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[Deleted member 1235]

OPINION TIME

I recently got a fully electric car for work.

While being a smug jerk that frowns upon planet killers is certainly a big bonus, I was NOT prepared for this.

I like it BETTER than a regular car.

I chose to do it because in NL tax incentives make a 45000 car cost me approximately 80 euro a month inclusive fuel with no other overhead, so my mentality was ‘that’s a free car’

But this thing has a 450km range, it’s whizzy as fuck and it all feels a bit futuristic.

Granted I didn’t take it to Germany or something yet so I haven’t really experienced roadside charge times, but this is not negatively impacting my driving at all.

The new Hyundai Kona drives real nice and has a surprising amount of acceleration, which is real nice surprise. I was expecting ‘lame car but cheap price’ and so far it’s the best car I’ve ever had by a good bit.

I think in 10 or so years the uptake on these is going to be crazy, the downsides of having em are shrinking way faster than I expected.

(They really need to get price parity with gas to really save the planet though)

Incoming competing model is the
Kia Niro electric which is apparently slightly better (same engine and battery)

 

[Rentahamster]

I agree. They're awesome. Home solar panels + electric car + coin mining = win.


Well, maybe not the coin mining anymore.

 

[pr0cs]

Not convinced they'll be able to compete in my 8 months of winter. I'd like to try ludicrous mode tho

 

[G-Bus]

I'm in the market for a new vehicle and I'd totally go electric if they had a truck. Know they're on the way but I can't wait a few (?) Years.

Very much considering getting an older vehicle to hold me over for the next couple years until a truck is available.

 

[iconmaster]

Me when I can finally afford one:

 

[TrainedRage]

Im a man, so I prefer a car that makes noise, has a shifter, an engine that makes tiny explosions.
Feminize me if wrong.

 

[infinitys_7th]

I travel so much I'd need one that can go 450+ miles per charge reliably.

I'd love to have one otherwise. Hope it gets there soon.

 

[Cunth]

they don't sound good though. do they make any sound actually? isn't that dangerous for pedestrians?

 

[Trogdor1123]

I like both, but for me, the silence was dramatic. I like real loud (muscle) and really quiet cars I guess!

 

[EverydayBeast]

I don’t think car manufacturers are doing everything in their power to distribute fully electric cars, in some ways yes (offering both options) but it would be nice to see a mainstream car manufacturer force electric.

 

[jshackles]

I'm in the market for a new vehicle and I'd totally go electric if they had a truck. Know they're on the way but I can't wait a few (?) Years.

Very much considering getting an older vehicle to hold me over for the next couple years until a truck is available.

One of my co-workers pre ordered this bad boy: https://products.rivian.com/

They even filmed their commercial in my town!


Supposedly getting released later this year or early next.

 

[-Minsc-]

I estimate I'll make the switch in about ten years.

 

[hecatomb]

WW3 will give up on nukes and just EMP everyone.

 

[Soltype]

Don't think i'll ever get one, I just got an STI and I just love old mechanical cars too much.If they manage to make them feel raw, then I might give it a shot.

 

[5609481]

I just got an STI

I dunno, one time I thought that happened to me, and I definitely didn't go around posting on forums about it

_

As for the topic at hand, I think they are generally ugly. I need to go fast and look good doing it!

 

[Deleted member 1235]

they don't sound good though. do they make any sound actually? isn't that dangerous for pedestrians?

The kona has ‘vess’ which makes a whizzy sound you can turn off when going <30km/h to be a bit safer for pedestrians. Being able to disable it is also real handy for driveby shootings

 

[badblue]

I`d consider getting one. But the charging network kinda makes me wary.
With a gas or diesel vehicle, you could get road side assistance to run you up a bit of fuel if you have run out for whatever reason. Pretty much going to need a tow if you do that with an electric. I know it`s not really a major concern. But it`s the little things that keep me up at night. (night 3 of no sleep so far)

 

[VikramSidhu]

Nice post and useful content.

 

[JimiNutz]

I love the feel of shifting gears and the sound of a good engine but despite this am still really interested in electric vehicles and do plan to buy one within the next five years. At the moment anything decent is still a bit too expensive for my liking so I'm hoping that they start to reduce in price.

