According to findings published by the UK’s Technology Strategy Board, a group of over 300 drivers was studied to determine the amount of time that was required to become less fearful of running out of electricity while driving an electric vehicle. Before the study started, 100 percent of the electric vehicle owners stated that they were concerned about the amount of power for driving long distances. After the first three months of the study, researchers found that the amount of people fearful about a power outage while driving dropped by 35 percent. In addition, 8 percent of the people in the study allowed the battery to drop below 50 percent after the initial 3 months.
The entire study lasted over two years and watched users travel on over 110,000 journeys amounting to nearly 680,000 miles. Ninety-five percent of drivers found that driving the electric vehicle felt no different than driving a gasoline powered car. Prior to the trial, about 15 percent of expected the electric cars to perform better than their personal care, but that percentage rose to one in every four drivers after the first three months. The most typical daily mileage for electric vehicle drivers was between 23 to 25 miles a trip and the maximum journey in the study was over 100 miles.
After the initial three months, 73 percent of drivers found that the speed of charging fits their daily routine and 88 percent of drivers found the car to be just as safe as driving a gasoline powered. Over 80 percent of the group preferred the low noise of electric vehicles and concerns about low noise being a problem in regards to road safety dropped considerably. Previous to the study, 96 percent of participants were concerned that trips in an electric vehicle would require extensive planning. That figure dropped to 35 percent of the group after the initial three months of driving.
Electric vehicles make no sense. You pay a good 10k premium just for the car plus look at spending 4-5k every 4 years to replace the batteries. Once they run flat you better like where you happen to be, because you’re going to be there as long time for as recharge.
Not to mention that research in Battery technology will have them increase the amount of power therefore increase the drivable distance, battery life and decrease charge time.
Also something to consider is that once a car battery has reached 70% of it useful capacity for a car it can still be used for other things.
If the Electric car had continued to be researched after the first one came out over 100 years ago, gas cars would already be a thing of the past.
Plus it does kill the fucking thing you live on as fast. Cause that sorta matters to me.
And to add to Dominic’s comment- The cost of manufacture of those batteries drops every year
Lorne,
The batteries last far longer than 5 years because they are never fully charged or fully discharged. As a result they’re not used to their maximum range but they have a 10-15 year lifespan. Even the primitive Honda Insight batteries made a full 10 years in most vehicles. Let’s take two scenarios where the driver is in a gas vehicle with 25mpg driving 18,000 miles per year versus a current electric vehicle. Let’s assume also the gas car requires oil and filter changes totaling $150 per year. Since both cars require tire maintenance I won’t factor that into the equation.
Gas car
720 gallons per year — $2,520
Oil/Filter Maintenance — $150
Total $2,670
Electric car (12 kwH charge = 50 miles of driving)
4320 kWh per year @ $0.11/kWh — $475
Oil/Filter Maintenance — n/a
Total $475
So driving the electric car saves you more than $2,000/yr for the average commuter.
Owning the vehicle just 5 years would easily justify almost any additional cost.
What’s funny is a 100 years ago people said the exact same thing about gas powered automobiles
Digital Trends: so you’re saying with time and experience idiots get over mythological fears and live lives of logic and comfort?
Electric vehicles make no sense. You pay a good 10k premium just for the car plus look at spending 4-5k every 4 years to replace the batteries. Once they run flat you better like where you happen to be, because you’re going to be there as long time for as recharge.