Electric vehicles still face real-world hurdles to compete for dominance

Electric vehicles have made significant inroads into the market, but still the number on the road compared to gas-powered vehicles is quite small, only a few percent at best. Sure, companies like Tesla, Nissan, and GM are making inroads in the market, but it’s still in its infancy and has a long way to go. There are some barriers to the dream of everyone driving an electric car in the future. Let’s address some of these.

Here are five issues to consider and challenges for EVs (electric vehicles) if they are to compete in the number of cars made on gasoline each year:

1). Road Tax Subsidies: In many states, motor vehicle departments give registration rebates for electric vehicles, which means other car owners pay more, and some states find they can’t handle the reduction in revenue, for So those tax breaks will soon be gone, again removing incentives to buy a vehicle. EV, at a time when the EV market is starting to take off.

2). Consumer Electricity Costs: Consumers are now charged more for electricity due to alternative energy power grid mandates. During times of drought, hydropower declines and solar farms are typically placed in areas far from major metro users, meaning more transmission lines are making their way into the desert costing billions of dollars+ energy is lost for every mile of transmission. The cost of solar power is not cheap, nor is the cost of wind power. Although both are becoming much more efficient, many of the previously built solar and wind farms need a decent ROI and their costs were higher than the costs of building new now. Rising electricity costs change the value and costs for consumers who charge their cars at home.

3). Electric Car Range: Proponents say it’s improving by leaps and bounds, TRUE. However, people have friends who have electric cars and have heard that their range is not as good as previously promised. That customer sentiment and perception is a public relations problem for the EV industry to overcome and it will take time to reverse, hurting sales in the short term.

4). Lack of charging stations: Proponents point out that Tesla is working on this EV charging station issue, and yes, they are, it’s good for them, but not everyone owns a Tesla or can afford one. As the price drops, can Tesla still offer this? What about other smaller EV buyers, because if we want full adoption, people need charging stations to be able to take trips, not just drive locally? Electric vehicles limit consumers’ travel options, and since these vehicles cost more on average than regular cars, people will continue to buy what they are used to. The electric vehicle industry will need to sell several million cars a year before full adoption is achieved.

5). Charge Time – Proponents point out that EVS charge time is being dramatically reduced, yes, but again, the perception is not yet in the minds of consumers. And not all electric cars are built the same or have similar battery technologies that allow them to charge faster. Running out of juice and having to wait to drive your car is the same as being “stuck” and consumers hate the idea of ​​that.

As we speak, engineers, scientists, and industry professionals are working on these things, but there’s a long way to go, that means a lot of upside, yes, but there’s still a long way to go. Please consider this.