When would you personally think seriously about an EV for your next purchase? I'd guess something like five years hence it would be a candidate.
It will be a serious contender for my next purchase.
When I bought the Flex in 2017, it was with the understanding that I needed a vehicle for me + my wife + my three kids + eventually a dog. So I needed something with plenty of room. At the time, the only remotely acceptable EV on the market was the Tesla Model X, and IMHO it was not only out of my price range, but the EV infrastructure was still too new and underdeveloped to do it.
I will keep the Flex at least until my eldest leaves for college in 3 1/2 years. So realistically I'll be looking for another vehicle roundabout 2026-27. Possibly longer if I keep the Flex a little while beyond that, as my annual driving mileage isn't as high as it was pre-pandemic. I just crossed 80K miles but probably won't be much past 100K by then. I'm sure i could keep it even longer, maybe 125K.
So when I'm ready to buy, I think the EV market will be MUCH more developed than it was in 2017, and with all of the new EVs coming out over the next 3-4 years, much more developed than it is in 2023.
At that point it'll probably come down to:
- Difference in acquisition price of BEV vs ICEV in the class and style of vehicle I want.
- Whether there is a robust used market for quality BEVs such that I don't have to buy new off the lot.
- Assuming that I'm a homeowner (as opposed to currently renting) and can put in a charger in the garage.
- If the acquisition cost of BEV is significantly higher, the question of how much I'm driving will really matter. Buying and charging at home is generally cheaper than buying gas, but if I'm only driving say 5-6K/year, does it pencil out?
So I haven't made up my mind on the vehicle choice at that time, but that's when I'll seriously consider BEV.