Here is my take on the obstacles that the e-car is still facing.
It is irrelevant whether they are true or not, its my worthless opinion that the following are still being perceived as "facts."
1) High cost of purchase.
The best comparison I can think of is the Ford Focus Electric vs the "regular" Ford Focus.
Ford Focus Electric (~$40,000.00) / Ford Focus (~$20,000.00).
And, a greater number of customers walking into the showroom will be able to finance $20,000, but not $40,000.
2) Reduction of utility.
There is a considerable reduction of the number of "missions" that one can perform with an electric car over an ICE car. Based on the current e-cars available today, the maximum distance peeople will drive an e-car is double its range in a day. That is, drive afield to maximum range, recharge for ~4 hours, and drive maximum range again to return home. Most of the trips are up to 1/2 it range, then turn around and drive back home.
3) Range Anxiety.
The range of a today's typical e-car is "about 100 miles." The range of today's typical ICE car is "about 300 miles."
The recharge time of said typical e-car is ~4 hours. The refuel time of said typical ICE car is ~10 minutes.
Whenever an ICE car owner hears these facts, they immediately think of all the trips they have made in their current car that exceeded 100 miles, and decide that an e-car is not going to work for them, and move on.
4) Infrastructure Anxiety.
The current sales pitch touts the fact that you recharge in the comfort and convenience of your own home.
Customers perceive this as "don't depend on charging stations out in the field being present -and- available where you are heading."
A typical example (for me) is a trip from Orange County, Calif., to Santa Barbara, Calif. - a distance of about 120 miles. (Let's say that I could make it there on a single charge.) When I arrive in Santa Barbara, I go to park at the public parking place that has 2 charging stations in it. But when I get there, both spots are already taken, and will be for several hours as *they* charge, not me. Now I have to begin a desperate search for an alternate charging station, if any. If I go on a search and don't find one, my car could die completely and need to be towed. If I stick it out and wait for the two e-cars in front of my I'll be extending my stay in Santa Barbara by an additional 4 hours, minimum. Hey, when I bought an e-car, I didn't sign up for *this* hassle.
Soooo, How do we turn this around?
1) Cost. We e-car owners have to brag (or will brag, when we future owners get one) - loud and unashamedly - about how much money we are *saving* by using an e-car. Wax eloquent. Exaggerate. Lie. If necessary, dredge up complicated facts that "prove" your point. 100 mile range on 30 kWh; $0.10/kWh; = $3.00 per 100 miles. No smelly gas stations. Almost no maintenance (but skip saying "almost"). No slippery tuneup & lube shops, no shifty transmission fixit joints.
And remind them that all that money saved in gas could easily be used to pay for the increase in car payments. With money left over!
2) Utility. This is *not* a reduction in utility, it is a refinement of the original mission of why you bought the car. i.e., I bought it as a commuter car, to and from work, and a few trips to the stores on weekends. Admonish others that they shouldn't try to make their commuter car into the car that will take them long weekend trips from Los Angeles to San Francisco. They have another vehicle besides the commuter e-car. Use *that* one to go to San Francisco. Hey, when I drive I-5, I don't see teeny little commuter econoboxes with me on the freeway, I see enormous SUVs heading up and over the grapevine. Maybe someday, e-cars will do this, but its foolish to wait for that day to come when you can take advantage of the e-car today.
3) Range anxiety. Such anxiety can be dispelled with the realization that as long as you already have a first car that *can* go on long trips, you don't need a second car that duplicates the capabilites (and costs) of the first. Don't try to make it do what it wasn't designed to do.
3) Infrastructure. We have to tell them that there are other people (smarter than they are, apparently,) who have *already* bought e-cars and are taking advantage of the charging infrastructure available today. Just looking at all the busy charging stations is a testament to the fact that people *are* buying and driving electric cars all over the place. Its time to get on the bandwagon. As there are more e-cars, there will be more charging stations. Count on it.
It will be some time before these myths are dispelled, but someone's gotta do it. And that someone is usually in our mirror.
-- Ardie
Its a small cross we have to bear when we are on the leading edge of technology.
