A Redditor recently posted a (gas) burning question for others on the site.
When fuel kept contaminating oil in their car — a conundrum that perplexed even mechanics — the motorist considered just ditching the ride altogether.
"Are EVs a good option for someone who doesn't drive far?" the user queried.
The answer from fellow Redditors was a resounding "yes."
"Your case is exactly what EVs excel in," one user posted in response.
In fact, electric vehicles are nearly at parity with, or superior to, gas-burning cars on range, tech features, performance, and other metrics. Unique planet-friendly benefits and recurring fuel and maintenance savings worth up to $1,500 a year are bonuses to switching.
The conversation on Reddit showcases how fast the EV market has advanced in recent years, both in vehicle and battery ability.
EVs now commonly have hundreds of miles of range. The popular Tesla Model Y's estimated limit is 337 miles on a charge, for example. Short trips — most Americans travel less than 40 miles a day, per Kelley Blue Book — are a cinch. A wall-connected charger adds 44 miles of range an hour for home power-ups. If using one of Tesla's more than 60,000 global Superchargers, a plug-in can add up to 200 miles in 15 minutes, all per the company.
Ongoing innovations are increasing the range even more and improving charge speeds to just minutes. And battery chemistries are also becoming highly effective in wider temperature reaches.
🗣️ If you were going to purchase an EV, which of these factors would be most important to you?
🔘 Cost 💰
🔘 Battery range 🔋
🔘 Power and speed 💪
🔘 The way it looks 😎
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Expensive batteries contribute to higher EV prices, a gap that Edmunds noted remains when compared to traditional rides. But better science is lowering pack costs. Goldman Sachs expects battery prices to drop by nearly 50% by 2026, for reference.
Incentives can help offset the expense immediately. As an example, Model Y is listed at around $44,000 before applicable tax breaks worth up to $7,500, according to Kelley. Ford is incentivizing an EV purchase by paying for the at-home charger tech, including installation.
Perhaps most importantly, EVs prevent thousands of pounds of heat-trapping air pollution a year when compared to gas-burning rides. Cutting the fumes is a big win for human health, as government medical experts noted the exhaust contains "air toxics" that increase cancer risks and chances for other health problems.
Pollution reduction is possible even in states where dirty fuels provide most of the energy to charge the batteries. Even EVs that use packs made with the dirtiest processes are better for the environment during their lifespans than cars that smoke gas, as noted by the U.S. Energy Department and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
On Reddit, the discussion highlighted many of the pros associated with making the switch, in answer to the information seeker's internal combustion problem. Many of the Redditors seemed to have already gone electric.
"Yes! Honestly, EVs would be a good option for the vast majority of Americans," another user commented.
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