EV under $20K

Chinese car manufacturer Kandi  has been approved to sell two of its electric cars in the USA.  One of them--the very small K22--will retail for less than $20,000.  This was always the risk that legacy car-makers faced if they shilly-shallied on EVs: China has an aggressive EV promotion policy, and when Chinese car manufacturers moved down the EV learning curve, they wouldn't just supply the Chinese market but the world.  The small K2 won't be much fun for a trans-continental journey but it will surely be perfect for short trips around town.  The ten cheapest small cars in the US average about $15K.  But EVs cost about 1/3rd the cost of petrol cars (ICEVs) to run, just for "fuel".  And they're far cheaper to maintain.   And that doesn't even cover places where time-of-us charging for electricity is available, so that, for example, it's cheaper to charge up at night when wholesale prices are low.  In other words, $20K for an EV vs $15K for an ICEV is comparable, given much lower running costs.  If the EX3 costs $25K, it still compares favourably with, say, the Mazda 3 at $19K.  And that's this year.  As battery costs continue to decline .....

Tesla showed us that EVs could be stylish and sexy, luxurious and seductive.  Which was needed (everybody's image of an electric car was of a golf or milk cart).  But most of us won't be able to afford a Tesla, alas.  So cheap EVs are essential.  And China will deliver them, even if legacy car manufacturers in the West don't.  I'll prolly end up buying one.

Kandi EX3

Kandi K22

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