CNET
I Don’t Own an EV (YET). Here’s Why!
There’s a lot more to consider than range, charge time and price: Good financial timing and a wealth of new models are worth waiting for. 0:00 Why I Don’t Own an EV Yet 0:47 I like Used Cars 1:48 Beyond Tesla EVs 2:18 New Tech Settles 3:00 Where and When To Charge Your EV 3:47…
heresteven
October 1, 2022 at 5:37 pm
Biden says buy an EV. Should be ok in flood water.
Toph Law
October 1, 2022 at 6:10 pm
excellent points as always! definitely food for thought with the fast evolving electrified landscape around us.
Mohamed Mabrouk
October 1, 2022 at 6:22 pm
I have to disagree at the single point of failure. I’m an experienced desert expeditions leader in the Sahara, noticed that an ICE truck when it’s out of gas it’s out of gas. Period. That’s why we value gas more than drinking water. But an EV with a solar panel can go one 50 kms after another as it charges from the sun. A good solar panel or two can make EVs way safer than ICE trucks in desert. Also in homes
bossadave
October 1, 2022 at 6:25 pm
Well balance Brian
emilio gurrea
October 1, 2022 at 6:33 pm
I’m a HUGE fan. You are SPOT on several points. I own a 2019 BMW i3s REX , bought it used and use it on 4 hour roads trips. Best impacts on environment are GO VEGANG!! and we need to hey Asia and India on the same co2 page. The US won’t fix it alone. Infrastructure is NOT ready for EVs yet. I’m never alone at the EA station anymore. I always have to wait and I live in Florida
dempoy
October 1, 2022 at 7:32 pm
Wisdom is priceless, thank you.
Fernando Rodrigues
October 1, 2022 at 7:55 pm
You said what every sensible driver or buyer in teh world thinks
Jean-Pierre White
October 1, 2022 at 11:25 pm
I consider myself a sensible car buyer and own three all electric vehicles and no gasolnie vehicles.
We each make our choices for reasons that make sense to us.
Brian is right for him, but not right for me. And that’s OK.
ohr
October 1, 2022 at 8:05 pm
I will be in the market in a year when my lease is up. Don’t want a Tesla, the bland styling and build quality issues. Don’t want Hyundai/Genesis/Kia. Greedy markups, horrible dealer experience, reprehensible customer service, etc. Looking at a Hummer EV right now but may need a backup if my order gets delayed.
Ted Unguent
October 1, 2022 at 8:42 pm
I want to see the show when someone plugs in their EV to a high-voltage, high amperage charger and their fuel cell car parked next to it develops a leak in the tank. In an enclosed garage. In a high rise building. Add some propane tanks or natural gas nearby to liven things up. Not to mention all the gasoline parked nearby, too. Yee haw. Alternative energy sources are going to require a lot of changes to our infrastructure in a short time.
Freddie the Fly
October 1, 2022 at 8:46 pm
I bought a PHEV in April 2021. Toyota RAV4 Prime. It’s the best of both worlds. I can get 50 miles of pure electric driving which pretty much covers my daily driving. I rarely need to buy gas. I do need the gas engine when I go on my longer trips i.e. 3500 mile road vacation. Pure EV vehicle won’t work for me until the charging network is vastly expanded and an EV can go at least 500 miles on a charge.
Rob
October 1, 2022 at 9:13 pm
Because your in California
Who says Don’t Charge Today
Because we may need to evacuate tomorrow…
Dave Martin
October 1, 2022 at 9:22 pm
The Stanford EV charging study targets 2035 for its assessment. At the moment, using public charging is extremely expensive compared to charging at home off-peak, especially for those that have time-of-use metering available to them. What they project *may* come true, but their advice is nonsense for the present day.
roderick tiangco
October 1, 2022 at 9:38 pm
No EV for me unless I can recharge it in less time than it takes to fully refuel my 10 year-old Prius.
