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Everything Else => Automobiles => Topic started by: Sam on September 13, 2018, 11:49:48 PM

Title: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: Sam on September 13, 2018, 11:49:48 PM
I'm probably going to get an electric vehicle for my next vehicle in 5-10 years. I'm hoping by then, there are way more charging stations, EV options, and longer range battery life.

I don't like buying the first year or two of a new model like the Tesla Model 3, etc. So many problems with the Model X so far too.

So for those who own an EV, how's it going?
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: Eric on September 14, 2018, 04:23:30 PM
I own a Chevrolet Volt. Not a full battery electric vehicle but a plug-in hybrid with a large enough battery to qualt for the full federal rebate.

Got it used at a price similar to a similarly equipped gasoline vehicle.

Love the way it drives, instant acceleration in a no compromise vehicle.
Lower maintenance than a typical car but be wary of things that are slightly more expensive (tires cost more as they need to be designed to support the extra weight of the batteries.). Insurance varies by car - Tesla's are expensive to insure as the costs to repair are high. Same with the BMW i3 with an expensive to repair carbon fiber body.

Technology for electrical cars are improving fast. Be wary of manufacturers that skimp out on a battery cooling system (Nissan leaf) as those can have significantly shorter lives with quick charging or hot/cold climates.

Particularly in states with additional incentives (California) there are many good deals on electric cars with overall pricing similar to gasoline cars.
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: Sam on September 14, 2018, 09:19:37 PM
Quote from: Eric on September 14, 2018, 04:23:30 PM
I own a Chevrolet Volt. Not a full battery electric vehicle but a plug-in hybrid with a large enough battery to qualt for the full federal rebate.

Got it used at a price similar to a similarly equipped gasoline vehicle.

Love the way it drives, instant acceleration in a no compromise vehicle.
Lower maintenance than a typical car but be wary of things that are slightly more expensive (tires cost more as they need to be designed to support the extra weight of the batteries.). Insurance varies by car - Tesla's are expensive to insure as the costs to repair are high. Same with the BMW i3 with an expensive to repair carbon fiber body.

Technology for electrical cars are improving fast. Be wary of manufacturers that skimp out on a battery cooling system (Nissan leaf) as those can have significantly shorter lives with quick charging or hot/cold climates.

Particularly in states with additional incentives (California) there are many good deals on electric cars with overall pricing similar to gasoline cars.

Good to know Eric. Thanks for the tips. When do you think you'll ever go full electric?
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: TigerUppercut on September 14, 2018, 09:56:30 PM
The Tesla roadster coming in 2019 looks amazing. Too bad it's $200,000!

I can't wait for BMW, Mercedes, Honda, and more to make good looking, reliable electric cars to put pricing pressure on Tesla, Nissan, Chevy and Toyota.
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: Eric on September 15, 2018, 09:32:46 AM
Quote from: Sam on September 14, 2018, 09:19:37 PM
Quote from: Eric on September 14, 2018, 04:23:30 PM
I own a Chevrolet Volt. Not a full battery electric vehicle but a plug-in hybrid with a large enough battery to qualt for the full federal rebate.

Got it used at a price similar to a similarly equipped gasoline vehicle.

Love the way it drives, instant acceleration in a no compromise vehicle.
Lower maintenance than a typical car but be wary of things that are slightly more expensive (tires cost more as they need to be designed to support the extra weight of the batteries.). Insurance varies by car - Tesla's are expensive to insure as the costs to repair are high. Same with the BMW i3 with an expensive to repair carbon fiber body.

Technology for electrical cars are improving fast. Be wary of manufacturers that skimp out on a battery cooling system (Nissan leaf) as those can have significantly shorter lives with quick charging or hot/cold climates.

Particularly in states with additional incentives (California) there are many good deals on electric cars with overall pricing similar to gasoline cars.

Good to know Eric. Thanks for the tips. When do you think you'll ever go full electric?

