this post was submitted on 25 Oct 2024
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I need a new car, and I really want to go full electric. I'm wondering if anyone regrets buying one? What are the downsides?

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[–] ironhydroxide@sh.itjust.works 77 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (29 children)

Make sure that the car matches your expectations.

Don't trust their range claims, most of the time they are exaggerated and only able to get that range on a perfect day doing constant 45mph without hills.

Do you have a reliable place to charge it? If you don't have a personal parking place, and cannot install a charger at said place, trusting you have the range you need gets difficult, and expensive. As you have to rely on public chargers that are not very reliable, and worse for battery longevity (level 3 chargers)

Speaking of range. What range do you actually NEED? My opinion is the minimum range should be double the normal daily commute, as most level 2 chargers can add ~18 miles/he charging (overnight charge means 144 miles charge). Double your commute gives you a buffer for the heater, or the grocery run after work. For most people this is only 80 miles.... which almost every electric only car can do without issues.

Is the cost worth the vehicle? Buying new is expensive, buying used can be risky. Do your research thoroughly and you'll be able to decide what fits what you NEED (and that answer may easily be a used ICE vehicle instead)

I've had a full electric vehicle for 5+ years now as my daily. But I have always had a personal parking place, with a level 2 charger. I consider electric only to be a commuter car at best. It's not going to be able to do a road trip. And depending on the car and the commute may even not be able to do a grocery run after work some days. If you have another car that is ICE that you can keep for those times, cool. Or if you are ok with planning, and rent a car when you want to do a road trip, great.

Personally I suggest a plug in hybrid for anyone who can only have one car, and is considering going electric. Prius prime, Chevy volt, Chrysler Pacifica are the ones that have enough range for a short commute, the rest are trying but just haven't gotten there yet.

[–] scytale@lemm.ee 2 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

worse for battery longevity (level 3 chargers)

Is this because the power on fast charges is too high and bad for batteries in the long run?

[–] madnificent@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Battery temperature management seems to be a key limiting factor.

At least a few years ago, and likely still, the reasons and conditions under which the barrier layers in the battery degrade were not super well understood. Heat seems to be a key contributing factor and charging a battery quickly warms up the battery and I suppose not fully evenly within a cell. Not knowing the complete extent of this makes the early LEAF's lack of actively cooled battery a reasonable choice. Before that, the batteries of earliest Prius cars held up way longer than expected.

Like with a phone: heat and cold is not super awesome for the battery. It seems heat is especially bad for longevity.

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