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View Poll Results: Why wouldn't you consider buying an EV today?
Purchase cost is too Expensive 229 34.08%
Not enough options 142 21.13%
Limited battery range 226 33.63%
Inadequate charging facilities 267 39.73%
Uncertainty of battery life and repair costs after 5-7 years 156 23.21%
All of the above 307 45.68%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 672. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 23rd October 2019, 05:55   #16
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re: What are the reasons you won't buy an EV today?

My dream EV is Kona. If it is available for 15 Lakhs, I'd pick it up. Till then I wait. Simple!
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Old 23rd October 2019, 07:42   #17
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re: What are the reasons you won't buy an EV today?

Voted for "Uncertainty of battery life!" I prefer to wait out and observe from the sidelines till such a time as the technology shows some maturity in my subjective analysis and typical niggles are ironed out.

Would love for that to happen sooner though. I am guessing the battery of choice will also see some standardization over the next 5-7 years.
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Old 23rd October 2019, 07:54   #18
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re: What are the reasons you won't buy an EV today?

Needed a "fear of high depreciation" option too. It is a huge concern, with that likely being 30-50% of total cost of ownership in a car like the Kona.

Closest being "uncertainty over battery life", voted for that.
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Old 23rd October 2019, 09:01   #19
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re: What are the reasons you won't buy an EV today?

Voted for "all of the above".

But truth be told, the real reason is

" Main bali ka bakra ban na nahi chahta " - I don't want to be a guinea pig.

I will rather wait for a while, let the product and process mature and then plonk my money.

I will buy an e vehicle for sure: but not now.

The time isn't ripe, yet!
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Old 23rd October 2019, 09:18   #20
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re: What are the reasons you won't buy an EV today?

Voted 'All of the above' as all the mentioned options do hold true.

At this moment, EVs are neither practical nor affordable as a replacement for conventional fossil fuel powered vehicles. The prices are too steep for them to be considered as an option instead of a conventional car. Range is low and the uncertainty of battery life acts as a deterrent. 5 or 7 years down the line, the resale value could be abysmally low. The cost of replacing the battery will be extremely high which would essentially nullify the savings incurred over the years.
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Old 23rd October 2019, 09:25   #21
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re: What are the reasons you won't buy an EV today?

Quote:
Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR View Post
How about - Can't afford one?
A proper EV like the Kona is 23.72L ex-showroom Delhi,
Yep, that's my reason too. Can't afford to shell out 25L for any vehicle, EV or ICE-driven. And even if i could, an SUV wouldn't be my choice given the traffic and parking issues in Bangalore.

A small car EV at a similar price point as the ICE-driven equivalent is what we need. The Reva/e20 is way too expensive for the kind of car it is.

Bikes, that's a whole different story. My next commuter is going to be an escoot for sure. Probably the Ather 450, but hoping for more options from the bigger players next year.
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Old 23rd October 2019, 09:33   #22
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re: What are the reasons you won't buy an EV today?

Quote:
Originally Posted by locusjag View Post
How about adding lack of safety of Lithium ion batteries as a voting reason?

Overcharging the battery or hitting the underbody of the electric car (where the batteries are mounted) against a speed bump will spectacularly set off the battery like a bomb.
No offense, did you based your conclusions on a video of a bunch of russian backyard youtubers who are out for youtube glory?.

Do you think that modern EV's would not have any protection against electrical faults like shorts, over charging or mechanical issues like puncture?. Modern EV's undergo through testing where these points would be covered. With stunts like trying to burst a battery over a stone, these guys sure got me in mood for diwali over the week end .

Quote:
Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR View Post
How about - Can't afford one?

A proper EV like the Kona is 23.72L ex-showroom Delhi, which is beyond the reach of many middle class families. Even forgetting all the other shortcomings - there is simply no way most families could afford one!

At that level - even fuel burners only sell about 500 units a month at the maximum, unless of course it is either an Innova or a Fortuner.
Yes, that's the problem. None of the companies want to make EV's a mass market product now. Anyway, i voted for all the above.