Gehrig Ornelas
October 1, 2022 at 9:42 pm
Yeah, that’s unacceptable. Anyone who can get an ev and doesn’t is explicitly choosing to force the people around them to literally breathe poison. They are CHOOSING to cause and worsen cases of asthma, emphysema, COPD, bronchitis, cardiovascular disease, strokes, lung cancer, and more. And of course, choosing to push our planet closer to a mass extinction that will likely collapse our civilization and may drive our species extinct. There is no excuse for this.
I understand folks who don’t have the money to get a new or used ev at this time. I understand folks who have a single vehicle with very specific needs for which there just isn’t an ev out yet that can fill these needs, like a heavy duty truck or large family van. But to have 4 vehicles, be able to get an ev, and not get one is unethical and explicitly destructive at this point. And there is no excuse for it, you are part of the problem and you are choosing to hurt people both near you and around the world. Fix it.
Crazygent3
October 1, 2022 at 10:02 pm
You just can’t YOLO and buy an EV. A majority of Americans don’t live in a house or have a good spot to charge their EV. EVs are SPoFs because solar panels are still expensive. We need better infrastructure, broader spectrum besides Tesla so an average joe like me can get one. State and federal programs is just a pinch of salt to help our Mother Earth.
NSAA 360
October 1, 2022 at 10:27 pm
the grumpy grandpa strikes again. “i work for a tech company that is suppose to review and recommend to people, that have money, to buy the best gadget but because i hate EVs im gonna run to my room and slam the door” 1. what car do you have and when did u buy it? 2. how are u gonna advise if u dont live with the tech for a while? 3. why are u working at cnet? just get a job at pep boys and give your job to leno. 🙂
Jean-Pierre White
October 1, 2022 at 11:05 pm
I had never bought a new car until my first EV, 2011 LEAF.
Yeah if you want an EV bad enough is gonna be new nine times out of ten.
BryceLovesTech
October 1, 2022 at 11:09 pm
I paid $29K for a used Tesla model S P85 3 years ago. I have not lost any money on it have had zero maintenance cost and it has free supercharging for life so I have not paid to drive it. The future is electric
Jean-Pierre White
October 1, 2022 at 11:13 pm
Don’t put too much stock in the recent survey on the best time to charge your EV. It’s kinda silly to say night time charging is best or daytime charging is best. Essentially “it depends”.
What we need is smart EV equipment like they have in Europe with the Zappi charging equipment that can be programmed to dynamically choose the best time to charge your car. What formula does it use? Several, and you choose between them based on YOUR preference, not some professor at Stanford. If you want the cheapest electricity it will make sure that happens, if you want the greenest electricity it will make sure that happens, if you want ONLY solar electricity from your solar panels it will make that happen.
The “best” time to charge is a personal choice and we need automated equipment to enable us to optimize the choice we make with no ongoing effort needed on our part.
The purpose of the study your reference is to question the benefit of night time charging and create doubt. It worked!! You cited this as one reason why you are holding off buying an EV. This is exactly what the study authors want to happen to slow down EV adoption. I wonder who sponsored the study? Hmmm…..
John_Dee14
October 1, 2022 at 11:20 pm
Good points about whether or not buying EV is frugal at this point in time.
Paul Ho
October 2, 2022 at 12:09 am
Going to need charging expenses to add up to credit card points, that will really aid in adoption and encourage that daytime charging.
Clark Mills
October 2, 2022 at 12:24 am
6:25 What is 98% cleaner for ICE vehicles? Does that really mean that modern cars generate only 2% of the vehicles in the 60’s?
But apart from that odd statistic, your points are mostly valid. If I had high milage driving then an EV would be prioritised.
Monte VanNortwick
October 2, 2022 at 12:29 am
if you buy an ev to be green, you will have to build your own solar/wind charging point. The grid is mostly powered by fossil fuels so don’t charge from there!
Jean-Pierre White
October 2, 2022 at 12:41 am
Wow. How insightful.
You are the first person *ever* to say this. No one else has the imagination to think outside the box like you.
