In addition, the batteries in electric cars pose a number of challenges. The battery life is substantially short lived and requires constant charging, something that a busy American would find very distasteful. As it is, the battery could end when an individual is on the road, and they would have to recharge it. The full recharging of an electric car takes about twelve hours(Anderson & Anderson, 2004, 17). These are a lot of hours considering that the battery can only last for 100 miles. Such length for a recharge is not accommodative for most people who opt for the normal cars that take minutes for a refill. Typically, a normal car would only need a gas station for a refill that would last for miles. An electric car requires electricity for the battery, something that may not be readily available at any time. As such, users find this to be inconveniencing and would opt to drive a normal car. Also, the batteries have been proved to have a short life(Westbrook, 2005, 6). Experts have compared the batteries in electric cars to fade at a slightly lower rate than that of cellphones(Lomborg, 2014, 2). The statistic is disturbing given the rate at which cell phone batteries fade. The batteries in electric cars are prone to malfunctions as they fade with time, and leave the users with the burden of replacing them. Most people would, therefore, prefer batteries in normal cars that are long lasting since they do not fade so easily. For instance, the Nissan leaf battery life is estimated to last only if it is driven for 55 miles in a year. The company for the electric Nissan, therefore, advises users to cease from frequent drives. Such issues are not ideal for the typical American and his schedule.
The costs of electric cars are also not practical for the average American. The cheapest electric car in the market is priced at $30,000(Freznel, 2014, 1). Such a figure is very high considering the state of the economy that people have been subjected to. Additionally, the cars often need to be recharged, which means that there will be a notable increase in a person’s electricity bill. Such an increase may not be manageable for an average income individual because of the frequency with which the car has to be charged. The estimated cost of electricity is twice that which is normally used in the normal function of the home. The recharging station also has to be set up in a person’s home for them to be able to charge the car. Such an electric charging station setup costs a few thousand dollars. The cost is utterly expensive for most people in the USA. The car is subject to many battery replacements. The batteries are expensive and add to the total costs of maintenance of the cars. Even though there are recharge stations in some places, they are not as many as gas stations. People often need to set up their stations to avoid being inconvenienced. The electric cars have been considered to be an initiative for the rich; a notion that is evidenced by the number that is in the roads today. Because of these costs of buying and maintenance, most American would rather stick to the normal cars that are cheap. The CEO of one of the most leading car manufacturing companies, Fiat, has argued on the basis of the high prices of electric vehicles. The CEO said that because of the price issue for both the manufacturers and consumers, the initiative for electric cars is not working anymore. Mr. Machionne observed that the cars will make most manufacturing companies bankrupt if the production continues(Goreham, 2014, 1).
There is also the aspect of space that makes electric cars the bad option for a family car. Most of the cars are made suitable for light travellers, and have not considered the aspect of families. The spaces in the cars make them only ideal for single non-travelling people, who form a lesser percentage of the American population. An example of a typical electric car is the Ford Focus, which has 14.5 cubic spaces for the feet. The spacing between the seats is so squeezed as compared to the standard non-electric car. As a result, the cars are not the best choice for most people.
Another factor that makes them a lesser choice for people is the fact that they are prone to accidents. First, the speed in the cars is hard to control because it switches with intervals. The situation makes it in need of a lot of care and attention from its users. Secondly, most people in the road rely on hoots and car horns for their safety. In a busy environment, the car horns are relied upon more than sight. The electric cars are not horn enabled in a speed that is less than 30mphs. As such, most people may fail to hoot as a warning sign to pedestrians and motorists using the road. For this reason, the cars may be involved in a number of accidents. Also, the cars inconvenience the users because of they cannot be fixed by ordinary mechanics as is the case with normal cars. In fact, with normal cars, the owners can fix the problem by themselves. However, the scenario is different with electric cars. They require specialists for their repairs, however normal the problem may seem(ecomento, 2014, 2). The first point of consideration regarding this is that the cars use high voltage, which is difficult for most people to handle and could be potentially dangerous. The voltage requires specialized handling from trained professionals. The second issue is the availability of such professionals. With the usual cars, one can drive into any mechanic and have the problem fixed. However, the professionals who could fix electric cars are not as evenly distributed. One has to look for them, which is very inconveniencing when a sudden car problem occurs. The manufacturing of electric cars is very different and has a unique setup. As a result, only trained people can understand how to fix them. Most dealers avoid training their staff because of the high costs involved and also because they do not have the knowledge to impact on other people(Marcovici, 2014). As a result, even a car dealership may not know how to fix the problem effectively in an electric car. Such matters make the maintenance of the cars a heavy task that most people would not be able to handle. In essence, owning and successfully keeping an electric car in good shape is a lot of trouble for most people in the USA. Because of such factors as mentioned above, electric cars have not been fully acceptable in mainstream transport. The disadvantages of possessing one outweigh the advantages.
References
6 reasons why you’d be crazy to buy an electric car. (2014, February 26). Retrieved from http://ecomento.com/2014/02/26/6-reasons-youd-crazy-buy-electric-car/
Anderson, C. D., & Anderson, J. (2004). Electric and hybrid cars: A history. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland. 17
Freznel, L. (2014, August 18). Will Electric Cars Ever Be Practical? Retrieved from http://electronicdesign.com/blog/will-electric-cars-ever-be-practical
Goreham, J. (2014, January 1). Why Fiat's CEO saying "don't buy our electric cars" makes perfect sense - See more at: Http://www.torquenews.com/1083/why-fiats-ceo-saying-dont-buy-our-electric-cars-makes-perfect-sense#sthash.LkqE3MpU.dpuf. Torque News. Retrieved from http://www.torquenews.com/1083/why-fiats-ceo-saying-dont-buy-our-electric-cars-makes-perfect-sense
Lomborg, B. (2014). Green Cars Have a Dirty Little Secret. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324128504578346913994914472
Marcovici, M. (2014). Why Tesla's shares will cost 2.000 $ within 12 months: The car concept of the future. Norderstedt: Books on Demand.
Westbrook, M. H., Institution of Electrical Engineers.& Society of Automotive Engineers. (2005). The electric car: Development and future of battery, hybrid and fuel-cell cars. London: Institution of Electrical Engineers
