Electric vehicles continue to gain traction, and not just for everyday errands. Hesitant, one Redditor asked the members of r/electricvehicles to help them decide whether using an EV for delivery work is a smart move.
"I understand there are several pros to EVs such as much lower fuel (energy) cost, much lower maintenance costs, etc.," they wrote in a post. "Do the pros outweigh the cons or would it be better to stick with gas powered?"
It is true that swapping your internal combustion engine car for an EV means no more fuel to pay for and fewer maintenance costs. Beyond the financial win, you are certain to reduce air pollution that affects both your health and the environment, given that no emissions come out of an exhaust pipe.
But many barriers preventing people from moving past petrol remain, be it the lack of public charging stations, expensive upfront costs, higher electricity bills, or the battery lifetime, as Transport & Environment UK pointed out in a report last year.
For this Redditor, who explained that they regularly drive over 200 miles a day, the state of the battery is the main concern.
"This would require me to fast charge at least once a day. I've seen that you should avoid regularly fast charging to keep from degrading the battery," they said. And that's not all. Based in Florida and deprived of a garage, they also worried that the heat could degrade it. Meanwhile, "120,000-160,000 miles is what I've seen noted as the usefulness of the batteries. That mileage is the equivalent of 2-3 years for me," they said. "Would I really be looking at replacing the battery every 3 years?" they asked.
Reddit users had a few pieces of advice. For starters, several believed that the OP had been misinformed on the last point.
"We have no idea how much the current crop of EV batteries will last, but it's likely far longer than 120-160k," one said. "Get something with 250+ range, and you shouldn't need to DCFC [Direct Current Fast Charging] at all unless you have an unexpected trip off your normal route," they wrote, adding that cold apparently affects the battery "far more than heat."
"Batteries are so good, they are now being used in commercial applications like trucks, buses, and delivery vans which drive 10+ hours per day, every day," another assured them.
"Sounds like a Tesla Model 3 SR+ with LFP battery is perfect for you. Range is 250+ miles, and there should be a lot of Tesla supercharger in FL," a third user commented. "Downside: high purchase price."
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Which of these factors is your biggest obstacle to purchasing an EV? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Cost concerns 💸 On that last matter, know that the U.S. government offers tax credits up to $7,500 for new EVs and up to $4,000 for used EVs — as long as President Donald Trump doesn't pull the plug on current incentives.
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