Monte VanNortwick
October 2, 2022 at 12:31 am
you must buy an EV now or the world will end in 7 years!
Braulio
October 2, 2022 at 1:23 am
Mr coolie it’s me here, I’m in the market for a 3 row suv plug-in hybrid or ev, under 60k, I’m waiting for the Vw buzz, also considering the plug-in sorento or the Mitsubishioutlander plug-in, what else is out there besides te Tesla model x or the rivian suv?
rmwarriors16
October 2, 2022 at 7:52 am
I agree on your opinion. I drive way less than I use too also. I don’t even drive 3000 miles per year anymore. ICE cars can be purchased brand new for about 17K. I don’t see any new EV coming close to that.
SecretOfMonkeyIsland
October 2, 2022 at 10:02 am
Yep, dont live in the USA (From UK) but with people WFH more less need for the car as there was 2 years ago.
Whynotstart usingyourbrain
October 2, 2022 at 8:15 am
You clown said you would wait until solid state is viable. Now they are expensive.
Jim Vasquez
October 2, 2022 at 8:53 am
The price just isn’t right I’d love an even but maybe in thr future
JustAnotherBigAl
October 2, 2022 at 8:56 am
I feel like this rant was sponsored by the fossil fuels industry
Owen Iozzio
October 2, 2022 at 11:07 am
Seems to me you don’t buy an EV yet because you want to save money on gas or help treat the environment better. You buy one because it’s cool and you want one.
How much of a premium are you paying up front to put an EV in your driveway? What’s the carbon footprint of manufacturing that electric with that huge battery vs a gas car? What’s the carbon and financial impact when that huge battery has to be replaced?
Søren Østergaard
October 2, 2022 at 11:29 am
Ok Boomer!
James Tanner
October 2, 2022 at 11:47 am
Brian, great material as always! Any study on the emission it takes to produce/ recycle EV batteries , raw materials mining included, you would recommend?
Robcomesana
October 2, 2022 at 12:08 pm
I agree with your vision. However, I had recently bought an used Nissan Leaf. Here’s why (long story): The last cars I had were replaced after 5 years of ownership, always for a 3 years old used car. So, having them from 3 years to 8 makes sense to me: those are safe, well mantained cars, with low mileage and an used car warranty that covers part of those years. They are not likely to have issues on its mileage and age. Also, the cost of ownership is way lower than a new car and you get a better car for the same money. So, my current car was a 2012 CDI mercedes C class state that I bought in Germany in 2015 and drove south to Spain. The idea back then was to keep it until 2020 and then change it for an EV equivalent, around 2-3 years old. But, after Covid effects such as global chain issues… prices for an equivalent EV were completely out of my budget. And the benz was doing great, so I decided to give it 2 extra years and see how things go. Finally, early this year, I realized that any D-segment premium brand car won’t be on my budget anymore, at least for a long time. Of course, an equivalent EV would be even further away. So, how about keeping this car longer? For sure it won’t do it forever, but it may last many years with good care and using it only for long highway trips. However, I would need a car to do the daily drive and avoid the daily use wear on the diesel. Those are around 30 to 60 miles a day, every day. And needs to be really cheap to run, in order to make financial sense to have 1 daily car and 1 parked car for long trips. I would also like to go EV and decrease direct emissions. So, there is where the used leaf made sense. The battery showed some degradation, so the price was reasonable and the range more than enough. The cost per mile is less than a tenth of the diesel, even when the benz does really good mileage. This way, there’s an alternative car in case there’s any unforeseen event and a really cheap daily driver. When long trips are needed, the diesel is unbeatable: comfort and trunk space are in other level, while keeping a cost per mile similar to an EV using quick DC chargers. In the future, when the EV needs to be replaced, I guess there won’t be “cheap” cars any more, but any low budget used EV would do the job, so it’s a big sea to go fishing.
I know this may not work for everyone, since you need extra parking space and the EV needs to match your daily needs. But it did for me, at least over the last months.