Not for a while. There are still too many tradeoffs for most people. For families with 3 vehicles it probably makes sense for one to be battery electric for shorter trips. But that's likely a case where you have more cars than you really need, need a large truck/suv to tow a boat or drive a lot of miles.

Road trips - seeing in-laws, particularly with young kids, stopping 30 minutes to gain another 90 miles of range is a pain. Then when you get there, there is the odd social etiquette of can I plug in my car? Highway driving - for electric vehicles that have a gas alternative is generally cheaper on gas than electricity.

In winter time, range on all the electric cars drop as batteries can't hold as much energy when it's cold. Less of an issue in most of California, but a challenge for a lot of the US. I also like to ski and will want a car with a gasoline option for long range cold weather driving.  Some ski resorts do offer a charger which is nice, and the electric vehicle spots are generally located in desirable spots which results in less walking.

For the foreseeable future, the volt gives me an all electric drive for most of my driving and a gas option for longer trips. A battery only vehicle will leave me wanting a gasoline car some of the time, which negates a lot of the benefit of switching from a plug-in hybrid to a battery only EV.

Longer term- the hydrogen electric cars are worth watching. Problem now is the lack of hydrogen infrastructure. But the Honda clarity is a good example of how easy it is to put a hydrogen generator on top of an EV and make a mechanically simple but also seamless hydrogen-EV.
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: PDXOregon on September 16, 2018, 06:40:50 PM
The economy of a car boils down to one thing in my book: cost/mile.   I will probably look into a late model Nissan Leak or Chevy volt when my fleet of Benzs with over 200K miles/vehicle die hard or when I send the scrap yard the vehicle title after I total them in a collision.  Once the depreciation on an electric vehicle is down near scrap value, the investment in new battery is the big cost, but the components hopefully are more reliable than on a gas engine.  The technology will only get better and cheaper with time and as more people purchase the.
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: Atlninja on September 18, 2018, 06:48:22 AM
I have had two Nissan Leafs over the past 5 years. Have driven 60k electric miles. For half of that time, we have had a third car. My leaf can accomplish 95% of my driving needs. I would drive my wife's car or in the past 3 years my Jeep when I needed to go on a longer trip.

It has been a fantastic value as GA had a 5k tax credit they also applied to a lease, so it literally worked out to a free lease. On the 2nd one, Nissan didn't want any of them back, so after my 2 year lease, I bought the car for $7,500.

I currently hold a reservation for a Tesla Model 3, but am torn spending 50k on a car when I have driven for free for the past 5 years. I will say the electric car experience is unmatched with instant torque and quickness. I also love that I haven't had to change oil, flush fluids, or even pull in for gas for 60 months in my commuter car!
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: Sam on September 18, 2018, 08:19:01 AM
Quote from: Atlninja on September 18, 2018, 06:48:22 AM
I have had two Nissan Leafs over the past 5 years. Have driven 60k electric miles. For half of that time, we have had a third car. My leaf can accomplish 95% of my driving needs. I would drive my wife's car or in the past 3 years my Jeep when I needed to go on a longer trip.

It has been a fantastic value as GA had a 5k tax credit they also applied to a lease, so it literally worked out to a free lease. On the 2nd one, Nissan didn't want any of them back, so after my 2 year lease, I bought the car for $7,500.

I currently hold a reservation for a Tesla Model 3, but am torn spending 50k on a car when I have driven for free for the past 5 years. I will say the electric car experience is unmatched with instant torque and quickness. I also love that I haven't had to change oil, flush fluids, or even pull in for gas for 60 months in my commuter car!

Big bucks!

The new LEAF looks pretty darn good to me. Why not get another?
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: Atlninja on September 18, 2018, 09:54:08 AM
Largely because I bought my sticker price 33k leaf for 7,500 2 years after it was brand new. I'm scared of the depreciation.

The Model 3, on the other hand, I think will hold it's value, and likely even increase in value a few grand after December when the 7,500 tax credit for Tesla gets cut in half.

