Actually, Intel makes many of its CPUs right here in the US. I would imagine (and hope) that one of the requirements of the US military is that our CPUs and technology must be produced here for national security reasons.
I have kids, whenever I have two kids who behave like this, the first thing I do it take away whatever they are fighting over.
What would happen (I say someone, but not completely jokingly) if the US sent in a Carrier Battle Group, claimed the uninhabited islands for ourselves and set up a base, proclaiming "if you two can't work it out, neither one of you can have them. Thanks for the gift...
Yes, I know it isn't that simple, but maybe it should be sometimes when two nations behave in such a manner.
Yes, I moved the numbers, but I didn't move them outside of reasonable, I was showing how small changes make a huge difference to the final calculation, since your point was that break even was just over 4 years, when I think a lot of people using slightly different numbers would disagree with.
EV cars are selling, but in low numbers. The title of the submission is "why are EV car sales low?". They are low, hobby numbers low.
How low? In October 3,733 battery powered EVs were sold in the US. Total car sales in the US in October? Over 1 million.
EV car sales are just noise right now. It may become more in the future, but frankly, no matter what numbers you use to try and say, "oh, EVs don't cost so much when you consider TCO", the sales numbers do not lie.
There are several assumptions there to make the numbers look nicer.
Try these numbers, making only small changes.
2,688 gallons at $2.79 gal (our current price)
That's 75,264 at 28mpg (small cars the size of Leaf can get this in mixed driving)
At 12,000 miles a year, that is 6.12 years to break even.
But the fun part is the power is not free to charge the car... Real break even is about 8 years when you take that into account.
But it gets worse... Since you have to pay the $7,500 up front, there is a cost to that in time value of money. And yet it gets worst STILL, because there is a $7,500 tax credit that we all have to pay for and that won't be there if EV sales gain any traction, it would become too expensive.
I see over and over how people are trying to twist it to make EV cars seem competitive, they are not. If they were, they would be selling. They are selling in hobby numbers, not serious numbers. The Prius has sold well, but it isn't $15,000 more than a non hybrid, it has been close enough, without the range problems, to sell. Volt doesn't have range problems, but costs too much, even after the tax credits.
This is the same argument being used by Linux supporters who think that if people just *understood* why Linux was so much better, we'd all ditch Windows en mass and move to Linux on the desktop, without understanding *why* that hasn't happened has nothing to do with technical reasons.
EV ownership isn't going anywhere until the cost problems get solved. I don't think the range is the biggest hurdle, many people can work with that, but the cost is a show stopper.
All true, but you are assuming that electricity is produced cleanly.
That varies from place to place of course. Here in Texas, we get much of our power from coal fired power plants, and not the clean version. We also have nuclear and wind, but it is mostly coal.
Swapping gas for coal isn't much of an improvement. I'd be more inclined to spend more on an EV truck if we got all our power from nuclear/solar/wind rather than coal/oil/gas.
Interesting, thanks for sharing. That is a very good lease price, I can see why you'd take it. We don't have the $5K tax credit in Texas, and Texas charges sales tax on the whole price of the car when you lease, making car leases a worse deal here in Texas sadly.
Thanks for sharing and glad it works for you. It will be interesting to see where it all goes.
Really? Even Honda's robot walks better than that...
But they are all missing the point. The flat feet need to go. If you want to build a robot that walks like a human, give it human feet, give it an arch, give it toes, those are all important to how we walk and balance.
Give it a body structure like ours, and it has a chance to walk like us. Why fight mother nature?
Just like you can take a base Yukon at $47k and get it to $74k when you deck the thing out.
You might be shocked, but I actually paid about $60K for my Denali, and it is fully decked out, including power folding running boards (that is a $1,100 option). The only option I didn't take was the upgrade to 22" wheels, that is another $3K and frankly does nothing for me. I bought it at the end of the model year and they do some screaming deals when trying to push out the last of them. It had 22 miles on it when I took delivery, so it wasn't a demo either. You just have to buy them right, know the car game and you can get deals. The inability to get a deal on a Tesla makes it even worse, quite frankly.
What can I say, list prices mean little to car companies and only a fool pays anywhere close to list. I also got 0% financing for 60 months, they did offer another $2K back if I didn't take that, but 0% for 60 months is worth closer to $5K in interest savings, making it the better deal.
The $100K price for the Tesla includes things that I'd expect in a car at that price point, or even at the $72K price point for the 85 kwh battery, such as the tech package or high end sound system.
