Currently, I read the same questions from the video and Gemini will do the same thing. Here's how it'll answer today: 1. In five words or less, Gemini describes the state of EVs today as "Rapid growth, challenges remain." 2. In five words or less, Gemini describles the prospect future of EVs as "Brighter, greener, wider range." 3. In five words or less, Gemini answers "Save money, save planet" that humans should get an EV. And hey, they're improving... 4. In five words or less, Gemini answers "Limited charging stations" that humans (and also AI) shouldn't get an EV. 5. The biggest challenge facing the EVs is "Cost", like the same thing here in the video.
While trying for a year to choose an EV (or PHEV) as my next car I went through these... and ended up with the conclusion that I need to buy a reliable, fuel efficient, *inexpensive* and "as dumb as possible" gasoline car. I already have a brand and model chosen, and the only question I have left is whether the 2nd trim is "too smart" and I should stick to the base trim. And maybe pair it with an e-trike with cargo capacity for short-range trips and weekly grocery shopping (not costco runs, LOL). - Total cost of ownership, including depreciation and repairs in case of accident. Yes, EV total cost *without* depreciation and repairs is lower when compared to an "equivalent vehicle"... like comparing a Tesla to a BMW (yes, that is what those people compare it to!). But when you consider the brutal depreciation (caused mainly by innovation and low manufacturing quality of many EVs) and the fact that when an EV ends up even in a minor fender bender it requires major repairs, it is very common for the car to get totalled and the insurance paying a small fraction of what you paid for the vehicle, making the cost of replacement unaffordable. - Availability and price. The expensive EVs are easily obtained, but at least in the US when you try to find some inexpensive EVs from a reputable brand... you can't, and when you do they have significant dealer markups. This happened to me when I considered the Prius Prime and Bolt, even though they were above my price range. Also, you often discover that the EV you were considering isn't really covered by the $7,500 federal rebate. - Range. Not an issue for me, I mostly drive short distances. - PRIVACY. This is a big one. EVs are surveillance machines that collect all kinds of data from GPS history, outside and inside cameras, and lots of other telemetry... which is then sold to the highest bidder without consent (or at most a click-through consent that most people never see) and with no means to stop it. This information can be abused and even when it is not it will typically come back to haunt the owner as higher vehicle or health insurance premiums among others, without even considering what would happen if through an unscrupulous mechanic any of the data ended up in the hands of criminals that could use it to clean you out when they are certain that you are across town and unlikely to return for hours. This is a strong motivator to buy the dumbest car you can, which is often also the cheapest. Hopefully we'll see new personal data privacy laws, but let's not kid ourselves, it will likely take years before we get something even as minimal as Europe's GDPR law.
Bought an SUV in 2023 for winter and trips. Looked at a whole swath of vehicles, new used, gas, electric. What I found was that the electrics even with discounts or tax credits were vastly more expensive thana similarly sized and spec'd gas equivalent. While you will have lower running and maintenance costs (in theory) what happens after 6, 8, 10 years? Will the battery need to be replaced, how will they hold their value? Top Trim/spec Kia Telluride is low to mid 50's and a Top trim EV9 is $20k more. That's roughly 110,000 miles to break even. For me to buy an EV it needs to be cheaper than the equivalent gas vehicle to make up for the downsides. Range, resale, spontaneous combustion, reduced range over time and in cold weather, etc...
My #1 reason for holding off is my anticipation that a radical new development in battery tech is maybe on the horizon that would make current models obsolete.
Hi, I would like to suggest that you consider what you want to get from the tech and not just look for the radically new tech. Li-ion came to market in what 1991? Do you really want to wait for the next tech to even reach Li-ion much less surpass it? In 30 years you could be on your third EV and then still get that innovative battery tech that you are waiting for. As far as we know, you may not even need a car in 30 years.
Brian Cooley is the man. More of him, please 🙏 Also, a comment on the range thing. Yes, 10-20 miles a day at most will cover most of us, BUT what about those weekends that you do over 600 miles??? I personally take family trips every other weekend and having an EV is a complete nightmare were I live. I can't imagine having to stop at a busy service station, waiting in line for an unknown amount of time while having my family in the car... No sir, I'll have none of it thanks 👍
Cheers for the opinions. I rarely buy new cars due to depreciation. However I'm concerned about the reliability/gen1 tech of buying a used EV. Should I be?
