Electric Vans, Delayed by Production Problems, Find Eager Buyers (2023)

FAQs

Why are people hesitant to buy electric vehicles? ›

The most common reasons drivers avoid EVs include: fear the battery will run out of charge before reaching their destination, also known as “range anxiety;” fear of too few charging stations, long charge times, and initial higher upfront vehicle costs.

7, 2021. Nearly half of Americans in a new poll say it's unlikely they would purchase an electric vehicle as their next car, citing the lack of charging options and the high costs as the main barriers to going electric.

1. Purchase Cost. The EV industry's biggest challenge is vehicle purchase cost. Electric vehicles are more expensive to build than gasoline-powered ones, primarily because of battery technology.

The adoption of plug-in electric vehicles in the United States is supported by the American federal government, and several states and local governments. As of December 2021, cumulative sales in the U.S. totaled 2.32 million highway legal plug-in electric cars since 2010, led by all-electric cars.

We found that electric vehicles could displace oil demand of 2 million barrels a day as early as 2023. That would create a glut of oil equivalent to what triggered the 2014 oil crisis. Compound annual growth rates as high as 60 percent can't hold up for long, so it's a very aggressive forecast.

US government's proposal to boost EV sales is challenging but not impossible. The US government is planning to change auto emissions standards in a way that means automakers would need to sell a lot more electric vehicles.

There are 68 million multi-car homes in the US. If these households switched one of their main cars to an EV, they could collectively save $36–72 billion in annual fuel costs. Even when accounting for power plant emissions, this switch could reduce greenhouse gases by an estimated 160–320 million metric tons per year.

Why are electric cars bad for society? ›

Making electric cars creates more emissions

The raw materials for making the car have to be mined, and the process of mining creates a lot of greenhouse gases. Then the raw materials have to be refined before they can be used, which again emits more greenhouse gas.

S&P Global Mobility forecasts electric vehicle sales in the United States could reach 40 percent of total passenger car sales by 2030, and more optimistic projections foresee electric vehicle sales surpassing 50 percent by 2030.

Although tax breaks could help with the overall cost, 36% of Americans say their major concern is price — this is followed by a lack of charging stations (24%) and driving range (12%). With the average price of an EV at $58,725, income level could be a major barrier to ownership.

Cold temperatures do affect electric vehicles and steal some of their range. The amount of range lost depends on many factors such as the car itself, its potential range in normal weather, and whether the heat is on.

Last month, California regulators passed rules banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, a move hailed as a significant victory in the fight against climate change.

The average lifetime mileage of an ICE vehicle is about 133,000 miles. While experts estimate the average EV battery will last around 200,000 miles, some manufacturers already promise much more than that.

Most manufacturers have a five to eight-year warranty on their battery. However, the current prediction is that an electric car battery will last from 10 – 20 years before they need to be replaced.

Gas cars are cheaper compared to fuel than electric cars. Electricity is usually more expensive than gasoline, which means that it will cost you more per mile, so gas-powered cars offer better value for money in the long run.

This chart shows the vehicle registration counts of all-electric vehicles (EVs) by state as of December 31, 2021. California has the greatest number of EVs, approximately 39% of EVs nationwide. Florida has the second highest count, followed by Texas.

Of those that favoured EVs, 25-34-year-olds were the fondest, as represented by 57% of the age group. Those aged 55-64 were the most likely generation to opt for traditional vehicles (40%). We also found that men were slightly more likely than women to prefer an EV, indicated by 55% of males compared to 48% of females.

Who sells the most electric vehicles in the US? ›

Tesla remains on top by a far margin, accounting for 65% of total EV sales in the United States in 2022. However, other automakers that were fast to react to the rapidly evolving market, like Ford, Hyundai, and GM, are beginning to claim their shares.

Electric vehicles (EVs) have fewer moving parts than gas-powered cars. That mechanical simplicity, advocates say, should lead to fewer part failures — and more reliable vehicles — over time.

Generally speaking, electric cars last longer than their gas counterparts (and require less maintenance, too!). So picking up a sleek new electric vehicle (EV) might be your best bet.

The bottom line for consumers as EVs become more popular, reduced gas demand likely will not lower prices as refiners constrict supply. In fact, supplies will probably decrease slightly faster than demand, keeping prices high. Any small mismatch between supply and demand could cause considerable price volatility.

Even though oil companies may be trying to head off an electric vehicle takeover, insurance companies know that electric vehicles are here to stay. You may qualify for insurance deals if you own an electric vehicle.

World Oil Reserves

The world has proven reserves equivalent to 46.6 times its annual consumption levels. This means it has about 47 years of oil left (at current consumption levels and excluding unproven reserves).

As electric cars are much heavier than gas-guzzlers, they use more energy per person transported, which is environmentally wasteful. Battery metals mining and production are monopolized by China and/or suffer from horrible working conditions. It also harms the soil and causes air contamination.

Affordability and Charging

Despite appearing to peak in price in 2022, the average new EV cost $58,940 in March, according to estimates by Kelley Blue Book, an industry tracker—a price tag many cannot afford while the cost of living remains high. By comparison, the average new non-luxury gas car cost $44,182.

The rule establishes a year-by-year roadmap so that by 2035 100% of new cars and light trucks sold in California will be zero-emission vehicles, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The regulation realizes and codifies the light-duty vehicle goals set out in Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-79-20.

What three concerns do consumers have with electric cars? ›

A Consumer Reports Survey found that more than 33 percent of those interviewed had similar concerns about buying an electric vehicle. The top three concerns were: range, charging logistics, and cost.

