9 Things About Electric Vehicles People Are Thinking But No One Is Saying

Electric vehicles are becoming more mainstream by the day. It's no secret that, one day, we'll see more electric rides on the road than the gas-powered models we're used to. 

But let's not pretend we aren't silently poking holes in some of the ideas surrounding EVs. From battery-related musings to charging concepts, here are some things we can't help but wonder about electric vehicles — and no, we're not talking about if drivers can get electrocuted during rainstorms. 

So the autopilot feature on that sleek Tesla might come in clutch on long road trips, but there's one glaring downfall on all of our minds: charging stops. If you've got a car full of kids whining, "Are we there yet?," it's going to be pretty obnoxious stopping every couple hundred miles to charge up. If you're going to travel across the country in an EV, just make sure you loop charging times into your overall estimated travel time, and bring plenty of snacks and activities to entertain your antsy kiddos.

Speaking of charging, if the U.S. continues making its push toward more EVs than gas-powered vehicles on the roads, we're going to need a massive overhaul of the current charging infrastructure. We're in a landscape where spotting a charging station still feels like a bit of an anomaly, leaving a lot of room for obvious expansion. This includes not just public charging stations but also home and workplace charging solutions, which can be expensive and time-consuming to implement on a large scale.

Let's face it: We only have so much grid capacity. The more electric vehicles there are on the road, the more strain there's going to be on electricity grids, especially during peak charging times. Even EVs equipped with vehicle-to-grid technology, which allows them to discharge electricity back into the grid, raise some red flags about how battery wear and tear can impact vehicle longevity. All things considered, grid upgrades and smart charging solutions are inevitable.

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The federal tax credit for EVs can score you as much as $7,500 — but have we forgotten how pricey some electric vehicles can be? Generally speaking, drivers can expect to spend at least $10,000 more on an EV than a gas-powered counterpart. We're not mathematicians, but in certain situations, it doesn't necessarily feel like the incentives cover the price tag, even with gas prices off the table. Let's not pretend that electric vehicles don't require (more expensive) maintenance.

Related: 10 Cheap Electric Cars To Buy

The oil industry is inherent to the economy and responsible for more than 12 million American jobs. If EVs become more widely adopted, there would be some pretty substantial implications for the oil industry, from oil prices to geopolitics. Could this shift create a domino effect of challenges for the companies and employees in the industry? Time will tell. 

Related: Car Companies Making EV Investments in America

If you're one of those people who feels like the government is always watching you (and tracking your every move through your phone), you've definitely questioned the integrity of all of the tech-forward features in EVs — especially Teslas. From data security breaches to invasions of privacy, the technology features in EVs can cause a little uneasiness. 

Sure, this can be said for lots of things, but let's get real. The supply chain for EV components is complex and can be vulnerable to disruptions. A shortage of rare earth metals used in motors and batteries could significantly impact EV production, and that's not your everyday run-of-the-mill shortage, guys. 

From the assembly line to the roadways, every dotted "i" and crossed "t" is not entirely engulfed in eco-friendliness. EVs might be cleaner to drive, but the environmental impact of manufacturing their batteries is often overlooked. Extracting materials like lithium and cobalt for batteries isn't a casual thing and can have significant environmental consequences, from deforestation to toxic fumes released during the mining process.

We've all been there. Your car seemingly ... dies. If it's not something catastrophic, your fingers are crossed that it's just the battery, because that's a simple fix that often costs less than $200 to replace. 

Not if you drive an electric ride: EV batteries are far from cheap to replace. And by far from cheap, we mean between $5,000 and $20,000. Yikes.