Electric Cars

Peter32263870

Not sure electric makes sense currently, batteries last 10 years, problems with charging point availability and distances needed for country travel.

ab

I think electric cars will be great as they continue to mature.
I thought my current car would be electric, but the only cars out there, when I was ready to update, was the Tesla and I’m not a fan of it, to be honest…the interior is a little bland. But I’ve been doing my due diligence (research) and will be more than ready to make the jump to electric when I’m due to update in two to four years. By then, the choice of vehicle will be more comprehensive, battery technology will have developed even further and the supporting network will be more widespread.
Exciting times ahead. 😊
What would make me buy now? If there was some serious support given by Govt to offset the cost hike between fuel-based and electric cars, I think I’d make the move now. I’m hoping that the passing of two or three more years and larger scale production might translate into lower costs.

pasar

Have been watching EV reviews on Youtube for over a year and test-drove 5 EVs. Alas... I took the plunge and bought one. If one keeps on waiting until the technology is more mature, one will just miss the journey to green the earth

PGS

Hideously priced & don't have a good range.
Cost of replacing the batteries every 5 years or so...
My car is only 6 years old, by the time it needs to be changed, hopefully I can stop driving & not worry about it.

ronles

what will happen to people like myself who have a pacemaker implanted in our bodies? we cant sit in an electric car.

jjdrer

what will happen to people like myself who have a pacemaker implanted in our bodies? we cant sit in an electric car.

This is the first time your issue has been mentioned. Thank you for making people aware. There is thousands of people who have pacemakers. Because they are not visible to other people, the issue needs to brought up with those who think electric cars are the only option

Olugbenga30903842

They are good but Australia is not at that stage

mustang6000

While I agree that EVs are currently not economically viable for many, except those who live in the major cities, hybrid electric/petrol is a good option to look at.

margaretjulia

My husband and I like to caravan and travel throughout Australia. The thought of relying on an electric car to do this is worrying. Long distances between towns and they may not have an option to recharge an electric car. Regional areas have more to worry about that providing tourist with charging points. Also the time it takes to recharge is a concern.

jjdrer

My husband and I like to caravan and travel throughout Australia. The thought of relying on an electric car to do this is worrying. Long distances between towns and they may not have an option to...

It is not only tourists but country people who are unable to recharge their vehicles if they live long distances from important business and shopping needs. You have to use electricity to recharge electric vehicles. No thought has been given remote areas that have no "mains" electricity, who are reliant on generators

Erick-Louise32253176

While I think it's great we are turning towards more "green" choices of transportation, I can't help but think about how the price of such vehicles (in addition to the sparcity of recharge stations unless they're in high economic areas) makes electric cars an option for only the elite. Furthermore, I doubt the oil companies will take this lying down, as well as the government's who's economy relies on the mining industry. In addition to the fact that the data for how "green" the actual construction of making one of these cars actually is. For all we know, switching to these kinds of vehicles might not be a responsible option.

jjdrer

While I think it's great we are turning towards more "green" choices of transportation, I can't help but think about how the price of such vehicles (in addition to the sparcity of recharge stations...

I am certain electricity and chemicals are used to make these batteries.
No battery will last forever. Nobody has guaranteed safe disposal / storage of "dead" batteries at all. No mention of the number of batteries need to run one vehicle or cost of them.

margaretjulia

While I think it's great we are turning towards more "green" choices of transportation, I can't help but think about how the price of such vehicles (in addition to the sparcity of recharge stations...

agree totally. Cost and ability to use the same as an oil operating car is questionable

Sil sil

Hello Cafe, I purchased a car this year, I was in 2 minds about buying electric, I did test drive a Toyota, however I had many mixed reviews and feedback from a range of people, not just the sales people and it became very confusing. About the cost, about the parts which mat or may not need replacing in years to come and the cost associated with that. In the end it became so unclear that I bought a petrol car. The initial cost to buy an electric car already makes it difficult, investing upfront. If it's anything like my solar panel experience, I don't see or feel the "savings". I'd say, clear and transparent costs should be across the board and have warranty covering electric components may make people like myself feel protected and confident that future costs won't be in the $$$

Mel

Until Governments actually make the charging stations and make them easily accessible, and make these types of 'Earth saving' things more affordable, they're too rare and expensive for the average person to purchase. This type of technology is in its infancy now and may be more commonplace and affordable in the next 5 years. I have never seen a charging station (like our petrol stations) so they are not a thing yet. I don't believe I will ever purchase an electric car.

PGS

There is only one re-charge spot at my local supermarket. Many people are saying that it is not compatible fittings wise

You want standard fittings? Double the price...

jjdrer

Until Governments actually make the charging stations and make them easily accessible, and make these types of 'Earth saving' things more affordable, they're too rare and expensive for the average...

There is only one re-charge spot at my local supermarket. Many people are saying that it is not compatible fittings wise

Jen88

It may be worth buying an electric car in a few years when prices come down for both electric cars and electronic charging stations. Best bet is to put in a charging station if you have solar. There are no charging stations around at the moment I.e at shops, to make this worthwhile.

Missy Sarah

Being an older person I really haven't given it much thought as I tend to just keep doing what I'm doing in the belief that while things are going ok to not change anything.

lpullman

Wow. I see the same misinformation, nonsense and outdated knowledge repeated over and over here.

Most Australians live in cities and drive something like 35 km on average daily.

The number of people in Australia without mains electricity is vanishingly small. Your electric noddy car will charge overnight and at a lower cost than petrol.

