I know a lot of our readers are dirty on the whole global warming thing and I’m guessing not a lot of you own plug in electric vehicles (PEVs).
I have to admit that if saving the environment is your bag, then buying a Tesla probably isn’t the best way to do it.
Having said that, there are lots of good reasons to buy a Tesla, particularly if you are in the market for 60 or 70 grand car like a Merc or a Beemer.
For one thing, Teslas go like a cut cat reaching 60mph (100km/h approx.) in a smidge over 4 seconds. A Tesla owner I spoke with reconned it was the fastest car he’d ever driven.
But that isn’t all. They are virtually silent and smooth as silk and have lots of impressive hi-tech features. One of the most alluring points, however, is cost.
According to the owner I spoke with, a full charge cost about 13 bucks in Brisbane though this article suggests $20 to $30 which will take you 400Km+. This is still way cheaper than a petrol (or even turbo diesel) Merc, but that is not the end of it.
They have two drive motors with one moving part in each.
That means no crankshafts, camshafts, pistons, cambelts, water pumps, radiators or hoses, no exhaust, spark plugs, air filters, fuel injectors or any of those other quaint things that can and do go pop and cost us an arm and a leg.
Elon Musk claims battery life will be around 500k to 700k range and $5 to $10 grand to replace them. The car life is claimed at up to 1.6million kms so unless you are using it as a taxi (unlikely) you probably won’t be wearing it out any time soon.
Why then, are 1 in 5 PEV owners in California selling them and going back to good ol’ gas guzzlers?
In a word, convenience.
I can fill up my MX5 and pay for the gas in less time than it takes the missus to powder her nose. Tesla drivers just don’t have that luxury. Mostly, they will charge overnight, I guess, but for long runs, they are just not practical.
And while battery technology constantly improves, charging times haven’t improved much at all.
Americans, in particular, have a real problem because their electric grid runs at 110 volts. At such low voltages, you might want to check in for the weekend if you are wanting a full charge.
Australia and the UK run 240v power grids which are better, but still a far cry from the trusty petrol bowser.
Then there are the actual environmental costs. BoJo (who seems to have reverted to full clown status since catching the WuFlu) has mandated that the UK have all electric vehicles within the next 29 years.
Sounds great but credible estimates suggest that it would require twice the total annual world cobalt production, nearly the entire world production of neodymium, three quarters the world’s lithium production and at least half of the world’s copper production during 2018.
That’s just for the UK.
So, in short, there is a place for electric vehicles, but they are not for everyone. As usual, the market can offer people the perfect choice for themselves and the environment.
Unfortunately, when the bozos (or BoJos) in Government act like they know best, the wheels fall off and everyone suffers (even the polar bears).
