Electric cars hold great promise: zero emissions, no more trips to the gas station and government rebates and incentives to help lower the cost as drivers convert from gas-guzzling drivers into electric-buzzing cruisers.
But for many satisfied gas-engine drivers and auto enthusiasts, electric cars are not the zero emission salvation trumpeted by manufacturers like Tesla, Fisker, Nissan and others. Rather they are an inefficient means of travel that doesn’t live up to its billing as the greenest ride on the road.
While we like the promise of electric cars and have detailed the "Advantages of Electric Cars" in another article, we have to acknowledge their disadvantages. And if you are new to the electric car scene, read "Electric Cars: A Brief Overview" as well.
1. Driving range is less than 150 miles
The elephant in the room whenever the conversation turns to electric cars is the question of range. The majority of mass-market plug-in electric cars top out at about 100 miles on a fully-charged battery before needing to be plugged in again. For instance, the Nissan Leaf (Read: Nissan Leaf Preview) has a projected range of 100 miles. The Tesla Roadster (read: 2010 Tesla Roadster Review) has a reported range of up to 150 miles.
No matter the number, in the sparsely populated Western states, that’s a limit that would make a spontaneous road trip to Las Vegas virtually impossible. High-power charging stations only exist or are planned for a limited number of metropolitan areas on the West Coast and a few other scattered locales. Rural areas may need to wait decades before a suitable (i.e., fast and widely available) charging infrastructure exists, even under the rosiest best-case scenarios.
2. Pricing premium to go electric
Expect to pay a premium if you plan to go electric. One major question is how carmakers will charge for the upfront cost of the very expensive battery packs. Some have speculated a pack could add up to $10,000 in upfront cost, depending on the vehicle. Nissan has announced plans to sell the Leaf in the United States with the battery included (in other parts of the world they plan to sell the car and battery pack as separate items).
Since costs for the Leaf are not yet final, we can only speculate on pricing. But it’s realistic to expect that the expense of buying the battery pack up front or leasing a battery pack on a monthly basis could quickly erase the savings realized by eliminating gasoline and other routine gas-engine maintenance costs