 

[llien]

Im a man, so I prefer a car that makes noise

Electric cars are required to make noise for safety reasons.

I chose to do it because in NL tax incentives make a 45000 car cost me approximately 80 euro a month inclusive fuel with no other overhead, so my mentality was ‘that’s a free car’

I pay about 185 for leasing per month, would easily switch to 80 euro per month car, if it were available in Germany.

PS
Are you sure you've calculated the expenses right? Because in Germany you don't save much on fuel, when switching to electric, as electricity is quite expensive at about 30 cents per kWh.

My napkin math shows me that electricity production of Germany would need to more than double, if all Germans would switch to electric.

 

[eot]

Not convinced they'll be able to compete in my 8 months of winter. I'd like to try ludicrous mode tho

Yeah, that battery is gonna discharge fast as hell when you park it outside. Hell, that can happen with regular cars too

 

[Von Hugh]

Are being considered -> you are considering

 

[Geki-D]

I just got an STI

Please, avatar quote, dear lord.

I almost got one last year but stopped at the last moment because I came to the conclusion that realistically, charging the thing would be a pain unless I got my own private parking space and installed a charge point.

And whilst where I live there are charging points (though not exactly at my front door either), I often like to make the drive to the UK (about 12-15 hours) and an electric car would seriously slow me down as I would be forced to stop and wait till it's charged along the way. Also in the town where my family in the UK lives (so where I stay) there is literally not one charge point, my only option would be to drive to the next town over or have a charge cable go from the house to the car parked in the road (assuming I can get a space right in front) and hope that in that dodgy as fuck chav infested area it doesn't get nicked.

Electric cars are really only for people who have their own garages, don't do really long voyages and rarely stray from the beaten paths of up to date cities.

 

[hariseldon]

My car is new enough that it'll do the job for the next 10 years I reckon so maybe by then the tech will be ready. In the UK we have a problem though, aside from the charger network which is a relatively easy fix and a matter of market forces. The national grid. Quite simply we don't have enough power stations, nor will we have them in 10 years time.

 

[Pagusas]

With no good cross over/electric suv in the US yet, I’ll be buying one last hybrid engine suv (new rav 4) to hold me over until we get that true good verhical.

Model 3 is way to low to the ground, feels like a clown car

Model X is wayyyyy over priced

Kia Niro is a car claiming to be an suv, but not fooling anyone, way to low to the groud


Also as another said. I don’t think the electric charging infrastructure is there yet to support having all electric cars in the family. My wife and I road trip too much.

 

[lock2k]

I actually work for an automotive company but electric cars will probably never be affordable in my country and since I'm average as fuck in terms of earnings I'll never have one. lol

 

[Deleted member 1235]

Electric cars are required to make noise for safety reasons.



I pay about 185 for leasing per month, would easily switch to 80 euro per month car, if it were available in Germany.

PS
Are you sure you've calculated the expenses right? Because in Germany you don't save much on fuel, when switching to electric, as electricity is quite expensive at about 30 cents per kWh.

My napkin math shows me that electricity production of Germany would need to more than double, if all Germans would switch to electric.

Well work supplies me a fuel card, so my math is solid 0 clue on cost of the power at all actually.

 

[Nelsin]

Tbh they have been superior since tesla model s was born.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

Tbh they have been superior since tesla model s was born.

Well sure, but the latest iterations (Kia Niro and Hyundai kona) are taking a big swing at the normal market.

Range concerns are much lower and the huge negatives of riding electric are a good bit smaller.

Im also making the argument after experiencing it that ‘flooring it’ in an EV feels better than a gas car. Instant and linear power is just better in both feels and speed.

 

[hariseldon]

Anyone who has had the pleasure of driving a real car on a race track will mourn the death of the internal combustion engine. It served us well, it was fucking glorious, it was thrash metal.

 

[jshackles]

I`d consider getting one. But the charging network kinda makes me wary.
With a gas or diesel vehicle, you could get road side assistance to run you up a bit of fuel if you have run out for whatever reason. Pretty much going to need a tow if you do that with an electric. I know it`s not really a major concern. But it`s the little things that keep me up at night. (night 3 of no sleep so far)

This seems like a problem that will market correct itself soon - companies providing roadside assistance will start carrying large and quickly dischargeable battery packs or something. Ran out of juice? Okay we'll be there in a few with 21000KWh or whatever.

