Amid their widespread adoption by the public and numerous states passing legislation that will eventually mandate their purchase over their gasoline-powered brethren, a recent essay examined the pros and cons of owning an electric vehicle (EV), laying out the benefits they offer while also noting the harsh realities as well.
“The Inconvenient Truth About Electric Vehicles” by The Atlantic, examines the highlights – and challenges – of driving an EV and how, despite their numerous benefits, the experience nonetheless serves to “mythologize the car as the great equalizer.”
Essentially, while owning an EV can be a wonderful benefit in terms of maintenance and electricity costs and serving as a status symbol to your neighbors, they also can provide stresses related to “range anxiety” – the fear that an electric vehicle will not have enough battery charge to reach its destination, leaving its occupants stranded – the high costs associated with purchasing one, and charging infrastructure throughout the country still being nowhere near the level that is needed.
The essay notes that prices of EVs are lowering in an attempt to make them more affordable, but add-ons that would make them more practical for real-world driving are still keeping them out of the budgets of most Americans.
For example, the basic Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck starts at $55,000, but if a buyer opts for an extended-range battery – which increases its range from 230 miles to 320 – they can expect to pay at least $80,000.
“No one spends an extra $5,000 to get a bigger gas tank in a Honda Civic, but with an EV, economic status is suddenly more connected to how much of the world you get to see — and how stressed out or annoyed you’ll feel along the way,” the Atlantic’s article states.
The author of the essay also noted a stressful experience they had driving their Telsa in Death Valley, with no idea where the next charger was located while sweating over their rapidly diminishing battery.
“For those who never leave the comfort of the city, these concerns sound negligible,” the author says. “But so many of us want our cars to do everything, go everywhere, ferry us to the boundless life we imagine (or the one we’re promised in car commercials).”
Pluses when it comes to EV ownership, however, include “zoomy torque, lower maintenance costs, and the joy of leaving on the air-conditioning for your dog while you run into the store. They will cope with a new tension in the shoulders as the battery level keeps on falling while the next plug remains miles down the road. Fortunately, we have found the cure for range anxiety. It’s money.”
Joe Mcdermott is a staff reporter who keeps his eyes peeled for interesting automotive news. He works mainly for our subsidiary, The Published Reporter® as well as our IT firm, SEARCHEN NETWORKS®. Mcdermott, one of our first and thus veteran reporters, is also a data analyst for select independent news and media organizations in the United States.