one thing I feel isn't being talked about is how the EV...

one thing I feel isn't being talked about is how the EV revolution will make personal vehicle ownership exclusive to the upper-middle class and upwards.

ICE vehicles when built like the Japanese cars of the 80s and 90s will run reliably for decades with just regular maintenance. That made cars as personal transport accessible to those who only had a budget of $3k for a 15-20 year old car which they can expect to drive for at least another 5 years.

That sort of scenario is unimaginable with EVs. Their batteries deteriorate and range at full charge becomes almost unusable in about 7 years. In terms of cost of replacement, it's on the same level as an engine swap. Meaning, the only options for a reliable EV will be buying new or something under 3 years old - both well out of reach for the current market of cheap used vehicles.

My prediction is that the leasing model will become the norm for how people "own" personal transport. Your budget isnt discussed in terms of how many tens of thousands but how many hundreds you want to spend monthly to drive a fairly new EV.