Will Electric Cars be a Fad?

[fordfocuselectric]

...not a fad as in something that isn't popular in 5 years, but a fad as in once the Ford Focus EV is available there will be huge hype, but once the new version of the Ford Focus EV comes out a few years later, will the old version be like the old version of the iPhone? Or will EVs have a lasting place in the market even with new technology?

I could see new battery technology really causing that effect - who will want an electric car with a battery that only holds a 100 mile charge when you can buy a newer one will go 300 miles!? Wishful thinking perhaps...

 

[sjfotos]

Batteries are the limiting factor in many applications, not just cars. There are many people working on a better battery, but I do no think anyone will have cracked the code for a 300 mile battery in 5 years. Progress has been very incremental.

 

[rabbit]

...not a fad as in something that isn't popular in 5 years, but a fad as in once the Ford Focus EV is available there will be huge hype, but once the new version of the Ford Focus EV comes out a few years later, will the old version be like the old version of the iPhone? Or will EVs have a lasting place in the market even with new technology?

I could see new battery technology really causing that effect - who will want an electric car with a battery that only holds a 100 mile charge when you can buy a newer one will go 300 miles!? Wishful thinking perhaps...

Perhaps batteries in cars should be viewed like batteries in everything else; that is, as an item that lasts a while but then is replaced. From that way of looking at it, if the old car has a run-down battery, it needs a new one, so the sale price has to reflect that. And at the same time, if newer batteries are much better than old, let's hope that replacement is allowed and simple, more like a flashlight than an iPad (smile).

A bigger bump may have to do with the installation of at-home charger connections. Most people will not have them for a long time. People buy used cars to get a lower price, obviously, and that charger is a big price factor to somebody considering gas v electric, even if they are really attracted to the electric's capabilities.

 

[MKJ]

Here is some light reading from someone who recently drove the Ford EV:

http://www.cleanfleetreport.com/clean-fleet-articles/ford-focus-ev-nissan-leaf-best-electric-car/

 

[toffty]

Here is some light reading from someone who recently drove the Ford EV:

http://www.cleanfleetreport.com/clean-fleet-articles/ford-focus-ev-nissan-leaf-best-electric-car/

I hope you realize that article was written in May 20, 2010 so that's a full year old.