Reasons why electric cars are not popular yet

Battery technology and operating range

This is considered the biggest challenge for electric cars, when fuel cells still have too many disadvantages. The operating range of electric cars is limited due to the unoptimized battery, making electric cars less convenient than internal combustion engine cars.

Currently, in addition to the goal of reducing product costs, manufacturers are racing to expand the network of charging stations and increase the operating range of electric vehicles.

The lack of a widespread network of charging stations, along with the low reliability of electric motors, is the reason why off-road enthusiasts who want to conquer difficult terrain far from residential areas hesitate to choose electric cars.

Electric vehicle batteries are still limited in range and low in energy density.

Many battery technologies have been researched and manufactured. Until now, the most popular technology used is lithium-ion batteries. But according to researchers, the energy density of lithium-ion batteries is 13 times lower than the energy density of fossil fuels.

This means that electric vehicles must be equipped with a large, heavy and bulky battery pack to be able to operate over a large range.

In the future, solid-state battery technology is considered a breakthrough for electric cars to be competitive with gasoline cars, when energy density is improved and charging time is shortened.

Raw materials for battery production and recycling

Lithium-ion batteries are now popular with car manufacturers because they can be charged more times, have high energy density, and are easy to replace. The components used to make batteries contain rare metals, especially lithium.

Currently, lithium supply still relies on a few countries such as Australia, Chile, Argentina, China and Zimbabwe.

Similar to fossil fuels, lithium is a finite resource and is increasingly expensive due to the increased demand for electric and hybrid vehicles. This finite resource is only available in a few countries and territories, causing high mining costs, leading to higher prices for electric vehicles than traditional gasoline and diesel vehicles.

Raw materials for battery manufacturing are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive.

The problem is not limited to lithium being the only rare metal, but also requires many other metals to make batteries. Dysprosium, Lanthanum, Neodymium, Praseodymium are other rare earth metals. They often exist in a bonded form, making the mining, extraction, and storage processes require high technology, which is also the reason why the cost of electric vehicle batteries is high.

Electric vehicle batteries also have a lifespan. When they expire, recycling is almost non-existent, as car manufacturers are not interested in developing electric vehicle battery recycling technology.

Toyota is a rare case that has a program to take back old batteries and provide new ones for its products. While most electric cars after being used are sent to the shredder.

Repair services are not yet popular

Electric car maintenance and repair is said to cost less than traditional cars, but doing this job is not easy. Repair centers must be fully equipped with tools and vehicle documentation to be able to complete the job.

This is impossible for private garages when electric cars are still a completely new technology, leading to consumers lacking choices of repair facilities, and the market losing competitiveness.

Electric vehicle repair and maintenance is a complex job that requires high technical skills and expertise.

In addition, the cost of replacing electric vehicle parts is always higher. Replacing batteries for electric cars is a concern for users, as the battery will degrade over time and the cost of replacing the battery is very high.

Electric cars and traditional cars both require high reliability and good mobility. Many users are still worried that when electric cars have problems, they will have difficulty in repairing them, when the electric car repair network is not yet widespread.

Source: https://xe.baogiaothong.vn/nhung-ly-do-khien-xe-o-to-dien-chua-pho-bien-192231017154554945.htm