Electric cars are more expensive than ICE. This should surprise exactly no one. They are a new thing (at least as far as mass production goes) and new things tend to be the "play thing for the rich". Guess what? No one poor could afford a car until the 1950s and no one poor buys a new car now. The average price of a new cars sold is around $40 (according to Canstar Blue) which gets you into bottom of the EV market.

Batteries do no need to be replaced. This isn't the 1980s and we don't use nickel cadmium batteries any more.

The safety of modern lithium batteries is effing phenomenal. How many commenters here are using a laptop or mobile phone? Every day, for years without incident. Its like the airline industry: safest way to travel but when something does go wrong we all hear about because it is so unusual.

Now I love fast cars and bikes. I am a self identified petrol head. But if I am going to get enjoy my 1980s hot sedan and my bikes, I figure I'd better damn well encourage people to adopt tech that takes the pressure off. What I see here are people making up excuses why they can't do it. Well, the future is make by people who can do it.

[/RANT]

lpullman

I don’t disagree with you, however, I believe that in many areas the electricity grid cannot cope with even a small number of charging stations due to the power they draw. Not sure if an in home...

Thanks for the reply. No one else did - just repeat the same excuses why THEY can't.

To your point: grid load depends on amps drawn. "Domestic" chargers draw less (10A max) while fast charges run to three times that (from memory). But here's the fun thing, electrical engineers who do this stuff for a living have already thought about this - they don't need advice on how to do their job from Joe Randoms like you and me on The Internets.

The grid coping just fine with EVs charging. They aren't the ones causing black outs...

Having said that, our grid is long past its use by. It was designed in the 1920s around continuous centralised generation. Whatever happens, we are going to have to modernise our electricity grids so I really don't see future load from EVs as an issue.

John351

Wow. I see the same misinformation, nonsense and outdated knowledge repeated over and over here.

Most Australians live in cities and drive something like 35 km on average daily....

I don’t disagree with you, however, I believe that in many areas the electricity grid cannot cope with even a small number of charging stations due to the power they draw. Not sure if an in home charger would draw less and spread the charging over a longer period. I think Hybrid is a good step however, current hybrids only use the electric capability up to about 40km so is only of benefit 8nvan urban situation. Improvement in hybrid technology to power vehicles at higher speeds would be a great advantage.

LMS

I find it a bit daunting and even though I care about the environment, I will stick to my unleaded petrol car.

Luvmydogs

With all of the current problems with the supply of electricity, why would anyone venture down the path of buying an electric car? I much prefer to stay with what I am already familiar with & which has always been very reliable. If the government wants people to change to electric cars, then they need to do something with the electricity grid to ensure a reliable, consistent supply!

Jessica32293893

With all of the current problems with the supply of electricity, why would anyone venture down the path of buying an electric car? I much prefer to stay with what I am already familiar with & which...

Exactly ! Our power can't handle people having their aircon on during summer with out having black outs imagine how it would cope with everyone charging their bloody cars !

Gwen46

With all of the current problems with the supply of electricity, why would anyone venture down the path of buying an electric car? I much prefer to stay with what I am already familiar with & which...

Agree wholeheartedly !

ConnieG

If electric cars develop into a more sustainable method, absolutely. solar energy would be viable if it could power it efficiently. I don’t believe that’s the case right now.

pinkfaerie2210

I like the idea of electric cars, but they are generally more expensive and I currently own a car and a new car is a big purchase - so this is more something I would think of further down the line when my current car is no longer viable.
I would be more open to considering buying an electric if the government offered a significant subsidy or tax cut for consumers when buying, or some type of incentive program. There would also need to be a lot more charging points available - at the moment they are more by discretion of the building itself, but if the government were to mandate a required number of charging points for buildings that have more than a certain number of parking spots - i.e. 5% of parking spots must have EV charging points in buildings that have more than 100 parking spots

NigeyBaby

I think if you have a lot of Solar power at home, or at your factory/workplace, they make sense for the environment. Much more so if you regularly drive in city traffic.

...but, the Aussie price for any PHEV or electric vehicle is ridiculous. Without government incentives, they are just a toy for the wealthy

gtdeb

not going to buy one still issues with them and where i live in a rural area i dont think so

squijeelulu

I will NOT be buying an electric car because while they themselves release no carbon emissions, they plug into the electricity grid which currently contributes to carbon emissions, so it's a ridiculous concept, given it takes HOURS to recharge them. On the other hand, hydrogen cars are IDEAL. Hydrogen fuel cell cars are powered by an electric motor, but unlike electric cars, they use hydrogen fuel cells to generate electricity. Hydrogen fuel cells work by combining hydrogen and oxygen to create water, which produces energy that powers the electric motor and are quick to refuel.

jjdrer

You could say the same about carbon emissions from the hydrogen production. All fuels take energy to generate.
If you are lucky (wealthy?) enough to have a lot of solar panels at your property,...

Wow !!! Who can afford to have one vehicle sitting idle especially given the purchase price, insurance, registration. No way can I imagine these vehicles not having to be serviced, I'm certain not only batteries are used. What about other components

lpullman

Air is about 0.00005% Hydrogen.
Where does the hydrogen come from? A petrol station has to buy it, which means a truck with a big compressed Hydrogen cylinder has to drive it there from a...

Er, how do you think petrol / diesel / LPG gets to your petrol station? Stop me if you've already got this far on your own, but if you're replacing those fuels with hydrogen, you could replace the fuel your trucks use. In fact, it would be easier because they already have to go to your hydrogen "factory".

Now, I think hydrogen is going to be a niche fuel precisely because its handling requirements, this argument is completely fatuous.

