TCO is way important than range. You'll likely spend thousands less on maintenance on an EV.

The few oil changes on my recently out of warranty 2021 Toyota have already cost more than the entire maintenance spend on my 2017 Bolt.

I have a car over 20 years old. I don't spend much money on maintenance. I don't have a car payment, taxes are very low, and insurance is decently cheap. Had it for a few years, have replaced brakes and some minor things. Didn't spend much on the vehicle, either.

Having a car payment would automatically be more expensive than my current vehicle. More taxes, more money each month, and so on. For electric cars, I won't get the incentives here in Norway for much longer, as they are being (mostly) phased out in the next few years.

To be fair, though: I walk a lot. I have a 5-10 minute walk to work (depending on snow). Driving takes longer. The car is used a few times a month. Realistically, my car is a luxury item and I'm lucky to live in a place that makes it so.

> You'll likely spend thousands less on maintenance on an EV.

I don't spend many thousands on maintaining an ICE to begin with.

I've kept track of all car expenses since 2008 for 3 different cars. My average per year is $445. This is repairs and maintenance.

I'm not a gearhead. I know little about cars. I do whatever repairs my mechanic suggests. Things just don't break down much with reliable ICE cars.

TCO calculators are, in my experience, off by an order of magnitude. Ignore them.

> The few oil changes on my recently out of warranty 2021 Toyota

Are you doing them at the dealer? You're likely paying too much. And are you doing them on the manufacturer schedule or have you fallen prey to the "Every 3 months or 3000 miles" propaganda?

Most cars need it every 6 months. And unless your car needs some high quality oil, it's typically about $40 to get a regular mechanic to change it. So $80-100/year.

Range is often a hard requirement, it isn’t optional. The TCO is infinite if your vehicle can’t take you where you need to go.

The people you're discussing with most likely change the oil on their own.