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Motor Junkie article spreads FUD: "20 Drawback Of Electric Vehicles Drivers Commonly Overlook"

ajdelange

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I think the purpose of the forum is to inform people. I think I owe it to them to give them accurate information. If I make a mistake (and I do) I expect and hope someone will correct me. I don't particularly want to look stupid so I am motivated to check what I post for accuracy. I really think others should also be so motivated. If everyone just posts whatever pops into his head then the forum is pretty valueless, IMO.
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electruck

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Facts can be corrected without berating other members. AJ, I don't believe it is intentional but sometimes your bluntness comes across a little more harshly than you may realize.
 

ajdelange

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I'll try to watch that. The J in my name does not stand for "subtle".
 

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Jehorton

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Just kidding. No need to respond to that.
 

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An undated Motor Junkie article does it's best to spread FUD on EVs.

"20 Drawback Of Electric Vehicles Drivers Commonly Overlook"

The article mentions the Mustang Mach-E so I'm assuming the article can't be too old. Regardless, the lack of references and incorrect or exaggerated information peppered throughout the article makes this IMO a hit piece on EVs. Unfortunately the article does not have a Comment section, but FWIW there is a Contact Us section. ;) I'm working on my email.
Largely outdated and incorrect assumptions and factoids. The old saw: jeez those batteries consume a lot of resources in manufacturing. Uh, did you somehow forget that forging engine blocks and pistons uses a tremendous amount of resources and energy? Among many others.
 

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If the author of "20 Drawbacks of Electric Vehicles Drivers Overlook," Vukasin Herbez, is not getting paid nicely by the fossil fuel companies, he certainly should be. I'm surprised that Motor Junkie would even publish an article so full of inaccurate comments.

The author lists 20 "downsides" that he claims EV manufacturers "have hidden." The first one he mentions is "Short Range Anxiety." However the range of EVs is on the dashboard in plain view and in large numbers, often larger than the fuel gauge on a fossil fuel powered vehicle. Often it
includes how long it will take to recharge. No one is trying to hide that information.

Most electric vehicles do have a shorter range, but most driving is done within a few miles from home, so that's not a problem. The author seems to imply that electric vehicles often run out of charge, or break down. That's definitely not true in my experience. I've run out of gas in a gasoline powered vehicle but never out of change in an electric vehicle. Every internal combustion vehicle I've owned in more than 50 years has broken down or failed to start at one time or another, That includes a Chevelle, Dart, Camaro, VW Bus, Taurus, Chevette, and Aerostar. My electric vehicle, a Leaf, has never broke down in 8 years. Unlike the others, neither has it ever needed an oil change. All the others pollute when you turn the motor on. Electric vehicles do not.

The author complains because many EVs do not go over 100 mph. So? Since they, because of shorter range, are often used in urban areas, why would you want to go 100 mph. Where in an urban area is the speed limit 100 mph? He also complains because they are less useful in third world or many foreign countries. I don't know of any fossil fueled cars that you can use to drive across the ocean. And there are other countries where electric vehicles are more common than in the USA.

The author complains because the construction of EVs might take jobs away from people constructing gasoline powered vehicles. That's a ridiculous argument. Look at all the jobs lost by people who are no longer manufacturing cassettes, 8-tracks, model Ts, vacuum tube TV sets, and other out of date and no longer useful items.

The range of electric vehicles is increasing and charge times decreasing. The fact that they don't pollute means improved health for people and all animal and plant life on the planet. That more than covers any drawbacks one can think of. When interpreted in the context of today, I'm not sure that any of the so-called "drawbacks" in this article have any credibility.

Shame on Motor Junkie for publishing such a piece of junk. But then maybe that's why it's called "Motor Junkie."
 

DuckTruck

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If the author of "20 Drawbacks of Electric Vehicles Drivers Overlook," Vukasin Herbez, is not getting paid nicely by the fossil fuel companies, he certainly should be. I'm surprised that Motor Junkie would even publish an article so full of inaccurate comments.

The author lists 20 "downsides" that he claims EV manufacturers "have hidden." The first one he mentions is "Short Range Anxiety." However the range of EVs is on the dashboard in plain view and in large numbers, often larger than the fuel gauge on a fossil fuel powered vehicle. Often it
includes how long it will take to recharge. No one is trying to hide that information.

Most electric vehicles do have a shorter range, but most driving is done within a few miles from home, so that's not a problem. The author seems to imply that electric vehicles often run out of charge, or break down. That's definitely not true in my experience. I've run out of gas in a gasoline powered vehicle but never out of change in an electric vehicle. Every internal combustion vehicle I've owned in more than 50 years has broken down or failed to start at one time or another, That includes a Chevelle, Dart, Camaro, VW Bus, Taurus, Chevette, and Aerostar. My electric vehicle, a Leaf, has never broke down in 8 years. Unlike the others, neither has it ever needed an oil change. All the others pollute when you turn the motor on. Electric vehicles do not.

