I think cars in general are too big and heavy, EV and ICE alike. Particularly in the US. But this does not change the fact that there has been substantial technological improvements in EVs over the years, particularly the batteries. Their costs have come down and their energy density has gone up, allowing lighter batteries for a given range or increased range for a given weight. Car manufacturers can decide what to do with that weight & cost savings: Make lighter and cheaper EVs, or pack on more batteries and make EVs with more range. Often, they go for the latter option. And they are not entirely unjustified in making this decision. Many EV buyers or potential EV buyers complain about 'range anxiety'. Which is ironic, given that most daily driving is under 40 miles and for the most part all of that extra battery range is wasted 99% of the time. Another irony, most EV owners in the US do have a 2nd car that is a gas burner that they can use for long trips. So that is even less reason for the extra range. The EV owner below had a 210 mile EV range for years that worked fine for them. Yet they opted for an even longer range for their next purchase(335 mile) that was largely wasted. So I agree with you here that a small range EV commuter and a long range gas burner would be a good combination for 2 car households.mousepad wrote:Yes. but that is not progress. It's fighting tooth and nail to keep bau as is.
Progress would be to realize that EV ain't the same as gas. That it's nonsense to lug around a 1 ton battery on a 30 miles shopping trip or on a daily commute.
The answer is LESS. Less weight, less range, less size. Small & simple for short range use. And for long range trips, you go ahead and use gas.
Multi-Vehicle Households in the US: A Huge Opportunity For Lower-Range EVsThere have been several studies and surveys in recent years that peg 300 miles as the minimum amount of range for most Americans to feel comfortable when considering an electric vehicle. The fundamental issue is that consumers are comparing the ~400 miles of range on their gas-powered vehicle with their expectations of EVs. I get it. More range is better and provides greater options and more convenience for drivers. But there are tens of millions of US households that could get by just fine today with a 200-250 mile range EV. I know from first hand experience that 200-250 miles of range can suffice, especially if you live in temperate climate.
Does Every Household Actually Need 300 Miles of Range?
It makes sense for households that live in cold-weather regions, who take quite a few long trips per year, or only have one vehicle to prefer an EV with at least 300 miles of range. But what about everyone else?
* On average, EV owners drive 39 miles per day.
* 78% of EV owners also have a gas-powered vehicle in their household, yet they report doing a majority of their driving (87%) in their electric vehicle.
Lower-Range Electric Vehicles: The Perfect Second Car
For three years we survived just fine with a ~210-mile range EV as our primary car for everyday errands, weekend mid-range trips, and those long road trips I mentioned earlier. Now with a 335 mile range EV, long road-trips are easy, but 99% of the year that extra battery capacity goes completely unused. We are in essence carrying around extra unnecessary weight that makes the car more expensive and less efficient energy wise.
For size, I would prefer smaller cars for EV and ICE alike. Unfortunately the market is going in the opposite direction. The US is the worst offender in this category. At least in other car markets(China, Europe, Japan, etc) small and mini cars are a bigger slice of the market.
Trends in electric light-duty vehiclesIn China, the best-selling electric cars in 2022 were the Wuling Mini BEV, a small model priced at under USD 6 500, and BYD’s Dolphin, another small model, below USD 16 000. Together, these two models accounted for nearly 15% of Chinese BEV passenger car sales, illustrating the appetite for smaller models. To compare, the best-selling small BEVs across France, Germany and the United Kingdom – Fiat’s 500, Peugeot’s e-208 and Renault’s Zoe – were all priced above USD 35 000. Few small BEVs were sold in the United States.
SUVs and large car models dominate both EV and ICE markets
A major concern for global car markets – both EV and ICE – is the overwhelming dominance of SUVs and large models among available options. Carmakers are able to generate higher revenues from such models, given higher profit margins, which can cover some of the investments made in developing electric options. In certain cases, such as in the United States, larger vehicles can also benefit from less stringent fuel economy standards, hence creating an incentive for carmakers to slightly increase the vehicle size of a car for it to qualify as a light truck.
However, large models are more expensive, which poses significant affordability issues across the board, and all the more so in [emerging market and developing economies]. Large models also have implications for sustainability and supply chains, being equipped with larger batteries that require more critical minerals. In 2022, the sales-weighted average battery size of small battery electric cars ranged from 25 kWh in China to 35 kWh across France, Germany and the United Kingdom, and about 60 kWh in the United States. In comparison, the average for battery electric SUVs was around 70-75 kWh in these countries, and within the 75-90 kWh range for large car models.
Transitioning from ICE to electric is a priority for achieving net zero emissions targets, regardless of vehicle size, but mitigating the impacts of higher battery sizes will also be important. In France, Germany and the United Kingdom in 2022, the sales-weighted average weight of a battery electric SUV was 1.5 times higher than the average small battery electric car, requiring greater amounts of steel, aluminium and plastic; the battery in the SUV was twice as large, requiring about 75% more critical minerals. The CO2 emissions associated with materials processing, manufacturing and assembly can be estimated at more than 70% higher as a result.
You dullard, it's not the waiting in line, it's the 20 minutes or more you wait while the charger tops the battery. A million chargers won't solve that. 20 minutes for 200 miles, that's lame but I suppose it's a good opportunity to have your manbun re-platted.
