I could see that viewpoint if you've never driven electric, but I think ultimately it's just a better product. Quiet, quick acceleration, never visiting a stinky gas station (charging at home is so liberating), much cheaper and easier maintenance, etc. The counter points are quickly eroding and falling.

Nissan did a great commercial at the launch of the Leaf [1] showing a world where a lot of our electric appliances were powered by gas. It's obviously absurd, but that's part of the point. I think we'll look back on this period 30-50 years from now and wonder in amazement that we drove such obviously inferior polluting dinosaurs for so long.

[1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvbDVGWwzQc

On the maintenance point: I bought an electric lawnmower a few years ago not because of any environmental concerns but because I was tired of having to make a special trip to the gas station to fill gas cans, then keep special oil on hand, and then replace spark plugs, and then the head gasket cracked and I just threw it out. My electric mower needs to be plugged in, but there's no exhaust, no fumes, no oil or gas to worry about, fewer moving parts, easier to start, very light. It's just a ton more convenient.

While I don't own an electric car, any argument that there's no consumer benefit to electric car is just silly on its face. ICE engines need just so much maintenance in comparison.

Showing the Chevy Volt in that ad was a bit of a jab. The Volt can go pure electric and never touch its fuel tank.

I agree, I think they should have taken the high road and tried to build the whole market of any vehicle with a plug instead of the underhanded jab against the volt. There are so many other cars they could have put in that spot. Maybe a Hummer?

They are also a much better driving experience. Once you get used to one pedal driving and instant silent thrust, gas cars seem unresponsive and clumsy. Not going to gas stations is great too.

What do you mean by one-pedal driving? Surely electric cars still have an accelerator and a brake?

I mean that regenerative braking when you lift the accelerator slows the car sufficiently that it is rarely necessary to touch the brake pedal. So most driving is done just by modulating the accelerator.

Electric cars are far cheaper to operate.

I think they will start around cities and dense suburbs, partly because of the reduced mileage demands and benefits of regenerative braking in stop start traffic, and partly because of democratic intervention to lower air pollution.

That will concentrate demand and seed the building out of infrastructure, which can then migrate outwards. The more rural you, the longer the switch will take, and some areas may not switch for decades.

Weird, I want to get one since I am adding solar panels (already bought them) to my tiny house and thus I can charge the car for free. Why pay for gas at $1.26 CND a liter?

1.26*3.8=$4.788/1.30=$3.68 a gallon in the US.

electric cars can have faster acceleration too, btw