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Car dealers say they can’t sell EVs, tell Biden to slow their rollout
(arstechnica.com)
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
That's the problem. They're basically totaled once the battery is worn out.
Well Ive not quite made it to 100000mi on the odometer. It's likely I'll be able to take it to 200000 with the same sort of range I have now... So that's about 10-12 years of life for me without a worry. Maybe it goes more, maybe I get in an accident before 2029 (10years of use and I'll be around 150000mi or less).
Ive heard people are scared of the batteries. But that fear doesn't match what I've experienced. I had a recall on mine that was not big deal. it's really not as concerning as it's made out to be. I'm mostly hoping there's a better recycling system in place when I do actually need a new battery, just show I know the old one is taken care of properly. But likely the rest of the car will wear out first.
Ps I don't drive much during the week, longer weekend drives, and then long drives a few times a year.
I've read that used EV batteries that aren't good for their original purpose anymore can be used for solar storage, so, not recycling but reusing.
I mean... Same with a gas engine for most cars. And the batteries are expected to last about as long as a gas engine.
You can replace parts on a gas engine. There's a lot more repairability there.
Batteries also have a shelf life.
With that said, e-bikes with a supply of batteries and a means of charging them with portable solar panels are probably better for an extended disaster situation.
I have a Tesla because my VW engine died just out of warranty and a junkyard engine was $5k, a new one was $11k, just for the engine, no labor or extraneous parts.
The world where you can afford an engine replacement but not an electric car is pretty small.
Yea those prices are high. You can typically get a rebuilt engine installed for between $2500-5k but you have to go to a shop that specializes in rebuilds. A regular mechanic can't do that type of work and will just be looking for something they can drop in.
Batteries are often the part that has the longest warranty. It'll be a while before it's your problem, and even then, costs will probably be down by a lot.
That person had a PHEV (2014 Chevy Volt)... It was not totalled, they can still drive it on gas, and the battery is only 16.5kwh, so if you wanted to replace it (though you don't need to), its only like $5k.
So true! ☹️