Electric Vehicles Have Come A LONG Way But WHY Don't Buyers Want Them — Outside Of Tesla

Is the question about hybrids, plug-in hybrids or BEVs? Toyota and GM has sold their plug-in hybrids quite well.

Actually, look at the unit sales numbers for the Nissan Leaf and you'll see that Tesla is not the only show in town.

So the assertion that people only want Teslas and no other EVs is outright wrong!

That aside, EVs are still not the right choice for most people. Even so, the are gaining in popularity. A significant portion of EV sales are from Hybrid and PHEV owners making the switch.

THe average American can no longer afford a new car - whose average price is almost $37,000. THey simply do not make enough money to afford the car payments. Evs are priced even higher than ICE cars - there are NO cheap Base models being offered by Tesla - so it appears that there is a finite market for ALL EV's and right now Tesla is picking up the vast majority of those outside of Government purchases.

For the rest of the population - there remains only rudimentary infrastructure for charging EVs if you do not have access to your own charging station at your dwelling. Those who park on the street cannot depend on having availability of a charging station when they need it. Since we are talking HOURS of being tied up - and that "window" could be anywhere instead of being at night for a home owner with a garage and charging - if YOU do not have a second vehicle - you go nowhere until your car is charged. Nothing worth depending on.

There remains still a range factor as well - EVs are not and will not be "Vacation" or Travelers cars until a 10 minute full charge becomes available - probably not in my lifetime.

Frankly - even if I wanted another car in the stable - I could afford an EV too - and could install a charging station as well - but there remains few offerings from respected manufacturers (THere are too many problems with Tesla for me to come aboard) - and most of them - for some reason or another - look like they've been styled by A Kindergarten Stylist with Crayons.

Lastly - Gas is - even with the current run up - Cheap. I can and have gotten the car of my dreams - and I have no problem filling up the tank with Premium. There is NO Ev that even comes close to it. I can drive to Florida straight through from NJ with stops for gas - and not have to worry about appointments for charging stations along the way - and loss of time. WE were told that we would be out of OIL reserves years ago - and they keep going up - and we still have not mined the east coast continental shelf for oil. The time for the EV will be in the future - until Battery technology and charging catches up - and it is likely there will be breakthroughs in Gas engines and Hydrogen powered cars that will delay that time too.

The 10 min to full charge for vacation is a myth.

The new Leaf, Bolt, and i3 are popular in Silicon Valley, other companies are 1-3 years away from releasing "compelling" EVs.

Fun fact from the Silicon Valley Business journal, Tesla delivered 8,000 cars in Silicon Valley between May 2017 and May 2018 (they looked at county registrations). That's about 5% of all the Teslas made during that period. Explains why there are so many on the road right now.

All due to California tax incentives

Tesla has become a self-perpetuating feedback loop, where the affluent people who live in California (and who think their Tesla's are great) think that everyone in the USA loves their Tesla's (and buys them!).

Truth is - outside of California, Tesla's are 'fringe' vehicles at best.

Where I live - NYC, NJ, Hamptons, CT - there are very few Model 3's on the street, very few Model X', and a solid amount of Model S (which is the right size and right "luxury-level" for the demo). Most Model S owners here are NOT on the list to get a Model 3 and most will just go back to an E-Class, S-Class, 5-series, or Panamera when their Model S lease is up.

Tesla is a novelty, not an enduring car company, no matter how many units they churn out in a given week near the end of the financial quarter.

Telsa also sells tons in CA since people are willing to pay a premium to drive solo in the carpool lane. Several of my co-workers have bought EVs solely for that reason.

The carpool lane is hardly worth buying a car over, it has become just as congested as all the other lanes (ironically likely due to all the EVs).

Easy one: have a look at pure BEVs actually available. And Compare them to Teslas.

No contest at all. Yet.

The real test will be the Leaf 60 w thermal battery management next year.

And the iPace, when Jaguar makes real numbrs.

My next car will likely be electrified in some way. I can't say if it will be a full EV or a hybrid, but will likely have a plug. The reason I am not in one now is that there still isn't one that fully satisfies me with price, range, appearance, and options. But they are getting closer, and in a few years when I'm in the market again I'm certain there will be multiple choices for me.

There is a MASSIVE cost deficit. The Bolt costs roughly as much as two Sonics. The Leaf costs as much as two Versa Notes. Even the Model 3 costs nearly 3X the price of an average mid-sized sedan.

Then there is range and retrofitting your house to have a charger for the car.

Finally, the ultimate durability of EVs is a crapshoot. The data just isn't there yet.

@mre30 - Well here in the Greater Toronto Area there are plenty of S, X and 3's everywhere. EV sales here have been relatively good and I do see LEAF 2.0's, Soul EV and the Ioniq lineup on the roads.

@hangtime010 it is the same where I live too. You see BEV and Hybrids from all sorts of manufacturers. They are not a choice for those who don't have a lot of money. As stated they are a factor of 2X higher than a gas car in some cases, in others they are the same price. There is still a long way to go until they are affordable for the masses.

Most of the more "affordable" electric cars come in a form factor that the size and look of an economy car. Make something with the size and styling of say a CX5, CRV or a sedan like the Accord and I believe EV's would have better penetration.

The E-Pace and the upcoming Taycan look like nice premium offerings. At this point in technology, PHEV is the way to enjoy some short term electrical benefits.

My friends just bought a 2013 Smart Fortwo electric with 42k miles on it, in top shape from a neighbor for just $1,500 for their teenage son. The neighbor got his Model 3.

The kid is very happy. He asked for an iPhone, he got a car. How is that for being born under a good sign? ;)

Similar story with my next door neighbor: mom drove a plug-in Prius, now has a Model 3 and gives the Prius to her 18-yr old daughter.

Poor kid you may say ? not so - the girl went to college at 15, now in Medical School at 18, a few years later she'll be a doctor. Regardless of what car she drives, people will address her as "doctor" by then.

Dad drives a V12 S600, but guess what his next car will be ?

1) Charging infrastructure, and 2) a lack of good looking offerings outside of the Model S. The Taycan might have changed the landscape for the 2nd point, but then they blanded down the original concept design which puts us back to square one.