Things to consider in TCO: EVs eat tires much faster than comparable ICE vehicles due to increased weight and torque. Collision repair is much higher with EVs. Storage is much higher at collision center because EVs must be stored away from other vehicles due to fire risk. Insurance rates are higher due to increased injury and property damage due to increased weight.
Stop saying driving a long distance is an edge case because you still have to cover edge cases otherwise you'd have to buy TWO CARS which is prohibitive for most especially given the price of having an electric vehicle as one of them!
If Range is the question asked the most, it is because range is important to us when it is needed and matters the most... that DESPITE the fact we drive less than we think. When we need range to we want to be sure we can get to where we need to be..😮
I have a level 2 charger and a 2013 chevy volt (also roof top solar). The volt always starts electric and only shifts to ice after ~30 miles. I've found that the 30-mile range sufficient for 80% of my requirements. If the car had a 100-mile range, I probably wouldn't need an ICE at all. After 100k miles I've averaged over 130mpg (ICE runs only 10-20%). Often time the ICE will run because the gas is old. I would say that the hybrid complexity adds $ to initial cost and adds $$ to TCO. I would think that a reliable low-cost electric with a 100-mile range, would be a 21st century equivalent to a model T (or VW beetle). Surprisingly - the ICE engine has to run to pass NY State air pollution inspection. Regarding TCO - I think you should cover MPG-Cost & MPGE-Cost comparisons. What is MPGE-Cost when you own roof top solar? After 100K miles, I'm starting to look at replacement options. One option which would drive TCO WAY down is a vehicle refurbishment service for an older EV like the chevy volt. If I can replace the battery and upgrade the software that would be an attractive option. As EV fleet ages, battery replacement plus refurbishment could have a major impact on TCO. Seems like a Francise opportunity (far better from a TCO POV than extended car warranties). Imo - an in-house level 2 charger can be important option for EV ownership. i.e. - Come home and plug in the car. Go inside and plug in you I Phone, etc. This is simple, far better than pumping gas in freezing or extremely hot conditions. Concerns have been made about having electric cars attached to the house. I think some EV models were so poor designed that the manufacturers recommended parking it outside. What's worse - an EV or an ICE car with 20 gal. gasoline? How many accidents occur at gas stations pumping gas? In a road accident what is a bigger hazard - an exploding EV or an exploding ICE? I'm surprised that there hasn't been a series of powerful snow blowers and lawn mowers (and perhaps other garden tools) that can be charged with an in-home level 2 charger. Swapping batteries is fine for smaller tools but (Imo) doesn't scale well. E-tools will be definitely a lot easier to maintain. How much heavier do they need to be than their ICE alternatives?
Is the United States or any country prepared to replace the ENTIRE FLEET of vehicles with electric models, including buses, trucks, trains, planes, ships, etc.? Where do we get so much energy from (and it's just vehicles, I didn't count heaters, industry, etc...)?
At some point, there will be a generation at large that will not have dealbreakers with EV's, but with gas cars. Maybe not now obviously, gas powered vehicles have been around for nearly 150 years now, it's all most of us have ever known, but thirty years from now? Makes me think, at some point there was a generation of people that had horses as the standard for so long, but saw gas/coal vehicles and thought "maybe not now, but thirty years from now?"
Answer: Buy an EV if you don’t care about wasting money and have short comutes. Don’t go all electric though, it’s a good idea to have an ICE backup or for long trips.
The Total Cost of Ownership is meaningless when the product had no resell value and disposal is a problem. . "Cheaper" is subjective claim, the more EV's there are the more infrastructure to support needed, it doesn't yet exist.. so the future cost to create that infrastructure will be added to the eventual TCO
Not to mention that battery replacement costs 25k+. 25k battery replacement for a car that is worth under 10k? Not very many people going to replace the battery.
@ChicagoBob123 Battery Degradation is the reason. Not even Telsa batteries last that long. As an example, you buy brand new electric vehicle that has 200+ miles real world range. Years down the road, your vehicle now have a real world range of 10-40 miles.
