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Only 1% of EV Drivers Would Go Back to a Gas Car* (cleantechnica.com)

submitted 4 days ago by Sunshine@lemmy.ca to c/electricvehicles@slrpnk.net

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[-] Kichae@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 days ago

I've been waiting for 3 things: An income that can afford a new car, EVs with 500+km of range (I make regular trips through regions with poor charging infrastructure, and experience winter), and for my current ICE car to kick the bucket.

The first two have come to pass. Just waiting on that last one.

[-] noxypaws@pawb.social 4 points 2 days ago

More like 5% if plug-in hybrids count as "gas car". 95% satisfaction is still great though.

I've been daily driving EVs for over eight years. I wouldn't go back either, as long as I can charge it at home anyways. And I pay my own mortgage, so hopefully that remains the case.

Hell I've even taken my EV to race tracks. Charging in between runs is a hassle, sure, but the serenity on the track from no engine or exhaust noise removes a lot of anxiety, and I get to enjoy the sounds of all the other fun ICE cars that much more

[-] socsa@piefed.social 44 points 3 days ago

Obviously because they don't understand that trips over 4 hours take an extra 10 minutes which will cause any real man to melt!

/every EV thread on the internet

[-] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 12 points 2 days ago

Technology connections (yt channel) recently had a video where he modded an electric shop heater to be powered from his EV charger.

He had a little mini-rant about how the current state of charging reflects how policymakers have absolutely no idea what day-to-day ownership of an EV is like, and think everyone is DC fast charging everyday.

[-] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 46 points 3 days ago

My parents live next door to me. Between us we have three vehicles: My father's new-ish sedan, an old sedan that was my grandmother's and my pickup truck.

At this point I would gladly replace the old sedan with a Nissan Leaf or some other electric car, because it NEVER goes beyond 20 miles from the house, almost always on grocery runs. There are weeks it isn't driven at all. Honestly we could do without it entirely, I drive it mostly to spare my truck the mileage.

This is against my father's religion. Every single thing has been a FIGHT with him. "Let's get the gas powered hedge trimmer." "It's heavier, we'd have to keep buying gas and oil for it, and it'll only ever start and run three times maximum. We'd put it in the shed over winter, the carburetor will fill up with adamantium and it'll never run again." "Let's get the gas one. The men with the knives told me they'd hurt my mom if I bought electric tools." "You're 65 years old and your mother is currently in an urn at Bethesda cemetery. Look, this one runs on the same batteries as our hand drills."

"Let's get the gas powered chainsaw." "Let's get the gas powered string trimmer." "Let's get a gas powered lawn mower." Kicked, screamed, bitched, moaned, collapsed the USD twice, sheepishly admitted the electric ones work better and are easier to start, "LET'S GET A GAS LEAF BLOWER." We own five rakes, dad. "DO WE NEED ANY MORE?"

He wouldn't accept an electric car unless it charged from a solar panel on its roof from empty to full charge in a third of a femptosecond. The man who will go on long, angry rants about not wanting to ever go anywhere ever again because there's only one toilet on the planet he can stand to shit in will say 'What if I want to drive to Honolulu?"

Every cunt-missing navel-fucking thing with that man. He'd have a gas powered hair dryer if they made one.

[-] Arrkk@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

Fwiw, they do make (natural) gas powered clothes driers.

[-] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 days ago

My favorite is a propane powered fridge.

[-] UnfortunateDoorHinge@aussie.zone 4 points 2 days ago

My girlfriend's dad when I first met him rotated his 4wd tires by hand with the spare tire wrench and the little complementary tire jack. I gave him my old air tools (I don't use them anymore). Eventually got him into the Ryobi ecosystem for the rattle gun, leaf blower and line trimmer. He was adimint that any battery tools were just a gimmick.

You don't need the Milwaukee million dollar aircraft carrier starter motor gun, heck my second hand air tools were enough. But to go without battery tools nowadays is just making life deliberately harder.

[-] shalafi@lemmy.world 9 points 3 days ago

the carburetor will fill up with adamantium

Jesus, story of my life. I've got battery everything excepting my mulcher, which is dead with a snapped shaft. Do they make strong electric mulchers?

[-] IphtashuFitz@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

We invested in the Stihl kombitool system 10+ years ago. I think we have 6 attachments for it now. The old 2 stroke motor finally gave out, and it was a no-brainer to replace it with an electric motor, especially since they were running a special for a free battery when you buy a motor plus a battery & charger.

