If they sit on the lot for a year or two, doesn’t the battery go dead?
There is an expiration date on the battery array in a battery EV. If you happen to have an EV mobility scooter or power wheelchair, the batteries (lead-acid) have to be recharged every month or two, otherwise they will get sulfated up and the cells fail. I expect something similar happens in a Li-ion battery array if at least a partial charge is not kept on the power feed. “Topping off” is of utmost necessity from time to time.
Li-ion batteries die anyway after a certain number of times being recharged.
Maybe they’ll have to sell them as “batteries not included”.
I’d think sitting would certainly shorten the life of the battery. Some of them at least use battery power to sustain the temperature while the vehicle sits & will definitely drive it dead. Of course, that would be only one of the problems of owning an EV. They are much too hi-priced for many buyers who can afford only used cars. Even if someone gave them an EV, they couldn’t afford to replace the battery. With a used EV, one would never know how much life was left in the battery until it was too late. They seem to be a fire hazard & I am wondering about the extent of the insurance risk in that case. Of course in certain situations, such as emergency vehicles, they would be eminently unsuitable. That’s a start; there are many more.
With conventional cars.. you would disconnect the battery cable it the car sits idle for a long time. Not sure about EVs.