Fewer gas-powered cars and more EVs on the road will ultimately lead to cleaner air and a healthier environment for us all. Swapping out your gas-powered car for an electric car is a great way you can reduce your transportation emissions and help fight climate change.

Infrastructure may be lacking, but there are still advantages to making the switch to EV delivery vehicles — and technology that can help with journey planning. More than a million new public EV charging stations will be needed in the US by 2030 to handle the rise of electric vehicles, experts say.

All forms of electric vehicles can help improve fuel economy, lower fuel costs, and reduce emissions.

While the hazards of lithium mining can cause significant harm to the environment during its production, it is still more environmentally friendly than fossil fuels.

Lithium mining is, like all mining, environmentally and socially harmful. More than half the current lithium production, which is very water intensive, takes place in regions blighted by water shortages that are likely to get worse due to global heating.

According to Kelley Blue Book (KBB), 2023 will see the arrival of 16 all-new models. Visual Capitalist projects that 134 EV models will be in production by 2024, up from 125 in 2023 and 100 in 2022. Also, the electric segment will be more accessible than ever in 2023 despite the effects of inflation.

We are at about $138 per kWh of EV batteries right now, and there was a brief rise in price from 2021 to 2023 due to supply chain shortages. These prices are going to go down from here, though. Visit Torque News homepage for more stories.

According to Treehugger.com, experts anticipate that EVs and gas-powered cars will cost about the same by 2025. As even more EVs are manufactured, they will become less expensive to produce, with some experts claiming they will be even cheaper than their gas-powered counterparts in just a few years.

Average Battery Replacement Costs

If an EV is no longer under warranty or if its battery is damaged in an accident and isn't covered by insurance, Recurrent estimates the out-of-pocket cost for a replacement ranges from $5,000 to $20,000. The total cost largely depends on the pack, size and manufacturer of the battery.

How long will electric car shortage last? ›

Electric Vehicle Production Expected to Increase

The global chip shortage could be over by 2024—that's the best-case scenario. However, it could take longer than that to be resolved.

Here's what we recommend. Tesla just did some drastic price cuts. Now is the perfect time to buy your 2023 Tesla Model Y if you are in the market for one. The Tesla Model Y long range is $52,990 as a base price and if you buy it before March 2023, the price becomes $45,490.

According to CNBC, “lithium-ion batteries like the same sort of temperatures that we do”, and perform best at a balmy 70 degrees. EVs lose power under 65 degrees, and lose it quickly under 50 degrees, however, temperatures in excess of 86 degrees also rob the vehicle of power.

Keeping the inside of the vehicle warm in winter is usually the biggest drain on EV range, especially when ambient temperatures plunge below 15° F. Lithium ion batteries used in EVs also do not perform as well in cold temperatures, which can lead to further range reductions.

Yes. An article in Wired magazine recommends that you warm up the interior and the battery of an electric car in winter before driving it away from the charging station. The effects of cold weather on electric cars include a faster battery drain when using the cabin heater, which reduces your driving range.

But owners of vehicles with internal combustion engines will still be permitted to operate or resell them after 2035. With the average lifespan of a car in the U.S. pegged at about 12 years, there will be a need for gasoline for decades to come. Still, that demand will decline dramatically.

California, the country's most populous state and the center of U.S. car culture, is banning the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles starting in 2035, marking a historic step in the state's battle against climate change.

Quintessential small businesses that are often owned by immigrants, as many as 80 percent of stations could be unprofitable by 2035, when the state stops all new gas car sales. Already, fewer cars are gas-guzzlers, reducing demand for fuel. A growing number of cities are banning new station construction.

Factors influencing the purchase of electric vehicles were set to mileage, charging time, new technology, degree of driving autonomous development, design, price, infrastructure for charging, the phase of maintenance and repair, by the government and local governments.

EV batteries don't perform well in extremely hot or cold temperatures. North American winters, for example, can significantly affect EV driving range and charging times. According to a 2022 study by Green Car Reports, EV drivers noticed a 30% reduction in driving range during winter.

Are new electric cars less reliable than petrol or diesel models survey suggests? ›

New electric cars may be less reliable than petrol and diesel models, survey suggests. A survey by Which? finds that a higher percentage of electric car owners reported problems with their vehicle in its first four years, and that electric vehicles also spend longer off the road when they are faulty.

These disadvantages include finding charging stations, charging times, higher initial costs, limited driving range, and battery packs can be expensive to replace.

In general, those factors of performance, cost and charging infrastructure, negatively affect consumers to buy electric vehicles.

However, there are substantial technical, social, and economic barriers to widespread adoption of electric vehicles, including vehicle costs, lower driving ranges, long charging times, and the need for charging infrastructure.

Once an electric car's battery has reached the end of its serviceable life – which will most likely be because the car itself has reached the end of the road – its battery pack can find a new purpose, being removed from the vehicle and reused in a number of different deployments.

Cold temperatures do affect electric vehicles and steal some of their range. The amount of range lost depends on many factors such as the car itself, its potential range in normal weather, and whether the heat is on.

Electric vehicles and gas-powered pickups are the least reliable vehicles sold in America, whereas hybrids and gas-powered sedans are the most reliable, according to Consumer Reports 2022 Annual Auto Reliability survey.

An electric car can save on average $1,000 in fuel each year^.2 The cost to fully charge a 60-kilowatt-hour (kWh) EV with more than 230 miles of range at home is less than $8. Plus, energy prices are not as volatile as oil, which makes budgeting for an EV more consistent each year. How much can you save on fuel?