Quote:
Originally Posted by Calgary14
Are they more expensive to manufacture? When I mentioned costs I was referring to the consumer side (ie. repairs and maintenance). I have no idea if they are more to manufacture. I would be willing to pay more for a low maintenance electric vehicle that could last a long time
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Right now, they're more expensive to produce than gas cars because of the battery. The drive train is cheaper, but batteries are expensive.
However, the cost of batteries is falling fast. In 2010, the cost per kWh (about 4-5 km range per kWh) was over $1,000. Tesla is rumoured to be producing them below $100/kWh now and the price is still dropping.
This is why you used to see EVs with really low range being really expensive, then the price stayed the same with range increasing. For example, the Nissan Leaf has been approximately the same price for a decade. The range though has gone from 117km to 350km without getting more expensive.