For EV drivers, the realities can dampen electric enthusiasm
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The Atlantic, a decades-old monthly known for its intelligent essays on international news, American politics and cultural events, recently turned its attention to the auto world. An article that ran in The Atlantic in October examined the GMC Hummer EV’s excesses at compromising safety. And now, in its latest issue, the magazine ran a compelling story about the challenges of driving an electric vehicle and how those experiences “mythologize the car as the great leveler.”
The story, titled “The Inconvenient Truth About Electric Vehicles,” explores the economics of electric vehicles, the burdens associated with range anxiety, the social impact of owning an electric car – such as buying an electric car – and the overarching need in places where this car can be charged. Basically, author Andrew Moseman says that life with electric vehicles is not so rosy: “On the eve of the long-promised electric vehicle revolution, the myth is due for an update. Americans who take the plunge and buy their first electric vehicle will find much to love…they may also find that owning EVs upends notions about driving, the cost, and the freedom, including how much car money can buy.
“Nobody spends $5,000 more to get a bigger gas tank in a Honda Civic, but suddenly with an electric vehicle, economic status is more related to how much of the world you get to see — and how stressed or annoyed you are will feel for the way.”
Moseman shows how a basic Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck might start at $55,000, but an extended-range battery that extends the range from 230 miles to 320 miles on a charge “raises the cost to at least $80,000 -Dollar. The trend applies to all-electric brands like Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid, as well as many electric offerings from older automakers. The larger battery option can add a four or five digit increase to an already increasing sticker price.”
Regarding the charging issue, the author describes his concern driving a Telsa in Death Valley with no charging stations in sight.
“For those who never leave the comfort of the city, these concerns sound negligible,” he says (promised in car commercials),” he writes.
His conclusions may raise some hairs on the back of the neck for those of us who prioritize automotive independence – let alone fun – over practicalities.
Drivers new to the EV experience, he suggests, “will encounter tremendous torque, lower maintenance costs, and the joy of leaving the air conditioning on for your dog while you run to the store. You’ll cope with a new tension in your shoulders as the battery level keeps draining while the nearest outlet stays miles away. Luckily, we found the cure for range anxiety. It’s money.”
Check out The Atlantic for Moseman’s full essay to gauge how much you agree and disagree with him.
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