The range of the Tesla is a game changer, the ONLY downfall to my current leaf has been range anxiety--that goes away with 3.5X more range.
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: wzhang18 on November 16, 2018, 08:13:00 PM
I plan to get a PHEV for its flexibility. The one that I'm interested in is Honda Clarity, which receives $7,500 federal credit, unlike many other PHEV.
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: Sam on November 17, 2018, 05:49:41 AM
Quote from: Atlninja on September 18, 2018, 09:54:08 AM
Largely because I bought my sticker price 33k leaf for 7,500 2 years after it was brand new. I'm scared of the depreciation.

The Model 3, on the other hand, I think will hold it's value, and likely even increase in value a few grand after December when the 7,500 tax credit for Tesla gets cut in half.

The range of the Tesla is a game changer, the ONLY downfall to my current leaf has been range anxiety--that goes away with 3.5X more range.

I checked out the new Leaf. It looks great IMO! Better than the previous version. Does 150 mile range really give you anxiety? The farthest I ever drive is like 50 miles if I exclude Tahoe.

Leaf seems like good value.
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: mbb_boy on November 17, 2018, 09:00:42 AM
Model 3 owner here. Love it. First time buying a car new, and I didn't buy it for "green" reasons. I bought it because it's a cool piece of tech, and I could afford it (been a one car family for a few years while I was consulting, so had been saving). We also have a conventional car on the side (F150)

I have a long commute when I don't work from home, so the range and autopilot features really appealed to me. Being able to be "off" for the majority of the time really does cut down on driving fatigue - I was actually pretty skeptical of this. Even just using the traffic aware cruise control has been surprisingly useful.

I imagine living in a high traffic area, these features would be very useful to you.
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: dpmf01 on February 17, 2019, 10:26:44 AM
Quote from: Eric on September 15, 2018, 09:32:46 AM
Quote from: Sam on September 14, 2018, 09:19:37 PM
Quote from: Eric on September 14, 2018, 04:23:30 PM
I own a Chevrolet Volt. Not a full battery electric vehicle but a plug-in hybrid with a large enough battery to qualt for the full federal rebate.

Got it used at a price similar to a similarly equipped gasoline vehicle.

Love the way it drives, instant acceleration in a no compromise vehicle.
Lower maintenance than a typical car but be wary of things that are slightly more expensive (tires cost more as they need to be designed to support the extra weight of the batteries.). Insurance varies by car - Tesla's are expensive to insure as the costs to repair are high. Same with the BMW i3 with an expensive to repair carbon fiber body.

Technology for electrical cars are improving fast. Be wary of manufacturers that skimp out on a battery cooling system (Nissan leaf) as those can have significantly shorter lives with quick charging or hot/cold climates.

Particularly in states with additional incentives (California) there are many good deals on electric cars with overall pricing similar to gasoline cars.

Good to know Eric. Thanks for the tips. When do you think you'll ever go full electric?

Not for a while. There are still too many tradeoffs for most people. For families with 3 vehicles it probably makes sense for one to be battery electric for shorter trips. But that's likely a case where you have more cars than you really need, need a large truck/suv to tow a boat or drive a lot of miles.

Road trips - seeing in-laws, particularly with young kids, stopping 30 minutes to gain another 90 miles of range is a pain. Then when you get there, there is the odd social etiquette of can I plug in my car? Highway driving - for electric vehicles that have a gas alternative is generally cheaper on gas than electricity.

In winter time, range on all the electric cars drop as batteries can't hold as much energy when it's cold. Less of an issue in most of California, but a challenge for a lot of the US. I also like to ski and will want a car with a gasoline option for long range cold weather driving.  Some ski resorts do offer a charger which is nice, and the electric vehicle spots are generally located in desirable spots which results in less walking.

For the foreseeable future, the volt gives me an all electric drive for most of my driving and a gas option for longer trips. A battery only vehicle will leave me wanting a gasoline car some of the time, which negates a lot of the benefit of switching from a plug-in hybrid to a battery only EV.

