Buyers of battery-powered cars are concerned about climate change, but lower costs are also a strong draw, according to more than 3,000 respondents to a request for stories about electric car purchases on The New York Times website. Driving on electricity is generally much cheaper than gasoline. Dozens of respondents said they used energy generated from rooftop solar panels to charge their cars, potentially cutting costs even further.
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Electric car buyers used words like “love” and “amazing” to describe their vehicles. Many said they would never buy a petrol car again, but many others said they plan to keep at least one conventional vehicle, as long distances with an electric car can be inconvenient and sometimes impossible due to the difficulty of finding charging stations. .
Electric vehicles are now gaining popularity in places other than where they started out, such as California, where 39 percent of all electric vehicles in the U.S. were registered as of June, according to Department of Energy data. Registrations outside of California rose 50 percent in 2021, compared to a 32 percent increase in the state.
In the long run, much wider use of electric vehicles will require much more affordable models. The Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt are among the few cheaper battery-powered cars available, with several on the way, including a Chevrolet Equinox SUV, which will start at about $30,000. But it may be some time before there are enough affordable models, including used cars, that sell in much greater numbers than new vehicles. For now, Tesla, Ford Motor, Mercedes-Benz and other companies have focused on premium models that are more profitable.
Still, many buyers conclude that electric vehicles make economic sense, even if they cost thousands of dollars more than comparable gasoline vehicles.
Volatile gas prices, which hit record highs this year, affected the likes of Tracy Miersch, a resident of Miramichi, New Brunswick. She drives 3,000 miles a month setting up merchandising displays for retailers.
“I was a bit averse to all the new technology,” Ms Miersch said, adding, “My goal was to get rid of gas.”
