[N4Nikunj]

The problem never was range or cost. The real problem with owning an EV is the charging. Imagine you're on a highway trip and somehow your battery level is less than your prediction and still you manage to reach the charging station and it says it is not working but the app or any other source is saying it is working. Or the charging gun is broken or some other reason that the charging can't be done. You're stuck big time. In India, Petrol pumps get dry on fuel. No wonder charging infrastructure will be always working.

EVs at best can be considered as strictly a City car nothing else. For Highways, I'm happy with my ICE car.

Also, I consider Tiago/Tigor/Comet as sufficient for Urban dwellers. Anything above is just not justifying the current cost of ownership.

I simply believe that if I want to save money on car ownership then it must be priced competitively or less.

I consider EV6, Ioniq5, or all other similarly priced EVs to be failed attempts by manufacturers. A part failure and your car will be off the road for months not days.

EVs can be considered as an option for ICE vehicles but they can't simply replace ICE vehicles.

[PrasannaDhana]

Long charging times, inadequate range in EVs within my budget (16L), and my affinity towards manual transmission and turbo diesels make me stay away from EVs.


But I did consider Tiago EV seriously as a tertiary car last year. But due to aforementioned reasons, specially 1st and 2nd, I stayed away from it.

I do like punch ev too. But for a guy with a heavy right foot and a daily 100 km usage, an EV with minimum 400km actual range is needed.

If you drive fast, EVs deliver just half of their claimed range. The top speed limit is an irritation too.

But yes, EVs make a lot of financial sense, given my usage. Next car might be an EV, but it won't ever can be my only car.

[DicKy]

Who could say no to low/nil running costs. . And especially as a small runabout for our current usage, an EV is best and it is criminal to run an ICE engine for distances as small as 2-5 kms.

Real reason to not buy EV today

1. Initial cost - Even ICE prices are too high for our taste, let alone EV prices. A Comet sized EV at Alto price would be sweet.

2. Future models - Right now most affordable BEVs are just motors/batteries plonked onto an ICE vehicle platform. Would love to see something grounds up. With BEV, there is no excuse for companies not to make a vehicle RWD. Even traditionally RWD hating companies have gone RWD with their BEV offerings. Excited for the Mahindra Inglo models and would love something like the Honda E. I know BEV fans dislike the Honda E for various practical reasons, but to me that is what I dream of in a BEV.

3. Enjoy till the end - If BEVs are the future and are inevitable, then fine. Let it be. Will enjoy dinosaur juice drinking machines while rowing my own gears.

Theoretical reasons

1. The fact that BEVs are forced upon in the name of environment. There are various options to fight climate change, yet the powers decided that BEVs are the end all solution. And hate the fact that our northern neighbour is the one benefiting from it all. Judge me, don't care.

2. Yes. Modern cars are loaded with electronics and 'connected features', but with BEVs it is a given. And it is always in the name of functions and convenience. Why can't there be an EV that doesn't need over the air updates to function. Not really a bother. With enough sales and market maturation, there will be aftermarket ways to jailbreak and stop manufacturer control even after sale.

Haven't mentioned range anxiety as I really don't care as I still see BEVs as local runabouts, not long distance tourers. Can't understand waiting for 30min+ for charging during a road trip. May change stance once 700km plus range is possible or charging time ~10 mins is available for affordable BEV models. Also can't understand why different apps have to be downloaded and used for charging at different charging stations!!!

Waiting for something like a Mahindra ATOM (BEEN FOUR YEARS!!!) or something cute like the Honda E under 20 lakhs. Also waiting to see how desirable the Mahindra INGLO BEVs would be.

[GeeTee TSI]

Three quarters of my odometer comprises highway drives (while it is a transient phenomenon that I don't have much of a gruelling, regular city commute) and for my use case I don't see an EV being that one-car-garage option yet.

Frankly EV acceleration times might wear off after the initial euphoria (I am not even utilising the full acceleration potential of my TSI-DSG now) and it's the long haul cruising ability which is my look out. So I will wait for more models (brands too please!) and infrastructure which suit my usage.

[sassid]

I voted others - I'm not very sure right now if

a) EV's are at a sufficiently advanced tech level right now to say that what we buy today is future-proof in the overall trajectory of EV development and
b) If EV's are in fact a destination technology or if they are just a transition technology to an as yet unrealised final destination

I think there are a lot of similarities between Cell Phones and EV's in terms of the process by which they become part of the mainstream.

As a population we moved from rotary phones->Cordless Phones->Basic mobiles->Mobiles with keypads->Touchscreen mobiles->Foldables->???

At any given stage there were and are multiple technologies co-existing and vying for success. It was difficult to predict that say that iPhones with a touchscreen would in fact be a destination relative to say a Nokia or a Blackberry which were more buttons/hybrid solutions and its equally difficult to say with certainty that the current phones will remain unaltered - say 10 years from now.

