Something you don't know about Electric Vehicles! 20 Negative Aspects of EVs

Are you considering buying an EV and sell your fossil based vehicle? Or do you feel pressured by the authorities to do just that? Do you think that you want to help to keep the earth clean? Or do you want to stop using fossil energy? Well, before you do that, consider the following (and then think again what you actually want):

1. Supporters of a California law admit there will be a 40% increase in demand for electricity, adding further strain to the grid and requiring increased costs for power and infrastructure.

2. If you buy your EV, the costs you can compare with the costs of two air conditioners.

3. 20 million American families, or one in six, have fallen behind on their electric bills, the highest amount ever.

4. Utility companies will need to add $5,800 in upgrades for every new EV for the next eight years in order to compensate for the demand for power.

5. The average price for an electric vehicle is currently $66,000, up more than 13% in just the last year, costing an average of $18,000 more than the average combustible engine. Meanwhile, the median household income is $67,521. For African American families, the average is $45,870, and for Hispanic households, $55,321.

6. A 2022 study found that the majority of EV charging occurs at home, leaving those who live in multifamily dwellings (apartments) at a real disadvantage for charging.

7. The same study also noted that many drivers charge their EVs overnight when solar power is less available on the grid.

8. The batteries of EVs rely on cobalt. An estimated 70% of the global supply of cobalt emanates from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a country with deplorable working conditions, especially for children.

9. Production of an average petrol car will involve emissions amounting to the equivalent of 5.6 tonnes of CO2, while for an average electric car, the figure is 8.8 tonnes. “Of that, nearly half is incurred in producing the battery.”

10. The production of electric cars uses rare earth metals such as neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium, not to mention lithium, which all have environmental consequences. Mining rare earth metals typically has harmful byproducts, leaving behind toxic failings that could contaminate the environment, MIT explains.

11. What is surprising, however, is how poor U.S. universal charging infrastructure is. This is one of the real disadvantages of electric cars today.

12. An EV road trip requires a network of strategically located charging stations. There are a rising number of “DC Fast-Charge” stations, especially on the West Coast, which can boost an EV to 80% charge in under an hour. Otherwise, recharging can take 3+ hours, so you’ll want to bring a book.

13. Mainstream EVs are hitting 180-250 miles range. That’s enough to make many day trips easy, but you’re still limited by charging infrastructure.

14. It’s also essential to remember that your weather and driving habits can negatively impact your range. If it’s a cold, humid day, and you’re running heat and defrost while driving in the rain, you might watch your range drop by 20%. If you live in cold northern climates, budget for at least a 25% drop in the winter.

15. Replace the battery is more than your vehicle might be worth — estimates range between $6,000 and $20,000 depending on the model. All EVs sold in the U.S. come with an eight-year/100k mile warranty. While that sounds like a great deal, keep in mind that the average age for a vehicle on the road in the U.S. is 12.1 years.

16. EVs are out of the price range of average citizens

17. The “clean and green” electric cars cause pollution too, albeit indirectly. While EVs have zero tailpipe emissions, the energy used to drive them is only as clean as the power plant that services you.

18. Customers demand range — range means more battery, and batteries are not light. That Taycan battery weighs 1,400 lbs alone — more than half a Mazda Miata!

19. While the electric vehicle is over a century old in concept, the modern electric car is far from it, because the technology is in development as we speak.

20. The resale value of such an automobile could become a significant burden for those that own them, if anyone will want to buy a 10-year-old electric vehicle. Imagine buying a “Palm Treo” phone from 2006 (Go ahead, Google that), which was considered a “smartphone” at the time.Leave a comment

If you asked a straight person if it would be wise to buy and use an EV, he would advise you to wait for some 20 or 30 years until the EV technology is adult and completed with its development.

But ... when you live in a small country with a size of Houston, you might reconsider it. On the other side, if we're going to be in the middle of an energy crisis, I would wait.