To compare the operating cost of an IC to an EV using only the cost of a battery to start the car for the operating cost is horribly incomplete and dishonest. The starter battery in an IC is just a fraction of the opex of the vehicle.
I do not favor the EV but if there is to be a comparison it needs to be complete and honest. Superficial comparisons as this one don’t help the argument one bit. The author should leave the first five paragraphs alone and stick with the latter on resource base for the EV, something he may have some credibility about.
That the argument posed in the first five paragraphs is facile should be obvious to just about anyone with even a basic understanding of vehicles. The understanding presented is not even at a basic level.
RE: The starter battery in an IC is just a fraction of the opex of the vehicle.
Sure, But the cost of a new battery on top of the EV’s purchase price is a non-starter for many people.
And if you need to replace the battery, EVs also have to be torn down to replace the battery because EV batteries are spread out to prevent the battery from overheating. They aren’t just a big cube under the hood.
Replacement batteries aren’t kept around in a warehouse like parts for standard vehicles are so a replacement battery may not be available at all. Link below to a Florida family’s EV nightmare.
Link below to a Florida family’s EV Nightmare:
From comments I’ve read on other websites from happy EV owners, there are the following advantages:
They’re great for short commutes, provided you have the capability to charge at home.
The EV may go 200K miles w/o battery replacement.
It takes 15 to 30 minutes to achieve an 80 % charge.
A 120/125v charger can be used, but will take longer.
There are free charging stations available, 15 minutes, while shopping at the provider’s store.
They can be used for long trips, and w/ GPS, charging stations can be easily found.
GM was providing a cash incentive for charging station installation with the purchase of an EV (truck, I believe).
Of course, there other issues that must be considered.
Home charging unit installation on an existing home can range from less than $1000 up to $50,000, depending on location, available service, work requirement, etc. But is unavailable, if one lives in an apartment.
The US Govt & the state of California have battery life warranty requirements.
https://joinyaa.com/guides/ev-battery-warranties/
The link provides that information, and also uses battery capacity retention, a limiting factor regarding battery power availabilty.
Free charging stations are analogous to free air for tires (and free water for radiators & batteries).
The demand for charging will create a cost.
You can get 300 miles on a 100% charge, which means that on long trips, one can expect to make several stops. I have seen charging stations readily available, but that will change as there are more EV’s.
The other factor to consider are your tires.
They run through tires faster than conventional vehicles.
See here:
https://cleanfleetreport.com/tech-why-dont-tires-last-as-long-on-an-ev/
Regular tires wear out roughly 20% faster on an EV than on an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. Many EVs today come with specialized tires, but even these typically need more frequent changes than traditional versions.
EVs need special tires because they put more pressure on them than ICE vehicles. First of all, EVs are heavier. Ford’s F-150 Lightning weighs 1,600 pounds more than a similar conventional F-150. This extra weight, which comes mainly from heavy batteries, means tires have to deal with more resistance as they drive.
Electric motors also deliver more torque than their gas and diesel counterparts. Torque delivery is also instantaneous in an EV, placing immediate and heavy pressure on the car’s tires as the driver presses the accelerator. EV tires typically feature better grip to deal with this torque, but that friction comes at the cost of faster wear and tear.
These have to factor in when we do cost comparisons.