Quote:
Originally Posted by ZodWallop
I have a Chevy Volt and it baffles me that PHEVs didn't take over.
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If I was going to get an EV, I think this is what I would get. I like the flexibility of being able to plug it in, or have the gasoline engine charge the battery, or be able to run completely off the gasoline engine.
But the things that still give me pause are:
(1) The batteries are very expensive to replace. ANd they may not even be available anymore for your car when the time comes for replacement. I wouldn't want an expensive EV, I would want a moderately priced one (if there is such a thing in the PHEV offerings). But that kind of makes the car disposable, due to the high cost of battery replacement - it's just not financially smart, for a less expensive EV. I don't see battery replacement as being feasible at present. Plus, what do you do with the old dead batteries? I don't think that's been adequately addressed yet.
(2) The added complexity of having to design and maintain two separate engines/drivetrains - one electric and one gasoline. I'm not sure (I don't really know) if there is a wide availability of third party parts for EV's. I'm kind of thinking that they may only be available from the cars manufacturer for the most part. And if the manufacturer stops supporting an older vehicle (probably because technology innovations obsoleted it), where does that leave you? Or like has happened to a couple EV manufacturers, they totally out of business - yikes! - what do you do then?
(3) Lack of standards across the industry. Aren't there still different types of chargers for different vehicles? Can a Chevy pull up and use a Tesla charging station? Or a Ford one? Maybe they can use them, but not in a fast charging mode. I don't know specific incompatibilities, but I believe there are still some present.
(4) If the SHTF and we are in a grid down situation (maybe a big storm, violent solar activity, or even war) how are you going to charge EV's? Unlike gasoline cars where you can drive in a tanker of gasoline, you can't really drive in a tanker of electricity.
At some time, EV's may be the way to go. But I don't think now is the time. At least not as your primary vehicle. I certainly wouldn't have an EV if I didn't also have gas powered vehicles that could take over 100% my transportation needs at a seconds notice.