 

[lil puff]

Im a man, so I prefer a car that makes noise, has a shifter, an engine that makes tiny explosions.
Feminize me if wrong.

What's really funny is when they put the artificial noise in them.

I personally do not understand the need to make over designed, overly stylized ugly cars. Make them look normal.

I think I read that the energy it takes to manufacture these cars offsets the benefit. It's better to keep the car you have and not go out and buy new cars.

 

[kingwingin]

Can companies really keep making more and more large car batteries while keeping it affordable? I thought they used rare elements like cobalt in them.

 

[JimiNutz]

This seems like a problem that will market correct itself soon - companies providing roadside assistance will start carrying large and quickly dischargeable battery packs or something. Ran out of juice? Okay we'll be there in a few with 21000KWh or whatever.

Another idea I heard was that when you go to charge your car at a station you could actually just swap out your battery for a fully charged one and keep on swapping batteries like this rather than waiting to charge each time.

 

[Pagusas]

Can companies really keep making more and more large car batteries while keeping it affordable? I thought they used rare elements like cobalt in them.

Its a big concern, right now its not a problem, but a single war could knock out material lines that will bring battery production to a halt.

 

[Soltype]

I dunno, one time I thought that happened to me, and I definitely didn't go around posting on forums about it

_

As for the topic at hand, I think they are generally ugly. I need to go fast and look good doing it!

Lol, should have just said WRX.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

What's really funny is when they put the artificial noise in them.

I personally do not understand the need to make over designed, overly stylized ugly cars. Make them look normal.

I think I read that the energy it takes to manufacture these cars offsets the benefit. It's better to keep the car you have and not go out and buy new cars.

That isnt funny, its safety. Mine makes the future engine sound below 30kmh and its specifically states its for pedestrian benefit.

Also what you think you read about the energy needed is nonsense, that was specifically levelled at prius. The answer in short is yes they cost more environment pixie points to make (hybrid in particular) but more than earn it back and then some, its not close.

https://science.howstuffworks.com/s...r-production-waste-offset-hybrid-benefits.htm

For mildly interesting figures my drive to and from work is around 50km (return trip) which i do every day and charge at work. So i charge between 10 and 12 kWh for that and it takes about 2hours.

Im currently discovering what the deal is in NL about plug-ins into your house in a row house, if i want to do that my cable needs to go across the footpath, so im asking local government if im allowed to use my own plastic cable guttering to keep it not a trip hazard or not.

If this is allowed, the electric system will plug into my house but the robots will connect the charging bill to my workplace, which will be rad.

Also in my neighborhood I can make an official request for a charging point and apparently it gets done it there is none within 300m or you, so fingers crossed on that.

Ah as for cost, using ‘averages’ price per km is around 1/3 the cost of gas in NL. Using these Dutch quotes

https://www.gewoonovergeld.nl/artikelen/elektrische-auto-vs-benzinewagen/

It states about 25c per kWh so my 50km trip would run me about 2.50-3 euro. Gas would be almost triple that

Regards maintenance, electrics win by miles, because no moving bits and any explosions are probably the unwanted kind, so wear and tear is much less of a thing.

 

[-Minsc-]

Can companies really keep making more and more large car batteries while keeping it affordable? I thought they used rare elements like cobalt in them.

Its a big concern, right now its not a problem, but a single war could knock out material lines that will bring battery production to a halt.

The batteries are something I am concerned about. I'd be curious to know what the environmental impact would be on increased mining for the materials needed. Increased demands can mean increased cut corners to meet it. Fickle people want things now (me included. ;P).

Other concerns I have are battery degradation. In five years will my car only drive half as far as normal?

Cold weather means different lubrication. Would an electric car require a battery sucking heater to function properly when transversing from a warm to cold climate.

Of course these may all be addressed.

 

[lil puff]

That isnt funny, its safety. Mine makes the future engine sound below 30kmh and its specifically states its for pedestrian benefit.