Speaking of dishonest, I didn't simply say that the Model S seats 7. I specifically stated that it seats 5 adults plus two children.
Yes, you did, but frankly I don't think it does that. It seats 4 adults comfortably, 5 in a pinch, and if you insist, you can put 2 kids facing backwards in the trunk.
Very few cars actually seat 3 adults in the second row comfortably. I can't think of any off the top of my head, but one probably exists.
Just like I don't claim 3 adults can fit in the third row of the Yukon. Technically they can, but it would be terrible. I've done it, for very short (10 minute) trips, but frankly it was made for kids back there.
Just curious, but have you ever sat in the second row captains chairs in a Yukon XL (or Suburban)? Even the Odyssey or Acadia can't compete, it is truly nice and comfortable. There is having seats, then there is having seats you want to sit in. Consider the difference between coach and first class on the airlines. Both are seats, but not all are equal.
That said, it's a sedan with more space for people and things than anything else it's up against.
Now THAT I'll agree with. The lack of an ICE leaves all sorts of room for more stuff, the fact that it has a trunk in the front and back does it give it more options, and indeed it isn't a "cheap" looking car by any viewpoint.
You likely shouldn't be towing with an EV, much like you shouldn't be with most gas cars or SUVs.
Why not? An EV with its torque would be perfect for towing, if given a proper solid frame. I'd love an EV version of my Yukon, put a powerful electric motor on it, give it a good battery pack, and it would be a powerful towing vehicle.
Most SUVs these days aren't even trucks, the Traverse/Acadia aren't trucks, they are cars. The new Ford Explorer? It is a car, actually it is a Ford Taurus, same engine, same tranny, same frame, just a tall station wagon version of the Taurus. But that wouldn't sell, so they slap "Explorer" on it and it sells. Nothing wrong with that, it is better for most people than the older truck based Explorer, but it isn't a truck, it is a tall car.
Further, if you're on the road, you have the option to either charge it for 20 minutes for 50% charge or swap the battery for 100% in 1.5 minutes. That's quicker than a gasoline car's tank is filled. Neither involves waiting hours for anything.
When I can drive from Texas to Florida, swapping out the batteries as I go, without having to plan out my stops along the way because there are enough of them, then you'll have a point. Until then, it is a fantasy. Remind me again how many refueling stations Tesla has today between Texas and Florida? Not planned in the future, that may or may not happen, I mean today, right now? Because if I am to consider the Tesla today, then what they have today is what counts, way too many companies have promised and not delivered, and for this kind of money, call me when they have already delivered.
If you need something that tows and goes offroad, you don't want to buy a Model S or a Model X. In fact, you probably don't want to buy a Yukon or most other consumer vehicles on the road today.
Do you even know what a Yukon is? It is a SUV version of the GMC Sierra pickup truck, it has a truck body on frame and will tow almost 10,000 pounds, it has 4WD and is specifically designed to drive off road. The 6.2L V8 is a beast and while you feel it when you have a trailer (I've had 7,000lbs behind me), it also doesn't complain when you step on it either. Now, an electric motor sized for that truck will do it too, electric motors are great for torque, so I have no objections to having one, but right now it isn't an option. Charging and battery life are concerns of mine, those are more easily solved with Volt technology, give me a large electric motor, batteries, and a small 4 cy
Sigh... I really wish people would stop letting the government take money out of their right pocket, only to get exciting about having it put back in their left pocket.
Tax credits mean nothing to someone who pays taxes, the government is just giving you your own money back.
The Model S doesn't cost $62K by the time you're done equipping it, it is closer to $100K, I priced one.
If all I did was drive kids around, then a minivan would be fine. The Model X might seat 7, but it doesn't do it with as much room or as much comfort as a Yukon XL does. Comparing the two is simply not being honest about the situation.
Yes, the base model is $62K, but I doubt very many are being sold at that price.
The base model of the Yukon XL is $48K (invoice is $44K and it is easy to buy them for invoice).
So comparing base model to base model, since I can't buy a Tesla at "invoice price", it is $62K vs. $44K, or $18K more for the Tesla which does FAR less than a Yukon XL does.
A Tesla, once equipped with the 85 kwh battery and some of the features ends up costing about $100K. (Tech package, parking sensors, sound system, etc.)
The federal tax credit doesn't count, at least to anyone who pays taxes. That is just the government giving you your own money back, the whole idea of a tax credit to buy a car is absurd, they just have to collect it from you somewhere else.
So, my fully equipped Yukon XL Denali cost me about $60K, vs. $100K for a very nicely equipped Tesla Model S.
