25/11/2014
By JOSEPH B. WHITE
Nov. 23, 2014 4:12 p.m. ET
Electric cars have been the future of transportation for nearly a century, and despite a flock of new entries, the battery-powered segment of the auto market remains a narrow niche.
Few transportation technologies provoke as much debate as electric vehicles. Fans love them for performance—a well-designed electric car can accelerate faster from a stop than many a muscle car—as much as for cleanliness. Skeptics ask why they should pay a premium or subsidize tax breaks for cars with limited range and utility.
In the discussion that follows, Andrew Tomko, Alex Venz and Margaret Burgoon make the case for EVs. Mr. Tomko, 52, an English professor at Bergen Community College in Paramus, N.J., owns an electric Fit subcompact from Honda Motor Co. Mr. Venz, 29, and Ms. Burgoon, 28, who are married, bought a Nissan Motor Co. Leaf two years ago. She’s an electrical engineer, he’s a technology consultant and photographer. They live in Lancaster, Calif.
Prof. DeCicco says at best he foresees a future market for electric vehicles as small, automated cars in densely populated urban areas. But even that is “pretty far away,” he says.
Here are edited excerpts of the drivers’ conversation by email, and Prof. DeCicco’s observations after the fact:
Why an EV?
WSJ: Why did you buy an electric car? And did you feel that the dealership knew more or less about EVs than you?
When Honda dropped its lease price for the Fit EV in 2013, I immediately registered through the website and was told to contact a local dealer. The Honda dealership knew nothing about the EV, but at least admitted that and worked with me getting up to speed.
I do get amused every time I bring the Fit EV in for service and they want to offer me a free oil change.
MR. VENZ: We were filling the turbo Jetta one evening—I think [gasoline] was somewhere around $4.60 a gallon at the time—and we were somewhat surprised by the total cost. We went straight home and started putting together total-cost-of-ownership numbers for the Jetta and comparing them to the total cost of leasing a Leaf.
The total cost of leasing, including maintenance, electricity, insurance, putting a 240-volt outlet in the garage and getting a [charging station], was less than what the Jetta was worth and would put us up about $1,000 to $3,000, versus keeping the Jetta for 39 more months and then selling it.
Our experience at the local Nissan dealership was pretty poor. To this day, we still get oil-change offers.
MR. VENZ: Andrew, what was your motivation for looking into battery electric vehicles?
MR. TOMKO: I had been interested in BEVs since seeing “Who Killed the Electric Car?” and hearing about the development of the Tesla, Leaf and Volt. I guess my motivation was mostly a “green” one. But I am a bit of a tech nerd, and I like cars, so BEVs push all my buttons!
There was also an economic incentive: I have a long commute and have always looked for economical cars that were fun to drive.
MS. BURGOON: As an electrical engineer and the daughter of an electrical engineer, I have always had a keen interest in electronics, computers and software. To me, internal combustion engines have always been somewhat distasteful, not simply because they are dirty, smelly, loud and cause a great deal of vibration, but because they have always seemed like a complicated hodgepodge of parts in their need for service and repair. In short, they are unreliable, inefficient, dirty messes
Three owners of the vehicles talk about the benefits—and frustrations—of being early adopters.