@@NextNate03 that's just not true. There are several charts that show this. Many Teslas losing as little as 10% at 100k miles. Maybe your thinking about Toyota
@@ChicagoBob123 There are countless of stories of electric vehicle batteries with bad battery degradation. There also countless of Telsa vehicles needed the battery replacement under 100k miles.
Ironically, Brian Cooley compares knowledge to a GenAI LLM at a company that Wikipedia has recently downgraded for its article factuality and use of AI in writing them. I’m sure this is meant to be a sponsored pun, but isn’t it a bit… Tacky, given the circumstances?
You can tell CNET's business is in advertising. He didn't even mention about the used market which is the majority of the auto market in reality. And in terms of the cost of ownership, you have to consider the used market because people who are price conscious will look to the used market. There is no competition there.
BRIAN ....your back! Why so long no videos? How about what You've been up to video, please. Right now, and for a long time ahead, EVs aren't the future, not in Toyotas' opinion. I feel we're gonna need a combination of technology's to suit everyone. I think plugin hybrids will be around for 20 years, at least until hydrogen becomes cheaper. The world has gone about this the wrong way round, Infrastructure should have been sorted out first before the rollout of cars.
Q: When to Buy an Electric Car? A: When the Battery comes in the form factor of Cinder Blocks, it can be charged 0-100% in less than 30 Minutes and the vehicle provides a mileage equivalent to 30 KM/L 😊
Hmm. 🤔 you added motivation and choice just to fill up bullet points and distract because your argument is weak..they are there as deflection points...it is like , ' let's change the subject..'😂
If AI uses a lot of data to generate an answer, that answer I suspect, will be a AVERAGE answer. The Gemini AI answers are very very average, if not a little bit below average. Human can refine their answer through experience to be better and even Brilliant. AI still cannot beat a brilliant mind.
Hmm..a conversation with AI is entertaining but it gives a little credence to credibility which, considering AI is not a cognitive rational being , is so weird 🤪
Brian Cooley. The best thing cnet has going. Good to see him again. His review on the Aston Martin Roadster was peak internet perfection.
I have watched that review at least 15 times over the past 10 years and still laugh
@@danielchappell1672 same here. Still and forever a classic.
Missed your videos Brian! CNET on Cars was one of my favorite UA-cam segments.
Brian Cooley is back! Yay!
Wow, its been a while since I’ve seen Brian Cooley
Currently, I read the same questions from the video and Gemini will do the same thing. Here's how it'll answer today:
1. In five words or less, Gemini describes the state of EVs today as "Rapid growth, challenges remain."
2. In five words or less, Gemini describles the prospect future of EVs as "Brighter, greener, wider range."
3. In five words or less, Gemini answers "Save money, save planet" that humans should get an EV. And hey, they're improving...
4. In five words or less, Gemini answers "Limited charging stations" that humans (and also AI) shouldn't get an EV.
5. The biggest challenge facing the EVs is "Cost", like the same thing here in the video.
Great to see Brian Cooley still around with cnet, hands down the best automotive presenter.
Missed the Cooley vids 🔥
Whoa!!! Brian Cooley is back!!! Like some of us watching, we are not here for AI or EV... We're here for Mr. Cooley!!!
Brian you don’t know how happy I was seeing you pop up in my video feed!
Brian Cooley hasn’t aged in the 20 years he’s been at CNET 😅
OMG Cooley is back!
Glad to see Brian is back. Liked his series.
Brian Cooley the GOAT
Wait Joined CNET in 1995! He’s been there longer than some folks have been alive!!
Glad to see ya back!!
IT’S BEEN A LOOOOOOOOONG TIME BRIAN 🔥🔥💥💥💥💥💯
BRIAN COOLEY! Missed you man, excellent video too
It's lovely seeing Brian again.
Cooley's Back! This is excellent!
Welcome back Cooley🎉
More Brian Cooley videos please
While trying for a year to choose an EV (or PHEV) as my next car I went through these... and ended up with the conclusion that I need to buy a reliable, fuel efficient, *inexpensive* and "as dumb as possible" gasoline car. I already have a brand and model chosen, and the only question I have left is whether the 2nd trim is "too smart" and I should stick to the base trim. And maybe pair it with an e-trike with cargo capacity for short-range trips and weekly grocery shopping (not costco runs, LOL).
