Do I need an electric car?

For a while now, I have been pondering if I really needed an electric vehicle to replace my old Subaru. 

Yes, I WANT a Tesla and have placed an order for one that should be ready for delivery around next May or June, but the question is, do I really NEED that car? 

On the plus side, I want one because it’s the right vehicle to own if I want to do my share of limiting my CO2 output, plus, it seems like a great experience for me as a driver after test-driving it a few times, besides it’s cool, modern and it’s the thing to have at this point of time.

On the minus side there are many issues that aren’t too attractive about that car. The high price (about 50% more than ICE engine cars) is one of them and is hard to mitigate with low maintenance costs, uncertain tax credits, low cost of charging, higher wear and tear on tires and insurance costs. T

hen the fit and finish has so far left a lot to be desired, the riding comfort of models 3 and Y isn’t that great. Then there are other practical issues, like on-the-road recharging, cold weather impact for those of us leaving in a cold, snowy environment, cargo room debatable, no spare tire, car wash a bit complicated, ski racks going against the vehicle efficiency and most importantly, battery that degrades with time. 

All these consideration leave me hesitant as the Tesla I have ordered will be delivered late spring, and I wonder if I shouldn’t go with a plug-in hybrid instead, but these, just like Teslas, are hard to come by at reasonable prices...