Why would you buy a high-end gas car now?

[Anonymous]

"Cause there's no electric car in the world as sexy as my Z4

[Anonymous]

Coming into this thread now: because, in 2021, gasoline cars are the default choice. They have existed as a widely purchased consumer product for over a century. Current ones are reliable, and there is a large infrastructure in place to refuel and service them. Failure modes are well known and well understood, as is the long-term cost of ownership. Unlike, say, Tesla, there are no forced firmware updates that change the car's behavior, and most gas-powered cars don't have telemetry systems to send the owner's driving data back to the manufacturer. My mechanic (whom I have known and trusted for years) can repair virtually any gas car. I doubt that he would be able to do the same with an electric equivalent.

For the average car owner (e.g. me), there would have to be a compelling advantage to get me to buy an electric car. That could be less maintenance, signficantly lower cost of ownership over the life of the car, or something else. We're not there yet. Right now, I look at electric cars and just see range limitations and unknown future repair expenses.

Also, I live in an apartment and park on the street. I have no easy way to charge an electric car, so someone will need to figure out that one.

I'm 45. I didn't think that I would ever buy an electric car. Now, I think that I will someday, particularly as the charging and repair infrastructure grows. But we aren't there yet. And, yes, I have a landline telephone at home because it is more reliable and has better sound quality than the "modern" alternatives. So, ask me the same question in 10-20 years, and you'll probably get a different answer. One unknown at this point is the ability of the electric grid to support wide use of electric cars, but I'm not an expert in that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coming into this thread now: because, in 2021, gasoline cars are the default choice. They have existed as a widely purchased consumer product for over a century. Current ones are reliable, and there is a large infrastructure in place to refuel and service them. Failure modes are well known and well understood, as is the long-term cost of ownership. Unlike, say, Tesla, there are no forced firmware updates that change the car's behavior, and most gas-powered cars don't have telemetry systems to send the owner's driving data back to the manufacturer. My mechanic (whom I have known and trusted for years) can repair virtually any gas car. I doubt that he would be able to do the same with an electric equivalent.

For the average car owner (e.g. me), there would have to be a compelling advantage to get me to buy an electric car. That could be less maintenance, signficantly lower cost of ownership over the life of the car, or something else. We're not there yet. Right now, I look at electric cars and just see range limitations and unknown future repair expenses.

Also, I live in an apartment and park on the street. I have no easy way to charge an electric car, so someone will need to figure out that one.

I'm 45. I didn't think that I would ever buy an electric car. Now, I think that I will someday, particularly as the charging and repair infrastructure grows. But we aren't there yet. And, yes, I have a landline telephone at home because it is more reliable and has better sound quality than the "modern" alternatives. So, ask me the same question in 10-20 years, and you'll probably get a different answer. One unknown at this point is the ability of the electric grid to support wide use of electric cars, but I'm not an expert in that.

This is a thoughtful answer (and you're certainly correct that gasoline cars are the default choice), but electric cars DO have less maintenance and significant lower costs of ownership, both because of the lower maintenance costs and the lower fuel costs. The lack of easy charging at home seems like a better argument in your case. I'm curious to see what D.C. does with its share of the money in the infrastructure bill for charging stations -- cities, in general, could come up with some good new ways to help people who don't have offstreet parking charge cars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the people complaining about how long it takes to charge an electric car. Rent a Tesla, take a road trip. Decide if it’s inconvenient or not for your lifestyle. The amount of baseless speculation is just ridiculous.

Why? Can't we just keep going with our gas or hybrid vehicles?

[Anonymous]

I think there's no excuse if you're able to afford it not to buy at least a hybrid. As the owner of an EV, I can attest that EV charging networks and technology still have a long way to go before they can be considered competitive with gas cars. It's simply much faster and much less stressful to stop for gas, than to locate an EV charging station and wait 30 minutes (sometimes in sketchy circumstances) to charge the EV.

That being said, hybrids are super convenient and while not as clean as EVs, are typically much more fuel efficient than their gas counterparts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the people complaining about how long it takes to charge an electric car. Rent a Tesla, take a road trip. Decide if it’s inconvenient or not for your lifestyle. The amount of baseless speculation is just ridiculous.

Why? Can't we just keep going with our gas or hybrid vehicles?

Of course you can, nobody is stopping you.

PP was just pointing out that all the people who have never even driven an electric car much less taken one on a long trip confidently saying "trips are too hard in an electric car" are basically being the automotive equivalent of a toddler who has never a certain food before saying "no I hate it!" before they've even tried it.

[Anonymous]

Yes I want a Mercedes sedan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the people complaining about how long it takes to charge an electric car. Rent a Tesla, take a road trip. Decide if it’s inconvenient or not for your lifestyle. The amount of baseless speculation is just ridiculous.

