Why don't people buy eletrical cars?

Question

The U.S. already knows how to make eletrical cars yet everyone continues to pollute. We could make a difference in our enviorment if they started to only make eletrical cars.

Answer 1

Dude,
I would buy a tesla roadster (100% electric) if I had a spare $100,000 just sitting around. Have you seen that thing? It's sexy. Linked below.

Cost may be the reason more people don't buy them. To get a decent motor/battery you've got to spend about $25,000 just on that. I could get a whole car and fuel it up for a year or so for what the motor and battery would cost.

Answer 2

I'd love to buy one, but the only one that could get me into town that's in production is the Tesla, which I can't afford yet. I will as soon as I can. For now, I'm blending E-85 into my regular gasoline engine to mitigate the damage - there's already ethanol in gas, so the corrosion is already happening. As long as the oxygen sensor doesn't trip (by putting too much ethanol in), I'm at least reducing the pollution caused.

Remember, not everyone lives 20 miles or less from a grocery store, or work.

I refuse to buy a new car until they make what I want at a price I can afford, and the EPA artificially keeps us from actually CONVERTING our cars to E-85/E-100 because of silly pollution laws written when alternative fuels meant "propane".

Be an individual. Make a choice - start blending, slowly, and let production of ethanol ramp up, then buy an electric car when they make one you can use.

Answer 3

While I agree with you for pursuing the alternative fuel technology, but there are some flaws in the electric car. The first one is that large auto companies and oil companies refuse to make them. Some people might argue by saying, "well what about the EV1's?" The EV1's were only LEASED in California only because of the ZEV (Zero Emissions Vehicle) act that was passed stating that in order to sell vehicles a portion of them had to be ZEV's. And after clever lobbying this act was revoked and the EV1's disappeared (even though there was a waiting list, infrastructure in place to support them, and all of the owners loved them). And even before that way back in the late 1800’s and in the early part of the1900’s electric cars were the most popular thing on the road (clean, quiet, easy to start, and cheaper than your average electric car), but when the electric starter for gasoline powered cars they took off and the electric cars disappeared until the late 1980’s.

2). The infrastructure to support electric cars isn't in place (even though they require very little infrastructure).

3). The mileage on the majority of electric car isn't good enough for the American public (but it is getting so much better with every advancement in battery technology and electric motors!)

4). Only small companies are creating electric cars, and since they are built by hand only small amounts can be built at a time, the companies really don't distribute nation-wide, and many of them cost too much with less features and are underpowered compared to your average gasoline powered car.

5). Until we can convert from oil to a Renewable energy source, electric cars won't be completely clean. Due to the fact that electricity is largely produced by coal.

Even though the electric cars have there milestones, LOOK OUT, because they WILL be coming to a garage near you soon.

Answer 4

Practical reasons include the fact that they are only really useful if you live in a city with everything close by. Most people would need a second car for long distance driving. Most people can't afford 2 cars and people in the city especially don't have the parking for 2 cars. The reason is maybe 10% conspiracy and 90% deficiencies in the current technology. I'll probably get a bunch of thumbs down for speaking the truth.

Answer 5

For starters a full electric car is way over 100,000 so it doesn't fit into many budgets. A hybrid car does, but it still isn't the full solution because you can't plug it in everywhere and they are a mite too small.
I know that in 2010 there will be more options and larger electric cars. So they are working on it. ;)

People don't understand how the environment will benefit by them driving electric cars. I get the impression that many people think that global warming is just a recurring phenomenon and the earth is just going thur a cycle. That is only partly true.

My way of thinking is if we aren't indeed going thur global warming what does it really hurt to be energy conscious anyway? I believe how we live now will impact how others live here on earth hundreds of years from now.

We owe it to the earth to become more caring and not just think of today and the next 25 years, but the next million!

Answer 6

Sometimes an electric car just doesnt cut it. Like if im taking a road trip. i can stop every hour to recharge the car for 8 hours. also electric cars are smaller. its all fine and dandy if you live 10 minutes away from the destination and do not need to take more than 2 people in the car, but sometimes, you just need a real car.

Answer 7

Electrics are primarily good for the city only, and are expensive.
1. Short driving range between charges, and charge time is long.
2. Moves most of the pollution from the city to the power plant location, so just transfers most pollution. Doesn't help overall pollution.

Answer 8

simple short range too small etc. everyone has an excuse why they won't buy one and the few that will is not enough sales too overcome the product development cost. all 3 us makers had test modals and quickly determined they would loose their a$$ putting them in full production. but with gas at $3 a gallon and climbing we may se them in a few years. If you really want one now you can convert a small car to electric for about 5000

Answer 9

Until a switch to nuclear power is made they won't make much difference to global warming (though massive improvements in air quality will occur).

Electric cars do have crappy range and take forever to charge not to mention needing new batteries every so often.

Answer 10

the 'real' cost of finding, recovering,and refining the rare earth elements needed for the batteries alone[20lb/car] negates the green factor . The primary sources for charging are still mainly fossil fuel driven.= no net gain. Do not despair, we are a very smart bunch o' monkeys. Sorry, no free lunch.