If you do not like Electric Cars, what is your reason?

Question

I am preparing with my business partner to open a company selling Electric Cars, these cars will be advanced with in-garage charging and protected outdoor extension cables (cannot be stolen), it will take 3 hours to charge and will be able to reach a maximum of 80mph and a mile-range of 500.

However a lot of people disagree with EVs, what are your reasons please, as your opinions may be able to revolutionize electronic vechiles.

Answer 1

The electricity is produced elsewhere, owners would be wrong to think they are using fuels wisely, or reducing greenhouse gases.  because energy is lost with each conversion- a lot of loss.

      here is a link with a good explanation of why this is so. The only reason electric cars are as close to being practical as they are, is because electricity is currently produced cheaply, but this can change

http://mb-soft.com/public/cars00.html

      Electricity costs are likely to soon make this impractical, because we have idiotically been restricting power plants to burn natural gas (while we export coal, so that the chinese can have the cheap electricity) "free" wind and solar power requires big capital costs,up front- as soon as the govt. quits subsidising these, customers will be surprised at their power bills, but it'll be too late to avoid the costs, then - the equipment will be bought, and installed.  We will HAVE TO buy natural gas, we will be bidding against other countries that actually PRODUCE PRODUCTS, to pay for it, rather than just print more money and IOUs, like we do.  

      I wouldn't buy a dealership, or whatever, unless

your fees were based on your actual sales.

        on the bright side, though- I eagerly hope that every environmental who painted us into this corner will buy an electric car, and a second one for the wife, and one for each teenager, before the costs of our energy stupidity become as obvious as 4$ gasoline.

   it'd be far better, and cheaper, to buy a nat. gas powered car, and burn the gas directly. Honda makes a nat. gas version of the civic. other cars can be converted, it costs about 10 thousand $, but that's surely cheaper than a big heap of batteries

Answer 2

Just wanted to encourage you for helping bring about the crucial move away from fossil fuels.

Answer 3

Batteries that could supply that kind of power  would weigh over a ton. The power to  move the battery would be  huge...

Answer 4

My problem with EVs is that they're so expensive. I could buy several gas-powered vehicles for the cost of some of these EVs, so the idea that you save money is non-existent.

    Also, in the process of making electricity, considerable gas is wasted. If everyone suddenly went electric, the power plants would need just that much more gas to keep up.

    It's also said that EVs have less acceleration and power than a regular car. On major highways, the flow of traffic can be nearly 80 mph, so the car's max speed can barely keep up with the flow of traffic.



     The main problem- and the reason I would never buy an electronic vehicle (even if they were affordable), is that there is nowhere to charge them. I understand that in the future there will be, yada yada, but I wouldn't like not being able to travel more than 250 miles from home.

Answer 5

Batteries (weight issues and landfill issues when they die)and car's cost. But, don't be discouraged; I'm up for alternatives. Until EV's are more refined, I'll stick with my natural gas (methane) powered cars. They're super cheap to fill up ($10 in Utah) and way cleaner than any gasoline powered car in existence, including hybrids. They didn't cost an arm and a leg, either. I love 'em!

Answer 6

I live in Alaska.  A fully charged battery bank that lasts several hours under load will deplete in minutes while cold.  And warming the cells does not restore the energy.  Once this technical challege is resolved - you will see more acceptance.

Answer 7

I like the concept of an electric car, but there are a few drawbacks which keep me from considering one:

First and foremost, the cost.  They tend to be priced significantly higher than gas powered cars.  

Secondly, although the law does not permit a person to drive faster than 80 mph, people do it anyway.  Particularly on the interstate highways.  In fact, on some stretches of I-29 and I-80, which are both near where I live, if you were to drive 75 you would become a hood ornament.  

Third, reaching the 80 mph mark takes too long.  Acceleration in an electric car seems very slow.  Merging onto a highway in a car that does not have good acceleration is a harrowing experience.

Fourth and finally, they are generally not the most attractive cars around.  They generally look kind of nerdy.

If a reasonably priced, attractive, faster and quicker-accelerating electric car were made available, I would purchase one.

Answer 8

I don't dislike electric cars but, I dont see myself buying one. Being able to charge an electric car would be nearly impossible for me as I live in a 4th floor apartment and typically park anywhere within 1200 feet of the lobby of my building.

