Invasion of the EVs

Tesla Model S           credit: Tesla Motors

Listen.

Did you hear that?

That's the problem. There's nothing to hear. No exhaust notes. No engine hum. No gear change. All there is to hear is a faint electric whine and some tire noise. And that's how the electric vehicles (EVs) will begin their takeover.

All joking aside, I am living, anecdotal proof that electric vehicles are making their way onto the freeways and into our neighborhoods. In my small-ish New Jersey town, I once drove past two $60,000+ Teslas on one five minute drive. In fact, over the last couple weeks, I dare say I have seen at least one electric vehicle every day.

I'm very excited about this development. Not because I wish to see all cars running silently. I don't even want to own one myself. But, what I do appreciate is the diversity that these cars represent.

Many people have talked about the solution to the earth's energy crisis in terms of finding "the solution." With more than 1 billion cars on the world's roads, however, the likelihood of there being one solution is non-existent. What is reasonable is seeing a larger percentage of cars being powered by alternative means, such as battery, ethanol, biofuel, and gas/electric hybrids.

Until now, I was having my doubts about the possibility of ever getting to that point. The source of my cheerier disposition is the holistic approach being undertaken by Tesla. Tesla is the first company to look at both the product issue AND the infrastructure. As in, now that I own the car, how do I continually operate it?

Tesla also took an honest look at who the target audience should be for their vehicles.

Chevy, Honda, and Nissan have all put out all-electric vehicles. But at $29,000 the Nissan Leaf is the cheapest of the bunch, and also the ugliest and least practical. The Honda FCX Clarity leases for $600/month. These costs are astronomical for the typical consumer of these brands.And none of these manufacturers has worked to improve an owner's ability to charge the vehicles, severely limiting their usability.

Tesla Model S   credit: Tesla Motors

Tesla recognized that the only people who could afford to become early adopters of this technology were the wealthy who had certain expectations of any vehicle they purchase. So, instead of trying to keep the costs relatively modest by stripping down a car priced against a BMW 3-Series, they created a near-$100,000 luxury car, capable of competing very well with all other vehicles at its price point. They have also spent the money to develop supercharger stations, enabling people who own the cars to drive them for long distance with minimal inconvenience.

Here's an assessment of the car by Consumer Reports: