Engineering360: "Why so many drivers are stuck in neutral over EV ownership"

Not many are advertising the fuel cost in $/mile including the cost of the electricity for the hybrid or full electric types. I'm also concerned about the fires that some of them have. As I understand, they are difficult/impossible to put out.

The allure of EVs is going down because the public is getting educated about them. They are expensive, battery replacement is expensive, range is terrible--especially in cold weather, they're prone to catch fire and very difficult to extinguish when they do, AND people are realizing that they are not as environmentally friendly as they've been led to believe.

Chinese child labor to mine the rare earth elements that are used, disposal of these materials when the vehicle is taken out of service, vehicles are heavier for their size which means shorter tire life and more wear to roads are some environmental factors that are coming to light. Oh, yeah, let's not forget that the electrical grid can't handle a large number of these vehicles as well as the environmental impact of upgrading the grid.

Finally, the amount of pollution from gasoline vehicles has been reduced to virtually nothing. Aside from quiet operation and being able to charge them at home, EVs really don't offer many advantages over gasoline powered vehicles.

Not everything that is newer is better. Get over it!

Thank you for taking the time to comment.

Just to clarify, the article does not advocate that EVs are inherently better than gas-powered cars. It simply presents recent data and survey results reflecting why many remain hesitant to adopt EVs—much like the concerns you raised, including cost, range, battery life, and environmental impact.

It's clear there are complex trade-offs with any vehicle technology, and your points highlight the importance of continuing to evaluate both the benefits and the challenges of EV adoption. Open, fact-based discussions like this are key to moving the conversation forward.

Thanks again for reading and contributing to the dialogue.

It is my impression that almost everybody that actually wanted a battery car... has one by now, maybe even their second or third one. The rest of us still aren't "sold" and won't be any time soon. Also, many of these folks with battery cars still have an ICE car in their personal fleet, just in case. Said another way... even EV owners aren't fully "sold".

One last observation: the proportion of battery cars vs ICE cars in the used inventory continues to grow and stay well above the same ratio calculated on sales of new. This means that the used market for battery cars is simply not healthy. The used battery cars pile up, unsold, and let's face it... time is not your friend in the car world. It only adds to the fear of battery replaceability / affordability.

My 2011 Hyundai Elantra treats me just fine still. I bought it new - and it only has 53k miles on it after all this time. I'm definitely one of the apprehensive EV people I mentioned in the article.