Are Electric Vehicles "Over-Hyped?"

As exemplified in this article by Rick Newman, the media is fond of telling us that electric vehicles are over-hyped and destined to disappoint their owners. This, in turn, affects the way most people view the industry.  I took some people to the Alt Car Expo in Santa Monica a few weeks ago who proceeded to tell me all the things that EVs need to be: inexpensive and roomy – without that nagging “range anxiety.”

“Sure, that would be nice,” I explained. “And we’ll get there. But in the meanwhile, you may wish to look at the bigger picture.”

I went on to point out that in the US, we’re in the process of replacing 230 million cars and trucks. This year, Nissan will be making 20,000 Leafs (Leaves?) available to its dealers (one ten-thousandth of the installed base of internal combustion engines) – and they’re going to sell like hotcakes. EVs aren’t for everyone right now, but think of how many multi-car households in single-family dwellings with garages that have one car that commutes to and from work and performs local errands. I submit that a very large percentage of them would simply love never to pull into another gas station.

So what else will happen this same year?

The continued development of EV programs by virtually every established auto manufacturer on the planet – not to mention numerous start-ups.

Installation of an incremental set of Level 1 and 2 (120/240 Volt) EV chargers in homes and public places.

Progress with plans to install Level 3 (fast) chargers in high-traffic corridors on the East Coast.

The continued decline in the cost per kilowatt-hour of lithium-ion battery storage, and the simultaneous development of new, less expensive and more energy-dense battery chemistries.

And by the way, despite the pushback from the fossil fuel industries, we’ll see the dogged perseverance in the migration to renewable energy over coal as the predominant source of electricity.

Are EVs all things to all people right now? Of course not. As I recall, the Wright brothers didn’t build a 747, either. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Kitty Hawk Times reported that their invention was over-hyped, but that’s not the way I see it.