I think your worries about power might equally be applied to the people driving around in high performance ICE cars. The thing about selling EVs now, which Tesla demonstrated and showed, is that they need to be exciting in order to generate buzz and to be cool, rather than kinda nerdy like a Prius or Leaf. Not all that many car buyers …
I think your worries about power might equally be applied to the people driving around in high performance ICE cars. The thing about selling EVs now, which Tesla demonstrated and showed, is that they need to be exciting in order to generate buzz and to be cool, rather than kinda nerdy like a Prius or Leaf. Not all that many car buyers are motivated primarily by environmental concerns.
Also, EVs today are generally on the expensive side. To justify that, you've got to provide more than just basic transportation. As production rates rise, costs will come down, and you'll be seeing a lot more bread-and-butter EVs, on the order of Toyota Camrys and Corollas.
Background note: I've been a car nut pretty much since birth, but I recognized the climate imperative. My wife had a 2008 Prius and is now on her second Ford C-Max Energi PHEV (first one was leased, second was leased then purchased). I leased a BMW i3, and after that bought a Chevy Volt, into which I put about 8 gallons of gas every 4000 miles or so, unless I take a road trip. Would love to have gotten a Tesla Model 3, but the promised $35K version never materialized.
The Volt is pretty good in EV mode, but it's nowhere near as responsive as the i3, which was really good at the "I need to be in that next lane going 15 mph faster NOW" maneuver.
Just to amplify one thing: Elon Musk may be, or at least may have become, a colossal asshole, but the thing he's done with Tesla that will do more to drive EV adoption than anyone ever did was to make EVs COOL! Teslas are desirable not because just because they're EVs, but because they're fast, fun, and have amazing tech features. My San Diego County region is lousy with them, and more recently I've started seeing more other-brand EVs around: Chevy Bolts, VW ID 4s, Porsche Taycans, Kia Niros.
Yes, good point. But it was still Musk who made it a viable business. Eberhard left/was pushed out of Tesla at the end of 2007, and the prototype Model S wasn't shown until 2009 and didn't reach production until 2012.
I think your worries about power might equally be applied to the people driving around in high performance ICE cars. The thing about selling EVs now, which Tesla demonstrated and showed, is that they need to be exciting in order to generate buzz and to be cool, rather than kinda nerdy like a Prius or Leaf. Not all that many car buyers are motivated primarily by environmental concerns.
Also, EVs today are generally on the expensive side. To justify that, you've got to provide more than just basic transportation. As production rates rise, costs will come down, and you'll be seeing a lot more bread-and-butter EVs, on the order of Toyota Camrys and Corollas.
Background note: I've been a car nut pretty much since birth, but I recognized the climate imperative. My wife had a 2008 Prius and is now on her second Ford C-Max Energi PHEV (first one was leased, second was leased then purchased). I leased a BMW i3, and after that bought a Chevy Volt, into which I put about 8 gallons of gas every 4000 miles or so, unless I take a road trip. Would love to have gotten a Tesla Model 3, but the promised $35K version never materialized.
The Volt is pretty good in EV mode, but it's nowhere near as responsive as the i3, which was really good at the "I need to be in that next lane going 15 mph faster NOW" maneuver.
Just to amplify one thing: Elon Musk may be, or at least may have become, a colossal asshole, but the thing he's done with Tesla that will do more to drive EV adoption than anyone ever did was to make EVs COOL! Teslas are desirable not because just because they're EVs, but because they're fast, fun, and have amazing tech features. My San Diego County region is lousy with them, and more recently I've started seeing more other-brand EVs around: Chevy Bolts, VW ID 4s, Porsche Taycans, Kia Niros.
When I was 19 I wanted a Porsche. Then I saw the Tesla Roadster.
Though n.b.: You should remember to give credit for getting things started to Martin Eberhard! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Eberhard
Yes, good point. But it was still Musk who made it a viable business. Eberhard left/was pushed out of Tesla at the end of 2007, and the prototype Model S wasn't shown until 2009 and didn't reach production until 2012.