How expensive will gas have to get before we accept electric cars?

1. 86

   stephhicks68posted 12 years ago

   How expensive will gas have to get before we accept electric cars?
   
   At what point will the public decide gasoline is too expensive and decide to switch to electric cars?  What is stopping more people from making a switch now?

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2. 93

   CWanamakerposted 12 years ago

   The electric car still has some kinks that need to be worked out.  First, they are very expensive compared to a similarly sized and capable gasoline car.  You can buy a fairly reliable and efficient economy car for less than 20k, however an all electric car will cost you at least twice that. The other big issue is that they don't have a long enough driving range for most people.  Urban sprawl has lead to long commute times for many people.  To be truly successful, the electric car needs to be affordable, have a long range, and needs the ability to be charged quickly. Things won't change until the electric car is as convenient as the gasoline car is now.

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3. 0

   Arlene V. Pomaposted 12 years ago

   We are always getting jerked around by the price of gas.  But when it comes to electric cars, it's the battery.  I recently interviewed a friend about his electric car.  He is sold on it, and is looking at purchasing the next model.  Or he can pay $5,000 to update the battery on the electric car that he now owns, and be content to keep it.  Since he has the money to throw around, he can keep the old electric car or buy a new one.  Must be nice!  I have a 2000 Ford Ranger with less than 200,000 miles on it.  If I can run this into the ground, I'll be happy.  I only know two people who own electric cars.  The rest of us are hanging onto whatever we've got.

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4. 90

   bankscottageposted 12 years ago

   I won't buy an electric car because of the extra cost, the fact that the recharging takes longer than filling up my gas tank and has to be done more frequently, the space taken up by the batteries, and the fact that the charge only lasts long enough to commute around town.  You can't take them on a long trip.
   
   With our Honda Civic getting 40 miles to the gallon, I don't even see the reason to get a hybrid.
   
   But, a natural gas powered car, that is something I am interested in.

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5. 59

   Randy J Bradleyposted 12 years ago

   If it was left to the "public" we might not be driving "gasoline" powered cars. We might not be driving "electric" cars either. But if things were truly left to a Free Market things I am sure would be different. Alternative fuel automobiles will happen when the cost and the politics leave the market to it's own. In fact the market will change when the demand from consumers demands it.

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6. 68

   eric2112posted 12 years ago

   I don't believe that 'acceptance' among the consumer is really the issue with electric cars becoming a solid reality in society. Electric cars have come a long way over the past couple of years and can travel longer ranges than they had previously. Tesla Motors is now producing the Model S which has options for several battery level options. The lowest, which is 40 kWh can travel a range of 160 miles on a single charge. The battery is said to last 8 years or 100,000 miles. Not only is this car efficient, but it is also visually appealing as well.
   
   The problem comes into play, in that there are not enough charging stations to make driving exclusively electric a feasible decision at the present time. Another problem that influences the move to electric cars, or other alternative for that matter, is that the automakers do not have any incentive to produce anything other than gasoline driven cars. Gasoline taxes pull in a lot of money for the government, and taking that away would not be a good move in their eyes.
   
   GM had started producing the EV1, which was only available to lease, in 1996 as there was a requirement to have at least one plug in vehicle in the automaker's line-up to be able to sell in California. This was the California Air Resources Board (CARB). When that requirement was lifted, GM stopped producing the vehicle and retracted all leased vehicles. By 2002, all EV1 cars were pulled off lease and dismantled.
   
   Ive written a Hub specifically about alternative energy sources which pertains mostly to cars, but could be applied to many applications. I hope that you find it useful.

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