- Total cost of ownership, including depreciation and repairs in case of accident. Yes, EV total cost *without* depreciation and repairs is lower when compared to an "equivalent vehicle"... like comparing a Tesla to a BMW (yes, that is what those people compare it to!). But when you consider the brutal depreciation (caused mainly by innovation and low manufacturing quality of many EVs) and the fact that when an EV ends up even in a minor fender bender it requires major repairs, it is very common for the car to get totalled and the insurance paying a small fraction of what you paid for the vehicle, making the cost of replacement unaffordable.
- Availability and price. The expensive EVs are easily obtained, but at least in the US when you try to find some inexpensive EVs from a reputable brand... you can't, and when you do they have significant dealer markups. This happened to me when I considered the Prius Prime and Bolt, even though they were above my price range. Also, you often discover that the EV you were considering isn't really covered by the $7,500 federal rebate.
- Range. Not an issue for me, I mostly drive short distances.
- PRIVACY. This is a big one. EVs are surveillance machines that collect all kinds of data from GPS history, outside and inside cameras, and lots of other telemetry... which is then sold to the highest bidder without consent (or at most a click-through consent that most people never see) and with no means to stop it. This information can be abused and even when it is not it will typically come back to haunt the owner as higher vehicle or health insurance premiums among others, without even considering what would happen if through an unscrupulous mechanic any of the data ended up in the hands of criminals that could use it to clean you out when they are certain that you are across town and unlikely to return for hours. This is a strong motivator to buy the dumbest car you can, which is often also the cheapest. Hopefully we'll see new personal data privacy laws, but let's not kid ourselves, it will likely take years before we get something even as minimal as Europe's GDPR law.
Great commentary
Maybe a Gemini vs ChatGPT faceoff see who gives better answers or if they give the same answers.
So good to see Brian Cooley back. Where have you been?
Bought an SUV in 2023 for winter and trips. Looked at a whole swath of vehicles, new used, gas, electric. What I found was that the electrics even with discounts or tax credits were vastly more expensive thana similarly sized and spec'd gas equivalent. While you will have lower running and maintenance costs (in theory) what happens after 6, 8, 10 years? Will the battery need to be replaced, how will they hold their value?
Top Trim/spec Kia Telluride is low to mid 50's and a Top trim EV9 is $20k more. That's roughly 110,000 miles to break even.
For me to buy an EV it needs to be cheaper than the equivalent gas vehicle to make up for the downsides. Range, resale, spontaneous combustion, reduced range over time and in cold weather, etc...
Brian... Omg I missed you
My #1 reason for holding off is my anticipation that a radical new development in battery tech is maybe on the horizon that would make current models obsolete.
You’re right on the battery tech, more is coming with longer mileage.
Hi, I would like to suggest that you consider what you want to get from the tech and not just look for the radically new tech. Li-ion came to market in what 1991? Do you really want to wait for the next tech to even reach Li-ion much less surpass it? In 30 years you could be on your third EV and then still get that innovative battery tech that you are waiting for. As far as we know, you may not even need a car in 30 years.
@@jonathanjohnson8376 I don't want a car note for 30 years...
Brian Cooley is the man. More of him, please 🙏
Also, a comment on the range thing. Yes, 10-20 miles a day at most will cover most of us, BUT what about those weekends that you do over 600 miles??? I personally take family trips every other weekend and having an EV is a complete nightmare were I live. I can't imagine having to stop at a busy service station, waiting in line for an unknown amount of time while having my family in the car... No sir, I'll have none of it thanks 👍
So instead of bringing back Cooley we get an advertisement for Google's new artificial intelligence. Gggrrrreeeaat
Cheers for the opinions.
I rarely buy new cars due to depreciation. However I'm concerned about the reliability/gen1 tech of buying a used EV. Should I be?
Great seeing Brian again!
Resell value anybody?
It's the return of the OG! CNET should bring back the old logo when he's on.