Why? Can't we just keep going with our gas or hybrid vehicles?

Of course you can, nobody is stopping you.

PP was just pointing out that all the people who have never even driven an electric car much less taken one on a long trip confidently saying "trips are too hard in an electric car" are basically being the automotive equivalent of a toddler who has never a certain food before saying "no I hate it!" before they've even tried it.

Not everyone has access to easy charging and its not just about electric vs. gas buy how you drive and how much. If you drive 30-50K miles a year on electric you aren't being more environmental than someone driving 8K a year in a gas car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the people complaining about how long it takes to charge an electric car. Rent a Tesla, take a road trip. Decide if it’s inconvenient or not for your lifestyle. The amount of baseless speculation is just ridiculous.

Why? Can't we just keep going with our gas or hybrid vehicles?

Of course you can, nobody is stopping you.

PP was just pointing out that all the people who have never even driven an electric car much less taken one on a long trip confidently saying "trips are too hard in an electric car" are basically being the automotive equivalent of a toddler who has never a certain food before saying "no I hate it!" before they've even tried it.

Not everyone has access to easy charging and its not just about electric vs. gas buy how you drive and how much. If you drive 30-50K miles a year on electric you aren't being more environmental than someone driving 8K a year in a gas car.

That's obviously true, but it's also obviously true that if you're driving 30,000 to 50,000 miles a year (which is an enormous amount of driving! that's 136 miles a day!), it'd be better to do it in an electric car than a gas one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coming into this thread now: because, in 2021, gasoline cars are the default choice. They have existed as a widely purchased consumer product for over a century. Current ones are reliable, and there is a large infrastructure in place to refuel and service them. Failure modes are well known and well understood, as is the long-term cost of ownership. Unlike, say, Tesla, there are no forced firmware updates that change the car's behavior, and most gas-powered cars don't have telemetry systems to send the owner's driving data back to the manufacturer. My mechanic (whom I have known and trusted for years) can repair virtually any gas car. I doubt that he would be able to do the same with an electric equivalent.

For the average car owner (e.g. me), there would have to be a compelling advantage to get me to buy an electric car. That could be less maintenance, signficantly lower cost of ownership over the life of the car, or something else. We're not there yet. Right now, I look at electric cars and just see range limitations and unknown future repair expenses.

Also, I live in an apartment and park on the street. I have no easy way to charge an electric car, so someone will need to figure out that one.

I'm 45. I didn't think that I would ever buy an electric car. Now, I think that I will someday, particularly as the charging and repair infrastructure grows. But we aren't there yet. And, yes, I have a landline telephone at home because it is more reliable and has better sound quality than the "modern" alternatives. So, ask me the same question in 10-20 years, and you'll probably get a different answer. One unknown at this point is the ability of the electric grid to support wide use of electric cars, but I'm not an expert in that.

Spot on. I am 55. I agree I did not think I would ever get an electric car but I can possibly see getting one in 10 or 20 years. I do think that is the time frame for widespread acceptance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the people complaining about how long it takes to charge an electric car. Rent a Tesla, take a road trip. Decide if it’s inconvenient or not for your lifestyle. The amount of baseless speculation is just ridiculous.

Why? Can't we just keep going with our gas or hybrid vehicles?

Of course you can, nobody is stopping you.

PP was just pointing out that all the people who have never even driven an electric car much less taken one on a long trip confidently saying "trips are too hard in an electric car" are basically being the automotive equivalent of a toddler who has never a certain food before saying "no I hate it!" before they've even tried it.

Not everyone has access to easy charging and its not just about electric vs. gas buy how you drive and how much. If you drive 30-50K miles a year on electric you aren't being more environmental than someone driving 8K a year in a gas car.

But you are comparing apples to oranges here. The question of the OP was on someone looking to buy a new car and chosing gas or electric, and the person would drive the same number of miles with either car. Not having easy access to charging at home is a valid point. If you have a carport you might be ok. In the first two weeks of ownership I charged my Tesla 3 with a 110V outlet overnight, which was enough for a 50 mile roundtrip commute. Having a 240V outlet installed is not that difficult and it costs about $500, and you'd be set. If it is street parking, you might need to sacrifice about 1 hour per week in charging, depending how much you drive. A lot of workplaces and shopping malls offer charging options, and that could solve your problem too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think there's no excuse if you're able to afford it not to buy at least a hybrid. As the owner of an EV, I can attest that EV charging networks and technology still have a long way to go before they can be considered competitive with gas cars. It's simply much faster and much less stressful to stop for gas, than to locate an EV charging station and wait 30 minutes (sometimes in sketchy circumstances) to charge the EV.

