Ford does that with their Mustang, but I think it sounds hokey…
Weight doesn’t matter as much when most people are in SUV/CUVs & trucks that weigh at least 4300lbs or more. The Mustang starts at a portly ~3600lbs & new Camry isn’t far off at 3300-3600lbs. A Kia EV6 & Hyundai Ioniq 5, which are large hatchbacks classified as CUVs, for comparison are 3800-3900 lbs. Long gone are days were you can get a Civic hatch at 2750lbs.
I just got the Ioniq 5(RWD) & am starting to enjoy the smoothness from the lack of a transmission. It doesn’t drive that heavy either, but I am also coming from a SUVs that were ~200-300lbs more. Sure it doesn’t dance as nice as my the Alfa SUV, but I am also not on side of a mountain road smoking a cig cursing like it’s a high maintenance ex lover. Fun but a headache.
BMW got Hans Zimmer to make the audio for their electric M & 7 Series cars.
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This is generally true, but in my case, my 2018 Clarity (Accord) PHEV is a full 650 pounds heavier than the comparable Accord due exclusively to the battery pack, and it’s not even a pure EV.
I just got a 2023 Kia Niro HEV a month ago and somewhat wishing I had bought a PHEV, but never considered an EV. I do think PHEV is the way to go in general. It just didn’t quite fit my budget, and with the tax rebate change this year, just wasn’t going to be worth it.
I travel for work about 270 miles once a quarter or so, so wanted something I could trust for that distance, but during the week, I usually only drive 3 days out of 7. My trips are also usually only 4-8 miles round trip. This is where the PHEV would have been great, I’ve used 1 tank of gas so far, after 450 miles driven (and the extreme heat we’re in helping me to only get 45 mpg), so I think it would be great to not have to worry about filling up except when I travel for work. But when I do the math, even after 10 years, filling up once a month and probably twice on the months I travel, vs filling up just twice on the months I travel, saves me $150-200 a year, over 10 years time, that’s only $2k. Not worth the extra $6k I’d be spending on the PHEV version.
But that’s just money wise for me. Does the less fuel spent help reduce reliance on fossil fuels and drive that change? I think it does, even at only 5 or 6 tanks of gas a year. And, while full EVs aren’t a great option in the long term, moving the needle now is important while we find a better option in the long run.
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Solid state/graphene batteries. I am still waiting for my Apple Watch Ultra 2 with all-week battery life and my Surface with more than 4 hours battery life 
. What’s up with consumer electronics taking so long to adopt this? Heck, portable power banks with solid state have been around for at least a year now.
THIS! Only a thought exercise, but if every non-commercial vehicle on the road were a PHEV, think of the immediate dent in fossil fuel emissions - I know that is even worse thinking than my hopes for an all-in-one 11" unicorn tablet, but somebody’s got to lead the charge.
PS James - that “only…45mpg” really cracked me up - that’s probably better than 90% of the gas guzzling fleet out there - especially all those d@mn pick up trucks with only the driver and not a single scratch in the bed from carrying anything back there…
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Well, when all the reviews I read said it easily got 52-55 mpg in real world driving, I was a bit disappointed at first. Especially because my last ICE got 30 mpg regularly. But, it has been ridiculously hot here in TX, so I guess it’s to be expected.
Also, don’t give up hope on the 11" unicorn tablet! It will happen!
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Midland was running in the 112 range for 10 days until last Thursday, then some mid-90’s relief going into another 7-10 stretch of 104 ahead. AC knocks down both my electric and hybrid mileage, but it is worth the effort old buddy!
As for the unicorn, sometimes I think it is further away on the horizon than a REAL 500+ mile EV! In fact, Toyota says it will have solid state battery EV with 745 miles range and 10 minute recharge by 2027 - an early prototype…
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Final product:
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My son had one of them. He was ahead of his time.
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Looks like there’s an onslaught of Chinese EVs now. With every news outlet and YouTube channel claiming BYD is about to take over the auto market in S.E. Asia and Europe, the German and Japanese auto maker’s positions looks to be in jeopardy. The Chinese auto maker has even entered the Japanese market.
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Other manufacturers are not giving up:
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Problem is that these may be too little too late. Looks like the Chinese are years ahead in EV development.
Wonder how these automakers got caught off guard.
Meanwhile, used EV sales are tanking, new EVs are piling up on lots unsold, most EV “fender benders” result in the vehicle being “totaled” for insurance purposes (contributing to skyrocketing US car insurance premiums), and the intensity of EV fires are burning down homes, burning through bridges, and endangering first responders.
[snarky editorial comments redacted]
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Resale value might be the sticking point for widespread adoption of EVs.
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As @Bishop has said, people are starting to realise that EVs are, currently at least, not the wonderful things people have been led to believe.
As for the Chinese company ones; I’m not ever going to even get into one of those. That they are full of batteries, doubly so.
A laptop is one thing, but a vehicle? No.
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I think this version of reality might be slightly distorted. 
One challenge is that car makers have priced their EVs too high. Probably a combination of starting with the high-end version of their offerings, and because their manufacturing costs are relatively high because they’re new to EVs. EVs are sitting on lots unbought because consumers aren’t willing to pay a premium for EVs, or at least not a huge premium.
Meanwhile I bought one and I love it. No more waiting in huge lines at Costco Gas, super zippy acceleration, pretty nice in-car tech (love having Apple music next to me on a giant screen). About one third the cost per mile in “fuel”. House hasn’t burned down yet. Downsides: car was pretty expensive, insurance is pretty high, miss having a dedicated wiper stalk (yes it’s a Tesla), charging on road trips is a bit slow. Overall I like it a lot more than my previous ICE SUV. To each their own though.
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Ditto…
Double ditto…
The major sticking point for me is the cold weather capacity and charging, and EVs being giant “spicy pillows” on wheels. For me, EVs won’t be ready for prime time until graphene batteries hit the market with their >2x capacity and significantly mitigated fire and explosion risk. For me, an endgame EV would have a graphene battery with >600 miles range (equating to hopefully 300 miles in cold winter months) and a solar panel array for slow self-charging to offer some degree of energy independence.
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That’s a real issue for those in cold climates, no argument there.
That aspect I personally don’t worry about so much. Do we know for a fact that EVs cause more fires per car in operation than ICE cars? Either way it’s still exceedingly rare for an EV owner to have his/her car go up in flames, to the point that it’s not worth worrying about imo.
If EV prices keep coming down, gas prices go up, and your ICE breaks down/requires expensive repairs, it’s a purchase worth considering imo. Unless you’re in cold climates or make regular long road trips I guess.
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Yet, Norway is the leading implementer of EVs. Granted they are gambling on global warming.
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