Electric Cars

[Starport Seven-Five]

It has been a nightmare already with one complex where the city allowed an apartment building that houses up to 800 people has only 300 parking spots.

https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/sacramento-state-on-off-campus-student-tenant-parking/103-5c5441c2-8aec-

Most of the "nightmares" in the article seem to be about car break ins and vandalism which have occurred in both the secured lots and street parking. More parking isn't the answer for that.

If parking minimums were increased, half of the apartment complexes in that article wouldn't exist... so I guess the parking availability problem would be solved in both directions.

 

[tvguy]

Most of the "nightmares" in the article seem to be about car break ins and vandalism which have occurred in both the secured lots and street parking. More parking isn't the answer for that.

If parking minimums were increased, half of the apartment complexes in that article wouldn't exist... so I guess the parking availability problem would be solved in both directions.

A common solution is making the building a story higher with parking on the lower floor.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Given the problems surrounding charging points, would people be more amicable towards self charging hybrids? Has this been brought up already?

 

[hertamaniac]

Aren't hybrids already self-charging through regenerative braking via the traction motors? And that's not including regenerative harvesting from the MGUH.

 

[tvguy]

Given the problems surrounding charging points, would people be more amicable towards self charging hybrids? Has this been brought up already?

I has been mentioned. We bought a hybrid and love it. Seems like a good compromise. Works for us, and the big advantage for us is being able to go 600 miles in most cases without stopping for fuel. Which kind of ties into my concern with all electric cars, needing to stop to charge every 200 to 300 miles on a long trip.

 

[dizneegirl]

About the time we have to stop to charge, we're ready to walk a little, or ready for a drink/snack/potty break.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

From gov.uk:

All new heavy goods vehicles in the UK will be zero-emission by 2040, the UK government has confirmed today (10 November 2021). This, combined with the UK 's 2030 phase out for petrol and diesel cars and vans, represents a world-leading pledge to end the sale of all polluting road vehicles within the next 2 decades.

So basically, in the next 6 years, we're all electric anyway.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Reviving this zombie thread for a prediction; I predict SF is about to throw a lot of money at installing curb-side chargers in low income areas that will then immediately be vandalized, because people in low income neighborhood cannot afford Teslas;
https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/san-francisco-curbside-charging-pilot-19251585.php
And before you start flaming me for be "anti-environment", I drive a 2012 Volt that I charge regularly at home. I use Chargepoint fairly regularly too, but that is unreliable as the tabs are frequently broken off of the plugs rendering them useless. Also, you can't trust that the owner of the unit (owned by the property owner, not Chargepoint) will charge a reasonable rate to use it. Most of them are $1/hour, the ones on Disney property are $1.50, but there are some that are A LOT more than that! How will the SF pilot program work? My money is on "not very well". I wouldn't be the first time SF has done something expensive with good intentions...without thinking it through.

 

[kdonnel]

Hopefully the city rolls out the feature in the areas where the city has observed charging cords snaking across public sidewalks or even strung over trees.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Ideally from my point of view batteries should be made with greater capacity and charging points made uniformly faster.

 

[kdonnel]

Ideally from my point of view batteries should be made with greater capacity and charging points made uniformly faster.

That’s like saying, ideally from my point of view cancer should be cured and there should not be any war in the world.

It’s a great sentiment.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

That’s like saying, ideally from my point of view cancer should be cured and there should not be any war in the world.

It’s a great sentiment.

HAH, yeah, you're right. But in an ideal world... geddit?

 

[dvcgirl67]

EV only for four years now in a Tesla Y. Never going back to an ICE vehicle. The convenience is incredible. It’s really cheap to run and maintain. And it’s by far the most fun I’ve ever had driving, and that includes the Porsche my husband had before we got the Tesla. We went down to one car at the beginning of the pandemic and no issues having just one EV. DH is able to take some deferred compensation this year and so we’re buying a Y before the end of the year. $7,500 off and no state tax here in NJ….too good or pass up.

 

[tvguy]

Can't speak to Tesla, but I will mention, that at least here, very hard to find a 2024 EV on any dealer lot. Their inventory is still 2023's even though the 2024 models have been available for 6 months now. They way overproduced and people just aren't buying them, and I am in California where EVs are very popular.

