Should you buy an electric car now? Should you eat cold vomit? Similar questions but we will, with the help of an all-star international panel, try to answer the more palatable question today. We did ask the Electric Vehicle Council (EVC), the national body representing the electric vehicle industry, to join in but at the time of writing they'd gone as quiet as a battery-driven BMW. Why buy a fully electric vehicle? The EVC says they are fun to drive, have a lower total cost of ownership, are convenient, have less maintenance, are good for the environment and give you fuel security. We prefer the answers from Giles Parkinson, the owner and editor of RenewEconomy.com.au and The Driven, Australia's most trusted website for news, analysis and information about electric vehicles. And he owns and drives an all-electric car. And I surf with him at Byron Bay. That says it all really. Why buy an EV, Giles? "Well, if you bought one you wouldn't need to ask these questions! At the high end of market Porsche Taycans and top-end electric Mercs are outselling their petrol versions and they don't cost any more." What about resale? "If you can buy an EV, like a Tesla, right at this moment, you can probably sell it at a profit pretty quick." And low range? "Range anxiety is overdone. If you are happy to stop for a cup of tea every few hours, then no problem. Ultra-fast charging times means 10-20 minute stops." But isn't the cost of replacing batteries as high as the crowd at Cheeky Monkeys on a Saturday night? "Don't worry about cost of replacing batteries. Bit like asking about the cost of replacing a petrol engine." So, the arguments against EVs are range anxiety, cost of replacing batteries, charging time and availability of chargers, no standard plug and battery replacement costs. There's also the reality that most Australians aren't ready to buy all electric. Our domestic grid can't cope now, let alone if 100,000 cars started demanding power every night. On top of that, most of the things needed to make EVs come from China. EV drivers are also not immune from the rising cost of power. Britain's Royal Automobile Club warned drivers that EVs could be more expensive to run than petrol equivalents from October 2022. My recommendation is right now, don't buy an all-electric EV, but if you can, buy a run-of-the-mill hybrid. Although my dream car is the V8, 370kW, Corvette Stingray.
John Connolly Cars — johnconnollycars.com
Originally published in The Weekend Australian
Reactions
Members can react to articles. Join free to leave your reaction and engage with the column.
More like this
More in EVs
China dominates global EV market with battery supply chain control
About 140 years ago Carl Benz invented and trademarked the Benz Patent-Motorwagen.
Read article06-Jun-2025·1 min read
The four best used cars for under $40,000 and the one you should avoid
16-Sep-2023·2 min read
Separating the positive from the negative in electric cars
21-Jan-2023·4 min read
American pollies anti EV policy gets my vote
31-Dec-2022·4 min read
