How EV Propagandists Judge the Money Pits

Letter to Ephesians: Does the EV propaganda machine keep driving us toward the stealth money pits that supposedly save owners money? My own gas guzzling resistance was wavering. Then I read “7 Lessons From Readers About Switching to an EV …”

Recall the WSJ’s controversial experiment in which its “columnist drove the affordable Chevy Bolt into the Deep South.” The paper then asked readers to share their own observations about EV benefits and liabilities. The problem with that approach, of course, was that I have yet to meet an EV owner who doesn’t insist their ingenious purchase of their expensive & over-rated vehicle wasn’t ingenious, no matter what the truth be told. True, as the published feedback bent over backwards to emphasize, readers said daily maintenance on the EVs are way simpler & less expensive than their gas counterparts. So is refueling costs, especially if a home is equipped with a charger. And EV “ranges” without having to recharge have certainly improved (and more reliably) for “road trip warriors,” at least, for those who don’t mind hunting for a “shopping center” charging station in Podunk America when the red-light indicator flashes.

But then I noticed what was MISSING from this not so “objective” EV owner feedback. Oh, the WSJ article did mention the average cost of an EV is still roughly $5K more expensive than a comparable gas engine car, especially after the over-generous federal subsidies were eliminated. Yet not mentioned was the increased cost of local & state fees & taxes tied to that higher purchase price. In my Virginia, e.g., the county every 6 months sucks every drop (penny) out of me on its “personal property” tax. Neither can many renters enjoy a convenient home plug in to recharge cheaply. And while daily maintenance costs on an EV are certifiably lower, repair costs for an EV experiencing a major malfunction or damaged in an accident can put the owner in sticker shock. So may already exorbitant insurance premiums on an EV be 10-49% higher. But you, not WSJ, be the judge. My too cents says the jury on the EV is still out … and still too rich for my taste.

Davd Soul