A magazine named “Motor Junkie” posted an article titled 20 Downsides Of Electric Vehicles Drivers Often Overlook, by a fellow named Vukasin Herbez (https://motor-junkie.com/20-downsides-of-electric-vehicles-drivers-often-overlook/31416/2/). It’s oil industry propaganda and mostly bullshit, and it’s being promoted on Facebook. Mr. Herbez writes:
He first cites “Short Range Anxiety.” I don’t know when this piece was written, but this is no longer a problem, and seldom would be for most. Few people drive anywhere near two hundred miles every day, except for vacations. Many fly to their destinations and rent a car once there. For that yearly trip, flying or not, just rent a gasoline car.
Not a diesel car, I hate those noisy, stinking things. He piles on, saying that Tesla’s 300 mile range doesn’t compare to a diesel... and this is a problem, why?
Number two was “Long Charging Times”. Again, this would only be a problem on a long trip. Plug it in at night and it’s completely charged the next morning. You probably won’t even need to every day unless you have a thirty mile commute to work.
He says “Putting the fuel in your car only takes a couple of minutes compared to charging your vehicle overnight.” Again, how is this a problem? Plug it in, go in the house, unplug it the next morning. Far better than standing there in twenty degree weather for fifteen minutes while your gas tank fills, especially if you have a heated garage.
Then he cites “Trip Planning Problems” as number three, when he actually simply repeated numbers one and two. As propagandists go, this guy isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, and as Terry Pratchett said, he might even be a spoon. He says “You can’t plan a fast trip in an electric car without knowing the location of charging stations.” Again, EVs are so far not that good for traveling long distances, but in twenty years all gas stations will also have charging ports, and since technology advances so fast, you’ll probably be able to charge as fast as filling a gas tank.
But that’s the future. For now, rent a gasoline vehicle for long trips, bringing us to his next point, “Mostly Good for Urban Use”. Exactly the same argument as the first three. So far the four reasons are all “not good for long trips”. If you’re a traveling salesman, an EV is not for you. If you aren’t, and drive less than fifty miles to work, it’s not a problem.
He says “Also, if you run out of juice while driving in the city, which often happens with electric vehicles, you can easily find a cab, Uber, bus, or some other form of transportation to get home.” This is brain-dead stupid, and he likely knows it. You’re no more likely to run out of electricity than you are running out of gas; they put gauges in them!” Stupid.
Next is “Not So Environmentally-Friendly”. His argument is about their manufacture. “While it’s true that electric vehicles have zero emissions, did you ever think about what it takes to make just one electric vehicle? Apparently, the process of making a big chunk of Lithium-Ion batteries as well as their disposal is polluting since they aren’t recyclable.”
If lithium batteries aren’t recyclable, then why do electronics recyclers take them? This argument is nonsense, especially with the number of oil, transmission fluid, and coolant changes are needed in a gasoline engine.
His “zero emissions” statement is often untrue as well—it depends on where your electricity comes from. If it’s solar panels on your house’s roof, or your electricity comes from wind, solar, hydroelectric, or nuclear, you do indeed have a zero emissions vehicle. But I live in a city that generates its electricity from burning coal. If I had an electric car, it would pollute more than the gasoline car I drive now unless I had a solar roof. Not sure about natural gas, that is probably cleaner than gasoline.
He then resorts to a flat-out falsehood. “Also, electric vehicles demand more electricity.” Well, DUH! That part’s true, but then comes the whopper: “That comes from thermoelectric or nuclear power plants, which are extremely dangerous because they’re choking the Earth.”
Thermoelectric and nuclear do NOT “choke the Earth”, carbon emissions do. And there have been no new nukes because of cost for decades.
“The rising demand for electric power will only raise the level of global pollution. This is actually far beyond what internal combustion engines are doing now.” Again, this is flat out bovine excrement. Generating the electricity for your car, even if it’s a natural gas generator, will pollute far less than any internal combustion engine.
Next he cites cost, calling himself a liar as he does so in the next paragraph. “Too Expensive. Since electric vehicles feature the latest, most advanced technology, they cost more. For example, there is a range of electric cars for sale on the current market, with the top models going for well over $100,000.”
All new high end cars feature the latest technologies, and many of them cost far more than the most expensive Tesla. Then he admits to being a liar: “Although there are affordable models like the Volkswagen Golf E or Nissan Leaf, electric vehicles still cost significantly more than models that run on fossil fuels.” Yep, read it again. NOT ALL EVs ARE EXPENSIVE!
Next is “Repair Difficulties. If you own an electric car, you can forget going to your local shop or fixing it inexpensively. Regardless of the type and the model, all-electric vehicles require specific maintenance and service procedures as well as extremely high safety standards.”
The thing is, your EV won’t need much maintenance. There are no oil, coolant, transmission, or any other fluid changes. Your only needed maintenance will be tires, or perhaps brakes. Your normal mechanic will be able to perform them, but he’s going to miss all those fluid changes.
An internal combustion engine has pistons, gears, belts, pumps, thousands of parts to wear out. An EV has two or four electric motors, steering, and braking. When is the last time the furnace fan in your house went out?
Then he says “Also, servicing electric cars can be quite dangerous because most of the car’s mechanics consist of battery packs under high voltage.” High voltage? My dad was an electrical lineman who dealt with 90,000 volts on the towers, 750 in the residential lines. Guess what? You can unplug a battery!
“Also, in case of a fire, you can’t just put it out with water. You have to use a special fire extinguisher since the batteries burn at a much higher temperature.”
Wrong again. You can’t put a gasoline fire out with water, either, you use CO2,, just like an electric vehicle.
