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To the editor:
The average EV costs $54,000 today. Like any new software operating system, you don't want to be the first to buy it or you will pay a dear price as the bugs are worked out. Here are some examples:
• One purchases a used 2014 Ford Focus EV for $11,000. All goes well for 60,000 miles and then it dies. The battery needs replaced for $14,000 not including labor.
• Ford raises price of electric F-150 Lightning by up to $8,500 due to "significant" battery cost increase.
• Electric vehicles burn through tires faster than gas vehicles due to weight and torque. Thus, EVs require special tires.
• GM offers Chevy Bolt EV owners $6,000 if they promise not to sue over battery fire recall fiasco.
• Fire companies testing equipment to put out EV fires found that the high-voltage battery burns at 1,200 degrees in tenths of seconds, giving off tremendous amounts of harmful gas (hydrogen, hydrogen fluoride) that can cause permanent eye and lung damage to firefighters etc. It does not need oxygen to burn thus foam, class D powder extinguishers and fire blankets are useless. Continually dumping water on the battery for 6-8 hours works but best just let it burn itself out.
• Chrysler Pacifica hybrid on second recall of 16,000 vehicles. Owners told to stop charging vehicle and park car outside while Chrysler investigates the cause of a series of fires. One doesn't want to lose both their car and their home, or risk lives of family.
• Towing range of electric truck is reduced by a third to a half that of empty truck.
EVs are the least reliable vehicle type; Consumer Reports pointed to some problem areas in January.
Want to buy an EV? Don't believe the hype. Do your homework.
Arthur Keller
Beavertown