Comment by heygrady | Hacker News Reader

Comment by heygrady | Hacker News Reader

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Your argument is pretty thin. I would imagine the best way to alleviate your concerns would be to require aggressive recycling programs for an EV.

Long-term, the sale of these cars is allowing the EV market to mature. Already the price of the batteries has gone way down. The nextgen EVs coming out this year and next with 200+ miles of range were only made possible by this "unsustainable" consumer good. Maybe my 2012 EV with 75 miles of range is already in a land-fill somewhere. But a car like a Tesla S keeps its value surprisingly well and should last for quite a while.

The Chevy Bolt is a compelling car that someone could own for a decade. Your main complaint is that the cars are evolving so fast that there are better options available every time your lease is up. Big deal!

I think the battery is the most hazardous component. It's also the most valuable from a recycling perspective.

Firstgen EVs are not popular in the aftermarket: http://blog.caranddriver.com/tesla-aside-resale-values-for-e...

Battery recycling is an emerging market as well: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1093810_electric-car-bat...

I would argue that aftermarket prices are artificially low for EV's because of the tax credits.

There are quite a few dealers in my area that sell used Nissan Leafs as fast as they can get them in, they are really nice cars for the price. We also happen to have better than average charging infrastructure and most of it is free currently.

You're comparing a 100k luxury Tesla with a $80/month lease. Yes I understand the EV market is maturing and will find more niches while it develops but least not ignore the reality of the $49/month EV (yes you can lease a Golf EV at my local VW dealer for that little). See my other comment on how these leases work and why they're not economically sustainable. There's also the issue of California's EV credits that force every manufacturer to have an EV. Why do you think Fiat sells the 500 EV? Not because the couple thousand they sell a year are worth it economically, I can say that much.

Sorry for mentioning Tesla. I realize it's an annoyingly expensive luxury car. The larger point is that getting a "usable" firstgen EV required getting a luxury car. A nextgen EV with 200+ miles of range will be available for "affordable" prices by the end of this year (from Chevy).

EV incentives weren't meant to be unsustainable. That's why they're limited to 200k cars per manufacturer. Tesla will be the first EV maker to become ineligible for tax credits because they will have hit the limit. They're also the first EV maker to deliver a car that keeps its value. Others will follow this year and next.

How the EV tax credit works: https://cleantechnica.com/2016/04/19/how-the-ev-tax-credit-w...

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