Posted on 07/11/2022 8:36:17 AM PDT by Red Badger
Two recent studies have shown that electric vehicles have more quality issues than gas-powered ones and are not better for the environment.
Many people believe electric vehicles are higher quality than gas-powered vehicles and are emissions-free, which makes them much better for the environment. But two recent studies have shown that electric cars have more quality issues than gas-powered ones and are not better for the environment.
J.D. Power has produced the annual U.S. Initial Quality Study for 36 years, which measures the quality of new vehicles based on feedback from owners. The most recent study, which included Tesla in its industry calculation for the first time, found that battery-electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles have more quality issues than gas-powered ones.
According to J.D. Power, owners of electric or hybrid vehicles cite more problems than do owners of gas-powered vehicles. The latter vehicles average 175 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), hybrids average 239 PP100, and battery-powered cars — excluding Tesla models — average 240 PP100. Tesla models average 226 PP100. Given the average cost of an electric car is roughly $60,000, about $20,000 more than the cost of a gas-powered car, it seems owners of EVs didn’t get the value they deserve.
Some blamed the supply-chain disruptions caused by pandemic-related lockdowns as the main reason for EVs’ quality issues. EV makers have sought alternative (sometimes less optimal) solutions to manufacture new vehicles. But the same supply-chain disruption affected makers of gas-powered vehicles. Yet the three highest-ranking brands, measured by overall initial quality, are all makers of gas-powered vehicles: Buick (139 PP100), Dodge (143 PP100), and Chevrolet (147 PP100).
Some pointed to the design as a main contributing factor to EVs’ quality issues. According to David Amodeo, global director of automotive at J.D. Power, automakers view EVs as “the vehicle that will transform us into the era of the smart cars,” so they have loaded up EVs with technologies such as touch screens, Bluetooth, and voice recognition. EV makers also prefer to use manufacturer-designed apps to “control certain functions of the car, from locking and unlocking the doors remotely to monitoring battery charge.” Increasing technical complexity also increases the likelihood of problems. Not surprisingly, EV owners reported more infotainment and connectivity issues in their vehicles than owners of gas-powered vehicles. Amodeo acknowledged that “there’s a lot of room for improvement” for EVs.
Electric Vehicles Are Worse for the Environment Besides quality issues, a new study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that electric vehicles are worse for the environment than gas-powered ones. By quantifying the externalities (both greenhouse gases and local air pollution) generated by driving these vehicles, the government subsidies on the purchase of EVs, and taxes on electric and/or gasoline miles, researchers found that “electric vehicles generate a negative environmental benefit of about -0.5 cents per mile relative to comparable gasoline vehicles (-1.5 cents per mile for vehicles driven outside metropolitan areas).”
Researchers specifically pointed out that despite being treated by regulators as “zero emission vehicles,” electric cars are not emissions-free. Charging an EV increases electricity demand. Renewal resources supply only 20 percent of the country’s electricity needs. The remaining 80 percent were generated by fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas, despite billions of dollars in green subsidies.
“The comparison between a gasoline vehicle and an electric one is really a comparison between burning gasoline or a mix of coal and natural gas to move the vehicle,” according to The American Economic Review.
Batteries Create Pollution NBER’s study doesn’t cover all the reasons that EVs are worse for the environment than gas-powered cars. For instance, most of today’s EVs are powered by lithium-ion batteries. Due to heavy government subsidies, China dominates the global production of lithium-ion batteries and their precursor materials, especially graphite. China’s graphite production has notoriously contributed to significant pollution in the country.
Pollution can come “from graphite dust in the air, which is damaging whether inhaled or brought down to the earth in the rain,” a Bloomberg report found. More pollution results from the hydrochloric acid used to process mined graphite into a usable form. Hydrochloric acid is highly corrosive and can cause great environmental damage if leaked into groundwater or streams. China’s Shandong province, which is responsible for 10 percent of global graphite supply, had to suspend some of its production capacity due to environmental damages. But the growing demand in the west for EVs means such suspensions will only be temporary.
A typical electric car needs 110 pounds of graphite, and a hybrid vehicle needs around 22 pounds. Ironically, the U.S. government’s EV subsidies end up subsidizing China’s highly polluted production. So if you think you are doing your part of saving the planet by driving an EV, think twice. We also know from past experiences that pollution in China ends up harming the rest of the world.
Compelling Americans to switch from gas-powered cars and trucks to electric ones has been crucial to President Joe Biden’s plan to fight climate change. He signed an executive order last year to have electric vehicles make up half of new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. by 2030. These recent studies show that Biden’s plan will result in Americans spending more money on vehicles of inferior quality while having little effect on climate change. More importantly, his plan will enrich the Chinese Community Party at the expense of the environment and U.S. taxpayers.