NigeyBaby

Not really because hydrogen fueled cars do not have to plug into the electricity grid or any electric power source. They're fueled by hydrogen where the by product is water. We have unlimited...

Air is about 0.00005% Hydrogen.
Where does the hydrogen come from? A petrol station has to buy it, which means a truck with a big compressed Hydrogen cylinder has to drive it there from a factory, that produces it from water or CNG – both of which electricity or burning gas or both

squijeelulu

You could say the same about carbon emissions from the hydrogen production. All fuels take energy to generate.
If you are lucky (wealthy?) enough to have a lot of solar panels at your property,...

Not really because hydrogen fueled cars do not have to plug into the electricity grid or any electric power source. They're fueled by hydrogen where the by product is water. We have unlimited hydrogen in the air and with oxygen, it generates energy to produce H2O. That's it. Both hydrogen-powered cars and electric vehicles (EVs) have motors powered by electricity, with the major difference being where that electricity is generated from. EVs get theirs from a lithium-ion battery, while hydrogen-powered cars are powered by a hydrogen fuel cell that converts hydrogen to electricity while the car is running.

NigeyBaby

I will NOT be buying an electric car because while they themselves release no carbon emissions, they plug into the electricity grid which currently contributes to carbon emissions, so it's a...

You could say the same about carbon emissions from the hydrogen production. All fuels take energy to generate.
If you are lucky (wealthy?) enough to have a lot of solar panels at your property, and you can charge during the day, no carbon emissions!
(note that this might require two cars –
one to drive to work, and one to leave home charging :-)

betty

No way ,I don’t think is safe to go on long distance,plus problems with usage of electricity today not worthed and cars are expensive

humecreek

Not a snowball's chance in hell. Electric cars might be ok for city folk who drive 10 klms and are on high salaries and can charge the cars at home. Not to mention the cost of a new battery in a few years time. Not viable for most Australians due to cost. I do not believe that electric cars are going to save the planet at all the amount of minerals that have to be mined (by children in the Congo) to build these batteries is ridiculous unfair and cruel and they are not recylable! This whole idea of changing the temperature of the globe by Australians? Look at the facts and follow the money trail. nothing to do with the environment.

Angieg

10 hours to charge for approximately 300kms - plus the cost of the car and replacement batteries costs WAY too much. At this stage, electric cars are not cost effective.

jatz50

I'm not in favour of electric cars. We have had two fires on roads because of electric cars and to me, they are more dangerous on the roads.
It also means that you have to have a charger at home and obviously homes will have to have them connected which means $. They take ages to charge I believe and in the past, some have caught fire there also.
Nope not a fan at all at the moment.

Libbazz

In Australia, some of our states and the Northern Territory are very large in distance from the top to the bottom. Therefore driving for 8 hours means you are only half way through some states going from top to bottom. In Europe if you drive for 8 hours you would be through 3 or 4 different countries. Fuel cars need refuelling every 500 - 600 kilometres. Electric cars need charging every 270 -320kms and a full recharge takes 10 hours to do. So as far as I'm concerned electric vehicles are not viable if you want to travel by road around Australia on a time restricted holiday. Plus the cost of the EVs are quite expensive at the moment.

Wildcat

I am not a fan of electric cars. I believe they do have a place for those living in the city who only do small trips, however, Australia is a huge country and I don't think that we are equipped yet to deal with this form of transport. The charging stations for those wanting to install them outside their business are exorbitant and the time it takes to charge the vehicle is ridiculous, the only people who will probably make any extra money will be those selling food while those charging their vehicle will be spending quite some time waiting.
Until these vehicles can prove that they are, one - reliable and two can take me where I want to go without running out of power, I am afraid they are way down on my bucket list.

Peter32263870

I haven’t converted to electric as I live regional and there are few options for recharging apart from at home. I also see different charging stations and am still not sure if you can use any charging station. With the costs of electricity going up also the financial benefits are not clear. When will we be able to read an unbiased and well researched comparison sheet. Making a big decision to change needs to be made with a complete understanding of the costs and practicality.

Pammy67

I have never been able to afford a 'brand new car' but if I could, I would certainly check out the electric cars as they are definitely the future.

ranbaato

I would like to have an electric car but for most people there are barriers.One is the initial cost.2RECHARGING AT HOME CAN , FOR OLDER HOMES REQUIRE COMPLETELY REWIRING THE HOME.3journey distances in Australia require a huge network of charging stations,

1234

The current cost of petrol may push some towards electric cars but presently I have no interest in purchasing. For a start they are overpriced and I only ever buy second hand vehicles. I don't believe they are as environmentally friendly as made out. Apparently when the battery reaches its lifespan they are very expensive to replace and what happens to the spent batteries? I like to travel off road with a caravan so electric is useless for me. There is not enough charging stations, they take too long to charge, and not suitable for remote areas in, for example western Australia

Wally the Clown

Used to think they were not good for the environment (several obvious physical and thermodynamic issues, energy losses etc. (Thermodynamically, you lose over 50% of the energy every time you transform from one form to the other, so 50% loss in charging, then 50% loss in actual driving.) Then found data from an actual reputable source showing the economies of scale from large power providers make them environmentally friendly, so started looking into them.
Now only blocked from considering them due to ludicrously and utterly unjustifiable high prices. $49,990 minimum and that's the "advertised" price for a mini car- and you know that you will actually have to pay much more than that for even the basic, and up from there if you want one which actually works well enough to be useful. Right now they are conspicuous consumption- bragging rights, if you will.