This is the problem when comparing specs to reality.
Calling the Model S a 7 passenger vehicle and putting it anywhere remotely in the same dept as the Yukon is just being dishonest.
The Yukon actually seats 7 people in reasonable comfort, either 6 adults or 4 adults and 3 children fit very nicely, plus room left over.
It is longer, wider, taller, and more functional in almost all respects.
Now... not everyone NEEDS all that, and for those who don't want it, fine, I'm not suggesting they buy a Yukon XL just because I did.
How much does the Model S tow? How much storage space does it have when 7 people are in it? How long does it take to refill the battery? What is the off road ability?
The web site you linked to is dishonest, it says "zero emissions. zero compromises."
That is a lie. There are plenty of emissions both during production of the car and during production of the electricity it consumes. There are also compromises in both the cost of the car as well as in having to wait hours and hours for the battery to recharge.
Maybe you're ok with that. No problem, more power to you. If it fits for you, go buy one. But don't knock me when I tell you it doesn't work for me.
The comparison to the Model X is just as bad. It is basicly a taller version of the Model S, it doesn't tow, it doesn't go off-road, and it doesn't have the interior room of the Yukon XL.
That doesn't make it a bad car, it just means that it gives up something to get something else.
I will. For those who won't -- they recoup most of it as resale value.
Maybe, is there a huge history of resale values of EV only cars going back many years?
The resale value after 5-10 years might be terrible if newer cars cost less and have twice the range, just like buying technology.
Gas also becomes more expensive with time
Yes, but not over the typical ownership lifetime of a car. Gas is cheaper today than it was 8 years ago.:)
It looks like you are not an EV backer, because you forgot to include
1. Tax rebate and
2. Much lower maintenance costs for EV, such as oil changes, etc.
The tax rebate doesn't count, that is just the government giving me back my own money, anyone who pays taxes and counts a tax rebate is just fooling themselves.
I'm not anti-EV, I'm anti-foolish money decisions. Right now EVs just make no sense from a financial point of view. If you're ok to spend more to get less to help the enviroment, great. Assuming of course the production of the battery plus the production of electricity is actually cleaner than the production of the gas engine plus the burning of the gas. I'm not totally convinced that is the case. Not when my local power is provided by coal, and dirty coal at that.
Oil changes do not cost enough to matter in the typical life cycle of a car. My truck needs an oil change every 10,000 miles, it costs $30 to have the oil changed. For a 5 year ownership, that is maybe $200.
There really isn't anything else to do to a car the first 5 years of owning it either, other than perhaps a set of tires and wipers, but all cars need those.
Yes, but if you tax a cheap item 100%, it still remains fairly cheap. If you tax an expensive item 100%, it really gets expensive and hurts the common man.
Example...gas costs $5/gal (to use round numbers). Your car needs 1,000 gallons a year to drive, that is $5,000 a year.
The government taxes it at 100%, that makes the gas cost $10,000, giving the government $5,000 of revenue.
If you replace your car with an EV that uses $1,000 worth of electricity a year to drive the same miles, you have saved $4,000, but cost the government $4,000 in revenue since same 100% tax rate only generates $1,000 for the government.
To make up for it, the government has to find $4,000 somewhere to take from you, maybe they tax electricity 500% to make up for it.
So where you thought your $10,000 a year gas bill would go down to $2,000 for EV, it actually will only go down to $6,000, because the government still needs the revenue.
Sadly, this sort of math is not something the average person does, but should when supporting this or that policy. They all have effects beyond just the stated goal.
To compare the cost of an EV, you really need to strip out all government imposed costs, from both gas and electricity, to arrive at the true savings, because the government will get the same money from you either way.
Also, keep in mind that when the government gives you a nice tax credit for buying an EV, they are just giving you back your own money, so you shouldn't count that either.
Granted, that kicked the price up to $65k or so, but it is a very nice car for 15k less than a Tesla, with a widely supported dealer network and a known cost of ownership.
For the 80k of the Model S, you can buy a very nice BMW or Mercedes.
Yes, fuel is indeed cheaper for an EV, but not by enough over a reasonable period of time. As it stands, the difference after tax credits is about $7,500 on average. That buys a lot of gas for a small car.
As for servicing, what servicing? There is nothing to do to modern cars for the first 5 years but change the oil twice a year at most. My GM truck needs an oil change once a year, thanks to modern oil.