My wife especially loves it since she always had trouble starting the gas engine…

[-] sevan@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 days ago

I have an electric wood chipper, it's...adequate. Its been a few years since I bought it, but at the time I bought it, my understanding was that you could not get an electric version that matches the power of gas powered units. For electric, you get to pick either a mulcher that will shred leaves and VERY small branches or a chipper that will slowly turn smallish (maybe 1-1.5") branches into chunks.

Overall, It works for my purpose. I would prefer to have a more powerful one, but I only use it a few times a year and would prefer to avoid dealing with the maintenance that goes with a gas unit (not to mention the horrible smell when using one).

[-] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 5 points 3 days ago

I have no experience with mulchers but if they can get my thickness planer to run on 15 amps they should be able to run a wood chipper on it.

[-] Chip_Rat@lemmy.world 62 points 4 days ago

I'm on both sides of this. Had an EV for nearly 4 years and had to go back to gas for work (construction, moving/having tools, materials and supplies).

I cannot wait for an affordable small ev pickup. Even a not that affordable one. I just can't do $100k for an oversized monster like the Lightning. But give me a $60k Ranger/Frontier style (basically the smallest truck they make these days, without a full SUV on the front) and 500km range and I'm in.

I hate getting gas. I hate it so much.

[-] noxypaws@pawb.social 5 points 2 days ago

Why do specifically need a pickup?

[-] rishado@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

I honestly can't fathom what you hate so much about sitting in your car for 5 minutes while you fill up.

[-] Chip_Rat@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

All my gas vehicles have had the gas door on the outside of the car, and I don't have a full time assistant to go out and operate the pumps, sadly. It's an embarrassment.

But given the choice, would you prefer to go to a convenience store 1-2 times a week and place your phone on a charging mat for 5 minutes? Or do you prefer just plugging it in at home before bed?

People don't realize how archaic something is because there has never been another way to do it.

[-] Serinus@lemmy.world 21 points 3 days ago

People always forget that when you leave home with an EV, you always have a full "tank".

[-] trk@aussie.zone 5 points 3 days ago

I can't wait to replace our service vans with EV. Fuel costs are a killer, as is the downtime from servicing, not to mention the cost of brake pads and rotors which chew out semi regularly due to the weight we carry.

Unfortunately the only electric vans have terrible range when empty, and far worse when fully loaded. 250k is insufficient.

I'd probably settle for a hybrid, BYD Shark style. Something with a big enough battery for urban use, and a little petrol motor on board to give you range when you actually need it.

[-] helloworld55@lemm.ee 3 points 2 days ago

Couldn't agree more. I'm considering the hybrid ones from ford, but I'd be most happy with a full EV ranger

[-] JoshuaFalken@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago

Once upon a time I knew someone with a small contracting business. Needed to move sheets of plywood and tools and whatnot around town. Anyway, fed up with one of the pick ups breaking down, he wound up at a used dealer to replace it. He ended up leaving with a wagon instead of a truck, and later on replaced the other trucks he had with wagons. Seems to be a win, it's been about a decade now.

[-] Chip_Rat@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

I got the Kia Soul EV for that reason. That poor little "SUV" had more 2*4 and assorted furniture and metal in it that probably 99% of other Souls ever do in their lives. The roof carpet was trashed, the side wall plastic was shaved and scraped, the back of the seats were ripped....

It's true even my smaller truck does almost all I need and is overkill 30% of the time. But you have to be flexible.

[-] JoshuaFalken@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

I always enjoy hearing of people that use their vehicles as the tools they are. Cheers.

[-] ArchAengelus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 3 days ago

I think ford forgot that Truck makers went big on chassis sizes is for the exemptions for fuel economy signed into law a decade ago.

They could have made a ford ranger EV that was normal truck size from the old days. They went against that because of mentality of current truck drivers. At the same time, the truck drivers who want EV trucks probably aren’t driving the 3 gpm monsters they sell today.

If you’re loud enough on social media, you might get your modest size EV truck in 3-5 years.

[-] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 9 points 3 days ago

I mean, I can't get rid of my S10 because there's no new truck on the market today sufficiently small enough to allow me to compensate for my enormous penis.

[-] brygphilomena@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

If someone made an ev kei truck that wasn't shit, I'd be so happy.

[-] DeadWorldWalking 6 points 3 days ago

Elon Musk is doing everything possible to sabotage the world's transition to EVs.

