Whether you like it or not, electric vehicles are the future of the automotive industry. Even if the oil and gas industry was able to buy a few years of special treatment from Republicans, the entire rest of the world is moving toward EVs, and it’s only a matter of time before gas-powered cars are a novelty for enthusiasts, just like horses are now. Yes, that means Car Guys will be the new Horse Girls, but it also isn’t something that will happen overnight.
By the time it no longer makes sense to buy an ICE car, all the associated tech will probably have made some serious advances, from batteries to charging infrastructure. Right now, you’ve got time to hold out for better EVs. But what if you didn’t have time? What if, somehow, gasoline magically disappeared overnight, and suddenly, the only way to get around was to buy an EV right now?
Of course, if that actually happened, our old friend the law of supply and demand would send EV prices through the roof because there are simply too few EVs in the U.S. to meet that sudden demand, but we’re also talking about a hypothetical situation involving magic here, so let’s just ignore that minor inconvenience to keep things interesting and fun instead of overwhelming and nightmarish.
You have to buy an EV
So basically, if we pretend prices would stay the same, if gas cars became impossible to operate, and you basically had to buy an EV tomorrow, which EV would you buy? Not in the hypothetical sense where we can all afford to buy something new but based on your current finances and needs.
I, of course, would already be set, since (despite the many accusations that Jalopnik hates EVs) I have not one but two Fiat 500es. And since I won’t be having any children, that works for me. The 2024 Fiat is definitely a far better car than the 2015 because that’s how advances in technology work, but my girlfriend and I would do just fine. Then again, I can also admit that a tiny two-door hatchback isn’t going to work for everyone. My brother, for example, liked driving my Fiat enough to replace his truck with an EV, but there was no way he was going to buy a 500e with three kids to transport.
What would you do, though? New EVs have the technology advantage, but like all new cars, they’re still pretty expensive, and most people in this country couldn’t afford to buy one. Thankfully, you can get some pretty inexpensive options on the used market, but they use older tech and generally aren’t quite as good. Are you prioritizing range or charging speed? Do you even have the option to charge at home? Whatever car you decide, be sure to let us know down in the comments.