[01100011]

That depends. Let's say a company wants to sell me an electric vehicle but lease the batteries. I might go for that. Given the way batteries wear out and their expense, it might work out better to pay for them over time while getting periodic upgrades as new tech emerges or the old batteries wear out.

That said, even an electric car wears out. The paint fades, the plastic oxidizes... it's not like I'd expect a modern car to last forever, but I still do favor ownership.

[jeffrallen]

Renault has been there and done that with the Zoe. It turns out that the batteries last so long (8 year old Zoe batteries with 200 km on them have 85% capacity still) that battery rental is a very bad deal for consumers, especially those who would like to resell their electric car. Zoe battery lease has been phased out.

[mavhc]

Only good time to buy one is used when the battery is almost at the point it'll be replaced.