy some of those issues but until then hybrids are a better choice and even they are more expensive and their longevity isn't proven so their resale value is unknown.

There are better technologies coming such as fuel cells, ethanol from switchgrass instead of corn and better batteries. Until they arrive these cars will stay too expensive and limited in appeal no matter how much they're hyped. If you can ride a bike or scooter where you need to go, great, but most Americans have to commute and it's hard to ride a bike 75 miles to and from work.

**edit I just saw a report on Fox News that Israel is putting in hundreds of thousands of 'charging' stations for a massive push towards electric cars for their public. The station is like a car wash, you pull in and a robotic arm removes the battery from beneath your car and replaces it with a fully charged one. I imaging the total time spent would be much less than it now takes to fill your tank with gas and the batteries could be recharged during off-peak hours at night. It's estimated it would cost $700 Billion to do the same in the US and we now export $750 Billion each year to buy foreign oil. A one-time changeover seems to make sense, assuming the government mandates standardized batteries and offers some incentive like a tax rebate for buying such a car.

Answer 3

Well for one there is denial that things have to change. Believe it or not! Then there is the expense of the average hybrid not to mention that many have loans that they can't even think about getting out of yet.

Answer 4

Well when you buy me one I will drive it.Oh that's if I can make it to the next outlet to plug it in.Where is the infrastructure to drive them? Why can't you go more than 20 miles from home?Why do they not have enough passenger room to be economical to drive? I am sure when most of the questions have reasonable answers we will be more than willing to drive electric!

Answer 5

You have to look at feasability and cost among a number of other factors.  There are several reasons why they aren't opting for electric cars:

1. Cost.  The extra cost of the vehicle would cost more than you would save for the reduced cost of fuel.

2. Very limited availability.  So its hard to get one.

3. Very limited driving range.  Who wants to drive a car that only has a driving range of about 40 miles?  That would make a vacation drive across the country kind of hard wouldn't it?

4. Environmental disposal hazard.  All of those batteries have to be disposed of when they wear out or the car wears out.  Batteries are composed mainly of acid and metals.  So disposing of them would cause more environmental problems than disposing of a regular car.

5. Weight.  Electric cars weigh much more than a regular car due to all of the weight of the batteries.  That battery weight decreases fuel efficiency and car handling.

6. Refueling time.  Who wants to wait forever for their car to recharge.

7. Repair costs.  Due to low volumes of the cars it would be very hard to find someone able to fix the car.  And if they could, it would take longer to fix and cost a lot more to fix since there are less of those cars on the road.

Answer 6

Uh...because unfortunately, not everyone can afford to buy an electric car tomorrow, next week, month, etc... like other people.

Answer 7

it's pretty tuff to just give up the car you drive, throw it out, and buy another car, that's more expensive than just buying gas.

What most people are doing is driving less,  I know I've gotten to the point where I'm only filling up maybe twice a month anymore.  Also, Electric cars have some limitations, that need to be overcome before they can really catch on,  you need a recharge every once in a while, and sometimes those can be hard to come by.

Answer 8

Cost.  I was watching the news last night, Ford will be coming out with a car that gets 100 mpg.  However that technology is new and expensive, so Ford will be selling the car at a higher price in hopes someone will buy it so save $$ on gas.  But you really are not saving money, unless you do some serious driving.

Answer 9

I can't afford one and there aren't many available on the used car market. Also the batteries cost thousands of dollars and they don't end up saving you as much gas as you pay into them. Oh yea, and the plug in types use up a lot of electricity, which is also expensive.

Answer 10

Because hybrids and electric cars are still more expensive to purchase and to maintain.  Besides where do think most of our electricity comes from?  Most of it is made by burning coal.

We need more hydro electric power, more wind turbines, more nuclear power plants.  In addition electric cars need to be improved  to compete with fossil fuel vehicles. They are still ineffective for most American drivers and way to expensive for the average commuter.

Answer 11

too d**n expensive!!! and some of the "affordable" ones max out to like 40 mph. I still can't even afford a d**n HYBRID!! I'm about to just risk my life and ride a bike to work and school.

Answer 12

Electric cars are: not widely available, have a limited range, and frequently cost a lot. However, they are generally a very good idea. I think as soon as plug-in hybrids become widely available, they will became quite popular, and people won't have an excuse.

Answer 13

Which would you rather have.  A $20,000 car that will take $30,000 in fuel?  Or a $30,000 car that will take $10,000 in fuel?

Let me rephrase that.  Which would you rather have: a $400/month car payment and a $60 fillup?  Or a  $600/month car payment and a $60 fillup less often?   See, put it that way, the first one sounds better.   That's how ordinary folks think, they can't think past the next fillup or car payment.

Answer 14

The SMART car is a GREAT idea!!!   Those who have large cars are having a hard time getting rid of them and when they go to trade them in for smaller cars the dealerships are not willing to get them much for them since no one wants them anymore due to the high gas prices  therefore the car owner loses out on the trade.

We should ALL opt for bikes like they have been doing for years in Europe. :----}  :---)

Answer 15

Because rising gas prices affects the entire economy in a negative way.  Not many people have the money to spend on electric cars.  Electrics and hybrids are still not very practical to produce.

Answer 16

Americans are stupid!

Answer 17

There are none on the market in North America.  Very few people want to buy a custom car that will be imposible to get parts for.

Answer 18

Because electric cars are slow and small, and Americans prefer fast and BIG

Answer 19

Because there aren't any electric cars in production.  That's because even the best designs aren't at all practical: they have to charge all night, and store so little energy that you have a choice of journeys that are either too slow or too short.  The difficulty is all in the batteries: nobody's made one that's even remotely adequate, and they've been trying for a century.  

None of this is all that serious: we're pretty good at solving energy problems.

Answer 20

to lazy, they'd rather pay $4.00 a gallon instead of investing in electric cars.

Answer 21

I myself cannot afford one or I would be driving one

Answer 22

Have you  seen  the price of electric motors and batteries? Then again, how many auto repair shops are set up to convert cars to electric in your area? But if you do have $3000 or so, by all means, get the conversion. You won't be sorry!