Last edited by srini1785 : 23rd October 2019 at 09:53.
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Old 23rd October 2019, 09:54   #23
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re: What are the reasons you won't buy an EV today?

Pls add another point in the vote - EVs today will simply become obsolete in a quarter of months & we'll have to keep upgrading like PC. Unless this trend matures with a pattern, like there's an upgrade every 18/24/30/36 months, cannot afford to buy this expensive piece of electronic equipment.
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Old 23rd October 2019, 10:21   #24
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re: What are the reasons you won't buy an EV today?

Quote:
Originally Posted by aargee View Post
Pls add another point in the vote - EVs today will simply become obsolete in a quarter of months & we'll have to keep upgrading like PC. Unless this trend matures with a pattern, like there's an upgrade every 18/24/30/36 months, cannot afford to buy this expensive piece of electronic equipment.
Actually to the contrary.

Tesla provides OTA updates to their cars at intervals which actually makes them better in the long run.

Compare that to the case of traditional car-makers. They won't even give entertainment system software upgrades to existing owners in most cases. They'll do cosmetic changes and launch a facelift model every two years or so.

I'd draw parallels to the Apple ecosystem. I have a 3+ year old iPhone 6s. The operating system gets relevant updates, the hardware is solid and I am happy with the phone. Yes, the initial cost is high but I don't have to change phones every 3 years like before.
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Old 23rd October 2019, 11:32   #25
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re: What are the reasons you won't buy an EV today?

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Originally Posted by libranof1987 View Post

Our country gets most of its electricity from coal. So, if I get an EV, I'll simply be moving the source of pollution from cities to the oil fields.

I've said this on a different thread: buying an EV does nothing for the environment, unless the electricity used is off a renewable resource. In India, buy it for kicks or as a statement, sure. But that ain't making you pro-environment.
I agree unless electricity for EV's is not generated through renewable resources, there is no way to stop pollution.

Unfortunately this is The Ugly Truth.
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Old 23rd October 2019, 11:39   #26
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re: What are the reasons you won't buy an EV today?

Quote:
Originally Posted by srini1785 View Post
No offense, did you based your conclusions on a video of a bunch of russian backyard Youtubers who are out for Youtube glory?.
I'll just say that the global aviation industry aren't fools and that automotive customers unfortunately are. Electric cars aren't the panacea that everyone seems to think they are and they are in fact unsafe for you today.

Just try to check in any Lithium ion battery (powerbank, AAA/AA cells, laptops/mobiles/tabs with Li batteries etc.) in any airline anywhere in the world and they'll force you to keep those in the cabin luggage where trained attendants can quickly put out fires when (and not if) they catch fire.

There are many courier companies and logistics/shippers who refuse to send certain Lithium ion batteries by air at all.

As for my bold statement that automotive customers are getting fooled by electric cars today that are powered by Lithium ion batteries -
Case in point #1 - An example to drive home the point - A Hyundai Kona blew apart a garage when parked overnight rather spectacularly, in Canada - https://www.autonews.com/automakers-...fire-explosion

Case in point #2 - Lithium batteries do explode when their structural integrity is compromised. There is some research being done to improve upon this aspect but the current state of technology is simply unsafe for you to bang your Kona's underbody on humps. You'll simply burn to death. Please do research this aspect yourself.

I'll not bring in other safety concerns like when Lithium batteries explode if overcharged (can you recall how many people have died, sleeping in their beds, when their overnight charged mobile batteries exploded?).....

Here's an article where a Kona buyer isn't allowed to charge her car in her society's parking lot:https://www.livemint.com/auto-news/i...328274085.html
Quote:
Yet even for those who can afford the Kona, plugging in is problematic. Nidhi Maheshwary, a 40-year-old finance professional working near New Delhi, wanted to buy an EV to show her children an example of environmental responsibility.

So when Hyundai launched the Kona, Maheshwary ordered one. Sounds easy, but it didn’t turn out that way.

Almost immediately, she got into a spat with neighbors about charging the SUV in her apartment building’s basement lot. The residents’ society said it posed a fire risk -– even though Hyundai engineers and the fire department said it was safe.

