[r00fus]

I recently bought an inexpensive electric (Ford Focus Electric 2017), and I can't imagine going back.

No gas stations, no oil changes, no transmission failures, no engine breakdowns, no timing belt, no transaxles, overall less costs even energy wise.

Also it's got amazing pickup and can beat guzzlers off the line (I've edged out Mustangs, but I haven't gone head to head with a Porsche).

So I have to charge every day - great, same with my iPhone (which, amusingly, is increasingly more important than my car - I can always hire a Lyft/Uber with my phone).

I think the electric revolution is like the SSD one - 10 years ago it was "unreliable" but today no one goes spinning rust unless they have absolute need to.

[toast0]

I just got a 2014 C-max energi (plug in). The battery indicators are pretty unreliable, I would be scared of running out prematurely if I was driving an all electric, because when I turn it on after a charge, it says I can go 22 miles on battery only, but it usually runs out in about 15 miles, and if I have the opportunity to drive at highway speeds, it does even worse. I wouldn't be comfortable driving anywhere in an electric unless I had a safety factor of 2.5x the expected mileage, since running out of battery is going to be way less convenient than running out of gas.

[r00fus]

I bought (leased, actually) a car that can easily do 150% of my max daily range. It's designed to be a commute car.

I also have it charging often at charge spots at work, shopping, and even when I drive to visit local customers. I noticed a recent 90m trip we took our minivan, but my electric could have done it - the hotel we stayed in had chargers. If you're staying with relatives, you can bring your own charge cable (110v is slow but ubiquitous).

Range anxiety is a non issue once you own a car that has sufficient battery capacity/range assuming you have a regular commute.

I've gotten it down to 5% battery - it was 5.5m over the listed range of 110m at the time (not being lead-foot at the time).

I think the PHEV -> EV shift is a significant paradigm shift for a driver.

[Slimbo]

Similar experience. Bought a used Leaf and the simplicity and convenience makes me resent using my petrol banger. My commute is only about three miles, so it only needs charging once or twice a week.

[jlappi]

There are still maintenance/wear items you'll need to address. There are still mechanical components the make up a drivetrain.

[5ilv3r]

Replacing wheel bearings, brakes, and tires? Easy for a garage mechanic, and cheap too.

[elorant]

What about batteries wearing out year after year? How much would it cost to change all the batteries in your car?

[5ilv3r]

There is very little year over year wear. After a decade or two in a moderate climate you can expect 80% capacity still.

[r00fus]

I remember the talking point 15 years ago about Prius batteries being more expensive than the gas they offset. I owned one for 12 years and it still got 50+mpg (old method - more like 48mpg with new EPA calcs) to the day it died (my fault) - same battery.

Also aftermarket reconditioned Prius batteries are like $400.

[antisthenes]

How can you possibly make that claim when the oldest electric-only vehicles are 10 years old?

How can you possibly make that claim without knowing the driving patterns of the person you're addressing?

What is a moderate climate ?

I mean, I'd love to just assume what you said is true (I'm as much as an electric car fan as your typical HN'er), but you're going to need to provide some data to back those claims up.

[r00fus]

Go to the Tesla forums. You can estimate 10 year degradation rate based on the 5 year rate.

Moderate climate probably refers to not having many freezing or >100 temp days.

[antisthenes]

Yes, estimates, not certainties.

Thanks for proving my point.

[r00fus]

Recent HN posts for a Tesla indicated wear levels of 10-15% over 5 years. If it's worse than that for me, chargers are now becoming commonplace where I live.

Buy a vehicle with 150% of your maximum daily range and you're fine. Lease if you're even more concerned.