By Kale Richards, Founder & CEO
Why do these enthusiasts never see eye to eye?
Let’s examine this highly charged issue
Let’s examine this highly charged issue. On one side, you have the EV crowd, who believe torque should arrive faster than your morning coffee. On the other, the ICE loyalists, who insist nothing good has ever come from silence unless it’s the pause before their V8 rattles the windows with its cold start.
Somewhere in between are people like me: caught in the middle, dodging insults from both camps like a bystander at a food fight.
In this article we will examine both camps, and see if we can figure out why there is such a divide.
Common Arguments
You can’t swing a Johnson Rod in a thread about gas‑powered hypercars without hitting a Tesla enthusiast bragging about the acceleration of the Model S Plaid.
Our internal‑combustion enthusiasts, of course, will take this bait. They’ll drone on about how braking, handling, suspension design, and overall car quality matter more than a sub‑two‑second 0–60. It’s the same energy as when someone mentions a Corvette in a European car discussion and immediately hears: “Yeah, but American cars don’t handle.”
Next, the EV faithful will lob back something like: “What, a car has to be loud?” as if anyone who enjoys the sound of a V8 is still clubbing rocks together in a cave.
The ICE crew will counter with the long‑range argument: charging times, road trips, the inconvenience of waiting around at “Electron Stations.” Naturally, the EV side smugly replies with: “It’s always fully charged in the morning.”
How about the old “EVs don’t have soul!” (We can fix that). But seriously, what is soul? Does a 1999 champagne colored Toyota Camry have soul? Is it noise? I’d posit that most ICE cars “don’t have soul.” Plenty of them are simple appliances.
Of course, shifting is accomplished by buttons, short of a miracle like a manual transmission kit for EVs.
And then, inevitably, the fight drifts into the cost of ownership. But that’s a headache we’ll save for later.
Examining Both Sides
Throwing fuel onto the fire of this polarizing issue
Let’s pick on the EV owners first.
(they got here faster)
This article has been circling around in my head for two years. I’ve participated in both EV and Gas powered enthusiast forums. A few things I’d read started laying the groundwork.
The first is the ever-present comment that the Tesla Model Y has an absolutely stunning stereo system, far beyond any other car. Like a concert hall on four wheels
Well, dear reader, we have a Tesla Model Y Dual Motor in the family and I happen to have started life as mobile audio connoisseur, turned home audio and headphone addict. When I first heard the Model Y system, I found it only mildly offensive. Hours spent tweaking got it to “pretty darn OK.” I won’t go into too much detail, but the point is: How can so many people be so enamored with such a corporate sounding “super just okayest” audio system ever installed in a car?
I’d read so many comments as well about how the Model Y is a handling monster. Now, I’m no racer, but I’ve driven some pretty well handling cars. the Y does OK for a crossover, but you can really feel the weight on it. Every. Corner. We won’t talk about what happened when I tried to drive the 665 HP Rivian R1S, but let’s say the rest of the drive back to the dealership involved a lot of braking before I touched the steering wheel.
I’ve even seen these spartan vehicles referred to as highly featured luxury cars.
In my most recent interaction, an EV proponent told me, with a straight face:
“Why does the weight matter, the weight only matters to a car if it’s dragging on its handling or performance… …the ability to put all of the weight underneath the car in a perfectly balanced way… …could weigh 20,000 lb or 500 lb and not really matter”
Somewhere, a physics teacher who does Autocross on the weekends is getting a splitting headache.
It finally clicked. I realized I was in an echo chamber at a fast food restaurant where everyone was raving that the hamburger was filet mignon.
You could say I was getting a raging clue.
Now, let’s pick on the gasholes.
I have to give them credit. Not a day goes by I don’t see some meme to the effect of: “Ford, Chevy, Dodge? At least it’s not that electric crap!” That shows a lot of evolution from the badge-loyalists. A common enemy can really bring people together.
Of course, there’s still a lot of infighting. Don’t bring an automatic transmission to the wrong neighborhood. This or that brand is terrible. Then there’s the coal-rollers climbing up a rope ladder into their trucks and peering over the steering wheel, unleashing their impotent rage in every direction.