Also what you think you read about the energy needed is nonsense, that was specifically levelled at prius. The answer in short is yes they cost more environment pixie points to make (hybrid in particular) but more than earn it back and then some, its not close.

https://science.howstuffworks.com/s...r-production-waste-offset-hybrid-benefits.htm

For mildly interesting figures my drive to and from work is around 50km (return trip) which i do every day and charge at work. So i charge between 10 and 12 kWh for that and it takes about 2hours.

Im currently discovering what the deal is in NL about plug-ins into your house in a row house, if i want to do that my cable needs to go across the footpath, so im asking local government if im allowed to use my own plastic cable guttering to keep it not a trip hazard or not.

If this is allowed, the electric system will plug into my house but the robots will connect the charging bill to my workplace, which will be rad.

Also in my neighborhood I can make an official request for a charging point and apparently it gets done it there is none within 300m or you, so fingers crossed on that

All fair points, especially about the engine noise. I was tongue in cheek on that. Even in video games, e-cars are impossible to drive because they make literally no noise.

What I was suggesting was if everyone just went out and bought an E-car right now, the production would be crazy and it's better that we don't just go out and buy e-things unless necessary.

 

[Freedom Gate Co.]

I feel most people who have car accidents like getting hit by another car or running into trees would prefer a car that doesn't instantly explode on hard impact with zero chance of survival, unlike a regular car which will have airbags and the car will get damaged but in most cases won't blow up.

 

[ResilientBanana]

Bought a Ford Fusion Hybrid and love it. I'd go all electric but I couldn't afford it.

 

[WaterAstro]

Hyundai Ioniq and Kona are both great by the fact that they look like normal cars and don't cost that expensive like a Tesla.

My parents bought a gas car, and I argued that an electric car, even a plug-in hybrid (because they hate the plugging inconvenience) is better for them, their grand kids and great grand kids, and the environment. They talked about how it is "$7000" more expensive, BUT the government incentives WILL amount to $8500 to $11000. Then you factor in the savings in gas, the fact that, in my area, insurance automatically is cheaper for electric cars, and all those savings just means any electric car is always going to be cheaper than regular gas cars.

At the same time, I think they could have gotten a cheaper gas car anyway.

Me when I can finally afford one:

If you can't afford an electric car, you can't afford a car period. They are so affordable these days. And like I pointed out in my situation, when the government give incentives, it ends up being cheaper than gas cars.

 

[Solomeena]

I don't know if someone already said it but electric cars are inconvenient solely because of the fact that if you live in an apartment you have no damn where to charge your freaking battery and no, i am not going to sit at some charging station for 30 minutes of my day to charge up the car. Until the find a way to charge up the car in 5 minutes or so like filling your gas tank they will never be mainstream.

 

[JimiNutz]

I don't know if someone already said it but electric cars are inconvenient solely because of the fact that if you live in an apartment you have no damn where to charge your freaking battery and no, i am not going to sit at some charging station for 30 minutes of my day to charge up the car. Until the find a way to charge up the car in 5 minutes or so like filling your gas tank they will never be mainstream.

I think one of the proposed solutions is battery swap. So when you turn up to an external 'charging station' rather than actual sitting there and charging up your battery you just tale out your empty battery and swap it for a battery that is already charged and ready to go. This would obviously require that there are only a few different types of battery though.

 

[farmerboy]

My irrefutable evidence

 

[TheShadowLord]

If you can't afford an electric car, you can't afford a car period. They are so affordable these days. And like I pointed out in my situation, when the government give incentives, it ends up being cheaper than gas cars.

Trump Admission wants to end the subsidies for electric cars though, no?

 

[lil puff]

Trump Admission wants to end the subsidies for electric cars though, no?

Trump is temporary. I believe the incentives will be withstanding.

 

[Shifty]

they don't sound good though. do they make any sound actually? isn't that dangerous for pedestrians?

The question at the forefront of my mind is "what does the australian hooning community think of electric cars?"

Quiet, perfect traction, smooth accelleration with the top speed of a milk float. The burnouts must be magnificent.

 

[TheShadowLord]

Trump is temporary. I believe the incentives will be withstanding.

I doubt that until they are role right back in once he leaves in 2024

 

[lil puff]

well there is chance you get a non energy president up ahead for sure. I stopped making predictions.