https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/04/business/electric-vehicles-gm-tesla.html
Repair market:
QuoteThe biggest challenge is the recruitment of technicians with specific skill sets."
He continued: "It will be less about 'Oh, I love to take things apart and put them back together.' It'll be more about your understanding of code and computer systems."
Anecdotally, the number independent auto repair shops seem to have decreased and some now mostly do oil changes, bulb replacement, and brake work. The number of DIY shade-tree mechanics working on their new vehicles is waaaay down, too. I don't remember it mentioning it is this article, but body shops (and insurance) have already been impacted by Tesla and will be further squeezed by more EV platforms entering the market.
What was buried in yet another article regarding GM's switch to EVs is that they are planning to sell direct -like Tesla, circumventing the existing dealership network. That's a tectonic shift.
A friend in Norway says thats exactly what is happening NOW over there.
Also lots of oil money in Stavanger, so loads of Teslas, as they get free tolls and sometimes free parking, so everyone is buying them.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidnikel/2019/06/18/electric-cars-why-little-norway-leads-the-world-in-ev-usage/?sh=d3a9c9713e35
>Norway
Yes, Norway was consistently one of Tesla's best markets. IIRC, one or more of the Scan countries reduced their huge vehicle excise tax for EVs. With a good market reach and -now- a couple of years behind them to build a base, I'd bet the secondary merchandise & maintenance market has been significantly impacted there. They are just ahead of the curve.
<+>
>Dealerships
Dealerships have an out-sized lobbying & legislative position in the US -particularly with the state legislatures. Some states still have outmoded laws that make it illegal to sell vehicles direct. (I believe my state is one of them.) Tesla has been able to get those laws removed in some states, but dealerships are still a formidable political force.
If they have gone in some states, imho they will eventually go in all, OR the price will be higher.
I know nothing about the political forces in the US, honestly don't really understand it, although the last couple of months has been informative :) Just I think markets are more powerful.
I know of Teslas here in NC, but they had to buy it out of state. At first, there were Tesla maintenance centers within the state (urban areas, hours away) but I don't know if that has changed or expanded. But, to be fair, the closest Mercedes Benz dealership is slightly over an hour away ---and MBs have a helluva required maintenance schedule.
>the US, honestly don't really understand it
That makes two of us.
"Instead of selling cars through franchised dealers, emerging auto manufacturers want to sell electric vehicles direct to consumers, either online or in their own stores.
But that's illegal in more than half the states in America"
Cutting out the middleman on electric car sales - Axios
https://www.axios.com/electric-car-manufacturer-direct-sales-baeabf32-99f8-43be-bb65-1fae6937d8ad.html
>>honestly don't really understand it
I think the rule of thumb, whether talking about conservatives or liberals, companies or individuals, lobbyists or activists: everyone loves the free market until it affects them personally.
In another post, I've mentioned that ev's exotic frame and body panel materials are not going to be repaired by Bubba's Ye Olde Body Shoppe. Here's a good look at a cast aluminum frame section of a Tesla;
Skookum robot removing Tesla casting from skookum press
https://old.reddit.com/r/Skookum/comments/w8wyic/skookum_robot_removing_tesla_casting_from_skookum/
Nothing in the future "buffs right out"
>>They'll be about to buff this out no problem
One of my all-time favorite movie lines...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vjAXB3G4Ys
If you don't know the movie, watch the prelude first
https://youtu.be/_akwHYMdbsM
<warp>
EVs Are The Yugo Of The 21st Century – Issues & Insights
https://issuesinsights.com/2023/03/28/evs-are-the-yugo-of-the-21st-century/
Why are insurance companies totaling low-mileage EVs that have been in a fender bender? For the same reason you could total a new Yugo when backing out of a parking spot. The cost of repair is exorbitant.
Scratched EV battery? Your insurer may have to junk the whole car | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/scratched-ev-battery-your-insurer-may-have-junk-whole-car-2023-03-20/
Texas-built Model Y, whose new structural battery pack has been described by experts as having "zero repairability."
You are just feeding my confirmation bias at this point. I spent a lot of time talking myself into an EV, but now I've pretty much talked myself out as a single vehicle.
I just talked to a friend with a VW Golf EV as their one car and his comment was, "It works well for our lifestyle, but at this point, I really can't tell friends they should go out and buy an electric vehicle."
>talked myself out
The more I read the less inclined I am to buy an EV anytime soon. Needs more work and thought.
>talked myself out
Just yesterday, I told Louise that if her beloved Honda gives up the ghost, she should buy a Toyota Prius.
Will an Electric Car Save You Money?
We calculated energy costs, tax credits, and hidden discounts, and have the answer.
https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/hybrids-evs/will-an-electric-car-save-you-money-a9436870083/
Answer: it depends.
For "small car" they pick the Corolla hybrid over the "Tennessee-built Nissan Leaf" (which thus gets rebates) and for small SUV they pick the Tucson hybrid, but for "sports sedan" they pick the Tesla Model 3 over a BMW 330i XDrive.
That latter comparison seems like an odd comparison, though the one neighbor with a Model 3 was previously a BMW owner, so maybe the comparison is apt.
Two caveats.
1. They use $0.25/kwh for California electricity. That is the lower than current rate charts show ($0.26) for off-peak charging and peak-hour charging (4pm to 11pm) can go as high as $0.57 in the summer. Also, if you charge away from home, you pay $0.48-0.50 at commercial charging stations. And they are also factoring in places like Florida at $0.14 per kwh. So I think they are undershooting electric costs for a PGE customer like me. It's still somewhere between way cheaper (off-peak, at home) and somewhat cheaper (commercial charging) than gas. If you have a massive solar array, that changes things again.
2. They do not look at insurance. They find that maintenance costs are lower for EVs, which makes sense. No oil changes. Brakes wear more slowly, etc.
That said, for many of us, the EV is not a purely financial decision. I am willing to pay somewhat more to have a lower footprint. But for me, I find the EV hype was pushing me to look at cars that, in a gas-car world, I would have said were cars for rich people, not middle-class people and, according to most definitions, I'm middle class. And then there are the non-financial practical aspects of having an EV has your principle vehicle when you live in a snowy place far from services.
It also doesn't take account of other places you could direct that money. For example we chose to spend $20,000 on solar panels two years ago rather than a new car. We drive under 10,000 miles total each year so pouring huge amounts of money into a "green" car that mostly sits in the driveway is not necessarily the best choice.
I think there is too little discussion of the opportunity costs of EVs.
As one metric, I plugged in our upcoming flight to Europe and our annual mileage with our two old, not very high mileage cars and found that that single flight has a carbon footprint equivalent to over two years of driving. If we upgraded to a Tucson hybrid, that flight would equal three years of driving.
One thing that has come up for the neighbor with the Tesla, is they got a flat tire and had to flatbed the car to a tire place. But I think RC was saying that's just typical now. Whether ICE or EV, cars usually don't have spares and they are not towable.