Things to consider in TCO: EVs eat tires much faster than comparable ICE vehicles due to increased weight and torque. Collision repair is much higher with EVs. Storage is much higher at collision center because EVs must be stored away from other vehicles due to fire risk. Insurance rates are higher due to increased injury and property damage due to increased weight.
We need to hear more of Brian Cooley!
@CNET More Brian Cooley, please!
(Bridget too, we like her as well)
Stop saying driving a long distance is an edge case because you still have to cover edge cases otherwise you'd have to buy TWO CARS which is prohibitive for most especially given the price of having an electric vehicle as one of them!
the myth the legend the one and only Brian Cooley!!! welcome back sir huge fan since the cnet on cars days.
If Range is the question asked the most, it is because range is important to us when it is needed and matters the most... that DESPITE the fact we drive less than we think. When we need range to we want to be sure we can get to where we need to be..😮
I have a level 2 charger and a 2013 chevy volt (also roof top solar). The volt always starts electric and only shifts to ice after ~30 miles.
I've found that the 30-mile range sufficient for 80% of my requirements. If the car had a 100-mile range, I probably wouldn't need an ICE at all. After 100k miles I've averaged over 130mpg (ICE runs only 10-20%). Often time the ICE will run because the gas is old. I would say that the hybrid complexity adds $ to initial cost and adds $$ to TCO. I would think that a reliable low-cost electric with a 100-mile range, would be a 21st century equivalent to a model T (or VW beetle).
Surprisingly - the ICE engine has to run to pass NY State air pollution inspection.
Regarding TCO - I think you should cover MPG-Cost & MPGE-Cost comparisons. What is MPGE-Cost when you own roof top solar?
After 100K miles, I'm starting to look at replacement options. One option which would drive TCO WAY down is a vehicle refurbishment service for an older EV like the chevy volt. If I can replace the battery and upgrade the software that would be an attractive option. As EV fleet ages, battery replacement plus refurbishment could have a major impact on TCO. Seems like a Francise opportunity (far better from a TCO POV than extended car warranties).
Imo - an in-house level 2 charger can be important option for EV ownership. i.e. - Come home and plug in the car. Go inside and plug in you I Phone, etc. This is simple, far better than pumping gas in freezing or extremely hot conditions.
Concerns have been made about having electric cars attached to the house. I think some EV models were so poor designed that the manufacturers recommended parking it outside. What's worse - an EV or an ICE car with 20 gal. gasoline? How many accidents occur at gas stations pumping gas? In a road accident what is a bigger hazard - an exploding EV or an exploding ICE?
I'm surprised that there hasn't been a series of powerful snow blowers and lawn mowers (and perhaps other garden tools) that can be charged with an in-home level 2 charger. Swapping batteries is fine for smaller tools but (Imo) doesn't scale well. E-tools will be definitely a lot easier to maintain. How much heavier do they need to be than their ICE alternatives?
Are EVs essentially disposable considering the high cost to replace the battery?
Great video. Need link to: “How to search AI like a pro and do it better than your friends”. Thanks!
Brian Cooley we love you !! Just here for you ! India Loves you❤
The Car Expert i have been watching since Childhood 🎉
If Cooley says it, it's true
Is the United States or any country prepared to replace the ENTIRE FLEET of vehicles with electric models, including buses, trucks, trains, planes, ships, etc.? Where do we get so much energy from (and it's just vehicles, I didn't count heaters, industry, etc...)?
At some point, there will be a generation at large that will not have dealbreakers with EV's, but with gas cars. Maybe not now obviously, gas powered vehicles have been around for nearly 150 years now, it's all most of us have ever known, but thirty years from now? Makes me think, at some point there was a generation of people that had horses as the standard for so long, but saw gas/coal vehicles and thought "maybe not now, but thirty years from now?"
Answer: Buy an EV if you don’t care about wasting money and have short comutes. Don’t go all electric though, it’s a good idea to have an ICE backup or for long trips.
He's back !🍻
As far as what to do next man.... Idk teck or auto predictions for the next 5 years .
great point about AI here!! at timestamp 7:22 use AI to ask better questions
Always great to see a new video from Cooley. A car guy like no other. Legendary!
