Opinion: why I’ll never buy another internal-combustion car

Well I'm 69 years old and probably bought my last, new car, a Standard Range Plus Model 3:

• Tesla Model 3 Continues To Convert Hardcore Gearheads
• Elon Musk makes incredible claims about Tesla Model 3 longevity, will offer battery module replacement - Electrek

Elon Musk is making some fairly incredible claims about the longevity of the Tesla Model 3. The CEO now says that a Model 3’s body and drive unit can last up to 1 million miles while the battery can last up to 500,000 miles and he says that battery module replacements will be made available.​

Bob Wilson

 

Seems silly to me.

I read it as they are only going to buy BEVs to help the planet in spite of them being so terrible. And since people today aren't car people, that's OK.

I prefer a BEV to an ICE powered vehicle. I would be fine with PHEVs everywhere. Get EV's adopted for people that drive 40miles or less a day (most people) but meets the silly requirement of doing a once a decade road trip that would otherwise eliminate the 100% BEV as a choice.

 

Lexus and Toyota can go 1 million miles too!

 

My opinion is very simple ... I'm getting 50+ mpg. ... DUH.

 

The article really is focused solely on the environmental benefits, which are good and getting better.
It gives very short treatment to all the other benefits, which, IMO, make a much stronger argument for many to never buy an ICE vehicle again.

 

I have to mark this as a fail.

The best thing Top Gear (as an automotive journal hosting opinions) can offer the world is raw, high octane enthusiasm for... something. A celebration of horsepower and energy management. I like that this writer supports electrification as a theme, but I wish the overall organization would cover it organically.

What's lacking is the red-blooded fire breathing push to build more power plants and electrical distribution. Big changes can often benefit from enthusiastic cheerleaders. Electrification of transport is going to require a good bit more, better & cheaper electricity in higher doses distributed over more area.

I guess I'd like to see them focus their rah-rah talents on those fewer, huger stationary engines and systems that will (hopefully) eventually power all the vehicles.

 

Click bait.

I didn't.

Back when a was a squid, I got to meet lots of folks from lots of places and I was STUNNED to learn that there are people in the US, with US SSNs that can go their entire lives without owning a house....or a car....or even speaking English.....so I learned early on that my norms are just that....
Since my youngest car is 7 years old, and since I myself still have a few years left on the warranty that I saw printed in the Bible - I'll probably be buying another car or two before I have to finalize my decision on what to wear to my funeral.
Also...since tomorrow is not guaranteed I have a tentative request for choker-white top, fuchsia swimming shorts and sandals - but that's another story.

My next car, as I see things now will probably be a PHEV....for fairly obvious reasons.
If I find myself looking for something on a lower shelf, I'll probably get a used G3 or a used small truck or a Jeep.
However (comma!) Since I live in an area where there are still plenty of farm trucks, I will not look down on somebody driving a truck, even a diesel truck even though I personally loathe them. This is because there are still people in my family that eat meat and vegetables, live in houses WITH electricity and running water, get Amazon packages, etc....

 

I don't recall having any Lithium spills lately.

 

i have felt that way since owning prius then pip. next one (if there is a next one) will either use less or no gas, for a variety of reasons.

 

Yeah that's my operative phrase too.

Still, with the diminishing amount of driving we do, if we get another, it might be a Fit, or a Rio. Hey, three letters apiece.

 

i can't see having a smaller car that burns more gas, even if i had to replace the prius. unless it was a tremendous price difference, and i was financially incapable.

but i also have come to detest the sound of the engine (especially warm ups) because of so much electric driving. so that's a whole 'nuther issue for me.

 

Yeah I think I was possessed for a minute there...

 

You’re usually possessed with the 4 letter word: Jeep.

 

Oooh

 

I find it very difficult to drive my other car, a 1993 Volvo 940 or any car that gets less than 40mpg after owning the '07 Prius for almost 2 years and 32K miles. I really want a BEV, but not until they are actually affordable and available in configurations I prefer (station wagon or at least a hatchback). I do not believe driving a BEV saves the environment, as most of the transport pollution comes from trucks and airplanes and neither of those are very easily powered by today's batteries due to poor energy density of said batteries. This is most likely going to change and I look forward to that change, but at this point what BEVs replace in terms of ICE is drop in the bucket and really does not count as a significant environmental improvement. Battery manufacturing is dirty business, both environmentally and politically (think raping Africa for resources). So the environmental aspect is not there for BEVs as far as I am concerned.

BEVs are a great way forward provided we can figure out the energy density issues which will enable electric flight and bulk transport. To this end the early adopter stage of electric personal vehicles is a great thing and I would own one in a heartbeat if there was one available that fits my needs and is affordable to me. My next car is likely to be an ICE as I am planning to replace the '93 Volvo and I do not fancy having two (used) hybrids. I am thinking Toyota Matrix is what is going to replace the Volvo wagon. Great improvement in fuel efficiency and possible cost of ownership, but not quite BEV.

 

Or just change the customs of ownership. Make it easy to own the BEV and easy to rent the ICE. "Buy our BEV and we'll let you borrow a gasser up to 2x a year" etc etc.

 

I've tried to PHEVs and found:

• 25 mi EV without fast DC charger - a hobbled technology that forces gas operation too frequently
• 72 mi EV with fast DC charger - a good trainer that allows practice with an engine safety net.

When it came time to trade-in a PHEV, it was easy to keep the 72 mi PHEV with fast DC charger.

Bob Wilson

 

If I’m still working for Big Bell, I’ll probably get a Volt.

* Real-world EV range.
* Charge-at-work for free.
* Acceptable ICE efficiency.
* Inexpensive.

Non polarizing styling.

 

Volt prices should be getting better especially if you can snatch a single-owner about a year beyond the initial 3 year 36,000 mile warranty. You'll probably not find one with adaptive/dynamic/traffic-aware cruise control but it doesn't hurt to look.

When I sat in one, I felt like I was "in a hole." This might be fixed by adjusting the seat better but I didn't have a lot of time and less interest.

Bob Wilson