I saw a deceptive video about the cost of charging an EV (electric vehicle). The woman said that the most economical place to charge is at home, which is true. She claimed to "fill" her Tesla for $4.36 @ $0.08/kWh. That is not a realistic cost per kWh. My electric company does the same thing. It lists a lost cost per kWh, but then it adds fee after fee until I actually pay $0.33 per kWh.

If someone thinks they can charge their car for under $5.00, that's a big incentive to buy an EV. At my house, that $4.36 would be almost $18.00. Charging at public stations is comparable to, or more expensive than, buying gasoline. That's according to YouTubers charging at various locations.

It's tough to find out how much an EV is and what effect it has on the environment. EV is not the issue it's the number of batteries that are used on current models. I am reading that Amtrack is moving toward EV train engines using electric motors powered by hydrogen fuel cells. My question is can our electrical infrastructure handle the requirements of full-battery EVs? I have been reading that Natural Gas is even more efficient than hydrogen. I don't understand why there is no talk about increasing the amount of plant life that takes in CO2 and puts out oxygen. I know we talk about how much it costs for lithium batteries and where the raw materials come from but how do we dispose of them? Some have said that to replace some Tesla batteries after 7 years is about 20K so one should add about $240 a month for future battery costs. I don't drive that much and spend about $140 a month unless I drive to family which adds about $80 round trip. Where I work it seems no one is looking at the cost of putting in EV chargers across the US.

It's tough to find out how much an EV is and what effect it has on the environment. EV is not the issue it's the number of batteries that are used on current models. I am reading that Amtrack is moving toward EV train engines using electric motors powered by hydrogen fuel cells. My question is can our electrical infrastructure handle the requirements of full-battery EVs? I have been reading that Natural Gas is even more efficient than hydrogen. I don't understand why there is no talk about increasing the amount of plant life that takes in CO2 and puts out oxygen. I know we talk about how much it costs for lithium batteries and where the raw materials come from but how do we dispose of them? Some have said that to replace some Tesla batteries after 7 years is about 20K so one should add about $240 a month for future battery costs. I don't drive that much and spend about $140 a month unless I drive to family which adds about $80 round trip. Where I work it seems no one is looking at the cost of putting in EV chargers across the US.

I saw a deceptive video about the cost of charging an EV (electric vehicle). The woman said that the most economical place to charge is at home, which is true. She claimed to "fill" her Tesla for $4.36 @ $0.08/kWh. That is not a realistic cost per kWh. My electric company does the same thing. It lists a lost cost per kWh, but then it adds fee after fee until I actually pay $0.33 per kWh.

If someone thinks they can charge their car for under $5.00, that's a big incentive to buy an EV. At my house, that $4.36 would be almost $18.00. Charging at public stations is comparable to, or more expensive than, buying gasoline. That's according to YouTubers charging at various locations.

In my book, charging is the biggest drawback to electric vehicles. The infrastructure is sparse and it takes significantly longer to do it than it takes to recharge a gasoline or diesel vehicle. The second biggest drawback is the range between full charges (which depends on the weather). And of course the third biggest drawback is the price (even considering the tax rebates).

Add to that the stories of people unable to charge their cars when the weather is REALLY cold because the car can't heat the battery to the point where it will take a charge. A gasoline powered car has that problem much less frequently since gasoline is a liquid down to about -100F. At that point the gasoline isn't the only problem you'll have. I have also seen online comments that say people are unable to turn on the heat in their vehicles in cold weather because it significantly impacts the range.

I view electric vehicles as being suited to in-town driving, shopping, things like that. But in a town, public transportation SHOULD be good enough to get you around and avoid the need for parking spaces on public roads and parking garages. Of course, what SHOULD be and what IS are wildly different things. And all that doesn't apply in small towns and rural areas.

I do a significant amount of driving >100 miles, in all seasons. EVs will have to improve a lot before I will spring for one.

/rant

You are right when you say it takes longer to charge than refill. But you are wrong about the ability to charge in the cold. I live in central Wisconsin, and our winters can be brutally cold. I have never had an instance where I cannot charge my Leaf. When it is uncomfortably cold out, while my Leaf is still plugged in in my garage, I get on my app and turn the heat on to prewarm the car. On a full charge I will get 175mi of range in the middle of winter, more than enough for my daily needs, and we frequently deliver meals around our area. If I need to go a lot further I do have a second vehicle (ICE) available. In addition to the discussion of the cost associated with EVs, not much seems to be talked about concerning the lower carbon footprint of EVs over the long run, which is significantly less over the course of the lifetime of the two types of vehicles.

With the current range of EVs I would not, in most cases, recommend one for those with one vehicle to make it an EV. But having experienced living with one for the past two years, I find it interesting that some people who have never owned one can parrot all these negatives. Do you think, just perhaps, there is an industry out there that doesn’t want you to buy or leased an EV?