|
Post by mccoyblues on Apr 5, 2016 8:15:00 GMT -5
I'd be willing to bet that if you surveyed the average American family they all have more than one car. They travel more than 200 miles one way maybe once or twice a year. If they were given the choice between buying fuel and paying for oil changes or plugging the car into the garage at night and the parking deck at work during the day, they'd choose the electric.
And if the range is an issue you just change the way you travel. Take one 45 minute break every four hours (about 200 miles) for food and a rest break and have the car recharge while you're stopped.
Easier and cheaper to fly? Not true. When was the last time you boarded a commercial flight in a major airport. From Atlanta, I can drive to Pensacola FL faster than I can get there by air. Gas costs me $75 and the airfare is $250.
The only thing keeping them from buying electrics today is the high cost or getting in the game (which is getting lower), the natural nervousness of the new technology (which we are getting over) and the lack of infrastructure to recharge the cars (which is getting better).
|
|
|
Post by aquaduct on Apr 5, 2016 11:27:16 GMT -5
Just out of curiosity, how much does a gallon of gas cost in Japan? Wrong question. What are people interested in? What do they want to show off to their friends? What will put them ahead of the Jones' next door? What do they want to display in their neighborhood? The behavior of post-scarcity societies is not locked to things like the price of gasoline. The price of a gallon of gas? My round-trip commute is about nine miles. Add a bit for some errands now and then. The gas price doesn't matter. Still, a standard Prius or PHEV would be cool. Doug, amazingly, has it right. It's what kind of platform you want for your cell phone (and your life as defined by that), not what a gallon of gas costs. Then I guess the correct question is why don't you have one?
|
|
|
Post by aquaduct on Apr 5, 2016 11:35:13 GMT -5
I'd be willing to bet that if you surveyed the average American family they all have more than one car. They travel more than 200 miles one way maybe once or twice a year. If they were given the choice between buying fuel and paying for oil changes or plugging the car into the garage at night and the parking deck at work during the day, they'd choose the electric. And if the range is an issue you just change the way you travel. Take one 45 minute break every four hours (about 200 miles) for food and a rest break and have the car recharge while you're stopped. Easier and cheaper to fly? Not true. When was the last time you boarded a commercial flight in a major airport. From Atlanta, I can drive to Pensacola FL faster than I can get there by air. Gas costs me $75 and the airfare is $250. The only thing keeping them from buying electrics today is the high cost or getting in the game (which is getting lower), the natural nervousness of the new technology (which we are getting over) and the lack of infrastructure to recharge the cars (which is getting better). Let me know when you're personally willing to make those compromises.
|
|
|
Post by mccoyblues on Apr 5, 2016 13:20:49 GMT -5
I don't look at them as compromises at all. I currently own three cars. No compromise there. If I could swap one for an EV I'd do it tomorrow. I currently drive about 5 miles one way to work. Travel, we pretty much travel that way now. We do about 400-450 miles a day with one stop for fuel, bathroom and food. By the time my lunch is over the car would be re-charged. Although re-charge anxiety would probably set in on the first few trips.
Never paying for gas would save me $2000 a year. Never paying for another oil change would save me another $200 a year. That kind of saving adds up.
My problem with all of this isn't the fear of the new technology (I'm over that) or the lack of infrastructure (charging station locations are expanding). My problem is the cost to play the game. I simply don't have the income to afford a $35,000 car be it gas or electric.
The Leaf, Volt, Prius, these are all cars I've considered. The new Chevy Bolt seems to match up well with the Tesla Model 3.
|
|
|
Post by aquaduct on Apr 5, 2016 14:13:32 GMT -5
I don't look at them as compromises at all. I currently own three cars. No compromise there. If I could swap one for an EV I'd do it tomorrow. I currently drive about 5 miles one way to work. Travel, we pretty much travel that way now. We do about 400-450 miles a day with one stop for fuel, bathroom and food. By the time my lunch is over the car would be re-charged. Although re-charge anxiety would probably set in on the first few trips. Never paying for gas would save me $2000 a year. Never paying for another oil change would save me another $200 a year. That kind of saving adds up. My problem with all of this isn't the fear of the new technology (I'm over that) or the lack of infrastructure (charging station locations are expanding). My problem is the cost to play the game. I simply don't have the income to afford a $35,000 car be it gas or electric. The Leaf, Volt, Prius, these are all cars I've considered. The new Chevy Bolt seems to match up well with the Tesla Model 3. Exactly the reasons that petroleum fueled internal combustion engined vehicles are the worst possible vehicles, except for all the others.
|
|