Longer term- the hydrogen electric cars are worth watching. Problem now is the lack of hydrogen infrastructure. But the Honda clarity is a good example of how easy it is to put a hydrogen generator on top of an EV and make a mechanically simple but also seamless hydrogen-EV.

I also love my Chevy Volt.  It is the only plug-in hybrid with a substantial range (~50 miles in good weather).  For a one-car family, full-electric is just not an option yet as charging on long trips is so impractical.  Also, living in an older condominium building with no electric outlets in our garage means we have to find other places besides home to charge the darn thing which significantly increases the inconvenience and would give us even more range anxiety if our car didn't have a gas reserve. 

One thing many people don't appreciate is that when the Volt is running on gas, it still has a ton of pep (torque) while getting really really good gas mileage (>40 mpg on both city and highway driving).  This makes it just a really good compact car.  Even if you were going to run it on gas frequently, you would be beating most of the small cars out there on an MPG basis.  For this reason, I view the Volt as an underrated and somewhat unheralded car.

One note about infrastructure: I've noticed that with the mass-release of the Model 3, public charging stations here in Seattle are getting a lot more crowded! (With Model 3's).  Meaning, the infrastructure problem is going to get worse before it gets better as we get more EV's but don't get more charging stations fast enough.

One note about future Chevy EVs: Chevy has pledged to discontinue the Volt in March 2019.  But they have also said they have a small SUV EV concept in the pipeline.  If it's anything like the Volt that would be an even more desirable car choice (higher ride; more space; maybe even AWD).
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: Cheezus on March 11, 2019, 09:12:11 AM
Quote from: Sam on November 17, 2018, 05:49:41 AM
Quote from: Atlninja on September 18, 2018, 09:54:08 AM
Largely because I bought my sticker price 33k leaf for 7,500 2 years after it was brand new. I'm scared of the depreciation.

The Model 3, on the other hand, I think will hold it's value, and likely even increase in value a few grand after December when the 7,500 tax credit for Tesla gets cut in half.

The range of the Tesla is a game changer, the ONLY downfall to my current leaf has been range anxiety--that goes away with 3.5X more range.

I checked out the new Leaf. It looks great IMO! Better than the previous version. Does 150 mile range really give you anxiety? The farthest I ever drive is like 50 miles if I exclude Tahoe.

Leaf seems like good value.

We are grabbing a 2016 Leaf later this year when my expensive lease runs up on my luxury car.  Can buy one for $10k - $12k and the 100 miles of range is more than adequate for 90% of our driving.  Like you, we have a place a couple hours away but we have a family car for that.  When it comes to popping over to the office, groceries, things around town, the leaf is perfect.  We do have a garage and can obviously easily park/charge it as well.  Pay cash for a leaf, no need for comprehensive insurance, cheaper overall insurance, no gas, cheaper maintenance etc.  It's going to save us at least $800/mo!  Compounding it out over a decade and it's hundreds of thousands of dollars.  I can drive a Leaf for a few hundred thousand dollars, no problem.

I also started riding a bicycle to work at least 2 days per week.  Get exercise and save a bunch of money.  2 birds with one stone, so to say.  Cars are such a massive wealth and health destroyer.

Note, I would never buy a brand new Leaf.  They are stupid cheap on the used market.  Can buy a 2014 for what, $8k?!
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: Eric on March 17, 2019, 01:26:56 AM
Quote from: Cheezus on March 11, 2019, 09:12:11 AM

Note, I would never buy a brand new Leaf.  They are stupid cheap on the used market.  Can buy a 2014 for what, $8k?!
Wow. What is cheap. I didn't believe you until I started looking and there are deals to be had.

I would expect many of those Leafs to be well taken care of and sold once the owners got a new EV (with the Tesla Model 3 being a likely new shinier toy).