In his new position as president Musk is looking to end funding for EVs and pivot his company to hydrogen fuel because they realized they can't maintain a fuel racket like with oil if they allow people to swap to EVs.

The real EV boom will be when China's EV prices start to beat American EV prices despite the 100% tariff.

Currently China is the only country who seems to be actually pusbing EVs in a practical way.

[-] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Oh wow, moving from the tech that works to something Honda desperately tried and failed to make catch on. Good plan

[-] Zorcron@lemmy.zip 4 points 3 days ago

Ford made the much smaller Maverick truck starting in 2022. It was a hybrid, not an EV, but they definitely are looking into that market.

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[-] Olgratin_Magmatoe@slrpnk.net 17 points 3 days ago

Currently using a prius C. In theory I'd prefer to have an EV, but I just don't have a consistent place to charge, and I already outright own my existing car.

Currently working on trying to reduce my use of my existing car. Because at the end of the day an ebike will always be better than any type of car.

[-] TIN@feddit.uk 22 points 4 days ago

I was talking to someone I know well about this, she was in an EV and went back to petrol. Two factors, range anxiety and the EV was "soulless"

[-] Steve@communick.news 41 points 3 days ago

That's the same kind of thing people say about vinyl records vs CDs, digital video vs film, 48+ vs 24fps.
All I hear with that kind of complaint is: "It's too good, I'm not used to it. I want what I'm used to, even if it's worse."

[-] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago

Except all the things you mention are about sensory fidelity and you can make an argument for either. The only "fact" involved in CDs vs vinyl is that the latter is less convenient. The audio warmth being more pleasant to someone's ears is not something you can argue with, it just is for them.

[-] Steve@communick.news 18 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

That's exactly my point.
People like the noise and feel of an engine, even if it's objectively worse at doing the primary thing it's supposed to do.

All the things I mentioned have the exact same issue. They have more detail and more accurate reproduction. Which are objectively the point of their medium. But people want less detail and accuracy, because they "like it."

[-] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago

Okay. My apologies. Rather than stating that as a fact, I thought you were judging it. My mistake.

[-] Steve@communick.news 4 points 3 days ago

I'm not judging people who prefer vinyl, and other objectively worse things.
I'm absolutely judging people for calling them better, in an attempt to justify why they like them.

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[-] brygphilomena@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago

Vinyl I find is a much more holistic experience than makes listening to music easier for my ADD.

It becomes a process where I can feel the record, read the liner notes, enjoy the album art, and since it's not easy to just skip a track or change to a different artist I find I'll actually listen to an entire album instead of just individual songs.

As for cars, I don't like a lot of modern regulations forced into vehicles. I really like small, simple machines with analog controls that are intuitive to use. Modern cars in general have grown in size that make them less pleasurable to drive. They also are rife with touchscreens and so many systems are so interwoven with software that it becomes a pain in the ass to modify them.

I don't want something that sings at me if I put a bag on the back seat but don't fasten a seat belt. I don't want something that alerts me that I'm speeding. I don't want an infotainment screen that controls my AC which makes it hard to upgrade my stereo. I don't want my car to have a cellular antenna. I don't want "software updates" that change how my car runs. I don't want an entire system locked behind DRM.

I want a car that looks good, not like current copy and pasted of each other's makes. CR-V? Rav-4? Rogue? They all look like similar piles of plastic.

Cars are something I actively enjoy fixing and working on. They are a hobby and a love. Modern vehicles are turning into iPhones where everything is decided and controlled by the manufacturer.

[-] DavidDoesLemmy@aussie.zone 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

None of those things is forced by regulation.

[-] RaoulDook@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

You can also do all that album stuff with a CD album. That's what we all did back in the 90s - 2000s. Plus the CDs are a lot more durable than LPs. I still buy music on CD as my first preference but most new music isn't published that way anymore.

[-] Steve@communick.news 7 points 3 days ago

Those are great reasons to like vinyl records. They have nothing to do with audio quality.

As far as preferring simple cars, EVs can be just as simple as you want. Look at the Carice TC2. Which is quite cheep for a hand built car.
And all the things you don't like, are in all the new ICE vehicles also. The power-train doesn't matter to any of that.