Compare a three year lease on a gas car, plus the cost of 35k miles worth of gas, to the three year lease cost on an EV, plus the cost of 35k miles worth of electricity, then you'll know why EVs aren't selling.
Slashdot Mirror
I kid, I kid... I think...
Actually, Intel makes many of its CPUs right here in the US. I would imagine (and hope) that one of the requirements of the US military is that our CPUs and technology must be produced here for national security reasons.
What would happen (I say someone, but not completely jokingly) if the US sent in a Carrier Battle Group, claimed the uninhabited islands for ourselves and set up a base, proclaiming "if you two can't work it out, neither one of you can have them. Thanks for the gift...
Yes, I know it isn't that simple, but maybe it should be sometimes when two nations behave in such a manner.
EV cars are selling, but in low numbers. The title of the submission is "why are EV car sales low?". They are low, hobby numbers low.
How low? In October 3,733 battery powered EVs were sold in the US. Total car sales in the US in October? Over 1 million.
EV car sales are just noise right now. It may become more in the future, but frankly, no matter what numbers you use to try and say, "oh, EVs don't cost so much when you consider TCO", the sales numbers do not lie.
Try these numbers, making only small changes.
2,688 gallons at $2.79 gal (our current price)
That's 75,264 at 28mpg (small cars the size of Leaf can get this in mixed driving)
At 12,000 miles a year, that is 6.12 years to break even.
But the fun part is the power is not free to charge the car... Real break even is about 8 years when you take that into account.
But it gets worse... Since you have to pay the $7,500 up front, there is a cost to that in time value of money. And yet it gets worst STILL, because there is a $7,500 tax credit that we all have to pay for and that won't be there if EV sales gain any traction, it would become too expensive.
I see over and over how people are trying to twist it to make EV cars seem competitive, they are not. If they were, they would be selling. They are selling in hobby numbers, not serious numbers. The Prius has sold well, but it isn't $15,000 more than a non hybrid, it has been close enough, without the range problems, to sell. Volt doesn't have range problems, but costs too much, even after the tax credits.
This is the same argument being used by Linux supporters who think that if people just *understood* why Linux was so much better, we'd all ditch Windows en mass and move to Linux on the desktop, without understanding *why* that hasn't happened has nothing to do with technical reasons.
EV ownership isn't going anywhere until the cost problems get solved. I don't think the range is the biggest hurdle, many people can work with that, but the cost is a show stopper.
If I do what is in the best interest of everyone, I don't do that, nor to I take into account tax credits that cost everyone money.
That's the trick, you can't have it both ways. Either we are in this together, or we are not.
Yes, Asimo walks around it, which is why it is better. :)
That varies from place to place of course. Here in Texas, we get much of our power from coal fired power plants, and not the clean version. We also have nuclear and wind, but it is mostly coal.
Swapping gas for coal isn't much of an improvement. I'd be more inclined to spend more on an EV truck if we got all our power from nuclear/solar/wind rather than coal/oil/gas.
One way to feed everyone and produce clean energy is to have an army of robots to do it for us.
Thanks for sharing and glad it works for you. It will be interesting to see where it all goes.
But they are all missing the point. The flat feet need to go. If you want to build a robot that walks like a human, give it human feet, give it an arch, give it toes, those are all important to how we walk and balance.
Give it a body structure like ours, and it has a chance to walk like us. Why fight mother nature?
Just like you can take a base Yukon at $47k and get it to $74k when you deck the thing out.
You might be shocked, but I actually paid about $60K for my Denali, and it is fully decked out, including power folding running boards (that is a $1,100 option). The only option I didn't take was the upgrade to 22" wheels, that is another $3K and frankly does nothing for me. I bought it at the end of the model year and they do some screaming deals when trying to push out the last of them. It had 22 miles on it when I took delivery, so it wasn't a demo either. You just have to buy them right, know the car game and you can get deals. The inability to get a deal on a Tesla makes it even worse, quite frankly.
What can I say, list prices mean little to car companies and only a fool pays anywhere close to list. I also got 0% financing for 60 months, they did offer another $2K back if I didn't take that, but 0% for 60 months is worth closer to $5K in interest savings, making it the better deal.
The $100K price for the Tesla includes things that I'd expect in a car at that price point, or even at the $72K price point for the 85 kwh battery, such as the tech package or high end sound system.
Speaking of dishonest, I didn't simply say that the Model S seats 7. I specifically stated that it seats 5 adults plus two children.
Yes, you did, but frankly I don't think it does that. It seats 4 adults comfortably, 5 in a pinch, and if you insist, you can put 2 kids facing backwards in the trunk.
