[Kevin Sharpe]

"Driving the extraordinary Model S and realising just how good it was beside rivals from some of the best sports car companies in the world right now (not just the Aston Martin but a Porsche Panamera, too) was one of the most uplifting motoring moments of 2013"

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/best-cars-2013-tesla-model-s

 

[cjm_2013]

These made me laugh out loud:What are these people so scared of? Is this a typical thing?Are they happy farting hundreds of pounds worth of fuel into the atmosphere?

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

IMO they are scared of anything new that might mean they have to change their view of the world. Change is scary particularly if you don't understand it and most people don't understand EVs or the tech underpinning it.

All we can do is keep showing them that EVs are not the pain they imagine them to be. We cannot shout it. The more we shout it and argue the more they will react against it. It will be a slow and difficult education process. The good thing is that once they do actually "get it" then there is no looking back and people need to see this.

Changing attitudes, opinions and deeply held beliefs will take time and there will be many that simply refuse to accept the bl***ding obvious even when it is staring them in the face but that is human nature. Fight the battles you can win. Talk to those that ARE interested. Ignore the idiot that ICEes a bay. Arguing with them will just reinforce their belief that EV drivers are mad! Instead, talk to the person that shows interest while you charge. Over time that idiot will come round when all his mates drive EVs!

 

[Paul]

The "how long will the battery last" question always bugs me... Probably longer than the car is the answer, and way longer than most who pose that loaded question probably have ever owned a single vehicle. Nuts.

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

On the surface it might sound nuts but is it?

Many people's experience of rechargable batteries... especially lithium batteries... are those in laptops and phones. Those batteries have a nasty habit of expiring after a year or two of use. So is it not perfectly reasonable, when they hear that EVs has lithium batteries, to make the assumption, albeit incorrect, that the car batteries might last the same?

I am not at all surprised at the question. It seems a reasonable question to ask IMO.

My answer is that EV lithium batteries, although based on lithium, are quite different in their chemistry and do not suffer from the same short lifespan. I also say that the battery technology has been thoroughly tested and ask if they think that the car companies would risk car batteries dying in a few years? They would be the laughing stock of the car world. This seems to satisfy most people.

 

[jontracey]

to be honest I am quite happy for this mystery around EVs to continue for a while, there will come a point where mass adoption begins and companies will start looking for returns on their investment in infrastructure. While there are so few of us its not cost effective to charge us, however once a lot of EVs are on the road I will bet you a months salary that the government will start to look at how do they get back the lost tax revenues from fuel.

Besides who wants to queue at a charger, I like rolling up and its being ready for me

Short sighed and self serving - guilty as charged

 

[h8ten]

...

Besides who wants to queue at a charger, I like rolling up and its being ready for me

Short sighed and self serving - guilty as charged

Providing it is not blocked by an ICE.

 

[Paul]

On the surface it might sound nuts but is it?

Nuts and/or arrogant. To think that they have thought about this, but neither the manufacturers or buyers have is, quite frankly, nuts. Do they really think major manufacturers are selling cars that will last a couple of years, and people are buying them? Crazy.