John Miller
October 2, 2022 at 12:36 pm
1:49 You shouldn’t even mention Tesla. Tesla doesn’t advertise. If you bought a Tesla, it would be like a cattle rancher buying veggie burgers.
John Miller
October 2, 2022 at 12:39 pm
1:00 Is that a reel-to-reel audio tape recorder in the background? I guess you’re not an early adopter.😉
Bryan Siegfried
October 2, 2022 at 1:05 pm
I can’t dispute anything you’re saying. But – are you really driving a Crown Vic? What a classic car =)
Todd Hayes
October 2, 2022 at 1:11 pm
Sorry Brian. I find your comments half right. I’ll start with the comments on the used car market. It’s certainly out of whack. But it’s been that way for a while. In 2014, my wife wanted to buy a well cared for lightly used Subaru Forester. She thought she’d found one until she discovered she could get a brand new 2015 model for less money. Last year, I bought a 2021 Mustang Mach E for 51K. That same car with 28000 miles is worth 55K. Which brings up depreciation. Electric cars generally don’t depreciate as fast as ICE vehicles. They hold their value far better. Just look at the sales price for a 5 year old Tesla. They’ve depreciated but nothing like their ICE competitors. Your comments about the impact on the environment aren’t supported by any trustworthy assessments I’ve seen. The EPA covers part of it by debunking the battery and grid associated GHGs. But you mentioned not purchasing one because you currently have a perfectly good car and the cost in GHGs to manufacture a new one would be more than you’d make up in driving an EV. I guess that’s true if you’re going to drive all of your vehicles until they’re unusable and not fixable. But if you sell your car used to someone who needs one, you are improving the used car market that you just complained about and adding a vehicle that will outlast the one that’s now being driven by someone that needed it. Why did they need it? Possibly they’re a new driver but it’s also possible their old car is no longer serviceable. If you have the means to buy a new EV, your argument doesn’t hold water. You made an argument about falling behind because you wouldn’t be getting the tech that’s just a few years away. Huh? Are you really trying to say that you can only have the latest and greatest in tech? You’d be buying a new car every 6 months to a year. That’s one of the worst arguments. Now I agree that solid state batteries or even polymer batteries or many of the other battery technologies MAY be better than the lithium ion batteries of today. I sure hope so. But I’m not holding my breath. Finally, as for home charging, the Stanford study as you summarized it DID NOT say that home charging was a bad idea. It said that by 2035, the night time demand from all of the EVs charging at home overnight would strain the grid in the Western US. There’s a bit of nuance that you left out. Further, the authors of the study recommended that incentives be provided for charging during the daytime AT WORK. That’s a bit different than what you said.
Please quit misleading your viewers. Do your homework. This video should be retracted and redone with some corrections so that it makes sense. If you just want to hang back until more of the kinks are worked out in this new segment of the automobile business, I’d understand. That’s a good reason. But your other reasons are just bogus.
Leon
October 2, 2022 at 2:11 pm
Great points,
I am currently thinking of replacing my Hybrid for a EV… But these are all great reasons to hold of. My hybrid is ten years old next year and is starting to show small signs of visible rust. Maybe I’ll hold onto it for a few more years. Runs great otherwise.
Alex Waardenburg
October 2, 2022 at 2:17 pm
You need a huge asterisk next to the claim that car emissions have dropped 98% per mile. That’s only looking at one pollutant. On the whole they’ve stayed about the same.
LaJuan Hughes
October 2, 2022 at 2:58 pm
You talk about car tech there one company that always adding updates. And my car was 39,5 and it now appraised for 54 I made money.
Jones 1
October 2, 2022 at 3:02 pm
At least you are honest about not owning a EV. Other bias journalist. Won’t admit that much.
