How smaller, more affordable electric cars can accelerate the green transition
How smaller, more affordable electric cars can accelerate the green transition
When lower-income households face affordability barriers, it’s not just their problem – it’s the missing link to achieving a full switch to electric vehicles.
Doesn't give the best reason clearly. Lighter vehicles need less battery weight to get a target range and get more range per kwh/kg, which also means more range per charging time. Batteries are the most expensive part of an EV, and smaller means better car performance.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't part of the problem that the auto industry wants to chase the higher profit margins on larger vehicles? As long as the perverse incentive is present it's going to be an uphill battle to get them to produce more compact, cost effective cars.
EPA rules also play a part. Why we can't have small trucks:
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=Why+we+can't+have+small+trucks
Pick any source ya like.
That's exactly the problem — in the US there's an extra tariff on larger vehicles, so the manufacturers face less competition and therefore earn greater profits if they only make big vehicles.
An argument I heard was that larger and luxurious cars finance the technology development necessary to produce more economic cars. Which I guess is true to some extend.
But there are also many other aspects that favor large and expensive cars over cheap and economic. We still should demand tighter regulations on cars.
Honestly, I live in a mostly rural area. It's 40 miles to the biggest large town/city, I'm 15 minutes to a grocery store. I'm lucky to work from home, but before that, I worked 20 minutes away. Even something with only an 80 mile range would do what I need it to do, so long as I can charge in public. I wouldn't like having that range, but I'd take it. IF IT DIDN'T COST AS MUCH AS A SHITTY HOUSE. Seriously, give us some cheap EVs that people can upgrade from later on and sell in the secondary market so poor folk like me can buy the equivalent of 98 Toyota Corolla.
I'm up in the mountains and remote too.
Just picked up a secondhand Dacia Spring with a still-200km range for 8k €
Perhaps the problem isn't that you can't get the cars, perhaps it's that you think cars have to be big
Search Carice ev. Hope it catches on.
Omg warn a person they might actually orgasm looking at that car! God that is sexy. Of course, it’s very expensive and won’t ever be “affordable,” but I would buy one immediately if I could justify that cash on a vehicle.
I’m a bit faint now.
Make them smaller, lighter, fewer wheels, and add two pedals.
Why Norway is rethinking its reliance on electric cars | Vox
It would also be nice of Norway to stop exporting so much oil.
Thank you. At last something that makes sense to me in this discourse.
The Japanese should sell electric KEI cars. Perfect for small runabouts, just make sure the interior also holds up.
The KEI cars by design don't fit all safety and environmental ratings at higher speed the consumers cars have to adhere to in North America.
They exist as a very specific portion of the automotive market created in Japan by legal limitations that defines their profiles and capacities for taxes purposes. The fact that KEI trucks can be imported is actually a lack of extended regulations to farm equipment in the US.
The North American automotive market has no monetary or legal incentives to sell even inspired KEI cars since they are to cheap to make a reasonable margin and no tax loophole exist to prop up the industry.
Are you conflating the chicken tax and the 25 year rule for imports?
My Kei truck is licensed as a "non-highway vehicle" in WA. Not using it as farm equipment at all.
Agreed that the US doesn't have the equivalent incentives that made the KEI category a thing in the first place in Japan.
Smaller cars need a good balance of range and charging speed. It’s fine if the car only goes 150 miles to the charge if it can recharge to full in 20 minutes.
Past compact EVs have gone around 80 to 100 and only come with slow charging. That’s not going to cut it anymore.
I don't see anyone talking about the significant cost to upgrade homes to allow for charging. I am going to buy a bolt, but I need to save an extra 6k to upgrade my panel, service and have a circuit put in. On top of that, the soonest I can get the work done is 10-12 weeks out.
There is a lot of addressable market that can add chargers inexpensively. But I get that doesn't mean much to anyone in a 70 year old home with a full panel, all electric appliances, and 2 AWG cable buried in the yard.
To try to save some money, make sure you really need the 40 amp charger circuit and make sure your panel really needs the upgrade. I don't want to imply that you are getting into $6k of work without thinking very hard, but here's some thoughts and observations, just in case your electrician didn't suggest all this.
Tandem breakers can be used to move two single-pole circuits into one breaker slot. Doing this with four circuits can free up space for a double. Also check on how much peak load you are actually pulling, then figure on how many reactive starting loads are realistically going to happen at once (like AC coming on). I have the 40 amp charger circuit, a 50 amp hot tub circuit, a dozen servers pulling ~7 amps all day, and two air conditioners (main 40 amp and garage mini-split 15 amp). My peak 1 minute load is like 59 amps while charging the car. All that said, if you have electric baseboard heat in your home that can be a lot tighter of a squeeze.
I have had the EV for two years and I also find that a 240v 15 amp charger circuit, 12 amp max charge would have been perfectly fine for me. That would allow recovery of about 60 miles overnight, or ~90 miles in a typical commute-to-commute time-span of 14 hours. That's with a big chonky Nissan Ariya, the Bolt will do better.
My understanding is that post NEC 2023 tandem breakers will not meet code. Yes, you can still buy them and yes I could put them in without people knowing..but that's not the way I do upgrades. You can still buy quad breakers but I don't think those ever met code.
Thanks for the info. I likely could be fine with a 20a/240v circuit...but i don't even have that available currently. I'll do some more research on the tandem breakers.
What the hell are you talking about ? I did it myself for 400€ in less than an hour.
Don't install a super fast charger at home. It's a) useless and b) not good for your EV's batteries. Install a 32a charger.
In the US we have building codes, permits, and inspections. While possible to upgrade the service to your house as a home owner it cannot be done quickly. It would be at least 2+ days with the power out if you can line up the power company and inspector properly.
I am only going to install a 32A charger. I need more service to my house to support it, 100A currently. I need a larger panel as I have no breaker space and I need the new circuit run ~150 ft away.
Please don't burn down your neighbors house. Less than an hour sounds like you cut corners.
Just stop by a fast charger every now and then. Some EVs will already charge like 80% in under 15 minutes. The next few years will see even faster charging. Might not be a need to upgrade.
Harder, Better, Greener, Smaller
it's litterally mattel car in the broom of the system by dfw
WTF did you just say?
