The way I see it, rich people can buy new cars. Everyone else who needs one should consider buying a used one instead. After a few years, depreciation isn't quite so rapid any more, which makes TCO less of a burden.

Maintenance expenses do increase as the car ages, but as long as it isn't like 25 years old, it's not completely absurd. Currently, I'm looking to buy something that is about 5 years old, and then sell it when it begins to require frequent maintenance. That way, I should be able to avoid the two expensive extremes.

However, there's another nasty twist. Cold environment will murder the NMC cells in no time. Not too long ago, I had to leave my car in a cold parking lot for a long time, and when I got back it was about -30 °C. Fortunately, I don't need to abuse the engine this way any more than maybe twice every year. Oh, boy did it sound unhappy with that cold start, but it managed it anyway. If I had an EV, I would probably need to leave it at home, and take a bus for horribly timed trips like that.

Let's say, about 6 times a year, I'll have badly timed trips, with temperatures hovering around +5...-15 °C: That isn't a complete disaster for EVs, but it's still very bad for the cells. Some cars have a built-in heating system for the battery, so I guess that feature would see frequent use. When I'm eventually buying a use EV, having a battery heating system is going to be a completely non-negotiable feature.

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 2 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

temperatures hovering around +5…-15 °C

We’ve just come off a cold streak like this and I have to say it was no big deal.

Obviously I don’t know of there are long term effects on the battery but

most/all EVs have active thermal management now so will maintain a healthy temperate while in use
my decision point on technology maturity was when they started using heat pumps rather than resistive heat. That’s still too rare but makes a huge impact on cold weather range

[–] turboSnail@piefed.europe.pub 1 points 17 hours ago

The only good things about NMC cells is the energy density and the ability to pull a decent power during acceleration.

When it comes to temporaries, they are surprisingly picky. Too hot or cold, and they wear out quickly. If you push beyond that, you’ll lose range instantly. That’s why a heat pump is such a great thing to have.

Also, the state of charge matters to longevity. If you use the wrong percentages frequently, you’ll start losing capacity sooner or later. Even if you treat the battery perfectly, it’s still going to wear out like the tires do, but this thing costs as much as an engine.

I’m really looking forward to seeing all the other battery chemistries take their share of the market.