Although Hyundai is clearly ahead of the pack, even the South Korean auto giant admits that it doesn’t expect to begin mass-producing these batteries until at least 2030
So this is still some way off.
Ultimately none of it matters because EVs are still so obscenely expensive. And if you look for “budget” models, they are so barebones stripped out and tinny you might wonder if you’re suppose to run it with your feet like Flinstones… and somehow still cost 25k € with included gov eco subsidies.
EV is approaching 50% in several markets, in Norway it’s already way higher with 80-90% last I heard.
Battery technology is still developing, and the prices have already gone way way down compared to where they were a few years ago.
So now new models are introduced in the lower price range that actually have decent range and features.This lower price range is still a bit higher than cheap ICE cars. But EV is constantly improving, on both range and price, while ICE is not.
Also the EV is way cheaper to own, and has way lower price to charge than buying gasoline or diesel.
Finally the pollution from an EV is way lower, especially CO2, which drives climate change.So it seems pretty stupid to claim it doesn’t matter.
The government can actually help here with subsidies and nice loans for EVs.
It’ll take a while, but eventually the used market will fill up with EV’s, making them affordable for regular people.
To be honest I feel very uncomfortable buying an EV on the used market. Mainly because you don’t know how the battery was charged/used.
The recommendation is to keep the battery between 10 and 90 or 20 and 80 for battery longevity. But a lot of cars ending up on the second hand market are leasecars. And they don’t care about the battery that much as they’ll return it anyway in 4 years.
If you buy a 2nd hand car that is 4 years old and your battery is ducked after 3, you might as well buy a new one given the cost. Something I feel is less of a risk when buying 2nd hand ICE cars ( though the clutch on those cars is usually ducked because people need to start-stop like a racedriver because reasons ).
you need to look into some of the ev’s made in the last few years, i doubt even the worst offender could get a battery to sub 90% battery life in 4 years
If you buy a 2nd hand car that is 4 years old and your battery is ducked after 3
that’s 7 year old battery, most have a warranty of 160,000km / 8 years these days
i think the very first gen ev’s / nissan leafs with crappy passive cooling and smart phone batteries have planted the idea that batteries are a very delicate thing that needs constant maintenance, most 5 year old ev’s will have 95%+ battery health with another 10 years of life left
While I do feel the same way, it’s hard to not draw a comparison to the way you have no idea whether a used ICE car was maintained either. Many ppl will go thousands of miles over the recommended oil life for example, or they won’t top off coolant, or they won’t service the transmission. Many of those will result in failure with expenses rising to that of a new car too. It’s just a reality of used cars.
I do think that in EVs though instead of many cheaper parts that can culminate into a huge cost for the buyer it’s much more scary to have one part that if it goes you’re just screwed.
Most teslas have the 80% battery limit built in so you have to override it each time to get it over.
I don’t know if other brands have it too but I imagine if it’s made difficult to overcharge the battery then they’ll last longer on the second hand market.
Hyundai has a setting to choose when to stop charging. I typically charge to 80% except before a road trip.
That is true for DCFC but not L2.
They are only expensive up front. When you account for maintenance and the difference between the cost of gas and the cost of electricity, a lot of electrics come out well ahead within several years of purchase. That’s also not counting the societal costs in health issues, premature death, and the geopolitical turmoil caused by dependance on oil.
Not that electrics are a panacea for the societal costs of automobiles. Micro particles from tire wear is still a big issue, and rare earth minerals have geopolitical consequences of their own. But, on balance, electrics are cheaper for individuals and for society.
Thing is, I do so little driving I wouldn’t recoup costs through cheaper fuel when car costs so much more upfront.
If anyone can make EV for same price as ICE and isn’t 5 levels worse, I’d totally go electric. Instead I rather keep on driving 15 years old car that works flawlessly and I basically have no extra expenses with it other than fuel and oil and oil filter once a year that I replace myself.
If you have a 15 year old car that works flawlessly then, for environmental purposes, you should absolutely drive it into the ground. Unless it starts having problems that lead to accelerated emissions, the environmental impact of scrapping it and building a new electric will outweigh the benefits of driving an electric. What I’m saying is intended for someone buying a new vehicle.
It sounds like you are a pretty responsible car owner. For people prone to neglecting propper maintenance, electrics have an even bigger advantage. For someone who knows how to care for aged vehicles and is prone to actually doing it, buying a used vehicle to save it from the scrapyard can be more responsible than buying a new electric.
What’s frustrating though is the persistent myth that electrics are impractical because of cost. Every study I’ve seen shows a lower average cost of ownership and operation for electric than gas when comparing comparable years and models.
Which country are you in?