Here comes more BS: “Too Heavy. One of the main downsides of having a big battery pack underneath your car is the additional weight. While most modern vehicles are heavy due to all the extra safety and comfort options, electric vehicles are the heaviest champions. On smaller models like the Kia Soul EV, the electric batteries add around 450 extra pounds of weight.”
How much does twenty gallons of gas weigh? 120 pounds. Add the weight of the engine and all its fluids and the weight is far more than an EV, but really, what does it matter what it weighs? If the extra weight is at the bottom of the car, like most EVs, the more the better, as it will make your handling far better since there is a lower center of gravity; the heavy gasoline engine isn’t under the car.
Next is “Cold Temperature Issues”, and he actually has a point here. Your range won’t be as far when it’s freezing, even without the heater turned on. In Illinois, you’ll need the heater. But again, if you drive less than a hundred miles a day you’ll be alright, especially if you have a garage.
After his sole valid point, he wades deeper into the manure and complains about “slow” top speeds. To his credit, he faults only the cheaper cars, admitting that “there are some electric supercars with insane high speeds like the Rimac Concept One, most regular everyday EVs are quite slow,” neglecting the insanely fast Tesla. His complaint? “The top speed of the Golf E or Kia Soul EV is limited to below 100 mph, for instance.”
This argument is as dumb as a box of rocks. When was the last time you drove at over a hundred miles an hour? When I was in the Air Force in 1974 driving across Death Valley in my new ‘74 Gremlin I discovered that its top speed with the air conditioner running was ninety five miles an hour.
After that incredibly idiotic point he repeats “Highway Driving Consumption”. Yeah, dude, you already said they’re crappy at long range driving.
Then comes a gem for the ignorant: “High Heavy Load Consumption. Tesla may tease their fans with the Cybertruck, a rig they designed to be the first fully-electric commercial vehicle, but the truth is, that is far from reality. No matter how strong or big your battery pack is, the energy consumption under a heavy load is excessive.” Yes, it is, just like an internal combustion vehicle. Here’s a tidbit for you, freight trains are electric vehicles and have been since steam was obsolete. In a locomotive, a diesel generator runs the electric motors, since no internal combustion engine has enough torque to pull a train.
Not that his missed point even matters in a passenger vehicle.
Then he appeals to the least intelligent privacy conscious people, saying “Ease of Tracking Your Movements. Most upscale electric vehicles like Tesla Model S or Porsche Tycan have advanced infotainment and driving aid systems as standard equipment.” As if high end gasoline autos don’t.
Then we travel farther into the stupid with “Just Plain Ugly.” As if ugly isn’t in the eye of the beholder! Has this blind man never seen a Jeep or a Humvee, or that incredibly boxy Honda SUV? Ugh! EVs I’ve seen look like normal cars, not the least ugly. He does admit that “There are some electric vehicles that are stunning beauties.” He then rags on an electric Mustang! “Even the 2021 Mustang Mach E, which shares many design elements with the regular, gasoline-powered Mustang, is not an attractive car.” As if it has anything at all with the fact that it’s electric.
This is reminiscent of the US president’s assertion that windmills are ugly. Really? CWLP’s smoke-belching smokestacks are pretty? Talk about questionable taste!
Then he finally gets to the real reason he hates EVs: “Threatening Existing Economy Models. Some economic experts fear that the mass production of electric vehicles and focus on this kind of technology will destroy the current economic model.”
Exactly. Our atmosphere has way too much carbon, and we need to stop adding more as soon as possible. The coal and oil companies are going to have to go away or civilization may not survive, and if it does, it will certainly be a lot worse than conditions today.
“Also, think about the enormous car industry with all the companies that make fuel-related products, such as engine parts, fuel injection systems, transmissions and drivetrain components. All those companies and millions of people will be out of a job, which would put further strain on the economy and global standards.”
NO!! We can’t have electric lights! It will put all the candle manufacturers out of business! No, we can’t start building and selling those infernal horseless carriages! What will it do to the horse breeding industry, oat farmers, buggy whip makers? Wagon manufacturers! NO!! We can’t have moving pictures, it will put Vaudeville out of business!
“Major Car Companies Aren’t So Sure.” Like Wikipedia says, “citation needed.” He offers no evidence for his probable lie.
“Practically Unusable in Third World Countries and Markets. The EV craze is limited to just a few first world countries and markets in the world.” Craze? That’s what they said about automobiles in 1890.
“If you go to remote parts of the world or any of the developing countries, you’ll notice that fossil fuels are still the primary source of energy, and that’s not likely to change soon.”
Actually, it will. The third world has no electrical infrastructure, but when it does it will almost certainly be clean energy. You need refineries to run gasoline, not so electric. Just solar panels.
“Buyers Still Consider EVs a Gimmick.” How stupid is his intended audience? I’ve not once, at least before reading this article, heard EVs called a gimmick. Maybe the oil barons do, whistling past the graveyard.
“An EV Can’t Be the Only Car in Your Household.” Last time I looked, most US families own more than one vehicle. I only need one, since I live alone, but most don’t. And when Covid is over and I can travel again, I’ll rent a car, because my old 2004 is really uncomfortable. I’d do the same if it was a comfortable EV.
“A Hard Sell. Most drivers lease their electric cars and then return them to the dealer after a few years to get a new model. However, those people who have bought electric vehicles could experience great difficulty selling them on the used car market or trading them in at the dealership. That is because electric cars depreciate much faster than gas-powered vehicles since the technology is so new and still evolving.”
That makes them perfect for me, because I buy my cars used. I’m not going to waste money on full coverage insurance and interest payments when I can get a five year old car that looks and feels new for under ten thousand! I bought my ‘04 for $6,000 in 2014. About to trade it in.
I’m looking forward to putting a used Tesla on my credit card, and paying it off in a few months. Maybe in a few years it will actually happen.