Helen Raleigh, CFA, is an American entrepreneur, writer, and speaker. She's a senior contributor at The Federalist. Her writings appear in other national media, including The Wall Street Journal and Fox News. Helen is the author of several books, including "Confucius Never Said" and “Backlash: How Communist China's Aggression Has Backfired." Follow her on Parler and Twitter: @HRaleighspeaks.
Does it really matter to the left?
I heard if the batteries go on fire they expel hydrogen cyanide which I would imagine is quite healthy for the air quality
With electric cars you will get compulsory “self driving” which will be controlled by Central Computer which will determine how fast you go, which route you take, how much you pay in car taxes, whether the car automatically takes you to the police station for questioning, and whether it actually takes you anywhere at all.
Nothing the left does is divorced from their passionate quest for total power over our lives.
lol
now that Musk isn’t on their side anymore, electric = unsafe and bad !
LMAO
the left is so pathetic
Just like Idiocracy....”they turned off my battery”
It’s like the Covid response; the government just does stuff and tells us it’s working, regardless of the reality. The ignorance of the general public says it can be convinced to believe anything that it’s told to. The real frustration comes to those who can see through it and battle to tell the ignorant they have been lied to.
“It’s easier to lie to people than it is to convince them they’ve been lied to.”
-Mark Twain (and probably others).
"EV owners reported more infotainment and connectivity issues in their vehicles than owners of gas-powered vehicles."
Infotainment and connectivity issues that are added unnecessary features and don't have a corresponding component in gas-powered cars should not be included in a quality comparison.
"Researchers specifically pointed out that despite being treated by regulators as “zero emission vehicles,” electric cars are not emissions-free. Charging an EV increases electricity demand. Renewal resources supply only 20 percent of the country’s electricity needs. The remaining 80 percent were generated by fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas, despite billions of dollars in green subsidies.
So the environmental issue boils down to what fuel you used to generate electricity. Switch to nuclear using newer and safer designed power plants and he environmental problem is solved.
And these are the arguments I use to justify my ‘05 F350 V8 turbo-diesel, when all components are considered; Especially the mining aspect needed to produce the metals necessary to build a battery.
I believe the new law’s “cutoff switch” applies to new cars in general, not just EV’s. The same with new gas cars having the self-driving features that new EV’s have.
It’s about feelings. Remember the term NIMBY? Not in my backyard. Liberals think EVs are cleaner when they can’t see the lithium mines in the Congo. They “feel” like they are helping the environment. Stupid, isn’t it? They likewise believe all you have to do to charge one is plug it in to the wall. They haven’t a clue. They frankly don’t want a clue, as having one would challenge their world view. They simply cannot abide that as it carries too great an emotional investment.
Or if they keeeeel you. Has happened.
“I heard if the batteries go on fire they expel hydrogen cyanide which I would imagine is quite healthy for the air quality”
You heard wrong.
Building materials:
. According the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), smoke is the killer in 60% to 80% of all fire deaths. Recent research has revealed that hydrogen cyanide present in smoke generated at building fires may play a more significant role in injuries and deaths of firefighters and civilians than once thought.
Hydrogen cyanide is formed when natural fibers, such as wool and silk, and synthetic polymers, such as polyurethane and nylon, are not completely consumed during a structure fire. These materials are used in insulation, floor coverings, and other construction materials and furnishings that may be present in a building.
https://www.firehouse.com/rescue/article/10502165/hydrogen-cyanide-the-real-killer-among-fire-gases
People who own EVs are a bit bidenesque.
The batteries weight 900lbs and are Toxic
Yep- rolling blackouts will have electric cars paralyzed.
Now don’t none of you greenies ask me for a ride in my gas powered vehicle!!!!!
Not all complaints are created equal. If there’s lots of quality complaints over infotainment systems or even “autonomous” driving that isn’t comparable to real reliability issues. On the other hand, always being a software update away from functionality or car features as a subscription service is something we must push back against as consumers.
A real, honest accounting of the lifetime pollution needs to happen. I like the idea of hybrids as a best of both worlds but I also know they are the most complicated and at risk of things going wrong over the lifetime of ownership. They lied to us about ethanol and still do.
Cost of moving from ICE is extravagant. And non Tesla charging networks aren’t up to par. I am not paying $60k or more for the vehicle trip computer to tell me there’s no route to my destination because of charging stations being unavailable. I am also not trying to lose hours of my trip on slow charging.
Some of these are teething problems with the infrastructure and tech but some will be deliberate choices by manufacturers.
Environmentalists, also known as COMMUNISTS, do not want to solve ANY problems
They need the problems to be ongoing so as to keep the ‘revolution’ and thus their power going as well......................
As much as I laugh at California rolling blackouts and brownouts (as a former resident) I am tired of outages here in the ATL metro area. It’s excessive.
And its never been about electric cars either, or else there would be a Marshall Plan on building up the grid, charging stations, and batteries that charge as fast as filling up with gas.
No, its about public mass transportation. They want us in buses and trains that the government controls. They want control of the transportation sector of our economy.
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