Photo: Twitter / Anshuman Chhabra
People like to comfort themselves that they made the best choice, no matter how uninspired it was. It’s hard to admit that you were wrong, but it’s not hard to give other people credit for their choices. And still, we like to make fun of others that chose differently and this is the most obvious when it comes to the EV versus ICE car debate.
There’s a seemingly eternal quarrel between the electric vehicles’ fans and those that drive an internal combustion engine vehicle. Those in the former group are quick to point out that ICE cars destroy the environment and have no place in the future. At the same time, the latter group makes fun of the long charging times and limited range of EVs. The situation only worsened during the pandemic, as people radicalized their opinions. And it has become obvious now, as the fuel prices have gone through the roof.
People used to make fun of those spending hours in line at charging stations, as the number of electric vehicles on our roads has skyrocketed. Even EV owners recognize this is a problem, especially when they don’t have the option of overnight charging at home. One disgruntled Tesla owner standing in a long line of cars at a supercharger station even said he wished he could pay $6/gallon of gas and be on his way.
But at the same time, the situation is not rosier on the other side of the fence. The high fuel prices have lined up people at gas stations too, and in some cases, the lines have blocked the streets. Even though the average fuel prices started to level off, there are still concerns about future price increases. In times like this people usually start to look for fuel-efficient cars, and today this means electric vehicles. Indeed, statistical evidence suggests that high fuel prices make people consider buying an electric vehicle.
The problem is that there is no right or easy answer when it comes to the ICE car vs EV dilemma. Electric vehicles have become a lot more expensive in the past months, so they clearly aren’t the right answer for everybody. Also, if you can’t install a home charger, you will have to consider wasting a lot of time waiting at a public station. But ultimately, even if you tick all the checkboxes and want to buy an electric vehicle today, you will have to wait for a long time to get one.
Even though many more carmakers have invested in bringing EVs to market, it’s still hard to buy an electric vehicle today. Tesla operates three gigafactories and is about to open the fourth one and still struggles to meet the huge demand. Waiting times stretch for many months, sometimes as long as one year for select models and trims, so it’s not as easy as deciding you want an EV.
People used to make fun of those spending hours in line at charging stations, as the number of electric vehicles on our roads has skyrocketed. Even EV owners recognize this is a problem, especially when they don’t have the option of overnight charging at home. One disgruntled Tesla owner standing in a long line of cars at a supercharger station even said he wished he could pay $6/gallon of gas and be on his way.
But at the same time, the situation is not rosier on the other side of the fence. The high fuel prices have lined up people at gas stations too, and in some cases, the lines have blocked the streets. Even though the average fuel prices started to level off, there are still concerns about future price increases. In times like this people usually start to look for fuel-efficient cars, and today this means electric vehicles. Indeed, statistical evidence suggests that high fuel prices make people consider buying an electric vehicle.
The problem is that there is no right or easy answer when it comes to the ICE car vs EV dilemma. Electric vehicles have become a lot more expensive in the past months, so they clearly aren’t the right answer for everybody. Also, if you can’t install a home charger, you will have to consider wasting a lot of time waiting at a public station. But ultimately, even if you tick all the checkboxes and want to buy an electric vehicle today, you will have to wait for a long time to get one.
Even though many more carmakers have invested in bringing EVs to market, it’s still hard to buy an electric vehicle today. Tesla operates three gigafactories and is about to open the fourth one and still struggles to meet the huge demand. Waiting times stretch for many months, sometimes as long as one year for select models and trims, so it’s not as easy as deciding you want an EV.
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