So Maheshwary charges the car at her office while weighing potential recourse against those neighbors. Hyundai offers two small chargers with the Kona, although it can take as many as 19 hours to fill up the vehicle.
If some Russians demonstrate in their backyard that gravity exists, it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist, yeah?

Last edited by locusjag : 23rd October 2019 at 11:47.
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Old 23rd October 2019, 11:46   #27
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re: What are the reasons you won't buy an EV today?

To me, EV is best suited for city environments so Limited Range and charging infrastructure should not be a deal breaker(Most cars can meet the 60-80km city range)

Charging infrastructure too should not be a problem in metros where people mostly opt for EVs (Malls, cafe, Offices etc)

However, to me the main issue is Concerns over the performance of battery after few years (3-4 years) AND the steep buying price of these cars(Should not be much difference at premium segments though)
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Old 23rd October 2019, 12:03   #28
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re: What are the reasons you won't buy an EV today?

Will look at it when it becomes more mainstream. I believe it’s still in its niche space (and hence more expensive). And I still think that hybrids should be the logical next step for countries like India, rather than fully electric.
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Old 23rd October 2019, 12:46   #29
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re: What are the reasons you won't buy an EV today?

Quote:
Originally Posted by locusjag View Post
I'll just say that the global aviation industry aren't fools and that automotive customers unfortunately are. Electric cars aren't the panacea that everyone seems to think they are and they are in fact unsafe for you today.

Just try to check in any Lithium ion battery (powerbank, AAA/AA cells, laptops/mobiles/tabs with Li batteries etc.) in any airline anywhere in the world and they'll force you to keep those in the cabin luggage where trained attendants can quickly put out fires when (and not if) they catch fire.
My friend, you got security confused with safety. Airlines don't allow batteries on the cabin due to security issues rather than a fire hazard. However, the same airlines do allow you to transport them in luggage. I really don't think they have attendants sitting in the belly of an airplane anticipating a fire. Learned members can comment.


Quote:
Originally Posted by locusjag View Post
There are many courier companies and logistics/shippers who refuse to send certain Lithium ion batteries by air at all.

As for my bold statement that automotive customers are getting fooled by electric cars today that are powered by Lithium ion batteries -
Again, courier companies also dont ship anything that goes " tik tok tik tok " does that mean that clocks are a safety hazard?.

Quote:
Originally Posted by locusjag View Post

Case in point #1 - An example to drive home the point - A Hyundai Kona blew apart a garage when parked overnight rather spectacularly, in Canada - https://www.autonews.com/automakers-...fire-explosion

Case in point #2 - Lithium batteries do explode when their structural integrity is compromised. There is some research being done to improve upon this aspect but the current state of technology is simply unsafe for you to bang your Kona's underbody on humps. You'll simply burn to death. Please do research this aspect yourself.
Case in counter point # 3 : A ICE powered volvo bus got locked out and exploded in flames in gujrat or mumbai (i don't remember) killing all those inside. By that logic would you say that present day ICE powered bus / car are equally unsafe?.

Quote:
Originally Posted by locusjag View Post

I'll not bring in other safety concerns like when Lithium batteries explode if overcharged (can you recall how many people have died, sleeping in their beds, when their overnight charged mobile batteries exploded?).....

A similar incident occurred when a ICE car owner did not switch off the car and was filling it up in a fuel bunk. Several videos on the internet. Speaking of which you can also try pushing a lighted cloth through the fuel inlet and check if any of our ICE powered cars are " Safe".

Quote:
Originally Posted by locusjag View Post
If some Russians demonstrate in their backyard that gravity exists, it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist, yeah?
Sure i will believe that gravity does not exists if proven properly in a lab backed by sound scientific research. A couple of guys with a charging station, pyrometer and a hammer does not convince me.
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Old 23rd October 2019, 13:33   #30
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Re: What are the reasons you won't buy an EV today?

Would happily buy an EV as the 2nd or 3rd car of the house. Would be very tempted if something crazy like the Tesla was launched here.

My reasons for not buying an EV today are:

1. They're too expensive

2. No models, other than the Kona (which I did like)

3. Don't need another car. Period
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