And (with current battery tech), a pure EV ultimately yields a car that’s much, much heavier.
And a range extender can be absolutely tiny since the “average” horsepower needed for typical driving is actually quite small. I think its also more palatable to potential buyers with EV range anxiety.
Weight has never been a detractor. SUVs even took market share away from lighter cars. Look it up. If you keep the EV long enough, you make up for the upfront battery cost with long term gasoline savings.
You fell in the trap of only looking only at the upfront cost of a new car, rather than cost of ownership over 5-10 years, not to mention second-hand cars. You can find an EV at any price point. Yearly cost is what matters.
The thing is , no matter how fuel efficient they are, you are just burning the stuff, finite and hard to get stuff. And there is also everything else about emissions, climate change and more that I don’t really know
Technology connections has an interesting video about renewables in general.
True , but where I live is almost nonsense buying anything else on the same price point, and even “basic” combustion cars are at almost the same price, some of the hybrids are even more expensive.
If you are buying cheaper than “entry EV’s” you are buying used, otherwise the EV wins , unless you personally have some situation where EV is not viable.
Just a crazy market, you have the old brands selling a overall worse combustion car and asking the same as the cheapest EV’s , without even mentioning the average combustion cars that are actually more expensive than the "entry " offerings on EV’s
EV-drivetrain hybrids (eg an EV with a small battery + ~3 horsepower range extender) are a good idea, though.
It’s kind of the best of both worlds. And insanely fuel efficient, even if one uses that generator all the time.
ICE drivetrain hybrids are insane, though. It was the only option at the time, but it’s also basically the worst of both worlds.
I think the problem is marketing, though.
Try explaining the hybrid distinction to a layman. Or to a snooty, higher end EV buyer turning their nose up at anything that takes gas.
I’d much rather have a full-size battery than a 30-hp ICE “range extender”. I wish I could keep my PHEV in EV mode all the time.
Well, most of us do.
But its much more expensive.
And (with current battery tech), a pure EV ultimately yields a car that’s much, much heavier.
And a range extender can be absolutely tiny since the “average” horsepower needed for typical driving is actually quite small. I think its also more palatable to potential buyers with EV range anxiety.
Weight has never been a detractor. SUVs even took market share away from lighter cars. Look it up. If you keep the EV long enough, you make up for the upfront battery cost with long term gasoline savings.
I’m not trying to criticize EVs, for those who can afford them.
But there material heavy, and if you need range, expensive at the moment. Not everyone can afford that.
And a range extender is a great way around that, especially in budget vehicles.
You fell in the trap of only looking only at the upfront cost of a new car, rather than cost of ownership over 5-10 years, not to mention second-hand cars. You can find an EV at any price point. Yearly cost is what matters.
The thing is , no matter how fuel efficient they are, you are just burning the stuff, finite and hard to get stuff. And there is also everything else about emissions, climate change and more that I don’t really know
Technology connections has an interesting video about renewables in general.
Yeah.
It’s a good stopgap, though. We can’t all get EVs immedately, but we could get more on the road quickly with this approach.
True , but where I live is almost nonsense buying anything else on the same price point, and even “basic” combustion cars are at almost the same price, some of the hybrids are even more expensive.
If you are buying cheaper than “entry EV’s” you are buying used, otherwise the EV wins , unless you personally have some situation where EV is not viable.
Just a crazy market, you have the old brands selling a overall worse combustion car and asking the same as the cheapest EV’s , without even mentioning the average combustion cars that are actually more expensive than the "entry " offerings on EV’s