What would it take to put you in an electric car?

[adrew]

~300 mile range at the minimum, 500± would be better

I drive from DFW to Houston several times a year and need to be able to get there without stopping for an hour (best-case scenario with 480v fast chargers) for a top-up.

[Blk95VR6]

What would it take to put you in an electric car?


only if it were a hearse, which would mean my funeral...


I live close enough to work that if the fit hits the shan hard enough to knock it over then I can ride a pedestrain powered conveyance to work (aka bicycle).


I am just not wanting to jump on the whole "electric car" bandwagon that a lot of people seem to be enamored with...


Mike

[ctrapeni]

For a car used just for commuting, I wouldn't be worried about range since my commute is 9 miles one way.

I wouldn't buy an electric car until they drive as nice as sporty IC cars (think WRX or GTI) and are similarly priced. I don't really like the charge times, even though it wouldn't affect me. If electric cars had a common battery that could be swapped in 5 minutes that would really sway me. Then there would be "swap" stations instead of gas stations. I would pull in and swap my depleted battery with a new one and be one my way.

[G0to60]

I would like to be in an electric or extended range electric in the near future. My commute is ~40-50 miles per day with the occasional errand running afterwards so a regular electric would work great. If I keep my allroad (I will always keep the Corrado ) in this situation then a small run about would work fantastic as I could use the wagon to do my occasional hauling and car pooling while still having the Corrado for some fun driving.

Really the only reasons I wouldn't have one right now is:

I'm buying a house (hopefully have bought a house soon)
Have a car loan already
Have too many cars between me and my wife
Lack of variety in the US market

All of those reasons are easily fixed in the semi near future.

[Preppy]

For a car used just for commuting, I wouldn't be worried about range since my commute is 9 miles one way.

I wouldn't buy an electric car until they drive as nice as sporty IC cars (think WRX or GTI) and are similarly priced. I don't really like the charge times, even though it wouldn't affect me. If electric cars had a common battery that could be swapped in 5 minutes that would really sway me. Then there would be "swap" stations instead of gas stations. I would pull in and swap my depleted battery with a new one and be one my way.

QFT

[Mr. Chewbacca]

price & style....

[leaftye]

First of all, I'd need batteries that are dead reliable, which can include some form of some battery replacement program.

I'll take cheap if it offers little else, but it doesn't have to be cheap if it offers something substantial. If it's fast and easy power upgrades are possible, then it becomes appealing in that manner. That's something that really interests me about electric motorcycles. Motorcycles have some attributes like horse riding that make riding appealing, and it'd be even more similar if quiet rides were possible.

Also, I like how these might be incorporated into smart grids...I'd really like to see more movement in this direction.

[someguy123]

i'd be driving one now if it was <$25k.

[Beanboy]

If the Leaf cost $19,995 I'd buy it for the 2nd car right now.

[Hogan]

I think electric cars as commuter cars for the general population that don't give a **** about driving are a brilliant idea.

But this concept translates into electric cars that are woefully boring, they look, and are built like the current selection of compact economy cars; an appliance to shuttle people to and from work, and hopefully make them forget they're doing something as dreary as driving. So with the current selection of electric cars (Tesla aside, and possibly the Fisker, just because it looks amazing) its pretty much like asking what would it take to put me in a car that's as exciting as a Camry, but costs a lot more, and in the case of full EVs, is a lot more inconvenient.

So the answer is nothing, until they make something that is comparable to the current fun IC commuter cars, like the GTI, in price, sportiness, looks, features, and convenience. if I want to be economical, I can do that and still have more fun than anybody on the road with my R6, so I'll stick to that.

Don't get me wrong, as I said, I think hybrids and EVs are brilliant for the general population, they just aren't for me as they sit currently.

[2.0_Mazda]

at least one of these

[Boogety Boogety]

The range (200-500 miles), initial purchase price (equivalent to popular family- or performance-oriented brands), rock-solid reliability, reasonable recharge time on the road (5-10 minutes or less) ongoing economics (no multi-thousand-dollar battery purchase down the road), affordable insurability, mid- to high-performance numbers (equivalent to V6 power, not econoboxes), and transparency of driving experience equivalent to an affordable, mid-pack ICE vehicle, plus class-leading bodywork and interior design that, as I drive by, would make children point, women grow moist, and other men insanely jealous.

Not saying any or all are currently, or even hypothetically, attainable in one vehicle, but that's what it would take for me...

[MightyDSM]

A free Fisker Karma.

[paul_shark]

It needs to have:

Same options and creature comforts of today's ICE cars

Same pricing structure of modern ICE cars

Same weight as modern ICE cars

Same driving range as today's ICE cars

Same performance as today's ICE cars

Can't take 4 hours to recharge - so, better infrastructure

Its going to be a loooong time before we get there. Hopefully some of the alternative ICE motors will gain some traction with OEMs to bridge the gap between today and the day that electrics aren't heavy, expensive, range limited, and smug.

[brickfrenzy]

Some combination of $8 a gallon gas, an extra garage bay to park it in, and enough money to make 3 car payments reasonable.

