Why Electric Cars Have Not Yet Become Widespread?

These days, electric cars have become a hot topic; they are significantly more suitable and less hazardous for the human environment, and their electricity can even be supplied through renewable resources and green energy. However, several fundamental problems remain, preventing them from becoming widespread. Nowadays, an urban dweller travels an average of 60 kilometers daily by car. In specific cases (long distances from home to work) and on intercity trips, this distance is much greater. But if someone travels more than 150 kilometers daily, the main drawback of electric cars becomes apparent, as charging the batteries usually takes more than an hour. Consequently, if the range is increased and the charging time is reduced, we will have a more practical electric vehicle. Now, looking at the information provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, we can gain a better understanding of the most practical electric cars today. The Tesla Model S, with a range of 539 kilometers on a single charge, is among the 'most practical' electric cars in the world. This car can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 2.5 seconds and has a level three autonomous driving capability, although it is still far from a fully autonomous vehicle. However, the important point is that the price of this car is nearly $100,000. Repairs for this vehicle are also expensive. Additionally, the batteries located at the bottom of the car can cause financial losses to the owner, potentially exceeding the price of a gasoline vehicle if damaged and out of warranty. The second practical product is the Tesla Model 3, with a range of about 500 kilometers. This range is for the full model with two electric motors, one in the front wheels and the other in the rear wheels. The price of the full model of this car reaches $55,000. The cheaper version of this car was supposed to be priced at $35,000, but there is still no news of this cheaper version. The maximum speed of the full Model 3 is about 230 kilometers per hour, while the second version has a speed of about 201 kilometers per hour. In the Tesla Model 3 (version two), priced at $45,000, there is only one motor located in the rear axle, and the range is about 400 kilometers. The release of the cheaper Tesla Model 3 at a price of $35,000 will begin next year. These prices may ultimately threaten expensive mid-range market cars like the BMW Series 3 or the Mercedes-Benz Class C. However, it still seems unlikely that this threat will be serious given the prices and various problems associated with electric cars. Perhaps this is why the new BMW Series 3 continues to comfortably use gasoline or diesel engines. The third practical electric vehicle is also made by Tesla, the Model X, which has a range of 475 kilometers on a single charge. The price of this car is around $100,000; however, Jaguar wants to challenge this Tesla product with its I-PACE model at half the price. The Chevrolet Bolt is the fourth practical electric car in the world with a range of 383 kilometers. Compared to the expensive Tesla, it is much easier to decide to buy this $37,000 vehicle. The Nissan Leaf can also be considered another practical vehicle with a price of about $30,000. However, this car has a range of about 250 kilometers on a single charge and is not a competitor to Tesla products in terms of range. These numbers and prices, along with the challenges and problems, indicate how far electric cars are from becoming mainstream. In fact, until electric cars with a range of over 500 kilometers and charging times under 30 minutes are produced at prices below $25,000, we cannot expect the end of internal combustion engine vehicles. Moreover, for electric cars to become widespread, there is a need for cheaper battery production, more widespread sales services, and cheaper parts so that customers can purchase them with peace of mind.