These Are The Cars That Should Never Go EV

In light of the little stumble EVs have taken lately, we asked readers what cars should never go EV. It turns out Jalopnik readers are more amenable to EVs than their car enthusiast loyalties would suggest, because loving cars isn't really about pitting ICE versus EVs. It's more about what makes a car great, no matter the propulsion method.

Still, readers were skeptical of some vehicles going EV in the near future, which is rife with BEV fumbles because carmakers just had to insist on making EVs big and heavy and expensive. Some beloved sports cars made the list, such as the Mazda Miata and Porsche 911, while other classics were also thrown in.

It's not going to be easy to capture the magic of those machines as we transition to EVs, but that's a job for the automakers: to make compelling fully-electric cars that inspire new generations of enthusiasts. If that's not possible, at the very least make them cheap. In any case, here are the cars (and other vessels) that readers say should never go EV and their reasons why:

I would say any affordable car that is supplanted with an EV variant that costs significantly more than the ICE model it replaces. Take the Nissan Versa, for example: an affordable, basic, no-frills appliance for people that just need to get from point-A to point-B on a budget. If Nissan decided to kill the ICE Versa for the EVersa (ungh...but at least it's better than bZ4X) and tack $10k on to the base price, that would only compound the problem of the dearth of cheap cars, even if it is comparably less expensive to other EVs.

Submitted by: paradsecar

And...a counterargument:

That's conflating problems. The fact that we haven't seen affordable EVs yet doesn't mean they're not possible.

Submitted by: dolsh

I'm afraid to say it, but I'll say the Miata. An electric one might be awesome, but *it might not be* and that's a scary possibility for me.

I know it'll happen eventually, but at least I've gotten to drive an ICE, manual Miata for some years now, so I can always just keep it.

Submitted by: Give Me Tacos or Give Me Death

And...

I was also going to say the Miata aka MX-5. The last existing OG analogue sports car would not be the same in anything other than NA ICE, RWD, manual. Making it a heavy, AWD, single speed trans EV would be a travesty.

Submitted by: klone121

Cruise ships. Range anxiety, risk of fire, bad performance when weather changes. These all seem like bad idea when you're in the middle of the ocean surrounded by sharks. Cruise ships have enough problems with people getting sick and toilets backing up and the occasional flood, (and recently people dying) let's not add anything else to the mix.

Submitted by: PDM33

And...a counterargument:

Cruise ships are hybrids. Just like Trains. Diesel generators make electricity, props are spun by electric motors.

There are many reasons, and efficiency isn't the main one.

1. Packaging. You can put the engine room wherever.

2. Maintenance. It's easier to keep a generator running than a direct drive motor, since the RPMs are constant for the generator.

3. Control. Cruise ships are stupid big. Having fine control on speed is critical to get these buggers docked and still have most of the dock left after you do.

4. You need stupid amounts of electrical power anyway. Cruise ships aren't the hot rods of the sea anymore. It would be interesting to see how much of the electrical power goes to pushing the boat, verses running HVAC, slot machines, ovens, fridges, watersides, etc. etc. etc. on a ship.

I think the big thing is 4. You are going to need big diesel generators for all the modern toys of a cruise ship. So upgrading to massive generators and using electric driven props makes sense. Particularly now that most cruise ships have giant thrusters that have to have the power to push the thing sideways.

Submitted by: hoser68

An electric 911 definitely wouldn't sit right. To clarify, I'd be fine with Porsche designing an electric car from scratch when it came to replacing it, but the engine, and its placement, are just too central to what a 911 is.

Submitted by: moo369

And...

Porsche 911

Submitted by: Frank Tatum (via Facebook)

I curse the day Mercedes makes an SL electric. It's 620 mile highway range cut in half. Its curb weight ballooned up to 5500lbs. That engine song silenced forever. Full power only available above 90% state of charge otherwise it's half the horsepower. An hour to charge up in the street. Horrible for an autobahn bred road weapon for crossing continents.

Submitted by: Lawrence Fearon (via Facebook)

Dodge viper

Not let's not get this confused with "sports cars" or "muscle cars"

A sports car can be electric and BETTER than its gas rival

But the dodge viper is an example of a car sold.... primarily for its engine.

It is an engine with a ride bolted on.

Doesn't mean dodge can't make a ev viper like car, it means thst said car CANT be a viper.

In theroy, an electric motor is the best form of power delivery. The excess weight is at the best part of the car. Theroy doesn't translate to reality as well as we can make it.

Submitted by: Alexander Dunn (via Facebook)

The working man's pickup, like a Ram or F150 or Tundra or Tacoma or whatever. The type of truck that needs to function impeccably in the desert or in Alberta, getting work done.

Submitted by: Nick Tierno (via Facebook)

And...a counterargument:

Nick seems a little narrow-minded. EV's have a higher potential reliability ceiling than combustion vehicles, there's just WAY less going on mechanically. A ruff-n-tuff turbocharged pickup with an 8/10-speed transmission can fail on you in many, many different ways in the middle of nowhere. By contrast, I'm seeing contractors embracing the F-150 Lightning for business/construction duty, very well suited to the task unless you're driving across Texas all day everyday.

Submitted by: Ryan Betz (via Facebook)

Flying cars should never go EV. Never want to see your battery die at 5,000 feet.

Submitted by: neverspeakawordagain

Race cars.

Look, I find Formula E absolutely pointless. Cars shrilly whining and not that loud either—electric car racing is monumentally dull. There is nothing visceral about it—racing has to have roars, not whirrs—stay visceral. ICE all the way.

Submitted by: the1969DodgeChargerFan

I hate that I have this take, but the Scout EV.

The old scout was an iconic and well-loved vehicle, yes. But the BIGGEST group of people that actually remember what a scout was are also the ones most turned off by EVs; Farmers and rural folks who see EV's as just another extension of the government that they pay taxes into and only see the benefits when they drive to a city.

They have a LOT of work to do if they want to get the approval of the actual Scout fanbase, and this all could have been avoided if they'd just offer it with a gas engine.

And I promise Im not shitting on EVs, I'm an environmentalist.

Submitted by: R4ndyD4ndy

I think super cars in general shouldn't go full electric. The noises alone are worth the admission. I would accelerate in a Lamborghini, just to hear it downshift. 0 -40mph is so much more fun with ICE just because it's more of an experience than a goal. But you have to be careful coupling late night + Super Car noises + Metal music because that's a recipe for a go straight to jail card. I just don't think EVs can replicate that level of excitement from "Idle" to just normal driving. They have their place for sure, but listen to the LFA both up and down shifts, not even full tilt, and then tell me truthfully you would have more fun in an EV equivalent.

Submitted by: darthspartan117

EVs are only viable if they are NOT heavy. All efficiency goes thru the window if these cars become hummers left and right. Any big car will not be suitable for conversion if the pounds are not shed.

Submitted by: Juanpablo982

I kinda wish they would just get new names and leave the ICE names alone.

Submitted by: Nemo

And...a good observation

Unless they're eerily correct—Charger.

Submitted by: the1969DodgeChargerFan

Demolition Derby Cars

Submitted by: Shawn Scott (via Facebook)

Mitsubishi Eclipse. They should not tarnish the brand cache of such a legendary nameplate. It should be a proper 2 door coupe that handles well and has a decently powerful engine say like a 2.0T. It's a good thing Mitsubishi would never do anything to damage such a beloved model. Same goes for the Mustang obviously. /S

Submitted by: klone121