We can see Cars moving along a similar trajectory shifting progressively from purely mechanical to hybrid mechanical/electronic to largely electronic forms.

While we can be reasonably certain that we will be driving a progressively more electronic vehicle, the fuel for this vehicle could be electric, Fossil fuel, fuel cell, solar or even nuclear depending on which technology becomes mainstream in out country.
The second point of consideration is that evolution in cars happens at a much slower pace given that customers are in a position to financially refresh their mobile phones at a much faster frequency than they would a high ticket vehicle.
The last point may be more individual. I'm probably in my last decade of active driving. At this stage, I would, for purposes of familiarity and nostalgia, prefer to stick with an ICE dominated technology for this last stretch and leave the examination of EV's et. al. to my sons

[Hoopoe]

I drive an Etios and love it because it is a super-light true Japanese car that is a pleasure to drive just because of this specific characteristic. A typical EV has a battery equivalent in weight of the weight of this complete sedan, making even a small hatchback at least twice as heavy. I simply cannot imagine lugging such a huge weight around and shudder at the thought of how lethal it would be to anyone it hits even inadvertently.

[ReventonLover]

On a funny note, I saw a TMT bus with the caption something along the lines of "Go electric, let our city breathe". They might as well have written that we want to breathe, we don't care about the cities/towns where the batteries are manufactured, where the power plants generate electricity or who else gets affected by the power infrastructure. Also this:

https://youtu.be/xa0MpnEm9tA?feature=shared

I'm not saying that EVs are bad. It's just that no one has figured out an ecologically sensitive way to make EVs safe for the environment in the whole life-cycle of the product. Who knows, in the grand scheme of things, EVs may be the higher per-capita polluters than their ICE counterparts...

Personally, given our current intra-city infrastructure and the generally horrible condition of the roads (please do travel on Eastern Express Highway in Mumbai), EVs have a long long way to figure out the most optimised package to pull the mass market away from ICE.

[RiderS]

Originally Posted by SmartCat

I start getting anxious when my smartphone battery falls below 35%. I'll probably have a debilitating panic attack if that happens to my EV.

Same with me

Recently I have purchased Magnite, that time I was considering going for an EV since my usage is only city commuting.

However, I have not convinced with one main reason that is “Uncertainty of battery life, reliability and repair cost in the long term.” Also, I see the public charging outlet is not sufficient.

The EV which my friend owns needs frequent charging. After a full charge the remaining kms numbers reduces drastically soon after a short commute.

[HighOnSpeed]

We're still in the very nascent stages of EV tech and I think there still is a lot of scope for improvement. As pointed out by many others, my dissuasion towards purchasing an EV mainly stems from my range anxiety. Although I wanted to get a sub-10L EV for my daily commutes, convincing my family became arduous as they were stuck up on strongly disliking EVS. The main reason we don't buy EVs in our house is my family's fear of it randomly going up in flames when parked inside our home. I know they are being paranoid, but the numerous reports of parked EVs randomly going up in flames have managed to spook them.

In the other end of the spectrum, the performance cars, it's all about the acoustics for me. I believe the engine/exhaust sounds are the soul of a car. But it is intriguing and mind-bending how EVs silently zap away with the instant torque on tap. I am looking forward to having more performance EVs in our market. My interest particularly lies in the Teslas. The plaid variants offer some unimaginable value propositions!

In my free time, I like to watch POVs of the Nurburgring laps, with just the raw sounds of the cars and the visuals. One day I chanced upon some EVs taking on the Nurburgring. I might say it was weirdly therapeutic watching those machines zip silently across the Ring at great speeds.


Watch this Model S Plaid hitting 300kmph effortlessly!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4uJFpoR6Q0

[Hayek]

Debated whether to post on this thread or not. Is this only for those who won’t buy an EV?

But decided after re-reading the original post that this is not just for those who don’t want to buy an EV - what is the point of a thread with only one perspective.

To my mind, some of the reasons for not buying an EV, especially for entry level car buyers are valid. After all, the cheapest EVs cost upwards of ₹ 10 l. Or if you can’t install a charger at home, that is a serious problem. But for people looking at the mid sized (viz above 4 m) SUV segment and above, and especially for those buying Masstige products (viz the Tiguan / Kodiaq / Camry variety) or Premium cars, EVs make immense sense.

Let me address different reasons in these segments one by one:

1) Cost

The Ioniq 5 costs ₹ 45 l OTR (with on going discounts). Not very different from the OTR price of a Kodiaq in high road tax states like KA or MH. Plus at operating costs that are ₹ 13 per km less than that of a Petrol ICE SUV, you recover a premium of even ₹ 5 lakhs in just 30-35,000 km, viz 3-4 years even for low usage drivers.