Very few cars actually seat 3 adults in the second row comfortably. I can't think of any off the top of my head, but one probably exists.
Just like I don't claim 3 adults can fit in the third row of the Yukon. Technically they can, but it would be terrible. I've done it, for very short (10 minute) trips, but frankly it was made for kids back there.
Just curious, but have you ever sat in the second row captains chairs in a Yukon XL (or Suburban)? Even the Odyssey or Acadia can't compete, it is truly nice and comfortable. There is having seats, then there is having seats you want to sit in. Consider the difference between coach and first class on the airlines. Both are seats, but not all are equal.
That said, it's a sedan with more space for people and things than anything else it's up against.
Now THAT I'll agree with. The lack of an ICE leaves all sorts of room for more stuff, the fact that it has a trunk in the front and back does it give it more options, and indeed it isn't a "cheap" looking car by any viewpoint.
You likely shouldn't be towing with an EV, much like you shouldn't be with most gas cars or SUVs.
Why not? An EV with its torque would be perfect for towing, if given a proper solid frame. I'd love an EV version of my Yukon, put a powerful electric motor on it, give it a good battery pack, and it would be a powerful towing vehicle.
Most SUVs these days aren't even trucks, the Traverse/Acadia aren't trucks, they are cars. The new Ford Explorer? It is a car, actually it is a Ford Taurus, same engine, same tranny, same frame, just a tall station wagon version of the Taurus. But that wouldn't sell, so they slap "Explorer" on it and it sells. Nothing wrong with that, it is better for most people than the older truck based Explorer, but it isn't a truck, it is a tall car.
Further, if you're on the road, you have the option to either charge it for 20 minutes for 50% charge or swap the battery for 100% in 1.5 minutes. That's quicker than a gasoline car's tank is filled. Neither involves waiting hours for anything.
When I can drive from Texas to Florida, swapping out the batteries as I go, without having to plan out my stops along the way because there are enough of them, then you'll have a point. Until then, it is a fantasy. Remind me again how many refueling stations Tesla has today between Texas and Florida? Not planned in the future, that may or may not happen, I mean today, right now? Because if I am to consider the Tesla today, then what they have today is what counts, way too many companies have promised and not delivered, and for this kind of money, call me when they have already delivered.
If you need something that tows and goes offroad, you don't want to buy a Model S or a Model X. In fact, you probably don't want to buy a Yukon or most other consumer vehicles on the road today.
Do you even know what a Yukon is? It is a SUV version of the GMC Sierra pickup truck, it has a truck body on frame and will tow almost 10,000 pounds, it has 4WD and is specifically designed to drive off road. The 6.2L V8 is a beast and while you feel it when you have a trailer (I've had 7,000lbs behind me), it also doesn't complain when you step on it either. Now, an electric motor sized for that truck will do it too, electric motors are great for torque, so I have no objections to having one, but right now it isn't an option. Charging and battery life are concerns of mine, those are more easily solved with Volt technology, give me a large electric motor, batteries, and a small 4 cy
Tax credits mean nothing to someone who pays taxes, the government is just giving you your own money back.
The Model S doesn't cost $62K by the time you're done equipping it, it is closer to $100K, I priced one.
If all I did was drive kids around, then a minivan would be fine. The Model X might seat 7, but it doesn't do it with as much room or as much comfort as a Yukon XL does. Comparing the two is simply not being honest about the situation.
The base model of the Yukon XL is $48K (invoice is $44K and it is easy to buy them for invoice).
So comparing base model to base model, since I can't buy a Tesla at "invoice price", it is $62K vs. $44K, or $18K more for the Tesla which does FAR less than a Yukon XL does.
A Tesla, once equipped with the 85 kwh battery and some of the features ends up costing about $100K. (Tech package, parking sensors, sound system, etc.)
The federal tax credit doesn't count, at least to anyone who pays taxes. That is just the government giving you your own money back, the whole idea of a tax credit to buy a car is absurd, they just have to collect it from you somewhere else.
So, my fully equipped Yukon XL Denali cost me about $60K, vs. $100K for a very nicely equipped Tesla Model S.
Yea, what were you saying again?
Calling the Model S a 7 passenger vehicle and putting it anywhere remotely in the same dept as the Yukon is just being dishonest.
The Yukon actually seats 7 people in reasonable comfort, either 6 adults or 4 adults and 3 children fit very nicely, plus room left over.
It is longer, wider, taller, and more functional in almost all respects.
