The real "Beetle of EVs" will be something that is priced down around the Honda Civic, Mazda 3, etc. AUD$30k (~USD$20k) or so. The first major brand to come out with an EV comparable to that class of car, with local warranty/servicing/etc, just like the Beetle was then or the Civic/3/Golf are now, will be the one that gets true adoption. Until then it's just a "rich person's toy".
For all the counter-culture nostalgia, the Beetle was mostly about being cheap. And, of yeah, somewhat by being fairly unsafe even relative to the fairly lax standards of the time.Furthermore, depending on one's situation an EV is often a second car at this point unless you don't really need to get out of charger range or are willing to rent when you do.
> an EV is often a second car at this point unless you don't really need to get out of charger range or are willing to rent when you do.
That seems to be a cultural point. For many people I see an EV is actually beneficial over a fossil fuel car: They don't have to go to the gas station ever. Saving that detour every now and then, but simply commute and do the groceries. Longer trips aren't done by car anyways. But that of course requires a garage with power, which many in the cities don't have ...
The sticking point for me is the in-between trips of 200-300 miles. We live ~80 miles from the coast and ~100 miles from the mountains. Depending on the specifics of the trip, add another 20 miles each way for local roads to a specific trailhead or beach.
If there were charge points at my destination, I wouldn't think twice. Since there aren't and really aren't any along the way (maybe one or two chargers for either trip) range anxiety is real. For us, a gas car is a must but an electric will probably be our next "second" car. Of course, we may just forego the second car altogether and stick to one vehicle instead.
Here in Poland, if you charged at a charging station, it would cost you twice MORE than refueling a classic HEV, and it would also take longer - so overall less convenient. If you don't plan to charge it mostly at home, it will never pay off.
We sold both of our gas cars and got Tesla (don’t need two cars right now). We are doing more road trips (1k miles or more) right now than ever. Teslas are awesome on long drives (mainly due to autopilot).
Yep. My Mom, like many others of her era, bought one as a first car because it was cheap enough. Given some stories, it's build quality was not the greatest but it kept going.