[Egz]

Range: 200mi min
Price: Around $20k

Nice to have: Ability to drive it beyond the regular commute, aka charging stations like a gas station

Commute is a tad over a 100 miles, but I want to be able to make side trips if I had to. And the only EVs that come close are those stupid expensive luxo models.

[Merc-MarkO]

All this Chevy Volt talk had me thinking.. what would it take to get you into an electric car? Cost? Styling? Value? Size?

Cost to buy.

I only drive ~8k miles a year now and my wife drives less so we would be fine with one electric car and one gas car.

I like the Leaf but initial purchase cost is too high for me now.

[Sledge]

Let me finish paying off the Prius and I'll get an EV after that.

Though if I get an EV I may sell the Prius for a Sprinter or Transit Connect. Hmmm...

[Dave Zero]

Evo XI with electric motors at all four corners.

One can dream.

[Spatzle]

I'd have to have a job close to work, and a second car to go the places the electric won't make it too.

It would be cool if we could have city cars electric, and that were cheap. So I can still afford a 2nd car easily enough for actually getting on the freeway. At my current job we have a GEM car. I'd use one for around town, but at the cost of it I could get 10 years of gas before it does anything usefull.

[E30Cab]

at least one of these

Unclear on the concept?

-- DavidV

[E30Cab]

In my case, seeing as I bought one and have since put 10k miles on it, literally nothing. Maybe the qeustion should be what would it take toget me out of an electric car and back into a gas burner?

-- DavidV

[xJOKERx]

This basically sums it up for me.

this

[Chris_V]

I am just not wanting to jump on the whole "electric car" bandwagon that a lot of people seem to be enamored with...


Mike

Some of us liked playing with electric RC cars and planes and understand them in that regard. Rewinding electric motors, custom dump programming for bursts of power, etc. Hot rodding will have a new way of tinkering with them as they become used cars.

10.2 @ 123 in the quarter:





And sounding like a TIE fighter while doing it. I remember guys hopping up an EV1. Can't wait to see what they do with the Leaf and Volt.

[Merc-MarkO]

10.2 @ 123 in the quarter:





And sounding like a TIE fighter while doing it. I remember guys hopping up an EV1. Can't wait to see what they do with the Leaf and Volt.

I've seen video's of this thing. The jump it takes off the line is insane.

[G0to60]

I've seen video's of this thing. The jump it takes off the line is insane.

Saw this car in person one time. The launch is crazy and it just keeps pulling.

[cougar]

A significantly longer commute.

[roesner]

All these people mentioning "cost to buy", why wouldn't you look at leasing (if you can make the mileage restrictions work for you)?

You get cool technology now without any longterm commitment issues.
Technology will evolve very quickly. By the time your lease expires batteries should be half the size, twice as efficient, charging technologies should be much better. There will be more competition, so prices should come down... No issues outside of warranty. No dead battery...

You get the benefits today (with today's limitations) and in 3 years you just get a then-current-technology car.

Disclaimer... see left <----

[Brendan@bwalkauto]

I almost leased a LEAF last year, so not much. A touch more range and I would have done it (as due to where my gf lives and parking restrictions, sometimes I would have to go >150 miles between charges.

I've also been tempted to lease a Volt, but I like no car payments, and I don't need another car.

But if someone made a <$40k rwd sports car EV I'd scream shut up and take my money.

[roesner]

I almost leased a LEAF last year, so not much. A touch more range and I would have done it (as due to where my gf lives and parking restrictions, sometimes I would have to go >150 miles between charges.

I've also been tempted to lease a Volt, but I like no car payments, and I don't need another car.

But if someone made a <$40k rwd sports car EV I'd scream shut up and take my money.

Used Tesla?

[NashGTI]

All these people mentioning "cost to buy", why wouldn't you look at leasing (if you can make the mileage restrictions work for you)?

You get cool technology now without any longterm commitment issues.
Technology will evolve very quickly. By the time your lease expires batteries should be half the size, twice as efficient, charging technologies should be much better. There will be more competition, so prices should come down... No issues outside of warranty. No dead battery...

You get the benefits today (with today's limitations) and in 3 years you just get a then-current-technology car.

Disclaimer... see left <----

because any payment is still more than no payment. I've had my VW for 7 years, Motorcycle for 6. Total outlay apart from buy in and gas for both vehicles while I've owned them wouldn't cover a years payments on any electric right now.
$2000 for VW, $1200 for bike. And that's not just upkeep

[Chris_V]

because any payment is still more than no payment.

You can say that about any new car. Should new cars cease to be made because you can get a used car cheaper?

[corrago]

Id swap my S2000 for a Tesla roadster tomorrow if i ciuld.

http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/16791...say-that.jhtml

I was about to say that LOL

[AHFlynn]

Used Tesla?

used roadsters havent depreciated AT ALL. theyll probably make a really good investment.

[NashGTI]

You can say that about any new car. Should new cars cease to be made because you can get a used car cheaper?

Without opening a can of worms with my reply, I was just answering why I wouldn't consider leasing an electric. Strictly speaking there's not a new car available I would spend my money on at the moment. The newest vehicle I own is an 03 Hyunda Elantra I paid cash for a couple years back. If you really want to get into specifics cost is not the main reason I wouldn't buy one right now anyway.