The author complains because many EVs do not go over 100 mph. So? Since they, because of shorter range, are often used in urban areas, why would you want to go 100 mph. Where in an urban area is the speed limit 100 mph? He also complains because they are less useful in third world or many foreign countries. I don't know of any fossil fueled cars that you can use to drive across the ocean. And there are other countries where electric vehicles are more common than in the USA.

The author complains because the construction of EVs might take jobs away from people constructing gasoline powered vehicles. That's a ridiculous argument. Look at all the jobs lost by people who are no longer manufacturing cassettes, 8-tracks, model Ts, vacuum tube TV sets, and other out of date and no longer useful items.

The range of electric vehicles is increasing and charge times decreasing. The fact that they don't pollute means improved health for people and all animal and plant life on the planet. That more than covers any drawbacks one can think of. When interpreted in the context of today, I'm not sure that any of the so-called "drawbacks" in this article have any credibility.

Shame on Motor Junkie for publishing such a piece of junk. But then maybe that's why it's called "Motor Junkie."
A quick check on the internet of the parent company, Spike Media, reveals enough to let you know their mission.

From Spike Media's LinkedIn listing:
"About us
Online publisher focused on male audience 18-40 in sports, history, medical and finance.

Websitehttps://Spikemedia.co (sic)
IndustriesOnline Media
Company size 11-50 employees"

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAAegQIBBAC&usg=AOvVaw0GBJSlU-3Ftdyu2ipd3MoG

It looks like their mission is to drive traffic to their site for advertising clients. The two people that appear to write the vast majority of their list-style articles based on automotive topics appear to be very good at it.

As Forrest Gump declared: That's All I Have To Say About That.
 

LeoH

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I do not have automotive knowledge, mine is strictly aviation based and there aren't mainstream aviation EVs yet. But generally speaking, there is a difference between the efficiency of the power source, and efficiency of the machine as a whole.

People have discussed many issues, and absolutes very rarely translate to real life, but the most important thing is the context we are measuring efficiency by. The torque and speed of the motor itself is capped by safety of drawing power, and other factors that would wear out components or cause abrupt stoppages, or hear...etc. Which means are we factoring in other components in the vehicle that might be drawing power at the same time? If your heater is on, and they battery is cold, and have 5 passengers weighting 200 lbs each, the efficiency will degrade. Not to mention there will be a limiter on the battery draw until it reaches safe temperatures for max allowed draw, as we see with the dotted yellow lines on Tesla gages until the battery warms up. Another example is the aerodynamic design of the vehicle, if your machine is facing a lot of drag, you will never get the absolute performance either; and of course the weight of the vehicles.

This also translates to ICE, if we put the same engine in 2 very different cars, you will see variation in MPG, performance, top speed...etc ( Let's assume they have same transmission ratios and number of gears)

TLDR; both engineering views presented here are correct, because they are based on 2 different contexts, not apples to apples.
 

Hmp10

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I view articles such as the "Motor Junkie" piece as part of what will be an inevitable but temporary crescendo from EV naysayers as the ICE era enters its death throes. It will be much like the fast rising and then slow dying of the howls that accompanied the transition from LP's to CD's several decades ago. Just plug your ears and wait it out. No amount of fact or reasoning will prevail until experience finally takes over.

I have let numerous friends and family drive my Tesla Model S over the past six years. Not a single person ever climbed out of the driver seat saying they still preferred the driving feel of an ICE vehicle. Early on, there was trepidation over the cost of an EV and worry over roadway charging. But the instant rush of smooth acceleration, the responsiveness of the car in traffic, and even the regenerative braking left no one missing the roar and gear changes of an ICE vehicle.

Several of these friends and family have gone on to purchase their own EVs. I do not know a single person who has abandoned an EV to return to an ICE vehicle. I'm sure they are out there, but you don't hear much from them.

I have a long history of owning high-performance ICE cars. I traded an Audi R8 V-10 Spyder for my Tesla. The only ICE car I've bought since is a Honda Odyssey minivan, as no EVs have yet matched its space and comfort for a horde of adult passengers (except for the sedate Mercedes EQV that is not available in the U.S.). On the other hand, I have launch reservations for a Lucid Air Dream Edition sedan and a Rivian R1S SUV. If the Rivian fills the bill for third-row adult comfort my Odyssey provides, my ICE days will be over for good. If not, I'll just have an SUV and a minivan in the stable for a while until EVs finally flow into the minivan niche.
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