Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

great questions for why the Gov would give tax credits for a something
but for me, being selfish.....
What is cheaper to operate  for a 5 year or 10 year period?
Total cost of ownership
Can I save $1000 in 5 years and $2000 in 10 years?
or will it cost me more to operate an EV?

You're gonna have to do the math yourself. Lot of variables:

• Miles driven/year
• Whether you buy new or used (I don't think the used EV market is as developed)
• How long you keep a vehicle; this impacts any potential "repayment" period as well as how mature the used EV market will be at the time you want to move off that car to something else
• Local gas prices vs local electricity prices, and not your "marginal" kWh value, but also factoring in whether your electric provider offers rebates to EV owners or ToU pricing that will mean you get cheaper rates at the time you're likely charging (overnight)
• How difficult/pricy it will be to install an L2 home charger; for many they already have sufficient electrical service and the 240V is routed to the garage, but if not it can get expensive

Generally BEVs are cheaper to operate. However whether you'll actually save money would require you to look at specific vehicles and price points you'd be looking into, and whether the operation costs are going to be enough to have a net benefit for your own specific use case. 

I obviously have my doubts that an EV can even break even with my own math

I'll sit back and wait until it becomes apparent that I'd be foolish to be driving a gasser

and by 2050 I won't be doing much driving - mostly short trips to doctors and such

I obviously have my doubts that an EV can even break even with my own math

I'll sit back and wait until it becomes apparent that I'd be foolish to be driving a gasser

and by 2050 I won't be doing much driving - mostly short trips to doctors and such

Fair enough. As I've mentioned, when I was last looking at a vehicle (2017) there wasn't a suitable EV for my use case (3 row seating for a family) in my price point, and there wasn't sufficient EV infrastructure to do it. And renting, I wasn't going to install an L2 charger in my landlord's house. And I don't like Tesla, so given that they were pretty much the only game in town, it made no sense. 

My next vehicle purchase will probably be around 2027, when kids start leaving the nest. By that time most of my concerns about the EV market will no longer be true. My vehicle needs will have changed so I have more flexibility in what I buy (i.e. no need for three rows). Infrastructure (esp. in CA) will be plentiful, not only for Tesla, but for other brands. Frankly I think it already is. The other brands on the market should have more maturity so I can legitimately avoid Tesla and still have multiple good options. 

Will I ultimately go BEV? I don't know. It'll largely be an economic calculation, and if I'm still working from home most of the time, I won't be putting on enough miles that I think the economics will matter much. If I'm commuting every day, or if I change something job-wise that means my responsibilities require even more driving than that? Well then it might make more sense. 

But I find most people railing against EVs are rolling out tired, old, scare tactics. Being in California and seeing *SO* many of them on the road (and knowing many BEV owners), those tactics don't ring true. 

yup, that's why a person may forget.
Just like forgetting to fill up at the gas station

EVs and gassers are very similar - just different fuel

being stranded in a frozen traffic jam in a gasser that runs out of fuel gets just as cold just as fast as an EV that runs out of charge

yup, that's why a person may forget.
Just like forgetting to fill up at the gas station

EVs and gassers are very similar - just different fuel

being stranded in a frozen traffic jam in a gasser that runs out of fuel gets just as cold just as fast as an EV that runs out of charge

Ahh. Well if we're arguing about saving people from their own stupidity, it's going to be a LONG discussion in this country. There's a lot of it to go around.

The only time in my life that I've run out of gas was the day that I realized my gas gauge didn't work--it would register 1/4 tank all the way from when the truck had 1/4 tank down to when the tank was empty. That was a malfunction, not forgetfulness.

In fact, since that day I never ran out of gas again--despite the fact that I never fixed the gauge and so the truck never gave me a "low fuel" light on the dashboard. I just had to remember to refill shortly after the gauge reached 1/4 tank, which I unfailingly did.

I only know one EV owner.  Wife's ex has a Tesla, which I don't think he uses very much.  He is by most metrics "wealthy" and like much of what he owns, he bought a Tesla because he can, and because he thought it would be cool.  No idea how he likes it, but again, I don't think he uses it much.  If the battery gets damaged and he had to buy another one or just total it and move on, he wouldn't care. 

Thus, in my little sphere, that's who can have an EV.  Sure ain't me. 

When I visit Austin, I see quite a few Teslas on the road.  Of course, there are quite a few wealthy people in Austin, but I suspect not all the drivers I see are wealthy, but rather people who for one reason or another decided that's what they needed.  But I will say that in my experience, many, many, many people don't manage their money wisely and a lot of those people who aren't wealthy, it wouldn't surprise me to learn they shouldn't be driving Teslas, but in a place like Austin you're going to get more people ideologically attached to that whether they can reasonably afford it or not. 

And also, Apple users are a cult, and Android is superior.  

I've rented them - Hertz has a push for that. I'd never buy one as the result of my 3 experiences. 3 strikes, ya know?

Last rental I did I hybrid and came away pleased. It was a small Toyota SUV.

This coming rental (in December) will be the same, or equal.