Electric car is not for everyone. You need to have the mindset and open to change before you should consider buying an electric vehicle. You also need to ask yourself the following questions:
(1) How many miles do I drive each day? Average American drives 30 to 50 miles per day
(2) Would I be taking the electric car for traveling?
(3) Would I be able to charge the electric car at home? Ideally, you would need 240volt Level 2 charging. You might not be able to charge it if you live in an apartment.
(4) Does my city/state have dealership to support repair for electric vehicle?
(5) Does my state provide any incentive? Some states provide $2,500 to $5,000 cash rebate
(6) Does my city provide any incentive? Some cities provide cash rebate
(7) Would I make enough to fully take advantage of the $7,500 federal tax credit? (Federal credit ran out for Tesla and GM; Nissan will be next)
I personally own 3 full electric cars:
Mitsubishi I-Miev, 62 miles range (from April 2014 to present, $8700 out of the door after $7,500 Fed and $2,500 CA credit)
Volkswagen Golf Electric, 83 miles range (from August 2017 to March 2020, $13,200 out of the door after $7,500 Fed and $2,500 CA credit)
Tesla Model 3 long range, 325 miles range (from Dec 2020 to now, $53,500 out of the door after $1,875 Fed and $2,500 CA credit)
I have solar panels installed at home so I am charging for free. I have nothing but positive experience with electric vehicle and I don't foresee myself buying a gas vehicle in the future. Here are the pros and my experience:
(1) Low to no maintenance: I have owned the Mitsubishi I-Miev for 6 years with zero issue. One repair was done on the VW E-Golf under warranty. Tesla 3 has been great. I have spent less than $500 for maintenance for all 3 vehicles for the past 6 years, but repair must be done at dealership.
(2) Say goodbye to gas station: I charge my car at home. With 240 volt Level 2 charging, full charge is done overnight while I am sleeping
(3) Lower fuel cost: Almost $4 per gallon for gas in CA. I would be spending 1/4 of the cost for electricity (without solar) for charging my electric vehicles
(4) Fun to drive: Instant torque. The Mitsubishi and VW E-Golf are great for city driving. The Tesla 3 can go 0-60 in 3.7 secs with acceleration boost.
(5) Fine for long trip: I drove my Tesla 3 from San Francisco to LA last year. I only had to charge once and it took about 35 to 45 mins to charge at Tesla Supercharger station which was manageable. Currently, only Tesla has reliable infrastructure for fast charging. For other brand, you will need to find Level 3 (full charge within an hr) charging station such as Chargpoint or Evgo
(6) Auto pilot/Full self-drive function on Tesla: I did not purchase full self drive (which cost $10,000 now) for my Tesla but Auto pilot comes with it. Auto pilot is great on freeway as the Tesla steer, accelerate and brake automatically within its lane and it even works at night!
Anyways, if you are not ready to buy a full electric vehicle, a Plug-in Hybrid (not a Hybrid) is a great alternative. If you only plan to use the electric vehicle for short commutate, you can buy a used EV. The EV technology is improving each year. You should do your research before jumping into the market.