I’m seriously considering our next car being an EV – pure or series hybrid. But there are so many issues to be resolved:
1. New or used? This depends somewhat on price – for me $30-35k is the tipping point for considering buying new.
2. Alternatively how to gauge a good used car? (mostly, how to gauge a healthy battery that hasn’t been over charged/over drained).
3. Charging – home 10A charging is out (apartment building), work 10A charging may be possible, and it sounds like frequent fast charging causes increased degradation of the battery. Is it worth the risk that it’ll all pan out OK? Is it worth always detouring to find public chargers and hoping they’re online and vacant?
4. How much range to stretch for? How much ability to travel further than daily commute to allow for? Any given week I may need to drop off/pickup my son at his friend’s (~240kms) with no home charging at the end and potential fast public charging a fair detour away. Let alone a biz 500km round trip/200km w/no charge to Sydney.
5. What car changes to avoid like the plague? (e.g. flat tyre spray can – though to be fair sounds like many new cars do this). (How long until Michelin/GoodYear puncture proof airless tyres hit mass market 😛 ?)
6. Any specific models to avoid re battery degradation? (e.g. looks like data suggests ~3% yearly for an avg EV, ~2% for a Tesla, ~10% for a 30kWh Leaf)
7. Own vs some kind of lease? (Not having to worry about degradation vs insanely inflated prices)