Carl Wilson
October 2, 2022 at 3:06 pm
Range, just like size does matter.distances to our 4 children and other relatives are all over 350 miles. There are few options for chatting in our geographical zone.😊
Marc Fontana
October 2, 2022 at 3:35 pm
If you think cars are too expensive now you may find that prices continue to rise as more folks start to “get” the advantages of driving an EV. I don’t expect car makers to be able to keep up with demand for EVs. EVs and charging infrastructure will improve, but won’t be more affordable than they are today.
Rob Bailey
October 2, 2022 at 5:24 pm
Sorry, but the “manufacturing carbon footprint” argument is merely a psychological trick, not an actual argument against BEV adoption. ICE vehicles are not less carbon intensive to make than BEVs. ICE vehicles require much more heavy machinery work because of the nature of the engines. ICE vehicles average about 20-25% efficiency. BEVs range between 70-90% efficiency.
Importantly, batteries are about 95% recyclable and will last 20+ years. Oil gets mined, refined and transported, using refined oil in these processes, so refined oil can get immediately burned at an inefficient rate and dissipated as pollution and heat.
As for buying a new car, we are of one mind–never but new. Buy lightly used late models. Totally agree.
But there’s no good argument for ICE vehicles anymore except affordability. And the Chinese will solve that if Tesla doesn’t get there first.
Clueless
October 2, 2022 at 6:46 pm
So, you’re a cheapo.. good luck driving your death trap, 100 of you are killed in your car every day.. you could be driving a self driving car THAT CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE.. but oh well, you know it all. wink
Mike Shafer
October 2, 2022 at 7:44 pm
EV bears always say that EVs are NOT zero emissions. They are. At the tailpipe, there is nothing coming out of the vehicle. Because there is no tailpipe. Who hasn’t had the experience of walking on a sidewalk when some smokey diesel truck drives by and a huge cloud of smoke comes out of it and right into your lungs? Who doesn’t know the smell of petrochemicals burning in the air and your lungs? In most cities ten years from now, and certainly almost all cities 20 years from now, that will be a thing of the past!
Text+①(⑧⑥⑤)②①⑦-⑥⑧②①
October 2, 2022 at 7:47 pm
Hello subscriber text to the number above for a prize interaction, congratulations ✅✅
Mike Shafer
October 2, 2022 at 7:52 pm
I do admire BC’s regular bearish EV videos, but fundamentally the reason I love EVs is because they are so, SO much more fun to drive. I hate using my ICE rental I have right now, and I can’t wait to get back to my Tesla in California, because driving around this 2022 Lincoln gas guzzler feels almost barbaric. It’s slow, it makes noises, it’s clunky…. anyone who drives an EV really understands the value in them is beyond cutting down on emissions or saving the environment — it’s having a LOT of fun and also knowing that you can outmaneuver almost all cars out there on the road. I feel like I’m in a racecar on freeways since I have that maneuverability to pass anyone I want and weave in traffic so easily. It’s basically unfair — and the only thing that slows me down is when I see another Tesla or EV and realize someone else might be in my class.
Anne Dwyer
October 3, 2022 at 9:39 pm
So next time rent a Hertz EV!? Didn’t Hertz buy a bunch of EVs for their fleet last year, or maybe they haven’t been delivered yet?
Kerleem
October 2, 2022 at 7:56 pm
YESS I love that cooley drives a crown vic. Panther platform!!
He knows how reliable these things are, that’s why I brought one over to Europe.
Sam
October 2, 2022 at 10:02 pm
Keeping your car, or selling it to get a used EV or a used ICE is all the same emissions wise.
Any of these cars is going to be driven by someone and emit GHG no matter who owns them.
What matters is that if you choose to buy a NEW car, it should be an EV.
Buying a new ICE is the worst thing you can do emissions wise.
Greg H
October 3, 2022 at 3:19 am
Nah be super picky, pick only what you want, go to car max, and pay the 2 or 3 hundred and have it shipped to you. Agree with you on EV. I’m also curious to see the real difference from emissions, really figuring out how much is put out making all that electricity. Oh, and even more, now that we have so many EV’s where are all those used batteries going to?