The used EV market will likely be soft for a bit. GM's full tax credit expires in about two weeks. If you live in a state that mandates EV credits there are deals to be had. I think GM bulk sold a ton of Volts and Bolts to my local Chevy dealer to get the state credits. They got steep discounts (14k off a 35k volt with an additional 7.5k tax credit). Residency restrictions for the state EV credit and you need to trade a car in where they make full bid/offer on the trade. Similar but smaller discounts apply on the Bolt.

But if you bought a leaf new and under warranty and your main bumper to bumper warranty is gone and your battery warranty is ticking. It makes sense to trade it in for something new when it's so heavily incentivized. The cars themselves aren't advertised and most people want SUVs over cars. It's odd dealseekers with cash now to pull the trigger than can take advantage of both the new and used deals.

Nissan must be close to their 200k limit soon and will likely do a similar push once they get close to fully utilizing their tax credits. New leafs will likely be on a fire sale then and a bunch more will come out on the used markets. The fire sale is all driven by state EV credits.

My parents and in-laws all don't drive very much. Own homes they can plug in. Drive cars that are probably due for a replacement cycle. Maybe a topic for the family finances subforum, but how do you give your parents or in-laws a used EV?
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: Shar_McIvor on May 13, 2019, 09:51:45 AM
Didn't even notice that this thread existed!

I've got Tesla Model S and a Model 3 reservation to replace the good lady's 30kW Leaf that she has at the moment.
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: Sam on May 13, 2019, 10:36:27 AM
Quote from: Shar_McIvor on May 13, 2019, 09:51:45 AM
Didn't even notice that this thread existed!

I've got Tesla Model S and a Model 3 reservation to replace the good lady's 30kW Leaf that she has at the moment.

Good luck!

I want to test drive the model Y and the roadster.
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: hoping2retire35 on August 09, 2019, 06:26:49 AM
I think I am going to pull the trigger on a used leaf.

looking at around $5000, hopefully less than 60k miles and finance it for under 5%(used car rate), would be a lot happier with 3.5; but that is still close to free money. Even so the payment will be the amount we save in fuel cost a month assuming we drive it that much. The big key is if I can fit the kids into it.
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: SteveGood on February 09, 2020, 11:20:17 PM
Hi,


I don't have a electric vehicle, but i have an idea to buy a EV in the future...
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: Awooten on July 19, 2020, 11:20:54 AM
Almost zero maintenance and charging at home means I always have a "full tank."

Just plain fun to drive. My wife and I fight over who gets the electric car and who has to drive the gas car.
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: SteveGood on August 03, 2020, 01:00:36 AM
Quote from: Awooten on July 19, 2020, 11:20:54 AM
Almost zero maintenance and charging at home means I always have a "full tank."

Just plain fun to drive. My wife and I fight over who gets the electric car and who has to drive the gas car.




What do you think about electric bike. Do you have any ideas about this?



Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: Kerplink on January 02, 2021, 12:09:26 AM
I'll be getting an e-bike this year but I haven't finished researching them and they keep getting better! I tend to research the death out of anything I buy or invest in.

We bought a Model 3 in 2018 and it was so much better than any gas car we've ever had we bought another one a few months later. 2 1/2 years later all they have needed is tires. Brakes are still like new and so glad to not have schedule oil and filter changes (or do it myself). I like doing my own work but it's even better to just delete it in the first place.

No service, no repairs, no gas stations, and they drive like cars from the future! I've had some pretty nice European gas cars but I could never go back to them again. Finally I can buy American and get a superior product!
Title: Re: Anybody have an electric vehicle?
Post by: Money Ronin on January 08, 2021, 04:26:15 PM
I'm not excited by most affordable E vehicles, but I am excited by the Mustang Mach-E.  It seems utilitarian enough for a family, and very sporty.  My hang up is this is the first production year.

Also, I can't justify the premium for an E vehicle since I no longer drive much working from home.  I'm saving the environment by not driving.  I've got a 2021 Corvette on order so I can have something pretty to look at in my garage.

Perhaps Financial Samurai will do an article on the cost benefit analysis of owning an E vehicle.