Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jordan
Actually, I do... and it's not as if members on this site don't repeat themselves often!
Since the majority of the people who would be considered ideal for electrics are, by definition, in or near major metropolitan areas... they are most likely to be within easy range of public trans, a vehicle rental service or another, or a system like Zipcar. Also, we could expect more services like those to appear and expand to meet the demand of short-range vehicle owners who occasionally needed longer-range vehicles. Chances are the weekend demand would be hardest to satisfy, and some services would offer to reserve vehicles for frequent or premium users (ie, big spenders). Other services, like U-Haul, would see increased business as more people opted to rent a truck for a day's use (the way I do it), thereby saving the cost of an owned truck that was used to its full capacity only a few times a year (very common among America's non-rural residents).
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Maybe in the US, but most certainly not here. Take my situation, for example. I live 35km away from work (so, well within reach for a full electric car). The closest railway station is 7km away. If I would take the train, I'd have to take my bike, bike that 7km (around 30 minutes) (not enough parking space near the station, it's only a small town, I think most Americans would call it a village
), then take a 30 minute train ride, and then at the main station, walk 30 minutes to my work location. So, total time: 1 hour 30 minutes. While, if I take the car, I'm at work between 30 and 45 minutes (depending a bit on other traffic and traffic lights).
The distances here (in the Netherlands, and most of Europe) are completely different from the US. But I think you must have seen both sides before you can really see that (it took me some time adjusting to the distances when I was in New Mexico...)