danegrey,
That's an excellent point. When I was shopping earlier last year I came across prior years' Nissan Leafs. $10k flat. And that was with a perfect battery. So yes, the turnover of the cars and more to the point, the batteries, needs to be addressed.
There is also an issue WRT power distribution in the US for an electrical car revolution. I can't find it ATM, but I recall a study by an engineering society that said billions would have to be invested in electrical transformers to be able to provide the kind of power required should everyone be charging their cars overnight.
For about $1500 you can get a 220V pedestal installed at your home. The Leaf and other electric cars generally come with a 110V adapter you can take with you.
I see two configurations being used in the near term: 1) ICE engine and supplemental electrical motors, with power generated by braking (so no electric only running unless you've put power in the battery) instead of plugging in 2) a small ICE that switches on and runs at optimal RPM to drive an electrical generator and electrical motors for all wheel power (the same model as the diesel-electric locomotives use).
Another issue that must be resolved is the charging plugs. There is the Tesla standard, the Chinese standard, the Japanese standard and the US-European standard. They need to get that down to one. Multiple incompatible charging networks is just stupid.
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