The extreme high price is "justified" (it is to laugh) by the long "research and development" required. This is the same excuse from the pharmaceutical companies for charging $750 for a $13.50 tablet (OK, extreme case and he's apparently in jail now, but like a financial services company, this criminal, rapacious behavior was acceptable to the company). Pharmaceuticals do have a long R&D and testing process, the battery technology and car technology do not. There was some R&D, but as most was done by other companies, governments and associations, the car companies do not get to play the same game as the pharmaceutical industry. They use established technology developed by others, slightly modified it, and used it to save their industry which was (and is) in severe danger anyway due to their utter refusal for 50 years or so to make cars more efficient and less polluting (until forced to by both social forces and government). They are still lying about what steps they have taken (remember Volkswagon?)

They resemble the cigarette companies in this- they want to keep selling their dangerous product so they lie, overprice their products, use dishonest sales tactics (two family members worked in auto sales- the stories!) and the advertising is second only to the health and beauty industry in dishonest, deceitful and manipulative tactics.

Also, with zero infrastructure available and extremely long charging times, they are not (now) practical.

flo

Currently not worth paying the cost for electric cars, I will wait until prices get lower, can charge faster and travel longer distances and more charging stations

tlw

As I live in a regional area, electric cars are not really an option for me as there are not enough charging stations. I also understand that the cost of installing a charging station at your house is very expensive. I am not convinced of the benefits of electric cars for myself, but this might change in the future.

knaufie

I think many folk see electric cars as the bees-knees. They usually give no thought to the amount of power/energy needed just to make one. Also the ability for us in the regions to even use one; no charging stations within 100k here!

pasar

I am already driving a hybrid and have first-hand experience with the benefits of going fully electric and just waiting to purchase one when my preferred model arrives at our shore. I believe the benefits outweigh the cost. I can be part of the environmental solution while enjoying the benefits

Nat31416130

I haven't fully investigated electric cars. It's great for the evironment but are they effecient in 'strength' and are the costs more expensive if a mechanical part fails, needs replacing? What happens in an emergency if you need to drive for a family matter 15 hours drive away? Where do you recharge? Or a breakdown or run out of electricity? Petrol you can resolve easily, electricity? How's this resolved? I would like to investigate further for a full opinion.. but I still prefer petroleum cars. Always will

bearman

I have read that EVs are only meant to be charged to 85% and to not completely run down as this and fully charging them can cause loss of expected battery life span. Most EVs charge 70% in 30 minutes and take longer to finish the rest of the charge. They are not good in extremes of hot or cold so your car should be garaged as often as possible. No good to me at the moment due to lack of charging infrastructure and i cant afford to get a charging point put into my garage. They are limited in driving range. Batteries are fully re-cyclable so less landfill worries. Handy person can change the batteries yourself so save on this cost. EVs don't come with a spare tire to cut down on extra weight so make sure you are covered with some sort of road side assist. Plus they have very specific designed tires to cope with the extra car weight. So don't think about customizing your ride with low profile rims and tires. The NSW government hasn't worked out yet if they will subsidize EV purchases to encourage drivers to swap let alone if they will impose a distance tax to make up for the shortfall in government fuel excise tax revenues. America has at least 3 different types of EV charging power cords for different car brands so i don't know if this is going to be standardized for cars imported into Australia or if you will have to carry/ buy a different cord for which type of car you buy. Each commercial charging station can cost up to $50000 which will take a lot of customers to use it to break even for the entrepreneur. The charge time is the killer though. Petrol cars roll in, fill up and roll out every ten minutes with lets say 10 pumps in operation. Evs roll up and take 30 minutes to get 70% charge with probably 6 charging stations. This is going to result in a long line of cars waiting at every charging station every day. So no I wont be getting an EV anytime soon and I wont be late for work as I drive past the lines of EVs waiting to get re-charged.

meg

I would NOT consider an electric car for the following reasons:
1. Restricted range, - the best seems to be about 350 Km, then a long wait to recharge.
2. There doesn't seem to be any information about battery lifetime.
3. It appears that a replacement battery would be about the same price as a car.
4. The trade - in value would probably be zilch because the battery condition (ageing) would be unknown.

Would you buy a second hand (or more ) electric car knowing that the battery may be near the end of its life ?

jjdrer

I would NOT consider an electric car for the following reasons:
1. Restricted range, - the best seems to be about 350 Km, then a long wait to recharge.
2. There doesn't seem to be any...

Given the rumoured price of batteries and the quality of the construction of current cars I think the older ones are a lot safer. Have a kangaroo jump into the front side section when you are actually stationary, the panels are so large that it costs a lot of funds. I know of one that occurred about 10 years ago. Repairs cost $8000.00. Fortunately the car was insured for an initial agreed amount of it would have been a write-off. An EV would almost definitely be a write-off and high likely to be life threatening if batteries are involved

Rooster 1

i really dont have anything about electric cars,,, but i need them to be proven a lot more before i would consider one

Anonymous

I have nothing against electric cars but I don’t drive

Anonymous

I have nothing against electric cars but I don’t drive

suki31999189

I think electric cars are the way of the future. Better for the environment and efficient.

I will definitely consider it, petrol cars will be outdated very soon and electric cars will be advertised and promoted heaps - as we have seen petrol prices are going up and eventually we will run out of coal and have no petrol so electric cars will have to be the future as we will run out of resources.