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[-] Theoriginalthon@lemmy.world 40 points 4 days ago

The soul of a petrol/diesel car, what's that new strange noise, did I change the oil recently, is the cam belt about the explode, acceleration until you have to change gear, inconsistent acceleration, don't cook the brakes going down hill, did I remember to sacrifice to the car gods with morning, how I wish my EV had a soul

[-] Ulrich@feddit.org 23 points 3 days ago

Typically I prefer my appliances soulless.

[-] Psythik@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Not surprising that someone who calls a vehicle an "appliance" would say something like this.

For some people (myself included), driving is more than something you're required to do to get from point A to point B. Driving is an experience, something meant to be enjoyed.

I love the feeling of the car communicating with the road through the tires, suspension, and steering, and throughout my body. I like to feel like the vehicle and I are a single entity, and not just something to be driven, something I'm fighting to control. Which is why I prefer small, sporty, nimble roadsters with firm, communicative suspension, and hydraulic rack and pinion steering. Not a giant boat of a crossover that handles like I'm floating on a cloud, with electric steering that vaguely goes in the direction I point the wheel.

I drive not just because I have to, but also because I enjoy doing it. Not having the right car is detrimental to my enjoyment. I need a car with soul. (Just not a Kia Soul.)

[-] GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 days ago

You and I are on completely opposite sides when it comes to vehicles. Driving is what I do to get to the thing I actually want/need to do. It's the price I pay to do the things I want when they can't be done "here". The only reason I don't have someone drive for me is because I can't afford that. The only reason I don't have a computer do it for me is because we haven't made one good enough to do it, and I hope it happens soon. If I could teleport to my destination and get back the years of my life spent in a car waiting to do something else, I would. If the odds of my turning into a fly were less than 50% over 50 years, I'd still strongly consider it. As for fighting to control my vehicle, that just sounds like a second job, and I don't want to pay to have one of those.

I get that all those things sound like "soul" to you, but they all sound like "work" and "wasted time" to me.

[-] davidagain@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

My humble family EV is the most fun to drive of any vehicle I've ever driven. The acceleration is bonkers and you can beat cars of any badge unless they're electric too. It's such a joy to drive. I used to hate my commute but now I love it.

[-] madnificent@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago

I'm in your boat but I also care about the planet. I know that not doing everything for commuters today, will mean I will not be able to enjoy my mx5 na, 944 and similar in the future.

I think us petrolheads have a choice: make sure as much as possible is turned green or stop dreaming about true lightfooted joy on the road in the future. I'm thus very positive about electric cars because they are great for almost everyone and most fears are just not warranted. I want as many dinosaur burners as possible to be replaced as quickly as possible so 15 years down the road I can step in a Mercedes W123 or old Citroen DS and know where I am by the smell of it.

Just about everything I drive now is electric. The first gen Model S is okay in terms of communication, even though it weighs too much it is mechanical. It is too fast to be fun. The last gen BMW i3 is zippy and quite fun to drive but many assume they need 400km range on a daily basis and it's not that. If budget doesn't matter, I assume a first gen Tesla Roadster should effectively be fun if you retrofit the charger, it convinced many reporters in its day. The electric drivetrain really lends itself to feeling one with the machine.

We should have our voices heard. We want light communicative cars. But we should get as many as possible on the EV train if we want to enjoy our old toys in the future.

[-] Psythik@lemmy.world 1 points 13 hours ago

Oh don't worry, I'm completely on board with EVs. I'm just waiting for a proper sports convertible EV to go on sale for less than $30K. If that day never comes, I will eventually convert my 350Z Roadster to an EV and just drive it forever.

[-] syklemil@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 2 days ago

I do wonder at how the vibrating nature of a fossil car works into that. I know some people call e-autos "dildo cars", which I guess would make fossil cars "vibrator cars". It annoys me these days, like the car can't just sit still like a normal thing, but I guess some people would like it.

[-] socsa@piefed.social 12 points 3 days ago

Everyone i know who had actually owned an EV has realized that range anxiety is largely a myth.

[-] zorflieg@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago

Yep, if you buy one that's realistic for your lifestyle a few weeks in something pops and you wonder why people were making such a big deal out of it.

[-] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 6 points 3 days ago

I've looked at a few EVs, and I do keep going "Well not yet" because of the goddamn interiors and controls. All of a sudden they don't have to worry about mechanical linkages and they can't fucking help themselves but make you shift it into drive by tonguing a clit on the ceiling.

I know your mommy didn't let you go into art school, doesn't mean you get to take your creativity out on me.

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this post was submitted on 25 Dec 2024

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