The Total Cost of Ownership is meaningless when the product had no resell value and disposal is a problem. . "Cheaper" is subjective claim, the more EV's there are the more infrastructure to support needed, it doesn't yet exist.. so the future cost to create that infrastructure will be added to the eventual TCO
Not to mention that battery replacement costs 25k+.
25k battery replacement for a car that is worth under 10k?
Not very many people going to replace the battery.
@@NextNate03why would you replace the battery before 250k miles?
@ChicagoBob123
Battery Degradation is the reason.
Not even Telsa batteries last that long.
As an example, you buy brand new electric vehicle that has 200+ miles real world range.
Years down the road, your vehicle now have a real world range of 10-40 miles.
@@NextNate03 that's just not true. There are several charts that show this. Many Teslas losing as little as 10% at 100k miles. Maybe your thinking about Toyota
@@ChicagoBob123
There are countless of stories of electric vehicle batteries with bad battery degradation.
There also countless of Telsa vehicles needed the battery replacement under 100k miles.
I know the drill - I see Cooley: I click, I like, I celebrate!
EV how long is the standard range?
Ironically, Brian Cooley compares knowledge to a GenAI LLM at a company that Wikipedia has recently downgraded for its article factuality and use of AI in writing them. I’m sure this is meant to be a sponsored pun, but isn’t it a bit… Tacky, given the circumstances?
Cooley is cool with that jacket - I want one
I am staying with my 26 yo GM car for at least 4 years..electric should be clearer then..too risky at the moment (see Hertz blunder for confirmation)
Cooley forever!!!!!!!
You can tell CNET's business is in advertising. He didn't even mention about the used market which is the majority of the auto market in reality. And in terms of the cost of ownership, you have to consider the used market because people who are price conscious will look to the used market. There is no competition there.
Sir you are my favourite...I like your videos.... India
Is that Bridget as Ai? lol 😂
Brian welcome back, you have been missed.
I would say convenience is the biggest thing EVs have going for them, assuming you can charge at home.
Tesla charging network just opened up for Rivian owners
BRIAN ....your back!
Why so long no videos? How about what You've been up to video, please.
Right now, and for a long time ahead, EVs aren't the future, not in Toyotas' opinion.
I feel we're gonna need a combination of technology's to suit everyone. I think plugin hybrids will be around for 20 years, at least until hydrogen becomes cheaper.
The world has gone about this the wrong way round, Infrastructure should have been sorted out first before the rollout of cars.
If you want to skip the video, the answer is NO. EV depreciates $15,000 a year on average.
EV Expert?🤔 I wouldn’t say he’s an expert but he’s coming around nicely!
Cooley rides again!
Epic video!
Q: When to Buy an Electric Car?
A: When the Battery comes in the form factor of Cinder Blocks, it can be charged 0-100% in less than 30 Minutes and the vehicle provides a mileage equivalent to 30 KM/L 😊
Hey I still use my 3D TV. It's fine. It might come back.... Someday.
🔥🔥🔥
Cooley needs to join Tong
AI Q: How can CNET produce more Cooley content?!
Nobody cares about cost of ownership if they can’t afford the car in the first place
Welcome Back!
What are the dangers of owning an EV?
I wouldn't trust AI.
Buy a £1000 petrol/diesel car vs £40,000 EV. I know which one will save me the most money 😂
Short answer: No
your job is safe for now.
Yay Brian boo "orb"
Hmm. 🤔 you added motivation and choice just to fill up bullet points and distract because your argument is weak..they are there as deflection points...it is like , ' let's change the subject..'😂
Lower costs 😂
If AI uses a lot of data to generate an answer, that answer I suspect, will be a AVERAGE answer. The Gemini AI answers are very very average, if not a little bit below average. Human can refine their answer through experience to be better and even Brilliant. AI still cannot beat a brilliant mind.
Ev sucks
HOLY COW IT'S BRIAN FRICKIN' COOLEY!!! Get on some tretinoin for your face and get back to stealing the show!
How about never, they are junk.
Hmm..a conversation with AI is entertaining but it gives a little credence to credibility which, considering AI is not a cognitive rational being , is so weird 🤪
EV’s are not selling
Gemini AI 😂😂😂
ChatGPT: How much does Gemini pay you? I can pay you double that.
Who is Lisa?