What do you think are the negatives to owning and driving an Electric Car?

Question

I already have a broad knowledge of Electric cars from past to present. I want to hear your perspectives so that I know what makes people either concerned about Electric Cars, or shows potential knowledge gaps due to education not fully teaching this technology. Since media shows you clever ads all the time in favor of tough or flashy gas driven vehicles, and since gas vehicles are all we know to this point, paradigms get created. Your answers will help enlighten all of us on this issue.

Answer 1

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Technology doesn't stand still, and the majority of electric vehicle negatives on peoples' minds have already been addressed.
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Unfortunately, the EV has a bad reputation to overcome, based on numerous past attempts to revive the technology. You can see this, based on some of the other answers here. Most of these negatives are unfair, even to old technology electric vehicles.
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For instance, electric vehicle technology is very reliable, and it has always been so. I drive an EV built in 1981. The electric motor has never need service in 25 years. How is this possible? Electric motors have only one moving part. There is nothing to break. No oil changes, filters, coolant, or anything else is needed.
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Another example: Are EVs dangerous to the environment because of power plant pollution, or toxic battery chemistries? No, they are not. EVs are far more efficient, so even if dirty fuel is burned at the plant, much less pollution is generated, compared to gasoline powered cars.
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But it's not even this bad, because only 50% of electricity is made from coal, and only 3% from oil. And this situation, unlike gasoline, will steadily improve as the power grid gets cleaner.
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Also, newer battery chemistries, like Li-Ion and supercapacitors, use much less harmful substances (the EPA doesn't consider Li-Ions to be hazardous), have much longer useful lives (supercapacitors should last the life of the car), and are fully recyclable. So-called 'battery pollution' needs also to be compared in context with used motor oil and coolant from typical cars, as these substances pose far greater risks to the environment than used batteries do.
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How about electricity demand? Won't EVs strain the grid to the breaking point? Again, no, because EVs, for the most part, charge at night - when electricity now goes to waste. That's right, plenty of electricity goes to waste overnight because power plants can't shut completely off when demand eases. Several million EVs can charge overnight before any additional capacity will be needed.
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Also, large amounts of electricity is used to refine gasoline! This electricity can simply be shifted over to directly power EVs.
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How about the driving range problem? This problem is being addressed right now with some exciting new technologies like supercapacitors:
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http://imdb.com/title/tt0489037/board/thread/64444673?d=latest&t=20070119204822#latest
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And by new Li-Ion battery designs:
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http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/957
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And here's a car that puts it all together. This car can go up to 250 miles per charge, carries 5 people plus cargo at 95mph, and can charge in only TEN MINUTES. The battery technology used is expected to have at least a ten-year life span. The Phoenix can be pre-ordered right now for delivery later this year, it is a real car:
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http://phoenixmotorcars.com/models/fleet.html
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Answer 2

The main problem I can think of is what do you do with the batteries when they wear down and need to be replaced.
Imagine the cost for replacing the batteries, but I guess over the life span the money saved over IC engines would even that out.

I think the Hybrids are the way to go. If you are on a longer trip or batteries start to wear down, you can still motate with the small gas engine.

I heard about one guy from California, with a Toyota Prius. He added more batteries to the trunk and charges right off his wall plug at his house. He has increased his mileage to over 75 mpg and the house electricity is coming out cheaper then the pump.

Answer 3

GM. They created it, yet additionally they killed it. The GM EV-a million got here out into 1996 for hire to three style of Californians and Arizonians. it ought to pass as much as one hundred fifty miles in step with 8 hours of charge, or 80% potential with purely 2 to 3 hours charge. They have been very standard with their proprietors (even Jay Leno had one). yet in 2003, GM canceled this methodology, reclaimed the automobiles from the lessees, and overwhelmed them. some automobiles given to museums and universities nevertheless exist. Why did GM kill their own electric vehicle? no person is conscious for confident. Their explication replaced into that adequate could no longer be bought to make a income--yet does no longer you purchase one? So now GM is delaying in freeing the Chevy Volt electric vehicle, that can purely pass 40 miles on a charge! This sounds like they are shifting interior the incorrect direction, does not it?

Answer 4

my humble opinion is that electric cars are not a solution to anything. Imagine if all cars were electric. You will move the pollution from the tailpipes to the electric powerplant stacks. There will also not be nearly enough powerplant capacity, so we'll have to build many many more. Fossil fuel still powers electric cars, it's just not stored in a gas tank. It's stored in the coal piles or the natural gas that feeds the boilers.

Answer 5

reliability meaning the technology allot of to days high tech vehicles have so many little problems manly do the high tech
it all ways works on paper but in real life it just doesn't pan out
do to ever day wear and tear that seems to be a big factor in electronics I'm sure they would work fine but for how long

Answer 6

The top 2 concerns for me are:
1) availability of refueling stations
2) ability of the car to travel long distances