What Would Get You To Buy An Electric Car?

[jyl]

What, if anything, would get you to buy an electric car (EV)?

Not a hybrid. I mean a purely electric powered car. Like a Tesla, Leaf, i3 (sans range extender).

Can you reduce it to numbers?. Like you would require range X miles, 0-60 Y seconds, gasoline cost $Z/gal, etc?

[dad911]

I'd have to be able to drive NJ to Key West......without long charging stops.

[Noah930]

I have a commute of 100 miles (each way). Right now, only the Tesla Model S will get from home to work and back. But I don't have $100K to buy a car. So for me, a minimum of 220 mile range is necessary. (Can't count on being able to plug-in at the offices to where I go.) It's also not practical to have to stop off 'bout halfway and visit a supercharger. I don't need to turn my 1.5 hour commute (each way) into a 2 hour commute.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Coolness to price ratio. a 40-50 mile range car is perfect for 75% of driving I do. Other 25% is covered by 2 other cars & truck.

Need a higher coolness to price ratio. Tesla is 1:1. Leaf is .2:1.

[Joe Bob]

^^^^ batteries need to be better.

[Steve Carlton]

I think 5 years from now we'll be laughing at what we had to choose from today.

[Red88Carrera]

Absolutely nothing would make me buy a totally electric car. Even if it was free.

Look at the smaller picture, golf carts...
Anybody that knows what they are doing wants nothing to do with an electric golf cart. I am pretty deep into the golf cart stuff. BTW... I am an electrical engineer also.

Cost of ownership is way too high.

[Flieger]

Fun, good looking (like a Tesla roadster) with 100 mile range minimum per 8 hour charge.

More importantly, the ability to charge at my apartment or workplace.

Oh yeah, and some extra discretionary income.

[Red88Carrera]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

I think 50 years from now we'll be laughing at what we had to choose from today.

Fixed it for ya...

[legion]

Chemical castration?

[Jrboulder]

My needs would take an act of congress before I buy an electric car. Charging takes forever with this silly domestic electricity we have.

(1) 3 phase power to residential customers and 3 phase chargers
(2) Possibly having the option for individual metering/billing for the electricity used to charge the car.
(3) some sort of legislation that requires landlords and HOAs to be ok with (but not pay for) additional wiring for electric chargers for cars. If I move it would potentially be a big hassle to even get my stupid car charged up.
(4) cars that don't look intentionally out of the ordinary. There are some, could be a better selection.

[jyl]

Been thinking about this.

A 200 mile range would be more than enough for my driving 350 days of the year. For most of those days, I would only need to recharge every week or two. Heck, a 100 mile range would be enough.

I'd need longer range for the other 15 days. Logically, I could rent a car or SUV for those 15 days, maybe cost $1500/yr, which would be far cheaper than owning a car (payment, maintenance, insurance on a vehicle reliable and comfortable enough for long family roadtrips).

[Dantilla]

A Tesla roadster appeals to me.

When prices come down, and if they have earned a reputation for reliability, I may end up buying one.

Not because it's electric, but because it's a really cool car. I'd probably enjoy a Lotus Elise just as much.

[Hugh R]

I drove the big ass RV from Shaver Lake back to Santa Clarita two weekends ago. On the top of the Grapevine (I-5 between Bakersfield and Los Angeles) there had been a really bad dual big rig accident with a fatality. No exits, it took us three hours to drive 7 miles. HOT, HOT day. I saw a Tesla on the side of the road with no where to recharge.

[JavaBrewer]

Put a K1 Speed lane to my work and give everyone open wheel carts that hit 50 mph in 3 seconds.

[chapo]

400 mile range

[intakexhaust]

To me, its all about the infrastructure. I would want a standardized, hot swappable battery network. Screw that long term charge wait. Want the ability to drive without fear of range.

Not interested in higher output but focus on range, something like 400 miles, using all accessories in all temps.

[Nickshu]

300-400 mile real world range (all conditions) and the ability to recharge from zero to 100% battery in the same time (or less) that it takes me to fill my gas tank.

[Charles Freeborn]

If our cars weren't all paid for and already very efficient I'd have a small electric like a leaf for 'round town grocery getting, and a high efficiency turbo diesel larger wagon / sedan for road trips.
The long range thing for a commuter or short hop car is pointless, since VERY seldom does a short hop exceed 100 miles. If I had the coin, I'd get a Tesla in a heartbeat.
I think the whole hybrid thing is a ridiculous premise. Carrying around 2 propulsion systems simply makes no sense.

[Charles Freeborn]

Originally Posted by Nickshu

300-400 mile real world range (all conditions) and the ability to recharge from zero to 100% battery in the same time (or less) that it takes me to fill my gas tank.