Philip
October 3, 2022 at 8:14 am
I drive once to work a week on a 230 mile round trip. its going to be a long time before a car I could afford could do those miles in one day as I couldnt afford to spend an extra 25 minutes topping it up to get home and then the costs just dont come close to being effective enough.
Delfin Vasquez
October 3, 2022 at 7:24 pm
Great stuff. Very helpful in my decision to go EV or not. Thank you sir.
Alex Castro
October 3, 2022 at 9:13 pm
This video was SUPER helpful! I’m going to wait it out as well. For now I’m content with my Honda Civic Hybrid. 🙂
Ken O'Day
October 3, 2022 at 9:46 pm
I plan on driving MORE. COVID SCHMOVID. I’m retiring, and I want to see America. I might decide to get a pickup and trailer, and I DO NOT relish stopping 72 times to charge the truck to cross the country. Maybe some people believe it’s our “duty” to travel less and conserve resources, and I say …. phooey. I’ll be racking up the mileage on my vehicles, without having to rack up time waiting to charge them so I can get around the block ….
lawnmowerdude
October 3, 2022 at 10:37 pm
6:55 Unless you’re pumping gas into your car by hand I don’t think your are technically free from that either. Luckily there are so many gas stations that you just drive down the block to the next one. That is unless there’s a natural disaster that takes everything offline like the Texas snowstorms.
Also we want to act like gasoline gives you more freedom but you’re just tied to the ever changing whim of the global oil market and the negative factors associated with that. With electricity you have the ability to generate or acquire it yourself in many different ways which in my opinion is a huge benefit. I want to get to a point in life where if I’m burning gasoline or another type of fuel it’s because I want to, not because I have to.
Qrion
October 3, 2022 at 11:02 pm
A big point that’s missed in this video is that there’s no charging standard. I can go to any gas station to fill up my vehicle.
cmscms123456
October 4, 2022 at 12:46 am
Batteries, motors and charging/solar is all 2-30 year old tech…. Not the right time to buy at all… Those big ugly solar panels on people’s homes, are 30 years old.
Car Geeks Anonymous
October 4, 2022 at 4:36 am
Same.
Bruce Lyon
October 4, 2022 at 12:48 pm
Agree with every single point. Thought I was the odd man out but with so many people agreeing I feel a little less odd in my attitudes on this. Especially the driving less part. I want Robotaxis! Then I don’t need the car expense at all.
Roger Van Brunt
October 4, 2022 at 8:15 pm
well its about NOT polluting the planet
mac berry
October 4, 2022 at 10:00 pm
You have to wonder if America will become a futuristic version of Cuba. The rich are riding around in electric cars while the poor and middle class are trying to keep old cars on the road.
JWT
October 4, 2022 at 10:14 pm
Another point that should be considered is that we are underinvesting in our energy grid. Case in point, in CA during the September heatwave, we were very close to rolling blackouts, reaching peak production of 54 GW. Now, if all 17.9 million ICE cars were replaced with EVs and were charged overnight on L2 chargers, the math works out to roughly 130 GW of power generation. It takes a lot of time to bring new power plants online, and it doesn’t even seem like that’s part of the discussion at the moment.
Ken Mcclow
October 4, 2022 at 11:22 pm
I thought about the rapid advancement of tech and the right time to buy and concluded that if you are waiting for the next big thing, you will always be on the sidelines. I bought a used Tesla and it is now nearly 8 years old. It charges slower than new cars and it has less range than newer cars, but I have been charging at home and paying a fraction of my previous gas bill for years now. I have two gas SUV’s that hardly ever get driven. The big advances in batteries don’t really matter since once you have a car that does what you want, it’s irrelevant what next years model does until you are ready to sell that car. My Tesla still has almost all the range it had when it was new but it has over 100,000 miles on it. It doesn’t really matter that the battery will last 400,000 miles, or that a brand new Tesla battery will last a million miles or four million, because I won’t live long enough to drive that far and certainly, I will get bored of this car and buy another one at some point long before it wears out.