I would much prefer a vehicle powered by a fuel distilled from bio-waste and the stuff left over after your harvest crops - the stuff that usually gets thrown out.

If I had the type of life where i could realistically own an EV, I would consider it. The ones I've driven have performed quite well and seem to be more reliable than my current gasoline powered car. But for now, it's not something that's possible.

Answer 9

What I find the most amazing is that you have not included any basic specs ie price range safety energy required to recharge and go 500 mi. And yet every body as a comment on a question that is incomplete. As for the base question I believe that if you can achieve all of that with reasonable safety and$ cost factors it will b a great success.

Answer 10

The biggest problems are hard to overcome:

1. They're underpowered. Reaching 80mph isn't good enough. They need to be comfortable cruising at 80mph. (I know, I know, that exceeds the speed limit. But internal combustion cars can all do this.)

2. They're expensive. Because of economies of scale, it just doesn't work to produce massive batteries. Maybe someday, but not yet.

3. They're unproven. Aside from the hassles of charging, exactly where would anyone take one of these things if it breaks down on the road?

4. They're potentially hazardous. Between the environmental impact of all that lead, and the potential electrocution hazards (especially when in an accident), they aren't perceived as safe.

Answer 11

I don't care about the fuel savings, they are not manly and do not have the roar of gas and diesel.

Answer 12

HELLO!!!! people electric cars have great acceleration! This is because they are either on or off, also they don't need to rev. up to reach preferable speeds! Don't believe me? If you have an electric r/c car then when move the accelerator stick what happens? It instantly begins to move and very quickly at that. The same principle applies for full scale EV's.

Oh, and if I had enough money to buy an electric car I would(assuming that it doesn't look like a matchbox car). Keep up the great work, and do you have a website or something?

Answer 13

Electricity is 18c/kwh where I live.   The power grid is near collapse as it is without adding the extra draw of charging millions of vehicles.    True, maybe they would have to fix our antiquated power system if more electric vehicles were sold...    might be a good idea after all.   Put a couple high efficiency solar cells on the roof and I'd me more likely to buy one.

Answer 14

If what your description says is true, than I think you mastered the majority of complaints that the bulk of customers bring up.  I personally believe that the 3 hours to charge and the 500 mile range fit into the "to good to be true" category, but if you can do it and bring the vehicle in at a reasonable price, I think you will be very successful.

Answer 15

Oh good greif!! At first I was just going to make fun of your efforts, but when you said a 500 mile range, I changed my mind. I deliver newspapers for a living, so reliability and economy are directly related to my profits. The most important thing to me would be to keep it simple. Don't add all of those gadgets that the auto magazines drool over. Who cares if it has wipers that can sense rain, or if it can park itself. This electronic junk just adds to the price and removes the driver from the picture. I actually like to drive, as many people do. Give me a car that I can get involved in, no power windows, nothing futuristic, just a car that I can enjoy. A car that actually requires me to participate in the driving experience. Detroit has added so many gadgets that a driver feels alienated from his own vehicle. I want to service my own vehicle, no stupid looking covers on the motor, just a motor that I can recognize. The car magazines have successfully convinced the American public that we need all of this crazy junk and also that we need ridiculous amounts of horsepower. Don't buy into all of that c**p!!!!! The percentage of people who actually base their decision on a magazine article is tiny. Build a car with reliability as your first concern. Honda builds some of the least flashy cars without a bunch of junk  and they sell like crazy because of reliability. Give us an electric car that will give good service for the next 10 years and we will buy them. Range is much more important than top speed and horsepower. You can't use top speed and horsepower wothout breaking the law, but you can go 500 miles on one charge legally. Good luck, I hope your idea works.

Answer 16

Cost and range I doubt the 500 mile range. But even if you do manage the 500 mile range what will it cost? In order to get that you need a breakthrough in batteries or lighten the car a lot. If you lighten the car enough to go 500 miles then you have a safety issues to deal with.

But it's really the cost that hold me back, when you look at the cost of an electric car, I could easily buy a new gas power car and have $$ left over. Most the cars I've looked at I would have to drive over 70,000 mile to break even (at $5.00 a gallon) if I pay nothing to charge the car.

EDIT

And I'm assuming your range was calculated at -40 with a heater right? If not cut that range by half at least.