Posted on 09/29/2014 7:29:45 AM PDT by LogicDesigner
Electric cars aren't selling nearly as well as many predicted. Why is that?
Research suggests a host of reasons—including a basic lack of familiarity, a high price tag, misconceptions about the cars—and ineffective government incentives.
Consider the lack of familiarity. In a survey by researchers from Indiana University and the University of Kansas, respondents couldn't correctly answer basic factual questions about plug-in electric vehicles more than 60% of the time. Some 75% of wrong answers underestimated the beneficial aspects of the vehicles.
The survey, the most exhaustive on consumer perceptions of electric cars in recent years, was published in the journal Energy Policy last year, and was based on field work conducted in several U.S. cities in 2011.
Key Differences
Many respondents didn't realize that all-electric cars require less maintenance than gasoline-powered cars. Oil changes aren't necessary, for example, and there are fewer breakable parts. The study also found that people often underestimated the fuel savings electric cars offer.
"The lack of accurate information about electric vehicles certainly [has] contributed to their small adoption," says Rachel Krause, an assistant professor in the School of Public Affairs and Administration at the University of Kansas, and a co-author of the study.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
We do! We do!
Range of Chevy Volt is 25-50 miles on electric, nominally 38 miles. It takes 12kWh to charge the battery after going those 38 miles. It takes about 1 gallon of fuel to generate 12kWh. Mileage of the car is thus 38 MPG.
So you are a parasite. Other people pay for your car and the fuel to move it.
Heat which can mean the difference between life and death in the winter.
Supply and Demand at work. A good supply no demand.
You must be referencing the two instances where a Chevy Volt happened to be parked in a garage when a fire started.
The first was in Barkhamsted, Connecticut in April 2011. The fire marshal concluded that the fire was started by a nearby Suzuki Samurai that the owner had converted to an electric car in a do-it-yourself conversion.
The second was in Mooresville, North Carolina in November 2011. The fire marshal there concluded, once again, that the fire started elsewhere in the garage and not in the Volt.
Other than those, there have been no reports of this happening.
Agreed it is a weak source. But then Nissan won’t publish ranges for the worst case driving conditions, only expected good conditions.
I still need to get to work and home on the worse days. Running the heat or running the AC, and I need to do in the last year I own the car, not just the first when the batteries are new.
I’ve searched for that kind of data, very hard to find. I would welcome any source you find for that info.
Or do you believe the Leaf is only suitable as a second car when one owns a more dependable backup?
Haters gonna hate. KMA
Soooo....the local electric company gives free charging.
I wonder who pays for that free charging?
That was my first thought. When they are viable, people will buy them en masse. Until then...
visions of a power outage of the future, on the NY Thruway, while cars sit for hours for an accident, construction, or severe storm?
9,000 Leafs have been sold in GA alone this year. The tax incentive is driving it of course. Tesla is manufacturing their own batteries now for their cars. The newer models 2016 will probably have a drive distance of 150 or so.
Take away direct government subsides and stop hidden government subsidies in the form of electric car purchases and the industry will collapse.
The consumer base will consist of only wealthy liberal elites who buy an electric car to make a statement.
Of course, how many of them will really abandon their Limos to cruise the freeways and joust with SUVs and 18 wheelers in underpowered electric motored death traps?
“I once used an electric chainsaw!”
The only piece of yard gear I own that is electric. I kinda like the fact that it starts every time you hit the button, but it does have limitations such as size of work it can accomplish, but for my average subdivision lot with a few trees it does the job. Like I said though, it’s mostly for pruning and limbing, I’d never try to take a whole tree with it.
“I personally couldn’t care less about the “green” aspect.”
I don’t either and I am a motor sports participant and I love IC engines. But you have the correct analysis of the situation. Right now, a Tesla would not be my choice if it was the only car I had available, but for my daily driving activities, a Tesla would fulfill my needs quite well. And they are beautiful machines. Some here try to equate some little “electric skateboard” like the Leaf with a real car like a Tesla. Three cheers for Elton Musk, and I hope he goes forward with his battery plant in Reno.
The leaf is a straight charge to battery for it’s power correct, not a hybrid?
Actually a CORDED weed eater is fine for trimming until you get the big woody stemmed weeds.
A corded electric lawnmower is fine for small yards.
A corded electric chain saw cuts just fine.
I have all three and use them when the job suits.
But for big jobs or beyond the reach of extension cords it is gasoline power equipment that gets the job done.
Propane/LP gas cars make more sense than electric but are also impractical without a widespread network of convenient fueling stations
A battery bank the size and weight of your ordinary car gasoline tank can’t yet store a comparable amount of energy.
Energy is always lost in conversion from one type to another.
Electric cars are a fantasy dream of collectivists.
1. have too short a range
If the range on a pure electric is not a good fit for you as a second family car to use for commuting, you can always get a Chevy Volt. It gets about 40 miles of electric range and then has a gas engine for when the battery is low.
2. take too long to recharge
It takes about 5 seconds to plug it in at night and 5 seconds to unplug in the morning.
3. Have very few places where you can recharge them
If you have a household outlet in your garage you can recharge 40 miles of range while you sleep at night. If you really need a faster charger it costs a few hundred dollars to install.
4. are useless for anything but short trips with long charging intervals inbetween
For a pure electric, yes, they are not suited for road trips. I would recommend a Chevy Volt if you need a car that can do that.
5. Cost too much
Depending on your driving habits, the cost premium can pay for itself.
6. provide the answer for which there is no question
If a majority of Americans and Europeans switched to electric cars, the rewards would be massive. Just think of all the sheiks, mullahs, and Russian oligarchs we would put into the poorhouse. We could stop spending $50 billion dollars a year having our navy police oil traffic in the Persian Gulf.
Congrats. We went with a new Prius lease. After all said, the car costs us zero per month.
You must have missed the qualification in the statement about "good driving conditions". To the author, "good driving conditions" means no heat, no air conditioning, no hills, and no stop-and-go traffic jams. Any of these severely reduces the range....and there ain't no place to plug in along the way if you need to use the window defroster. How many times do you add an additional errand on the way home? Not possible with your EV. The author also conveniently "forgot" about replacing the batteries after a couple of years, too. EV batteries loose a sizeable percentage of their capacity EACH MONTH.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.