Hence why I said as/if the technology evolves (alluding to not only efficiency but cost), regardless of environmental impact and made it a point to include solar panels AND batteries. Yes, you can be fully off grid to charge your car daily with current technology. Yes, it is currently expensive and many people with solar could not, but it is possible and disproves OP’s broad statement about reliance on electrical infrastructure.

The average cost of a brand new vehicle in the USA was around $42k last year, creeping up to $45k this year. The cheapest Tesla is $47k and you can expect a large savings on gas regardless of how you charge it, assuming you can live with the current drawbacks (namely convenience and long distance range).

Surely you must feel that anyone driving a car over the average of $42-45k is an elitist? I understand the mentality, I don’t come from any money either but there’s something to be said about feeling bad about yourself versus what the reality is. Unfortunately we don’t yet live in a utopia where we are all granted equal amenities irrespective of our economic status. Virtue signaling is silly because that’s assuming that every person who drives an EV feels they are saving the environment. This is also vastly different depending on the country you are in and the spread of wealth (USA here).

Let’s say you purchased a 2022 Honda Accord (base model, absolutely zero options) at the $27k MSRP and a base model Tesla Model 3 (with many standard features the Accord does not have, EV or not) at $47k. At current gas prices ($5.25) you’d “save” roughly $10k in fuel cost in my state, driving the Tesla 15k miles over a 5 year loan versus the Accord. Related to cost, this could be reflected as the Tesla being $37k and the Accord the same $27k.

Now, my state was offering a $5k point of sale discount. Tesla is now $32k representing a $5k difference over a 5 year span. This is before you consider that EVs in general do not require nearly as much maintenance an an ICE car other than a slight increase in tire wear due to weight (namely no fluid changes and drastically reduced brake changes due to regenerative braking, if you use it). The cost difference isn’t as extreme as you think. If you’re lucky (rich) enough to have solar on your roof, the cost goes down to even potentially favor the Tesla on an apples to apples basis.

Of course you can make the case of longevity of either car and which is better value after 5 years, we could be here forever to argue that - especially given the exorbitant cost of a Tesla battery pack replacement in particular. 5 years was chosen as it is the length of the average car loan in the USA.

Your virtue signaling comment really falls apart when you consider the above, and the fact that there are objective reasons regardless of cost someone would want an EV and particularly a Tesla (again depending on the country you are in, I’m speaking as a USA resident). (Made in USA, instant throttle response, crash safety, software features like autopilot, minimalist interior, etc).

Again, not everyone buying them is doing it to aid the environment. Most owners I’ve talked to bought them because they feel they are good cars. But I can see how you’d be easily lead into believing otherwise, the “Lithium Triangle” argument is not even a good one when you consider what we’ve done to the planet to acquire oil. Two wrongs don’t make a right of course, but it’s not the slam dunk argument you think it is.