Photo of a young girl with
an electric car, without power
in the battery, looking for help
Here in southeastern Michigan
where I live, DTE Energy gets
64% of it's electricity from coal,
as of a few years ago. So if
you charge an electric car here,
it's really a 64% coal car.
I've seen lots of Teslas on the
roads here, and for some reason
all the early Teslas were black,
just like a lump of black coal.
So even if you hated CO2,
how was driving a coal car
going to help the environment?
I understand DTE coal use is
roughly double the national
average, but there's still lots
of coal being burned to charge
electric cars.
Hybrid electric / gas vehicles
are more expensive than
gasoline power vehicles,
but, depending on
how many miles you drive
each year, they can be
a good value ... ignoring
the eventual need to
dispose of the batteries.
This article is not about
hybrid vehicles, or about
CO2 emissions: It is about
how much value you get
when purchasing an
electric vehicle (EV).
Tesla and Audi EVs are
selling well in Europe.
There's other manufacturers too.
There are some expensive electric
vehicles (EVs), and many more
affordable (“cheaper”) models.
You could conclude
many of the cheaper EVs
are really city-cars,
not useful for long drives
on the highway. Or maybe
as a second car for those
who live in the suburbs.
Some experts say (hope)
by 2025 EVs will have
a price and driving range
more competitive with
gasoline powered vehicles.
Some experts recommend
adding gasoline engine
powered battery charger
“range extenders”
to electric cars.
Obviously not
popular with
"environmentalists".
Manufacturers are trying
to replicate internal combustion
engine vehicles. This works okay
for the expensive EVs, because
batteries are expensive.
"Cheaper” electric cars in Europe,
averaging about $40,000 after tax
(not really cheap at all), are not
going to have long driving ranges.
A long trip that would take
five hours in a gasoline powered
vehicle, would take twice as long
in a “cheaper” EV that has only
a 100 mile range at high speed,
before needing a recharge.
It could take up to an hour
for recharging batteries up to
80% of capacity, assuming
a charger was available
without a long wait.
A gasoline powered car
or SUV would need only one
8 to 12 minute stop for gas.
So a "cheap" EV can’t compete
with gasoline power over longer
ranges, and EV manufacturers
do recognize the lack of value
in a $40,000 "city car".
Why not manufacture
vehicles specifically
intended as city cars,
with a 50 mile range
for trips to school and
local shopping, that
might cost $20,000
or less, not $40,000?
Cheap cars designed
specifically to be city cars
would mean a continuing
role for gasoline powered
vehicles, which would be
opposed by the so-called
"environmentalists".
You can now lease
a Citroen Ami 1
in Paris by the hour.
The Volkswagen ID.3
has a a very unusual
aerodynamic shape,
for fast cruising speeds
on highways.
Last month VW announced
an ID.3 had achieved
531 kilometers (330 miles)
on a single charge, on a trip
from Germany to Switzerland,
... not mentioning the
coasting with no power
down hills, and following
closely behind trucks
to take advantage of the
slipstream !
Less expensive electric cars
include the Hyundai Ioniq,
Honda e, SEAT (VW subsidiary)
Mii e, and the Vauxhall Corsa-E.
The Vauxhall is part
of Groupe PSA’s
electric cars,
which includes
similar versions,
like the Peugeot 208e,
and Opel Corsa-E. 
The Corsa-E was rated at
a 209-mile range by the EU,
(the so-called WLTP figures).
But most real drivers,
driving on real roads.
will be lucky to reach
175 miles per charge.
Less at 75 mph
on the highway.
In the city regenerative
braking provides
free electric power.
But not on a highway
with no braking.
The effective high speed
highway range is more
like 80 to 90 miles.
Groupe PSA admits
the Corsa range
is cut to between
100 and 109 miles
by fast highway driving,
using WLTP figures.
Real world driving
would most likely be
20 percent lower
than WLTP data.
These WLTP figures are
supposedly better than the
NEDC predecessor,
when used for buyers
to compare products.
But the numbers have
no relevance to real world
driving, seriously overstating
the driving range of real drivers,
on real roads.
Most EVs are converted
internal combustion engine
cars with batteries.
The VW ID.3 was
initially designed
to be electric, with
exceptional
aerodynamics.
Plug in hybrids, which often
have a battery-only range
of 35 to 40 miles,
are not the answer.
Fancy "electric golf carts"
with doors and windows
are not the answer outside
of retirement communities.
The range issues with EVs
mean hybrid gasoline / electric
vehicles are the best value now.
And that may
still be true
in five years.
The general public
will reject these new,
cheaper pure electric
"city cars"
when they learn
of their limited range ...
when driven by real
people on real roads.
They just bought a pretty
expensive electric car
that might not be able
to drive from one city
to the next, without a time
consuming recharge?