Don’t Buy Another Gas Car!

Those of us who have been driving electric cars for seven years, like I have, and researching the subject know that electric cars are a superior non-polluting technology to gasoline cars. We believe that within 10 years, we will look on gas cars like we now look on film cameras, tube TVs, flip phones, horses, and sailing ships. However, it will take a while longer before they are all gone. By then, I like to joke that they will only be used for hay rides and sleigh rides.

If you don’t believe me, consider that Norway just passed the milestone of 90% of car sales being plug-in car sales in September. Fossil fuel powered car sales in Norway are expected to be nearly extinct by April 2022. Norway plans to ban the sale of fossil fuel cars as of 2025. The inflection point of a new technology is at about 10%. More importantly, the huge German market is well past this with plug-in car sales of over 30% in September. China, the biggest automobile market in the world, is well past the inflection point, with plug-in vehicle sales of over 17% in September. California has also hit the inflection point, with EV sales at 10.66% for the second quarter of 2021. Some 385,000 people worldwide died prematurely in 2015 from air pollution caused by vehicle exhaust emissions. Therefore, many countries and cities will ban the sale of new petroleum-fueled cars as early as 2030. You couldn’t hope to sell a tube TV these days, how soon will that be the case for gas cars? Don’t buy another gas car!

Maybe you are like I was, drooling over the prospect of buying an electric car. Or maybe you like the idea of an electric car but are not totally convinced it would be a good idea for you. Anyway, you have a perfectly good gas car and you don’t run out and buy a new car every year. Maybe you normally let your cars run five years, ten years, or longer before you replace them. However, when the time comes to replace your car, don’t buy another gas car!

Ford Mustang Mach-E at the park. Photo by Zach Shahan/CleanTechnica.

As of 2021, Tesla, Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC, Ford, Volkswagen, Nissan, BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Hyundai, and Kia are selling electric cars in the US. Tesla is shipping four models; Ford is shipping its Mustang Mach-E SUV, with the F-150 Lightning pickup truck shipping soon. Chevy has the Bolt and Bolt EUV. Nissan has been making the Leaf for over 10 years and has its new ARIYA model coming out shortly. There are also numerous startups like Rivian, Nikola, Lucid, Canoo, and Aptera with electric cars under development. Even Apple is said to be developing an electric car. Rivian has just started deliveries on its extremely innovative pickup trucks and SUVs. There are probably 50 different electric car models being produced now, but many are not readily available nationwide in the US.

Also, when you go down to a dealer, you may find that they don’t have any in stock in your area and they have no idea when they will be able to get you one. The number one brand of electric cars in the world right now is Tesla. Tesla is producing Model 3 and Model Y cars at a rate of one million per year. However, you won’t be able to get one of their lower priced models right now because they are sold out well into 2022. Maybe right now no manufacturer is offering just the right model you prefer. Perhaps you would like to buy an electric pickup truck, but none are really available quite yet in your price range.

If there are 50 different electric car models available this year, in two years, there will be 100 different models available.

Maybe the electric car you want is more than you can afford. Perhaps you can only afford a used car, but the selection of used electric cars is very limited. In a couple years, the selection of used electric cars will be much greater. Wait, don’t buy another gas car!

Right now, electric cars tend to be more expensive than an equivalent gas car because the batteries are so expensive. However, electric cars are so much simpler than gas cars that maintenance costs are much lower. Also, the cost to refuel with electricity is generally about 1/3 the cost of gasoline. Taking into consideration the lower cost of maintenance and fuel an electric car is the same or less than a gas car if you figure the cost over five years. So, if you can manage the higher upfront cost of an electric car you will be saving money in the long run. The longer you own your car the more money you save by going electric. Also, battery prices are decreasing, and the prices of electric cars will soon be the same or less than the equivalent gas car, so: Don’t buy another gas car!

Some of these Teslas will be on the used market soon. Photo by Zach Shahan/CleanTechnica.

And these. 

You will be able to find many units of the VW ID.4 on the used car market in a few years. Photo by Kyle Field/CleanTechnica.

Nurse another year or two out of that old Camry. Wait until the finances work out for you and the model you prefer is available, but don’t buy another gas car!

Buy an electric car as soon as it makes sense for you!

If you own an older car, once you feel the smooth-as-silk, rocket-like acceleration of an electric car and enjoy the advanced driver assist, navigation, and infotainment technologies, you will feel like you have arrived in the 21st century. If you haven’t driven an electric car, you don’t know what you are missing. While Tesla in particular doesn’t have traditional dealerships, it does have showrooms where you can get a test drive. Tesla offers a one week money back guarantee on its cars — so, in principle, you can get a test drive that way. Also, practically any Tesla driver will be happy to give you a test ride if not a test drive. Traditional dealerships like Ford, Chevy, and Nissan will give you a test drive. Don’t buy another gas car! Once you have had a test drive, you won’t be able to wait — you will have to buy an electric car now!

Rivian is delivering it electric pickup trucks now! Image courtesy of Rivian.

However, if you want a Tesla truck, you will have to wait in line behind 1,500,000 preorders for the Tesla Cybertruck, starting deliveries next year. Image courtesy of Tesla.

And then there’s the coming Ford F-150 Lightning. Image courtesy of Ford.