Why Americans don't buy Electric Vehicles

This snobbery ....

 

Congrats on this thread being an echo chamber where y'all can spout off to one another and justify your choices.

This thread is showing why PriusChat sadly is dying. Bet against innovation...ya, that always works.

 

uh oh, Tesla fanboys have joined...

 

You do realize many of the people that you call "Tesla fanboys" were "Prius fanboys" at one time?

I am also sick of that term, it seems derogatory and childish.

 

Many of us used the Prius for a starting point and then moved on.

 

In southern California electric rates are high very high, the only real relief is solar panels on the roof of your house.

 

would that mean that hoo is the real driver then?

 

Did you charge at home? If so, did you miss going to gas stations? Did you miss changing the oil and air filter? Did you enjoy being one of the fastest cars off the line? Did you enjoy the passing power over the Prius?

 

1. Charging at home was great, despite the high cost of the box and wiring. But I missed the possibility to charge at will, quickly and reliably on the road, if needed. Five minutes at a gas station is enough to give me 450++ miles of summer range in both Mila and Bubba. Five minutes at an L3 was barely enough to get the thing to work - and not always. Also, I didn't enjoy forgetting sometimes to plug overnight, which rendered the Bolt useless the next morning.

2. One should have the car checked/serviced/tire-rotated every 5-10K miles regardless of whether it's a pure ICE, a hybrid or and EV. There are plenty of parts other than the propulsion system. What I missed with the Bolt was the quick and easy service of the Prius (would you like to know more about Bolt's software bugs? Would you like to take a guess how long it took to have a wheel replaced on the Bolt?)

3-4. Good acceleration is certainly an advantage, but it's way more important to be able to complete a modestly "long range" trip, and preferably w/o delays, regardless of weather. Would you like to find out how much longer it is to complete a let's say 400 mi roundtrip?

What murdered my respect for the current crop of compliance EV's were the restrictions in mobility, and the worry that I haven't had with ICE-equipped automobiles.

 

+1

Having done almost weekly 600+ miles trips some times in same day, I can attest the importance of a long range PRIME offers with a full tank of gas and fully charged battery and an ability to quickly fill up the tank on any road without any planning.

 

Not everyone needs or wants a diesel Dually, not everyone needs or wants a 200 mph sports car, not everyone needs or wants an SUV/Minivan, not everyone needs or wants a Prius and not everyone needs or wants an EV.

...and you don't condemn/punish others just because your needs and wants are different.

 

Thanks! Posts like this make me feel good about a PHEV in the future. I’m still dreaming about a station wagon, but I could probably settle for one of the crossovers coming soon and be okay with it.

 

+1 in NorCal too.

 

I think people underestimate this until they actually experience it. When BMW gave me i3 for few days, I quickly discovered how bothersome it is to plan your day around charging stations, how few exist, and how inconvenient it is when it's not at your lunch destination but even only few hundred feet away.

Of course there will be people who will claim it works for them 100%, but whatever.

 

There are certain circumstances in which a driver will get huge benefits out of non-Tesla EV ownership. If someone needs to use HOV lanes while driving w/o passengers, or for making a political statement, or for street-racing lower end Mustangs and Camaros, yep, they would be genuinely happy with almost any EV sold now.

 

Sounds like you are calling me and some others that own Tesla's liars.

I've done a 1200 mile road trip in a day and a half, and that included a full night's sleep in a hotel.

The people I take road trips with are shocked that it doesn't take any extra time on road trips when you figure in bathroom breaks and meals. The vehicle is usually waiting for me during meal times, charged before I'm even done with a meal.

All that said, yes I would agree that EV's that aren't Tesla's still aren't good road trip vehicles. But as far as my Model 3, best road trip vehicle I've ever owned...by far.

 

It's like me venturing into the snow tires thread and starting "YOU DON"T NEED WINTER TIRES CAUSE I'M DRIVING ON ALL-SEASONS AND IT WORKS FOR ME 100% AND MY BEST ROAD TRIP WAS ON ALL-SEASONS AND YOU ALL STUCK IN THE STONE AGE FREE ELON!!!!!"

 

This particular branch of discussion is about the Bolt and the i3; nothing to do with Tesla.

Otherwise you are correct: The TM3, especially the long range version, is a lot more suitable for travel-at-will than any other comparably priced EV on the US market, because it has a longer range, charges faster, and has access to the superchargers. That's one of the reasons why Tesla sells as many EV's in the US as all the other manufacturers taken together.

 

The maturity and class in this thread is staggering. You aren't doing much for your cause.

 

This is again, demeaning and childish.
Instead of “...who will claim it works...” it would have been correct to say “...for whom it works...”.

I know of people with first generation Leafs as their only vehicle. Would it work for everyone? Of course not, but it does work for a few.
And the longer the range, the more people it will work for.