Are EVs for masses yet?
How long does it take to charge the car? How many miles does the car go on full charge? What do you do if the car is out of charge? Does it take gasoline too? How do you do long interstate trips? Is it fast? And till few months ago - Do you think Tesla will go broke? Do EVs/BEVs have a future? These are the typical questions that I get from people. Awareness is on rise but gasoline car owners are not enough convinced to make the switch to EVs. Why? Let’s address this and a view of how the transition is expected to unfold.
It is important to know the history. The first wave of EVs go back to 1880s when it was first produced and advancements in ICE and electric starters led to mass production of cheaper gasoline vehicles. Second wave of EVs picked up in 1990 when CARB passed the zero-emissions vehicle mandate which required the seven major automobile suppliers in the US to offer EVs in order to continue sales of their gasoline powered vehicles in California. Nearly 5,000 electric cars were designed and manufactured and later saw the day of being destroyed or donated to museums and educational institutions. Third wave picked up in 2008 when technology evolution of batteries and need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Several auto firms and startups started their investments and Tesla Inc was the first to take it to the finish line in 2012. It was unquestionably one of the best cars ever made! How so? Inclusion of disparate technologies and elevated driver experience! No easy job and one reason Elon Musk is often referred as a genius! If you do not agree, rent any Tesla car for a day!
Now looking back, two years and 25K miles on my Model 3 (one of the first few buyers of Model 3), I find countless and compelling reasons to consider Tesla or another EV. At the same time, I dissuade people from switching to EVs if they do not have dedicated charging option at home. Why? Relying exclusively on public charging options can be a draining experience, as charging take hours (Superchargers saves you time but not completely!) and that too they are not available everywhere you go. We are years away from seeing the day, when EVs will offer 600-900 miles range, sold at same/reduced price and weighing same/less; and yes, that will the time it will be a no brainer to switch to EVs.
Let’s address a few Pros and Cons of considering EVs, with Model 3 as the baseline, as it is the largest selling EV in the marketplace –
Pros
Car buying experience (online configuration, digital paperwork and one hour onboarding lesson), configuring your dashboard experience (similar to smart phone), loaded options (music on demand, access to most of the radio stations globally, web, keyless as the word is implied to mean), power (try ‘standard’ option to experience exhilarating instant torque), EAP, safety, software updates (giving you new apps periodically), leg room, trunk space (compact Model 3 can carry suitcases for 3 international passengers + 4 passengers), zero emission, silent (special foam in tires reduces road noise further) and many more..
Cons
A very well-known and probably the only detractor is the time required to charge. The impacts are felt only if you are relying on public charging options like EVgo or Superchargers. Let’s take an example. If you commute 1,500 miles/month, one needs to top up 50% of range (150 miles) at Superchargers - fastest charging option and you still need to do it every 2-3 days and spend ~45 minutes charging your car. Feasible? No. So what is the solution? Charging at home. Period!
Cost of ownership - Mixed bag – Progressively save with time!
Model 3 purchase (higher by $10K-$20K over a comparable 300+ miles range luxury gasoline car like BMW 328), but it is partly offset by (1) Sales Taxes (you save ~$4K in NJ) (2) Federal Tax credit ($1,850 gets phased out on 12/31/19)) (3) mileage costs (save ~10 cents/mile and for 18,000 miles/year, you save $1,800/year (on a Model 3 over a comparable BMW 328i) (4) only preventive maintenance schedules and negligible on-going maintenance costs (wearable parts like tires, brakes and wipers).
Net, net EV options outweighs over gasoline equivalents hands down, if you have charging options at home, or else it is not worthwhile to consider EVs right now. Is this applicable in the years to come? No. A lot of research is going into lowering battery costs (30% of the cost of car and expected to go down by a third by 2030) and weight (25% of the weight of EVs); and combined reduction will lead to more battery cells installed for cheaper, without increasing the weight of the car. Imagine a 600-900 miles range EVs offered as standard. Then the concerns of charging at public charging options or home once a week will not feel like a burden. The best of EVs is yet to come!