That being said, hybrids are super convenient and while not as clean as EVs, are typically much more fuel efficient than their gas counterparts.

It really depends on your vehicle usage. I drive under 5K a year. The impact I do vs. someone who puts on 30K miles is very different. Why should I spend more for an EV and the charging station for a vehicle I don't drive much or for any distance. And, they are significantly more expensive. I'll keep my gas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the people complaining about how long it takes to charge an electric car. Rent a Tesla, take a road trip. Decide if it’s inconvenient or not for your lifestyle. The amount of baseless speculation is just ridiculous.

Why? Can't we just keep going with our gas or hybrid vehicles?

Of course you can, nobody is stopping you.

PP was just pointing out that all the people who have never even driven an electric car much less taken one on a long trip confidently saying "trips are too hard in an electric car" are basically being the automotive equivalent of a toddler who has never a certain food before saying "no I hate it!" before they've even tried it.

Not everyone has access to easy charging and its not just about electric vs. gas buy how you drive and how much. If you drive 30-50K miles a year on electric you aren't being more environmental than someone driving 8K a year in a gas car.

But you are comparing apples to oranges here. The question of the OP was on someone looking to buy a new car and chosing gas or electric, and the person would drive the same number of miles with either car. Not having easy access to charging at home is a valid point. If you have a carport you might be ok. In the first two weeks of ownership I charged my Tesla 3 with a 110V outlet overnight, which was enough for a 50 mile roundtrip commute. Having a 240V outlet installed is not that difficult and it costs about $500, and you'd be set. If it is street parking, you might need to sacrifice about 1 hour per week in charging, depending how much you drive. A lot of workplaces and shopping malls offer charging options, and that could solve your problem too.

Its not comparing apples to oranges. Because it still takes a lot to generate the electricity you use for the car. Who wants to be bothered with all that? Also, not everyone wants to spend $50K on a vehicle and if I do, I want a fun car, not a boring sedan. Your 30K miles a year vs. mine aren't comparable so yes, you should drive an electric, but telling everyone who has different driving habits is silly.

And, with covid, I'm not going to a mall and we work at home so your suggestions are silly. I'm not risking covid to please someone when my actual footprint is low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the people complaining about how long it takes to charge an electric car. Rent a Tesla, take a road trip. Decide if it’s inconvenient or not for your lifestyle. The amount of baseless speculation is just ridiculous.

Why? Can't we just keep going with our gas or hybrid vehicles?

Of course you can, nobody is stopping you.

PP was just pointing out that all the people who have never even driven an electric car much less taken one on a long trip confidently saying "trips are too hard in an electric car" are basically being the automotive equivalent of a toddler who has never a certain food before saying "no I hate it!" before they've even tried it.

Not everyone has access to easy charging and its not just about electric vs. gas buy how you drive and how much. If you drive 30-50K miles a year on electric you aren't being more environmental than someone driving 8K a year in a gas car.

But you are comparing apples to oranges here. The question of the OP was on someone looking to buy a new car and chosing gas or electric, and the person would drive the same number of miles with either car. Not having easy access to charging at home is a valid point. If you have a carport you might be ok. In the first two weeks of ownership I charged my Tesla 3 with a 110V outlet overnight, which was enough for a 50 mile roundtrip commute. Having a 240V outlet installed is not that difficult and it costs about $500, and you'd be set. If it is street parking, you might need to sacrifice about 1 hour per week in charging, depending how much you drive. A lot of workplaces and shopping malls offer charging options, and that could solve your problem too.

Its not comparing apples to oranges. Because it still takes a lot to generate the electricity you use for the car. Who wants to be bothered with all that? Also, not everyone wants to spend $50K on a vehicle and if I do, I want a fun car, not a boring sedan. Your 30K miles a year vs. mine aren't comparable so yes, you should drive an electric, but telling everyone who has different driving habits is silly.

And, with covid, I'm not going to a mall and we work at home so your suggestions are silly. I'm not risking covid to please someone when my actual footprint is low.

Generating the electricity for the car is less harmful for the environment than burning gasoline, so that's not a great argument against the concept of EVs. Not every electric car costs $50,000. And you don't actually have to into a mall to charge your car at a fast-charging station that's located there -- we've charged at Walmart parking lots and never gotten out of the car except to plug in and unplug. It sounds like you don't drive much, so you'd have to charge even less often.

I wouldn't tell anyone to go out and replace their existing car with an electric one, no matter what powers it. But if you're getting a brand-new one, none of your objections to electric cars really seem to be insurmountable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because I don’t want an electric car. Ever.

OK grandpa.