I recently read a statement by an electric car owner, Jerry Robbin Schultz, on the viability and costs of owning an electric car.
“I want to clear the air on electric car charging. We own a Telsa Model S90D, which we love. We bought it in 2015 for its technology (period) and it is fun to drive for the grand price of $118,000. Today, my technology car’s trade-in value is $40,000 – ouch! All said, this car is as expensive to own as a Lamborghini.
“Washington, D.C. is pushing these electric contraptions. What they are not telling you, it will always be more expensive to charge at a charging station than at home. Then again, charging at home with a 50- amp power will only get you 30 mile per hour charge until better technology comes and you upgrade to a newer electric car at a high price.
“In addition, if you charge at home, the chances that you have enough power in your panel is slim with serious dollars to upgrade the electric panel. Or, if you rent a house or an apartment, good luck. I hope you have deep pockets to set up a charging port.
“Now, my seven-year-old Telsa is in great condition. But when will the car batteries die and at what cost? I am told the cost is over $15,000 to replace. Not only that, but what landfill will end up with these batteries?
“Washington, D.C. is pushing electric and the bureaucrats pushing for electric will not do anything to stop the pain at the pump. Unfortunately, they do not care. Electric cars are not the answer.” (end of statement)
And now, electricity costs are skyrocketing again, along with everything else. It is predicted that by 2035, the chief automakers will have turned away from the internal combustion engine. It’ll be up to the grids to fuel all those new cars, trucks and buses.
Making America’s cars go electric is no longer primarily a story about building the cars. Against this ambitious backdrop, America’s electric grid will be sorely challenged by the need to deliver clean power to those cars. Today, though, it barely functions in times of ordinary stress, and fails altogether too often for comfort, as widespread blackouts in California, Texas, Louisiana and elsewhere have shown.
At Texas Representatives Ken King’s last townhall meeting in Dimmitt, he pointed out that the Texas grid will be further stressed by electric cars, stating it can’t handle it, and that doesn’t count the influx of out-of-staters moving in to increase demands on power.
Beyond that, most people have zero interest in buying an electric care – they are weird and expensive, they have a short range, have slower speeds, are slow charging, lack of charging infrastructure, fires and cost.
Apparently, the current White House administration, which pointed to “doing with less”, also meant do with less electricity and maybe none. That is where things are headed.