Here’s Why My Next Car Will Definitely Not Be an EV

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The infrastructure just isn’t there yet. 

These days, it’s not so uncommon to see your fair share of electric vehicles on the road. And if your car has seen better days, you may be thinking of buying an electric vehicle, or EV, when the time comes to replace it.

Now, one thing you should know is that EVs aren’t cheap. The average price of the top 10 electric vehicles in the U.S. is about $68,817, according to EV marketplace Find My Electric.

Within that, there’s a notable range of prices. And there are also tax credits available that can help offset the cost of an EV purchase. But since auto loan rates are up right now, financing an EV purchase could still end up being a more expensive prospect than you’ve bargained for.

Remember, too, that more expensive cars tend to be costlier to maintain. They can also be more expensive to buy auto insurance for. So if you’d rather steer clear of those hidden costs, you may want to forgo an EV for now.

Meanwhile, in my two-car household, one of our vehicles is starting to reach its end point. We’ve had it since 2007, so we’ve clearly gotten our money’s worth, but we plan to replace it as soon as car prices start to come down.

However, I can say with certainty that my next vehicle purchase will not be an EV. Here’s why.

An EV won’t suit my needs

When it comes to driving, I tend to go to extremes — meaning, I find that I’m usually either driving just a few miles around town, or I’m driving hundreds or thousands of miles on a road trip. It’s the latter habit that makes an EV a less-than-desirable choice.

Over the past 10 years, my family has taken countless road trips, some of which have had us clocking in 5,000 miles or more. Now, it’s one thing to charge your EV at night in your own driveway when you don’t need to use it until the next morning. But it’s another thing to have to stop numerous times on a lengthy road trip to charge your vehicle so you can keep chugging along. And that inconvenience alone makes an EV a poor choice for my family based on our driving habits.

Also, even if we were willing to stop and sit there every several hundred miles while our vehicle charged, the infrastructure isn’t there yet. My family likes to visit remote parts of the country to get off the beaten path. I’ve been in many parts of the U.S. where there’s only one gas station every 200 miles or so. I doubt we’re close to the point of seeing charging stations readily available in those areas.

Think carefully before buying an EV

The idea of an electric vehicle might appeal to you. But before you buy one, make sure one of these cars actually suits your lifestyle.

It may be nice to not have to fill up your car every week. But if you tend to take a lot of long road trips, and you tend to travel to relatively remote areas, then an EV could end up being more of a hassle.

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