EVs are not double what the
EVs are not double what the comparable gas car is. When you compare them with the averages, over the average time someone keeps a car, you actually end up paying double for the gas car and saving enough money in the end to buy a new EV. For example if your paying more than $300 a month in gas you can lease a brand new Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt.
Here is all the numbers comparing to an average car
Average vehicle in the US gets 23.9 MPG as of May 2012. Average cost of a new vehicle is $30,303, average person keeps a new car 9.2 years, traveling an average of 13,476 miles. At the end of this 9.2 years this average car would have 123,979 miles. Average cost of gasoline right now is $3.54, @ 23.9 MPG it would take 5,187 gallons of gas at a cost of $18,363. That assumes that the cost of gas does not go up. The cost of gas has doubled in the last 10 years so it is not unreasonable to assume it will double again in the next 10 years. Assuming that, the cost could be as high as $5.31/gallon average across those 9.2 years = $27,542. Oil change every 5,000 miles * $40 = $1000, filters, belts, tensioner, new plugs X 2, transmission oil changes, for just maintenance, no counting anything major breaking, another $2000. So we are somewhere between $21,363 and $30,542, just in fuel costs and maintenance + the cost of the car itself $30,303 = $51,666 - $60,845 . Leaf over that same timespan, $34,200 - $7500 = $26,700. 3.7 miles/Kwh * 123,979 * $0.15/kwh = $5026 in electricity. No oil changes, filters,plugs, coil packs and other stuff. Total cost after 9.2 years and 123,979 miles = $26,700 + $5026 = $31,726 a savings of between $19,940 and up to $29,119. That is best case scenario, a perfectly reliable gas car with no major mechanical issues between 0 and 123,929 miles. This does not count the stuff that is common between an EV and a normal car like tires, car washes, wiper fluid.
The savings is so huge, that at the end of those 9.2 years, when you battery pack still has 70%-80% of it's lifespan left, you could just still keep driving it. Or if you wanted buy an entirely new EV as you would have saved more than the EV originally cost.