As a former gearhead, I must say that an EV with get-up-and-go has been worth the tradeoff for me. Sure, I miss the roar of the V8, and the manual shifting. But the instant torque of an EV is so satisfying, and the low center of gravity is fun to toss around. And I don't miss all of the gas station stops, oil changes, transmission fluid changes, fouled sensors, overheating, spark plug changes, clutch replacement, brake pad changes, dripping fluids, fumes, shouted conversations with friends over the engine noise, et cetera.
I remember, years ago, reading on Slashdot about "ampheads" who seemed to have just as much fun playing with performance EVs as my dad did tuning hot rods in 1960s California. I think EVs can be enormously cool, with all the advantages you describe, but most of the commercially available ones are, again, "smartphones on wheels", built for convenience and tethered to the manufacturer. I would love to see more of an enthusiast EV scene build up, maybe involving kit cars with a fully analog drivetrain you can repair with off-the-shelf parts.
