<a href="https://archive.is/96yi1" rel="nofollow">https://archive.is/96yi1</a><p>I feel what this article fails to mention is how the depreciation of EVs compares to depreciation of gas cars. Apparently, based on google searches, cars depreciate 15% when driven off the lot, and then a further 15% per year after that. So it looks like EVs are depreciating quicker.<p>This would definitely be a good deal, as they also have lower operating costs.
> Joe Biden’s climate agenda is all about new-EV sales.<p>The unstated bit is <i>American</i> new-EV sales.<p>> Electric vehicles made up about 8 percent of new car sales in the United States last year, compared with more than a quarter in China, where new EVs can go for about $10,000 or less.<p>Except, we've also made those unaffordable by<p>> Biden has quadrupled tariffs on electric vehicles from China — from 25% to an eye-watering 100% — in a move designed to bolster U.S. jobs and manufacturing.[1]<p>If it was all about new-EV sales, we could set the EV tariff to 0%. A $10k vehicle would indeed increase sales in a way that's congruent to a climate agenda that's all about new-EV sales.<p>The real story is that agendas are a function of politics, but we kind of already know that. The difference in outcomes ie: the differential gain in EVs being driven between these two scenarios is traded away in return for votes.<p>1. <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/05/14/1251096758/biden-china-tariffs-ev-electric-vehicles-5-things" rel="nofollow">https://www.npr.org/2024/05/14/1251096758/biden-china-tariff...</a>
> China, where new EVs can go for about $10,000 or less<p>This is the part that hit me. In America we have no idea how much we are overpaying for things. There are plenty of reasons, sure, but at the end of the day things are wildly expensive with little to no acknowledgment from the government.
Does anyone know what collision repair costs are like on non-Tesla EVs? This seemed to be Hertz's biggest problem with Teslas, and I've heard many horror stories of high costs and long waits for Tesla repairs.<p>As far as Teslas go, they seem to follow a similar value curve to German luxury cars -- you can get them very cheaply if they're 5-10 years old, because the parts are so expensive to keep them running, and a lot of the status wears off when they're not visibly the newest model. This I suppose is less true with Teslas where the visual style isn't that different from 9 years ago.
TL;DR: used EVs are "cheap" these days.<p>As in, they're finally getting into a sub-$30K range.<p>Meanwhile, I'm going to drive my 2010 Honda Fit (that I bought for $5K in 2017) practically forever.<p>I'm making 6 figures as a software engineer, as does my wife. We have no kids.<p>I have no idea who are these people buying <i>new</i> cars, or who are all these people for whom $30K is "cheap". I <i>can</i> pay that out of pocket, but unless held at gunpoint, I won't.<p>There are many ways to make EVs marketable, but the key is <i>make them goddamn cheap</i> FFS.<p>And the answer to that is infrastructure, not technology.<p>We <i>could</i> make $5K glorified golf carts street-legal, and not requiring a license. For many people, that's enough for their grocery store runs / work / school commute.<p>Oh, they won't fare well in a collision with F-150? Then maybe we can remove <i>those</i> from the streets outside specific delivery and maintenance hours, and impose a <i>lower</i> speed limit for heavier cars.<p>That's before we get to the dangerous idea that we could <i>charge</i> the EV's as they go if we put wires into our streets... And perhaps add <i>electronic signaling</i> to make self-driving an easier problem to solve.. Maybe even a <i>guiding rail</i> (or two) to define lanes instead of paint that the weather can strip away...<p>And if I may dream, this would enable us to replace tyres for traction with higer-efficiency rolling stock, and even link up cars going in the same direction on regular routes to reduce drag (and traffic).<p>If only! I've lost all hope.<p>Even thinking about it is tramatizing.
My meta-takeaway is that it behooves* the industry to further standardize on the interfaces between components. That will increase repairability over time when coupled with the correct legislation.<p>*Based on the current OEM/supplier relationship, network of repair shops, etc. All of the post sales businesses built up to support the initial sale.