I will buy one but I know it will be pricey so I might consider second hand

jjdrer

Before I even consider it I would need proof of the safety of some of the technical concerns I have. What is the source of the electricity used for the manufacture of the batteries and the chemicals used to fill them for use? How long do batteries last if they are well maintained including fluid levels checked regularly, re-charged regularly regardless of how often the vehicle is driven, how far they can be driven without being re-charged. If you have go too far away from a town to the next one with a charging station it just wouldn't be possible to do it. Do you have to carry a spare set of batteries in your vehicle? What is the cost of a spare set of batteries? What happens if the car suddenly stops because the batteries are flat? Can you open the windows and doors? How large is the interior of an electric car? Can "expired" batteries be disposed of in a perfectly safe method that will prevent and pollution forever? Will it safely fit a family of 4 or 5 people including width and leg room requirements? What is the safe capacity of the cargo area? Will it fit a baby's stroller and a week's supply of groceries? In actual fact some people only shop once a fortnight, especially those receive their income fortnightly or live a long distance from their nearest shopping option. As accessories, can you buy exterior visors that block out the wind and rain if you want to leave the top of your windows enough to also let through ventilation when it has to stand in the sun to prevent glass exploding?
Now what does a family size vehicle cost? How long will they be safe to use, including the structure and paint/ sticker finishing? What is the car purchase price and the Government Taxes, Levies etc. ? When I get honest positive replies to all of my questions I will consider the viability of buying an electric car

Mumof4GC

Thought about it but not ready to leap there at present. I would have to do research and reading up on what's required how far they go on the charge. They are expensive too so not ready to go there either yet. I personally don't know anyone who has one either at present so can't ask their opinion. I would really love to talk to someone who has one to get their personal take on it to have a better understanding as that would bring a lot of answers to my questions.

Bookbabe

I purchased a Subaru XV S hybrid this year.
It is an understatement to say full EV ( electric only) cars are expensive - the Nissan Leaf is the cheapest EV, with MG asking an suv hybrid in category with the Subaru.
In NSW there is no acknowledgement, and no rebate for purchasing the XV hybrid, unlike Victoria.
I’ve found the performance of my XV consistent when in EV mode as it is when running using petrol.
I must confess I don’t drive my vehicle enough to say it’s absolutely efficient. I have found on highway trips and using cruise control the EV mode is more efficient.
Compared to vehicles in its class, I felt the Subaru provided all the expected safety features, with all wheel drive. The specs state EV mode will run at 40km or less, but I have found it kicks in at a variety of speeds, and especially when going downhill.
The downside of my XV hybrid is no running spare tyre. I have added on a 6 year roadside assistance package with NRMA should the need arise.
Overall, love driving my hybrid - she does run almost silent (you hear the wheels but no motor - unless the Lexus hybrids which are completely silent).

Mondayitis

I have been thinking about but I've only done a few minutes of research so I can't give an informed opinion. Based on what I've seen and think, so: 1. There are far too expensive. 2. In my area there's a lack of charging stations. 3. Lack of choice in Australia. 4. Batteries cost several thousand dollars to replace at the moment. 5. Rising electricity prices. 6. Cost of setting up charging at home. 7. Battery charging times need to be planned around commuting and commitments. 8. Have no idea how much servicing and maintenance. 9. I don't have any evidence to back this up but I do wonder about privacy and tracking issues. The issues don't sit on the favourable side of me wanting to own one - YET

Mondayitis

* most retailers offer a 6-8 year warranty on the batteries.

Ok but when a battery replaced it’s very expensive so it doesn’t change my thinking

Bookbabe

I have been thinking about but I've only done a few minutes of research so I can't give an informed opinion. Based on what I've seen and think, so: 1. There are far too expensive. 2. In my area...

* most retailers offer a 6-8 year warranty on the batteries.

cjc1959au

Far too expensive,
Way too small range,
In many cases, ugly as sin!!

bc

Never thought that I would even consider and electric car but I honestly believe that the way the world is leaning, it will be the future. There will come a day, maybe not in my lifetime, where petrol cars are superceded by electric.
The reason I have never considered one is mutli-layered. Firstly, I dont believe that Australia is electric car ready, not enough charging stations and therefore limited mileage and pretty much not for touring the country. We have a long way to go to convince the public that electric cars are viable for family, city and country driving.
Secondly, not sure that the research has gone as far as it can. It seems that electric cars are evolving and technology is changing so rapidly I am concerned of 'jumping the gun' and venturing into the world of electric driving too soon.
Expense is the big slap in the face when it come to electric cars. Not only are the vehicles expensive and pretty much are beyond the realms of normality when it comes to a working class Australian family, but the increasing cost of electicty in Australia and the expense in reconfiguring my garage to become a charging station currently outweights the argument of petrol v electric.
In summary, it's just too early, too expensive and too inconvenient at the moment, but watch this space....give it another 20-30yrs and I believe electric cars will be the future of motoring.

Thomas31627453

Biggest scam of the century!

Shadrack32252226

I think electric cars are cars of the present and future. With the coming onboard of hydrogen powered vehicles, access to these type of cars will be much easier and it will subsequently help with managing our current climate situation.

Rossissmellingtheroses

In Australia, I believe the future is with hybrid vehicles. This is due to the often lengthy driving trips we make & the general terrain along much of our coastal or near coastal regions of undulating & hilly areas. This is where is the hybrid vehicle is advantageous because of its ability to recharge the battery on downhill terrain & still have backup diesel or petrol power giving an extensive driving range.

AdelaideM

I would love to buy an electric car!
I absolutely think that they're the way of the future, as petrol is a finite resource. The technology is coming along so fast, I don't think it will be long before we see more and more of them on the roads.
That said, there are absolutely a few issues with them.