Now... not everyone NEEDS all that, and for those who don't want it, fine, I'm not suggesting they buy a Yukon XL just because I did.
How much does the Model S tow? How much storage space does it have when 7 people are in it? How long does it take to refill the battery? What is the off road ability?
The web site you linked to is dishonest, it says "zero emissions. zero compromises."
That is a lie. There are plenty of emissions both during production of the car and during production of the electricity it consumes. There are also compromises in both the cost of the car as well as in having to wait hours and hours for the battery to recharge.
Maybe you're ok with that. No problem, more power to you. If it fits for you, go buy one. But don't knock me when I tell you it doesn't work for me.
The comparison to the Model X is just as bad. It is basicly a taller version of the Model S, it doesn't tow, it doesn't go off-road, and it doesn't have the interior room of the Yukon XL.
That doesn't make it a bad car, it just means that it gives up something to get something else.
I will. For those who won't -- they recoup most of it as resale value.
Maybe, is there a huge history of resale values of EV only cars going back many years?
The resale value after 5-10 years might be terrible if newer cars cost less and have twice the range, just like buying technology.
Gas also becomes more expensive with time
Yes, but not over the typical ownership lifetime of a car. Gas is cheaper today than it was 8 years ago. :)
It looks like you are not an EV backer, because you forgot to include
1. Tax rebate and
2. Much lower maintenance costs for EV, such as oil changes, etc.
The tax rebate doesn't count, that is just the government giving me back my own money, anyone who pays taxes and counts a tax rebate is just fooling themselves.
I'm not anti-EV, I'm anti-foolish money decisions. Right now EVs just make no sense from a financial point of view. If you're ok to spend more to get less to help the enviroment, great. Assuming of course the production of the battery plus the production of electricity is actually cleaner than the production of the gas engine plus the burning of the gas. I'm not totally convinced that is the case. Not when my local power is provided by coal, and dirty coal at that.
Oil changes do not cost enough to matter in the typical life cycle of a car. My truck needs an oil change every 10,000 miles, it costs $30 to have the oil changed. For a 5 year ownership, that is maybe $200.
There really isn't anything else to do to a car the first 5 years of owning it either, other than perhaps a set of tires and wipers, but all cars need those.
Example...gas costs $5/gal (to use round numbers). Your car needs 1,000 gallons a year to drive, that is $5,000 a year.
The government taxes it at 100%, that makes the gas cost $10,000, giving the government $5,000 of revenue.
If you replace your car with an EV that uses $1,000 worth of electricity a year to drive the same miles, you have saved $4,000, but cost the government $4,000 in revenue since same 100% tax rate only generates $1,000 for the government.
To make up for it, the government has to find $4,000 somewhere to take from you, maybe they tax electricity 500% to make up for it.
So where you thought your $10,000 a year gas bill would go down to $2,000 for EV, it actually will only go down to $6,000, because the government still needs the revenue.
Sadly, this sort of math is not something the average person does, but should when supporting this or that policy. They all have effects beyond just the stated goal.
To compare the cost of an EV, you really need to strip out all government imposed costs, from both gas and electricity, to arrive at the true savings, because the government will get the same money from you either way.
Also, keep in mind that when the government gives you a nice tax credit for buying an EV, they are just giving you back your own money, so you shouldn't count that either.
Even slaves in the old south were fed. Do you see any asking to go back?
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2014-cadillac-xts-vsport-test-review
Granted, that kicked the price up to $65k or so, but it is a very nice car for 15k less than a Tesla, with a widely supported dealer network and a known cost of ownership.
For the 80k of the Model S, you can buy a very nice BMW or Mercedes.
If half the cars in England went EV, the government would lose half the gas tax revenue, they would just have to replace it by taxing the electricity.
So it works, if few buy them, but if everyone does, it becomes a tax issue.
As for servicing, what servicing? There is nothing to do to modern cars for the first 5 years but change the oil twice a year at most. My GM truck needs an oil change once a year, thanks to modern oil.
Compare a three year lease on a gas car, plus the cost of 35k miles worth of gas, to the three year lease cost on an EV, plus the cost of 35k miles worth of electricity, then you'll know why EVs aren't selling.
I drove the recent redesign, I did actually consider it for our second car, but it just is missing too much to be a serious contender for what I want.
Diesel engines are indeed interesting... I would very much like to see a diesel option in more SUVs. A diesel electric option? Cool idea. :)
My current objection to buying an EV has to do with price more than anything else, fix the price and I'm very interested.