Does anyone know how long something like the new Tesla powerwall lasts? What happens after the useful life of the hardware, can they be recycled/fixed?
Personally, I'm very excited about electric vehicles. There are five in my family, so we have a big vehicle. So, to move something the size of a Suburban is a necessity. The Tesla Model X looks like a possibility.
Battery cost is only part of the problem, the bigger problem is ability to charge where potential customers live and charging times. Unlike a conventionally fueled car, or EREV, there is no oops with a five minute fix. You forget to charge and you have to wait it out.<p>I think a better application is instead of focusing on individual car buyers is to go for large government users of vehicles, namely the every day school bus. A neighboring county logs nearly sixty five thousand miles a day while school is in session. With nearly nine hundred routes that leaves an average near eighty miles. Considering the wasted space in the buses structure and replacement of the engine/drivetrain it certainly looks like a good option.<p>Regardless of price decreases its the recharge rate that needs a lot of focus.