Electric vehicles, or EVs, have been all the rage in recent years. With their sleek designs and eco-friendly appeal, it’s no wonder they’ve been making headlines.

Recently Tesla slashed its prices on current inventories in order to boost sales. 

Think of buying a Tesla? Read this first before making a huge mistake.

But as much as we all want to save the planet, let’s not get carried away here. EVs may be trendy, but they’re not the panacea for all our transportation woes. 

In fact, there are several reasons why EVs will never fully replace internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEs).

Heck, I think Hybrids are the best you can get right now.

Yes, I think Toyota has actually gotten it right. They’ve been bashed by the media for dropping the ball on electrification but in the end, they’ve probably gotten it the most right.

EV Shortcomings

Evs have a ton of shortcomings. Some you know, others less obvious. 

Range

First and foremost, let’s talk about range anxiety. As much as we’d like to believe otherwise, EVs just can’t go the distance like an ICE can. 

Sure, you can get a Tesla Model S that can take you over 300 miles on a single charge, but for most EVs, you’re looking at a range of around 200 miles.

And let’s be real, who wants to plan their entire day around finding a charging station? 

Accessibility To Charging

An often overlooked issue is that most Ev’s come with the implicit understanding that you have a home with access to a charger. This leaves out the majority of renters, A major pool of drivers in this country.

Especially when you consider that charging an EV can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 12 hours, depending on the charging station. This becomes a no go if you can’t charge at home. 

I live in NYC, if even 30% of vehicles switched to EVs you wouldn’t have access to public chargers ever. There would be lines all day long with entrance fees just to hold a spot.

There would have to be city-wide mandates to install chargers at home, and we all know how people respond to demands by the government.

With an ICE, you can fill up at any gas station in a matter of minutes and be on your way. Until we have that kind of infrastructure in place, electric cars will always be for electric car enthusiasts.

Cost

But let’s say you’re not planning on taking any road trips, you’re just using your car for daily commutes and errands. 

Even then, EVs may not be the best choice. Sure, they may be cheaper to operate, but they’re also significantly more expensive to purchase. 

Is it really cheaper to fill up on EV juice?

Depending on the cost of electricity at your home, it might even cost more than gasoline to fill your EV up.

There isn’t a one-size-all approach to transportation and acting like Evs can do it all is short-sided.

According to cars.com the cheapest Electric car as of 2023 is the Chevrolet Bolt EUV with an MSRP of $2,595 and a range of 247-259 miles, it also doesn’t qualify for the federal tax credit of $7,500. The next cheapest is the Nissan Leaf at $28,895 with a range of 149-212 miles, which does qualify for the federal tax credit.

Let’s not forget about the fact that the batteries in EVs have a limited lifespan. This means you’ll have to replace them at some point. That’s not exactly cheap or plentiful.

Speaking of batteries, what happens when they die?

It’s not exactly like junkyards are filling up with spare EV batteries. If the engine blew in your ICE right now, I could bet my last dollar you’d find it in a junkyard somewhere.

Sure, “they say” you can recycle them, but where are all those batteries going to end up? Remember the lies about recycling plastic? 

And what about the environmental impact of all that mining and manufacturing? It’s not exactly clear-cut.

Ever heard of the mineral Cobalt ( Co )? It’s one of the main minerals used in battery technology today and is mined under horrific conditions. 

Wrapping Things Up

Hey don’t get me wrong I’m all for clean tech and despite this rant, I actually like the way Ev’s drive and operate.

Heck, I think for non-car-enthusiasts, people who treat cars like appliances, EVs are the best kind of car you can get. 

Who doesn’t want a smooth ride, instant torque, and silent propulsion wrapped up in an often hideous body? 

Ok, I kid on the hideous part, but seriously the industry has latched on to Evs as the savior of the planet, similar to how Hybrids were in the early 2000s. 

I think the EV hype will blow over in a decade, what do you think?