Here in Australia, where we have long stretches of road where there aren't even petrol stations and you have to carry your own, a purely electric car isn't always going to be a viable option. I've seen a few that do a hybrid model, where you can either charge and run your car off electric, or run it with petrol, may be a great option.
Alternatively, a better option would be if we could develop electric cars with something like solar roof panels, that charge up as you run.

Another issue is that the batteries require mined inputs to exist. While having electric cars reduce the need for petrol, we still have to mine to create the batteries and other car parts. I'd be interested in seeing how we can reduce this need, but as I'm not an engineer, I don't have the answer to that problem!

Finally, and the main reason I don't have one, is the cost. I've only ever bought little second hand cars, and a) there aren't many second hand electric cars out there, and b) electric cars are generally more expensive than I can afford anyway.

It's absolutely something I've thought about, but at the moment the positives aren't enough to make it an option for me just yet!

Raksha

I can't see us buying an electric car in the near future. We usually buy used cars, as new is out of our price range. I doubt that there will be any used electric cars on the market for quite a while.

feralrecords

Electric cars are not as good for the environment as people think. Most electricity is made by methods that create pollution. When the batteries eventually die the cheaper model cars will be worthless due to battery replacement costs.

Breenie

Great idea but the range they can travel is unrealistic in Australia. I did see an article about a Mercedes electric car in Germany travelling 1000 kilometres on a single charge - this is more realistic provided recharge times are going down as they are presently too long.

Vivek32053011

Yes this will create a huge impact on environmental protection

melsdestiny

I think the whole concept of an electric car seems fantastic for the environment.
Personally, I would not buy one because I feel that I'm not going to get the distance in an electric car that I would a petrol car, and knowing my luck I'm always likely to forget to charge it. It seems so time consuming have to charge the battery, compared to the 2 minutes it takes me to fill my tank of petrol. The cost is another reason, but it's much lower on the list when I take into account my other wants.

Ruskie30748487

It think they are a great idea, when they come down in price and have more charging stations in the rural areas of our vast country.

Danni30723977

No not interested at the moment - mainly around the cost and need to recharge the battery isnt as convenient as a petrol car. However rising prices will potentially change people's attitude quicker.

prod001

I have read a lot about these vehicles, but they are just too expensive for me at this stage. If the government is serious about encouraging people to take up electric vehicles, it has to remove the 'luxury tax' on them. They are way more expensive to buy than in other countries.

Bella4927

I think they arent that good for the environment because of what is required to make it and the fact it wont break down.
I am not thinking of buying one.
I think Its great we are going towards a more sustainable future however the items used in production dont and cant break down which poses an issue in 10+yrs time, which worries me.

Aging blonde

While the idea of electric cars may be a good idea there are several drawbacks to owning one. Firstly the actual purchase price of the vehicle is much higher than a conventional vehicle. The price of electricity is going through the roof at the moment. The availability of charging options is very limited. The distance you can travel is limited and after travelling the approximate 400 km range it is just not that simple to drive into any service station to charge up. The time it takes to charge the vehicle is so much longer than filling up with fuel. The vehicles are extremely quiet and therefore pedestrians and especially children, would not hear the vehicle approaching and while it is always the responsibility of the driver to watch out for pedestrians, sometimes a pedestrian or more so children, rely on hearing when stepping onto a roadway instead of looking for vehicles. The only benefit I can consider is the environmental impact of emissions and perhaps a lower maintenance cost.

daisy

well dont like the idea of electric cars as you need to have tools to charge it up ithink its asilly idea

purplecarol

I travel interstate to visit family, I would never buy an electric car because when I refuel I want it to take minutes not hours! It is ridiculous, what happens when you run out of power while out driving. What happens if there are not charge stations around, until there are multiple charge stations at every current service station, there would not be enough of them to charge everybody. Let's not even mention the cost of electricity which is of course going higher & higher with no end in sight! What happens when you are stuck in a traffic jam possibly for hours on freeways in the heat or cold. Can you sit running the heater or air conditioning for hours, I think not! Complete and utter joke, whichever moron thought of electric cars is a moron! Might be OK for yuppies who live in the city but well do they even know how to drive let alone have driveways and charging ports for every resident. Maybe solar cars with backup charged batteries would be a better alternative.

dee

Simply because of the price of petrol will make me switch to electric vehicles.

Ellie 30656027

Too expensive and too many downsides because they are still new. Maybe in time to come when they become cheaper and more widespread I could buy one. Also not many places to charge.

Goulah

I would love an electric vehicle but my eyesight is so poor that I don’t think I would ever drive again. I like the concept but with initial cost, lack of charging stations and how far you could go on one charge, currently it is still something that needs to be developed further. My parents lived in an age of fossil fuel, as I have, but the thought of a sustainable system like electricity is a joy to behold. 50 years ago I was called a tree hugger and my way of thinking has not changed. Recyclability is very important to me so once damaging chemicals are eliminated from batteries or batteries can be made without such “evils”, it will have to remain in abeyance.

bb6

What would happen if you are stuck in a major traffic jam, would all the electric cars stop working? What would happen driving Perth to Kalgoorlie, I don't think there are charging stations available. I am not sure we are quite ready to go down this route 100%. At this stage building electric cars is not carbon neutral.

BKM547

Absolutely no use if you camp in the bush, or want to travel around Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, NSW, Queensland, or South Australia. May be OK in the ACT and Tasmania. They are a CITY car only in Australia. I travel up to 800 km in a day. No EV will do that in the same time.

beavis

I am still on the fence at this stage as there are very few charging stations available where I live and the initial cost of electric cars is way out of my price range, maybe in the future when they are more mainstream.