2) Variety

That is a challenge in all segments up to Masstige. You have 4 ICE options in the ₹35-50 l OTR range (Tucson, Camry, Tiguan, Kodiaq) and only 1 EV option. But assuming VW comes in with the Skoda Enyaq and VW ID4 in the same range as the Ioniq, and Kia starts local assembly of the EV6, you will have as much choice with EVs. In the luxury segment, you have plenty of choice too. As also in the ₹10-20 l segment with the Tigor, Nexon, Punch, XUV400 EV and the low end versions of the MG ZS EV.

3) Range

This is a complete red herring except for the tiny number of BHPians who regularly drive more than 400-500 km at a stretch. Journeys up to 200 km can be done comfortably without recharging in any EV. For 400-500 km journeys, you need one recharge, which is easy enough to find on highways out of all major metros. And most people would take 6-7 hours for such journeys, and take at least one 30-40 minute halt in such a stretch - you need may be 15 minutes extra to recharge during such a halt.

4) New Products

Of course there will be new EV products. But even today’s EVs are better for most users in terms of driving pleasure and cost than ICE vehicles - and newer EVs will be even better. If you are worried about new EVs impacting resale value, you should not be buying a car today.

5) Environmental Impact not being Enough

For anyone who lives in urban India, avoiding local emissions is a big environmental positive - after all, high PMI levels are the biggest issue we face. And every little bit to reduce emissions counts.

Second, batteries are not made in mom and pop shops - they are made by large sophisticated companies with considerable pollution control equipment.

Third, batteries will likely outlast cars themselves (2000+ charging cycles gives you a 400,000 km life) and even after that, can be used for stationary storage applications. And plenty of large companies are working to recycle battery metals.

Finally, even with coal fired power generation, given the 40% efficiency of large power plants and 95% efficiency of batteries, EVs lead to lower CO2 emissions. And coal is NOT 100% of our grid - and its share is falling every day

Nah, for most people looking at cars with a budget of more than ₹15 l, EVs make immense sense if they only take the time to think about it.

[soarersc300]

Voted Other

I think the current set of EVs offer tremdous value and if a consumer has an option for home charging then buying an EV is almost a no brainer for vast majority of the consumers (ones who travel 300+ kms in a day maybe 2/3 times a year).

However there are two issues I have

(1) Repairing when EV meets with an accident - In many cases it turns out that replacing the car is cheaper than repairing it. Also, even if you repair it there will be a lingering thought of whether the battery pack is as safe as it was when new

(2) Depreciation - In the case of ICE cars the prices keep going up for the same model and when a consumer decides to sell it 3/4/5/6 years down the line one can still command a good price. In the case of EVs the prices will keep dropping for the same model and it would be a depreciation disaster when you try to sell it.

My sense is that high value car purchases will be continued to be dominated by ICE cars and beater cars will be dominated by EVs. This will remain true till the time battery packs become stable in their chemistry, efficiency and price - that's at least 5 to 10 years away.

[100Kmphormore]

For long distance tourers like us, a fuss free, tension free 500 km real world range is a must, with AC or ghat sections or highway cruising or whatever. That is only available in the EV6 and it’s 70L on road, out of reach for many and an aspirationall product. For a biker like me who will in all probability own 1 car and 2-3 bikes, it has to be a do it all. That will be a well maintained preowned 530d for my highway touring and weekend thrills around 5 years later. Plus the charging infra which is still on the improvement, not as good as the Tesla network in the US.

[CornerCarver]

Just watched Michael Mann's Ferrari yesterday. Since 1957 till date and all the innovations, improvements in the automobile sector in between, the cars do have come a long way. From competitive racing in tube shaped fusiform structures with no safety precautions whatsoever to current day passenger cars being equipped with ABS, VSC, BSM and numerous airbags, one thing is for sure. It's a developers market with a huge potential to innovate and upgrade.
By the turn of this century, EV's were introduced and started to get accepted as eco friendly drive option mostly in the West and developed nations.
But it still lacks few upgrades both with respect to public infrastructure and machines themselves.
An EV with a range of upwards of 800 kms to 1000kms should be the new norm for peaceful, stress free driving on the highways. For city runabouts, 300kms range is just fine for a biweekly or so home charging. But for highways, yes, we need that extra long range. We drive for pleasure, to beat the daily stress and charging your EV should be the last thing on your mind, besides the mobile phone, of course.
And when charging on highways, the infrastructure has to be really good. And by that, I mean, charging ports with fast chargers every 20 to 30 kms distance. Just like petrol bunks.

[clementw]

EVs are a band aid for the environment IMHO, it will not help much till the source of the power for these EVS come from clean energy sources. High initial costs and low infrastructure can be overlooked by some but I would rather go for a efficient ICE right now than move to an EV.

[rmonie]

IMHO the resale values of used EV's will be extremely low as there seems to be no way of measuring the actual remaining battery life, unlike an ICE. Various factors affect the battery life - type of charging / ambient temperatures and a host of others.

Interesting one by Harry Metcalfe:

https://youtu.be/nZysvgm2_Aw?si=V0eWn6EpDiHIYALb