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Why are electric cars so expensive?

I really want to get an electric car but they're silly money. Why are they so expensive compared to petrol/diesel cars? Will they come down in price so they're comparable to petrol/diesel cars?
Eventually. The more there are, the cheaper they'll get.
Original post by boulderingislife
I really want to get an electric car but they're silly money. Why are they so expensive compared to petrol/diesel cars? Will they come down in price so they're comparable to petrol/diesel cars?

Yes, almost certainly. New technology is always expensive compared to established stuff, and electric cars are no exception. It's the lack of charging points which put me off buying a fully-electric car. Depending on where you live, they can be an complete non-starter. Literally.
Original post by Reality Check
Yes, almost certainly. New technology is always expensive compared to established stuff, and electric cars are no exception. It's the lack of charging points which put me off buying a fully-electric car. Depending on where you live, they can be an complete non-starter. Literally.

That (charging point) and cost if offputting for me. Also, as with all lithium ion batteries, their ability to hold charge degrades over time, so the range will decrease over time too. I don't really understand how battery replacements will work with the cells stop holding charge. If you have to buy a new one then this will cost an absolute fortune! Not read/heard anything about battery replacements on electric cars yet but I see it becoming a contentious issue going forwards. I remember seeing a video of a guy blowing up his tesla with explosives as he was quoted more for a battery replacement than the value of the car. That's just to put into perspective how expensive battery replacements for cars probably are! :eek:
(edited 2 years ago)
Apparently the most expensive part is the battery.

Anyway, you can think of it as an investment. Petrol costs more than electricity so you'll save money over time. So whether it's a good investment, depends on how often and how far you expect to be driving.
Hi Tec Batteries = v expensive, even the ones for my lawnmower are £2-300 a pop.
Original post by boulderingislife
That (charging point) and cost if offputting for me. Also, as with all lithium ion batteries, their ability to hold charge degrades over time, so the range will decrease over time too. I don't really understand how battery replacements will work with the cells stop holding charge. If you have to buy a new one then this will cost an absolute fortune! Not read/heard anything about battery replacements on electric cars yet but I see it becoming a contentious issue going forwards. I remember seeing a video of a guy blowing up his tesla with explosives as he was quoted more for a battery replacement than the value of the car. That's just to put into perspective how expensive battery replacements for cars probably are! :eek:

Yep, exactly. And it seems very 'un-green' to me that people might make a rational economic choice to scrap their electric car and kaput battery and buy a whole new electric car. Surely we're trying to stop people endlessly buying new stuff and scrapping old!

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