[jhein]

Originally Posted by ta6point6

Instant torque, simple drivetrain= batteries, electric motors, so less parts to break and less maintenance costs i.e. brakes last longer with regeneration while stopping. In town driving also regenerates power back into EV when you are driving. Charging an EV off peak/night time hours is about .13. is Most cases more room because there is no transmission hump
As I see it the only limitations to EVs is the cost of EV compared to ICEV although prices have come down drastically, but new vehicles are expensive now a days. The charging times can be long compared to filling up an ICEV vehicle although in China they have a station where you pull in and a robotic elevator changes out your battery for a charged one in under 3 minutes. There are also some places that offer free EV charging not a lot of places but there are some in the US, when is the last time you got free gas. There have been plenty of youtubers who have driven across America in an EV.

So as a matter of being superior to an EV for basic transportation, they're not. Instant torque is nice but totally not necessary for a DD. Simple drivetrain, maybe, but my modern ICEVs have been very trouble free. Complexity has not been an issue at all. Brakes lasting longer is a marginal improvement but offset by tires, insurance and poor resale. Plus you have issues with charging availability, poor cold weather performance.

As I see it there is no real advantage for an EV. Plus they are much more expensive initially. The least expensive EV in the US now is 29K. The least expensive ICEV is 20K. So that's asking to pay nearly 50% more for a car that isn't any better. ROI is supposedly around 8 years but I'm not sure about that at all. And that's if energy prices stay the same. With demand going up due to AI, who knows.

But here's the real problem with EVs. If they really are better, then people will naturally select them over ICEVs. If they're not, then the industry will require things like mandates and taxpayer funded subsides. And since we have those things, it seems to imply that they can't compete with ICEVs on an equal footing.

As has been said before, I think that EVs are fine if somebody wants one. Just don't tell me I have to buy one or that I have to pay for someone else's.