In the first year it did 6000 miles, enough to justify it’s existence, but if I had gone for an EV it probably wouldn’t pay back in my remaining driving years.

This Reuters article from a few years ago suggests that the break even point could be somewhere between 9,200 miles (entirely renewable grid) and 14,800 miles (for a mixed generation grid, US style in that example). A lot of variables in there of course, and things should tend to improve (e.g. as the grid greens and battery manufacturing improves) but overall it looks like carbon payback should be well within a typical vehicle's lifespan.

With the current high monetary price of batteries, the financial benefit is less clear cut. Most of the initial government subsidies on purchase price seem to have dried up now for ordinary private cars (in the UK at least), and they're relying more on imposing quotas on manufacturers (i.e. a fine if a certain proportion of new cars they sell aren't electric - so the manufacturers are being obliged to discount EVs (in effect using ICE sales to compensate).

There are also some other barriers to adoption - charging, especially for those without their own off-street parking, can be problematic - public charge points are still seen as expensive, sparse and/or unreliable. Most car-type EVs aren't capable of towing a caravan or other trailer (at least not for a sensible distance), so there's another chunk of the market that's lost.

Niche? My feeling is no - it's getting there, but it will take time. In some areas I see maybe 10% of cars have green patches on their reg plates - so I think it's beyond niche already. I suspect the tipping point will come when 40%-60% of cars are electric, then petrol stations will start closing down in significant numbers and charging at home (or on street if there are local facilities) will be easier than having to drive to an increasingly distant location to fill up.

   - Andy.

Hello Roger:

I am currently in the market to replace my 24 year old car. However I do not plan to buy an EV!

Why? The current EV battery construction is not safe enough. There are far too many battery fires and salt water flooding now requires one to junk the car. 

I suspect that auto insurance company in Florida will start to impose additional costs on EV's to cover the salt water flooding problem.

Also the loss of gasoline based taxes, that are currently used to maintain the road systems, have resulted in some States already applying additional yearly registration charges for EV's

Peter Brooks

Palm Bay Florida.

The current EV battery construction is not safe enough. There are far too many battery fires

I'm surprised you're happy to drive a petrol (gasoline) fuelled vehicle then - their rates of combustion seem to be 10x - 100x  higher than for EVs. OK ICE incidents don't make the headlines, and battery fires are perhaps harder for the fire service to extinguish, but safety wise that doesn't make much difference if you can escape the car and its immediate environment  in the same time.

Salt water flooding isn't a particular worry in the UK (excepting those daft enough to park on a beach at low tide), but I can see that the scale of the problem could be different in parts of the world with lots of low lying coastal areas below storm surge level.

   - Andy..

Hello Andy:

The combustion problem on gasoline based cars is usually found on Asian manufactured products.I wouldn't have one even if they gave it away.

The amount of water (even with possible additives) used to put a fire out on EV's is considerably higher than that used on a gasoline based car.. Just imagine if you have a EV fire on a remote highway> 

The 10X-100X value you quoted maybe invalid and just reflect the ratio of gasoline to EV vehicles.

Another EV problem is the danger of the high voltages used within the car.

If I lived in (say) Canada there maybe a low temperature operating problem.

Peter Brooks

Palm Bay Florida 

When the multi-storey car park at Luton airport was burned down by a car catching fire, the anti-EV brigade had a field day, calling for them to be banned.

Then the fire brigade released their report.  It was a diesel car.  We've since found out it was a Range Rover.

Internal conbustion engine cars catching fire is so comman an event that it rarely even makes the news.  It's certainly not far Eastern ones.  The Vaulhall Corsa D gained a reputation for catching fire without warning.

Any car that has been flooded by salty water is scrap.  Even if you can get it running again, it won't be long before the electrics fail.

If you want to know why, there's a series of videos on YouTube by Tavarish, as he slowly restores a flood damaged McLaren P1.  The amount of time and money spent repairing that car is immense.  Any other car would have been worthless scrap.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJNqj_QNkWM&list=PLrvMJaD0-PucEO6E4RdNErcO-_Lko5gdh

It's taken 16 episodes to even get the engine running again!

The problem with EVs is that if charged up normally from the grid then the grid must be green or we have no advantage.

In fact, we have a disadvantage as IC engines can be built locally, need no rare earth element, easy to refuel and  are 50% fuel efficient if driven carefully matching the grid which struggles to get 50% and then has huge transmission losses and infrastructure maintenance costs as addons.

Most important is to green the grid first by installing 25 GW of nuclear and develop economical alternative to hydrocarbon fuels even coal maybe considered.  Certainly any idea that large trucks will be replaced by electrics ones will not be achievable by 2050.

Hello Simon:

I am talking about the cars here in the US.

Diesel powered passenger cars are not a thing here in the US. Diesel is usually used only for Trucks.

Diesel is a lot more expensive that the lowest grade of gasoline. 

We do see a few gasoline powered BMW mini's running around but they have experienced oil related engine problems in the past.

I have also seen a few Range Rovers but again they are gasoline powered.  

Peter Brooks

Palm Bay Florida 

Hello Simon:

It should be noted that cars flooded with fresh water - salt makies the water conducive - do not automatically have to be scrapped.

We also have "high riding" vehicles that are used for extracting people and animals from deep flooded areas. 

Then around here we have a lot  of the famous Florida Air Boats that are used in the swamps.

Peter Brooks

Palm Bay FL. 

Hello Clive:

I agree with you, that unless the electric grid is fully power by green energy then it is a meaningless effort.

Once a year my power company supplies us with a list of fuel sources as a percentage of the total electrical output. The majority of the output is still produced with gas. Solar energy is still increasing, but is still a minor factor.

Peter Brooks

Palm Bay