 

[kdonnel]

Can't speak to Tesla, but I will mention, that at least here, very hard to find a 2024 EV on any dealer lot. Their inventory is still 2023's even though the 2024 models have been available for 6 months now. They way overproduced and people just aren't buying them, and I am in California where EVs are very popular.

https://electrek.co/2024/03/15/rivian-rivn-hyundai-us-ev-registration-growth-january/

https://insideevs.com/news/712685/us-ev-registrations-january2024/

According to S&P Global Mobility's data (via Automotive News), battery-electric cars noted 89,042 new registrations (up 15% year-over-year). The growth is positive, however, the average in 2022 and 2023 was above 50%. (Note that registration data lags behind sales and deliveries by at least a few weeks, but it can be used as a proxy of sales, especially since not all sales numbers are publicly available on a monthly basis.)

So sales are still healthy and growing, just not growing as fast as years prior.

In January, new EV registrations accounted for 7.8% of the market, compared to 7.1% a year ago, the report says.

And it is not just Tesla that continues to grow. Tesla accounts for just over 50% of sales with all the other manufactures making up the rest.

According to the article, Tesla was responsible for 48,757 new registrations, up 15% year-over-year. That's about 54.8% of all EV registrations. Two-thirds of the volume falls on the Model Y (32,248 registrations), which alone accounts for 36% of the entire all-electric car segment.

It also means that the non-Tesla EV registrations amounted to 40,285, growing at a similar rate.

Seems relatively healthy to me with an overall 15% year over year growth in January.

 

[kdonnel]

As for the argument that EVs are just too expensive for the average buyer....

Average sales price in March 2023 of some popular auto categories:

• Vans: $58,078
• Luxury Full-Size SUVs and Crossovers: $124,250
• Entry-Level Luxury Cars: $110,983

People love their giant luxury cars in the US and are willing to pay for the size.

Everyone keeps saying that auto manufactures need to create a sub $30,000 EV and it will sell but the auto makers resist. They know better what sells and what does not and continue to make $45,000 and up EV.

Maybe the auto makers should instead start making bigger and bigger EV. Stop making the mid size SUV and small sedan.

Make giant Suburban sized beasts.

 

[hertamaniac]

And on the other side.

" In late January, Musk found he could no longer tap his apparently endless supply of optimism, reported an “underwhelming” quarter at Tesla, and made no major commitments for business targets in 2024. The company — which sold half of all U.S. EVs last year, its lowest market share here ever — admitted that “growth rate may be notably lower” for the foreseeable future. From there, Musk’s largest competitors in the EV space also reined in expectations. Ford slashed its production of F-150 Lightnings, and its dealers are revolting at having to sell the dud. General Motors slashed its sales projections for its fully plug-in cars. Volvo cut off funding for its Chinese EV partnership, Polestar. French automaker Renault canceled the initial public offering of its entrant, blaming the market."

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/art...-question-could-ev-sales-decline-in-2024.html

 

[kdonnel]

And on the other side.

There is a lot of EV skepticism and opinion in the article you posted.

This line alone, in my opinion, shows that the writer is including a great deal of their feelings and dislike of Elon Musk in what is an opinion piece.

Elon Musk fanboys and other tech trendsetters have all basically bought their EVs, and now major automakers have to contend with customers who don’t really care about the cars.

The opinion of the writer reaffirms my believe that we are firmly in the Chasm phase of EV adoption.



The product will succeed and the pragmatists will start buying or the product will fail and never progress. I think we will know in 5-10 years max.

 

[amylevan]

As for the argument that EVs are just too expensive for the average buyer....

Average sales price in March 2023 of some popular auto categories:

• Vans: $58,078
• Luxury Full-Size SUVs and Crossovers: $124,250
• Entry-Level Luxury Cars: $110,983

People love their giant luxury cars in the US and are willing to pay for the size.

Everyone keeps saying that auto manufactures need to create a sub $30,000 EV and it will sell but the auto makers resist. They know better what sells and what does not and continue to make $45,000 and up EV.

Maybe the auto makers should instead start making bigger and bigger EV. Stop making the mid size SUV and small sedan.

Make giant Suburban sized beasts.

The average US buyer is not buying luxury SUVs and cars.

 

[kdonnel]

The average US buyer is not buying luxury SUVs and cars.

The average very profitable to the dealer and manufacturer US buyer is buying luxury SUVs and cars. I think that extreme profit is why the auto makers tend to make the most expensive models first when a factory is ramping up.

Lots of people must be buying expensive cars though.

From the article linked in post #138:
The cost of an EV is, on average, $53,000 — still about 4 percent more expensive than your typical car

I think people want a sub $30,000 car but when presented with a $30,000 car and a $50,000 car they are apparently picking the $50,000 to get the features and comfort they want.

The argument that EVs are too expensive for the average car buyer seems to not be true anymore.