Tracyb

I haven’t looked into it really. We have only just purchased a diesel Ute so won’t be even thinking about it for years.

James32088622

Unfortunately it is still too costly to purchase an electronic car at the moment. There is also long wait times for the car to arrive. Once it becomes more mainstream I may consider purchasing one. I’m sure the cost of petrol will be making people look at alternatives.

purljohn

Haven't jumped on the EV route just yet, but am seriously considering when I am ready to buy. My only concerns are the availability of charging stations, and distances that can be travelled. Also waiting for home batteries to become more competitively priced and then definitly will make the switch. I want to do my bit when it comes to minimising my carbon footprint.

rebcarmel

I am purchasing a new car soon but have found that the prices for electric are still too high and there are not enough charging stations in Cairns.

site77

I don't have an electric car but I would love to buy it. The problem is that the electric car costs more than the conventional one because the batteries are still very expensive plus the cost per km
About three times more efficient, it reduces the cost of the km driven and this is very good

amazon69

I won't be considering an electric car anytime soon as I am towing a van daily as I travel around Australia. So a 4WD is essential for me.

kimba1812

I owned an electric car 10 years ago and sold it after it broke down and left me stranded and was not able to be started like a petrol car! We were told at the time that a replacement battery was $10,000.

kidwithsmurf

Before I start my opinion on electric cars, I will state that I do not own one for several reasons. I do not own an electric car because of the following (in no order):

1. Most decent electric cars are still expensive to purchase
2. In Australia charging stations are few and far between
3. Repair costs of an electric car are expensive
4. The cost of repairing/replacing the battery is expensive with you almost being better off buying a new car then replacing the battery
5. Batteries are recyclable but are made from rare metals such as Neodymium, Terbium and Dysprosium.
6. Batteries have limited lifespan

When it comes to the price of an electric car, according to carsguide.com.au they range between $44,990 all the way up to $200,000 plus. This is not feasible for the average car buyer. Likewise, you would not be able to pick up a cheap 2nd hand electric car as they don’t really have resell value. This is because you wouldn’t be able to tell how long the battery has left in a 2nd hand electric car as you’d never know what kind of conditions the previous owner had subject it too. Plus, once the battery is dead, it is not worth replacing in most cases. Also, if you were to buy a brand new cheap electric car, they all have different batteries in them that can do less KM’s before needing to be charged. Thus, a lower priced brand new electric car would require to be charged more often, putting more strain on the battery than a high priced brand new electric car. Thus, it’s not, as of yet, feasible for the average car buyer to be able to afford a decent electric car that will last a long time.

This brings me to the cost of the batteries. The batteries, at this stage, are only built to last 8 years or 160,000km according to Truecar.com. This is significantly less than non-electric cars, as Consumerreports.org states that the average life span of today’s non electric cars being 240km’s or 8 years. Though, given that both electric and non are both given 8 years, it is a given that you are more likely to reach 160,00km in an electric car before the 8 years is up… especially if it is your main car. Thus, you are more likely to need to replace an electric car or a component of it more often than a non-electric car. This not only is expensive to the consumer, but expensive on the resources used to make an electric car, especially the battery.

Talking about battery resources, the batteries in electric cars use rare materials that are hard to obtain and may run out. These materials being neodymium which are used in the battery’s magnets. If these materials run out, the only alternative that some manufacturers are trying to replace them with are ferrite. However, this is not liable just yet as ferrite is much larger than neodymium magnets and less durable by a sizeable percentage. Thus, it is still a large requirement to use the rare neodymium material in the batteries making their no feasible alternative to neodymium magnets. Factoring the need for rare materials to make the batteries, this is why, according to licarco.com a Tesla Model S battery can range between $13,000 to $20,000 whilst the Tesla Model Y ranges from $11,000 to $16,000 which in today’s market in Australia is the full cost of a second hand non-electric car. If the battery is on the higher end, you can even get some low model new cars for the same price. Therefore, you have to weigh up whether replacing your electric car’s battery more often than buying a non-electric car is worth it in the long term not only for your bank balance but for the environment.

All this considered, when it comes to charging an electric car… you will get savings in the sense that it is cheaper at the moment (ATM) to charge an electric car than fill up a non-electric car with petrol. This is according to Leadingedgeenergy.com.au where a 60kWh battery and an electricity rate of 0.50 per kWh it would cost $35.75 to full charge your electric car whilst a 60 litre petrol tank at $1.50 would cost $90. This makes up for the cost of the car and the battery replacement. However, this isn’t the case in the long run.

You can’t take cheap electric prices to charge an electric vehicle into account compared to petrol prices of non-electric vehicles because there are fewer electric vehicles in Australia than non. Thus, as more people buy electric cars and drive them, it is a given that electricity prices to charge them will have to sky rocket to compensate the usage. It is also a given fact, that Australia makes nothing here and is running low on gas to power, power stations and build solar panels etc. This leads to a shortage of charging stations.

Charging stations are few and far between making it even less viable at this present time to buy an electric vehicle. Not to mention a charging station will only be viable with solar panels and, the cost of manufacturing solar panels with the resources required to make them would significantly increase as more electronic vehicle charging stations pop up around Australia. As it is, solar panels are already expensive and materials for them in Australia are scarce as we do not make anything here. Hence, the price of charging an electric vehicle will increase very quickly over time. But for now, it’s cheaper to run an electric car than a non-electric, that is, if you can find a charging station on your journey. However, this will not last as demand and usage of electric cars increases.