Still, on one point they’re unified: EVs are trash. EVs can’t run “the Ring.” It’s become an oddly specific hill for them to die on, as if lap times only started mattering to many of them once they could be weaponized against EVs. Also, they’re wrong.
Then there are the straight‑up acts of mild vandalism and inconvenience. Chief among them is “ICE‑blocking,” the noble art of parking a gas guzzler across multiple charging stalls. Some even brag about unplugging cars in parking lots, as if they’ve struck a blow for freedom. Truly the hobby of our most enlightened knuckle‑draggers.
Let’s just skip over the folks licking the windows and claiming that EVs are a form of government control. Yeah. Moving on.
They’re Both Wrong
Imagine trying out one opinion and then riding it to the grave
So what did I realize?
The EV crowd doesn’t know it’s eating hamburger.
Look, I’m not saying EVs are bad. I’m just saying that in all my travels the vast majority of EV enthusiasts were not car enthusiasts before they had their EV.
This means that they don’t know that weight is the enemy of handling. They don’t know a tinny stereo that’s too shouty in the midrange is OK at best. They don’t know that a tablet riveted to the dash and heated steering wheel aren’t the height of luxury.
What do many EVs do well? Accelerate like a homesick angel in absolute silence. With 0-60 times that embarrass gas guzzling performance cars, and only the faint whine of the motor while doing it, why wouldn’t one cling to this as a sign of superiority? Of course they think liking a noisy car is unsophisticated. But that’s like saying anything but water is an inferior beverage.
Yet, there’s nothing wrong with having water at your favorite restaurant. It doesn’t mean you’re not a foodie, it just means that maybe you don’t appreciate a nice wine, or a cold Dr. Pepper on a hot day. Here’s the thing though: Don’t be a Richard about it.
The ICE crowd thinks everything is steak
Just as the EV crowd doesn’t really know the thrill of a nimble and light-weight car, many ICE owners overlook some of the absolutely brilliant things about driving an EV.
My ICE car is significantly faster than the family Model Y Dual Motor. But there’s a lot of drama about it. Downshift a couple gears, fuel starts to spray, turbos spool like an angry spirit. The exhaust valves pop open and the motor sings. Yet, even with the lighting-quick dual clutch transmission of my ICE car, that EV is already moving along at peak torque with absolutely no drama whatsoever. Sure, the ICE car will pull past the Y and leave a gap, but the EV is already done passing without drawing any attention at all. That’s amazing.
One pedal driving is truly great, especially in traffic. Going over the mountain when it’s 115f outside, and passing ICE cars that overheated while in perfect comfort? Fantastic. The ability to just sit in the car all day with the AC on and no worries about problems with the system from idling? So much utility.
But What About costs + The Conclusion
EVs are cheap to run and ICE cars are expensive, right?
Look, buying a new car is almost never a good financial decision. You need to consider a lot of factors.
It is very possible that a high-depreciation EV with sky-high insurance costs can more than eat up any savings from not buying gasoline. But plenty of ICE cars depreciate like a rock and have terrible insurance as well.
It’s beyond the scope of the article to do math, but keep it in mind. And also keep in mind the cost of electricity vs fuel.
If you live in a place where electricity is insane ($.30-55+/kWh) it might actually be more expensive to drive than a gas powered vehicle.
Consider the utility of the vehicles. If it’s a ~100 mile a day commuter and you plug in at home, you’ll never see a gas station again.
So, my challenge to you:
ICE owners: Go pick out a couple EV cars to drive. A Model 3 Performance. An EV9. A Taycan Turbo S if they’ll let you. And, many EV lovers are new to the car hobby. Welcome them in.
EV owners: Go tear it up in a Miata. Drive a 718 or 911 around some corners. Flog a Corvette. Heck, even try out a WRX if minivan-like acceleration is more your speed. You might find charming what you previously thought obnoxious.
In conclusion:
Real car enthusiasts don’t gatekeep. But they do agree on one thing: cyclists are the one true road menace.
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