Using your model of just driving 10-20 miles a day, why would you bother to drop $35000 on a econobox when you could buy one for $15,000. Your fuel cost to electricity ratio would never come close to equilibrium of the extra car cost.
When the Chevy Volt came out, I did the math compared to a Chevy Cruze (same platform)
The equilibrium point is about 300,000 miles and doesn’t take into account buying new batteries. (A GM engineer buddy ran the numbers too and came up at 300,000 miles as well)
Because batteries are such an expensive part of the car, resale value is about zero.
If you only do 10 miles a day in town. a small used car is a far better option, unless you want to be admired for your earth saving skills, until you figure out that your car is powered by burnt coal.
One of my daughters has a hybrid car, it's 14 years old and still drives like new. She replaced the batteries a few years ago and it cost her only $1500. She's extremely happy with the low maintenance costs, having driven it multiple times between California, Kansas, Iowa and Texas.
I think the fighting between ICE and EV camps is destructive and full of erroneous bias. There is room for both types of cars. As I said, I think it will end up a three-to-one ratio of ICE and EV vehicles.
“Because batteries are such an expensive part of the car, resale value is about zero.”
Facts, please ....
This is one reason why Tesla Motors, with a three-vehicle lineup that boasts the most miles per charge among all current EVs, boasts excellent resale values. The top EV in this regard is the popular Tesla Model 3, with a 310-mile range in its Long Range iteration, It’s expected to retain 64.3% of its original worth after three years. That’s within striking distance of the model KBB cites as having the best three-year trade in value among all vehicles, the Toyota Tacoma pickup truck at 69.4%.
The average three-year residual value among all new vehicles, according to KBB, is 51.7%.