Overall, given the above points such as high price to own, high maintenance cost, low life span, limited charging stations and scarce materials used in battery production etc, I will not be buying an electric powered car until some significantly better technology, research and reliability is implemented as for now they are not worth the price or the environment saving impact just yet.

kidwithsmurf

That was an extensive and educational reply. Many thanks.

You're very welcome, I am glad I could help educate you to some extent and that you enjoyed reading my thoughts and views on the topic.

If you took anything away from my comment, it would be to encourage you to further read up on Electronic Vehicles and decide for yourself if buying one right now is a good idea based on what I have mentioned and your own research.

To some up my original thoughts again, I'd again say if manufactures of Electronic Vehicles can make them more sustainable, cheaper to repair, last longer and use less rare materials to build... Then in the future they may be a better option than Non Electric Vehicles. However, only time will tell and at this current stage, I personally would stay clear of them until drastic changes come about.

Goulah

Before I start my opinion on electric cars, I will state that I do not own one for several reasons. I do not own an electric car because of the following (in no order):

1. Most decent...

That was an extensive and educational reply. Many thanks.

2020

To unreliable as they have a very short range, new battery costs 30,000 dollars not worth the cost.

Kylee32176300

I think electric cars are fantastic and definitely the future.
My family is thinking of getting an electric car. We have test driven and found an electric car we like we are just saving up to make the purchase.
Prices going down and more options being released by lots of different companies have also helped us what to make the leap.

Captured

As someone who currently has to park on the street and has plans for a bit of regional/rural driving in the future, electric cars are NOT something on my radar for the foreseeable future. I also have a ute which i use as a ute and do not believe that an electric powered vehicle would be able to do what i need it to, let alone figuring out how to charge it with no access to a power point.

I am sure they're fine for inner city living or suburbs with access to power sources for recharging, but for now, I'm happy with my diesel ute.

gayeelizabeth

I think they are priced above the average persons budget & inconvienent to recharge also the cost to have a charging station in your home

carol17

I feel that Electric cars are too expensive to buy at present. I do not need a new car at present.

jules 1

At this stage I am not too sure if I would buy an Electric Car.

Power prices are going up and up, then you have to find a charging point, that in itself I would find annoying.

What happens to all the batteries when they get old.!

I am very unsure, so I'll wait for the cost to drop before I think about buying an electric car!

Maggie

I can see the environmental reasons for switching to an electric car. They pollute less than petrol driven cars, and if everybody used them, there would be considerable environmental damage saved. At the moment though, the price prohibits most people from switching from petrol or diesel to electric. The other thing we don't really know as yet, is how does the electric vehicle perform in regional and remote areas? Are there enough charging stations? Electric cars are probably adequate for big cities. It is not on my radar to buy an electric car. There are several reasons. My areas is well serviced by public transport. I'm happy with my current petrol driven car. I have an excellent mechanic, who is conveniently located for me. I'm not sure how, when and by whom electric vehicles need servicing. More importantly how much does servicing an electric car actually cost. Until I know more and the price lowers considerably, I won't be making the switch to an electric car any time soon.

runner

I recently bought a hybrid electric car. it’s saving me a lot in petrol and servicing costs. I bought a hybrid to enable me to drive interstate

Sandy30278875

There are far to many unknowns in these cars as the previous comments have made clear mining, batteries etc. For me I have had one for the last 20 months I just love saving on fuel (petrol) and service costs. I had to have a charging point installed in my house almost $2000 so that I could charge overnight. Which is a lot better than forever looking for a charging point, this may becoming more in number in time but it is a major headache outside every metro area Today I really dread the day when my power bill comes in. now they say the price of electricity will keep going up in the future. I just read the other day that in the UK the charging costs at charging stations have increased over 21% in the last 10 months. The future does not look very good for electric cars. To me it has been a very expensive exercise It may have been better if I had held off until this market has established it self more mainstream.

canuck1

With increasing petrol costs electric cars are the way of the future. Other countries like Norway (50%+) are far ahead of Australia in electric car sales.

BKM547

With increasing petrol costs electric cars are the way of the future. Other countries like Norway (50%+) are far ahead of Australia in electric car sales.

Norway is a LOT smaller than Australia.

rondagf

I don't drive any more - gave the car to my 18 year old granddaughter! I was sad that it wasn't an electric one because surely they have to be better than petrol cars but they're still bad for the planet, aren't they? If only someone could find a way for people to move around that is personally safer and more conveient than public transport but also really safer for the planet.

Dena31948125

We will be required to use EVs in the near future so my next purchase will be an EV obviously even though their prices are higher than the fuel cars.
My only concern about EVs is that lithium batteries can be more toxic to the environment.

jtmorri

I'd also question the throw away economy around EV's in the future. Will their life be 10 years and then they are discarded after the battery runs out as it is too expensive to replace? Will the components be repurposed, recycled and a solution found? The battery replacement price needs to be low. These are all issues that need to be figured out before we commit to EV cars as I can't see classic EV's in the future that still run (only people with loads of money could afford replacement batteries). I don't want to see a waste pile of so many EV's after the battery dies and lithium batteries.
Hydrogen fuel cell cars might be a better idea.

jtmorri

The infrastructure isn't here in Perth yet nor is the price low enough to be affordable.
I'm not convinced over their environmental credentials from metal materials, lithium, mining and production of each component that still uses oil, chemicals, toxicity. How safe is lithium in batteries? How ethical is the mining of lithium in Africa? Then there's the disposal of components including lithium batteries moving forward. We may find in 20 years that EV's create more problems we need to solve and it must be remembered that we should always be looking to do the least harm when producing products.

Prad

I am planning to buy a new one. it is helpful for the reduction of GHGs.