Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Electric Car Considerations
Old 07-04-2015, 09:15 AM   #1
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
TromboneAl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,880
Electric Car Considerations

Our Echo is still going strong, but at 240,000 miles I'm starting to consider options for a new car.

I know gas prices are low, but I think we'd enjoy an electric car, partly just for the fun of it. Also, being a minimalist, I like owning a car which is much less complex than a gas-powered vehicle.

We test drove a Leaf recently, and enjoyed it.

What are some things I should be considering?

For example,

1. Would there be any reason (other than fun-ness) to buy one now rather than wait for the Echo to die?

2. Big improvements in range might be right around the corner.

3. Could a Tesla be worth the extra cost?
__________________
Al
TromboneAl is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 07-04-2015, 09:35 AM   #2
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Koolau's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Leeward Oahu
Posts: 17,794
Unless this is a "green" thing, my overall considerations when looking for a car are 1) Cost per mile 2) reliability 3) safety.

Clearly, cost per mile will be higher for most new cars vs (gently) used - though the electric aspect muddies the energy cost per mile.

New is typically better in the reliability arena but "electric" adds some unknowns IMO.

Safety is often "weight" related, but that's not a given anymore, now that safety is being engineered into cars (air bags, crush zones, etc.)

Specific to all-electric cars, of course, range "anxiety" should be considered.

Can't think of anything else, so YMMV. Have fun!
__________________
Ko'olau's Law -

Anything which can be used can be misused. Anything which can be misused will be.
Koolau is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 09:39 AM   #3
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
easysurfer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,130
The Chevy Bolt is on the way. A big plus is it's supposed to go 200 miles before needing a charge.

Quote:
Last week saw General Motors GM +0.58% come out swinging in its bid to win over — preemptively — car buyers waiting for the Holy Grail of electric vehicles.

That would be a 200-mile-range all-electric sedan that doesn’t break the bank.
The Non-Elitist Electric: GM Revs Up Marketing Message For Chevy Bolt - Forbes

The Leaf looks like a nice fun, short distance EV car.
__________________
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
"If only I had spent more time at work" ... from "Busy Man" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus
easysurfer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 09:44 AM   #4
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,366
My cost concern is how often you would have to replace the battery for some outrageous sum of money. That would seem to negate any gas savings.

Unless you can sell the Tesla Model S as a collector car when you are done with it, I doubt it has any economic rationalization other than you really want it. The Model 3 might be another story. I would like to wait for more self-driving features. And I would think batteries will only get better and cheaper as you wait.
Animorph is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 10:30 AM   #5
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
travelover's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
I've had fun with my hybrid, even just from a "gee whiz" standpoint, so I can appreciate that part of it. Used Chevy Volts seem to be a deal on the used car market and they allow you to be electric for all the local running around, yet take a longer trip or never worry about running out of juice when you are near the limits of its electric range. Not a particularly exciting car, but practical in terms of size and capability.
travelover is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 10:32 AM   #6
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
REWahoo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,004
Quote:
Originally Posted by travelover View Post
Not a particularly exciting car, but practical in germs of size and capability.
+1

Nothing worse than impractical germs...
__________________
Numbers is hard
REWahoo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 11:29 AM   #7
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 26,821
Quote:
Originally Posted by Koolau View Post
Unless this is a "green" thing, ...
Since he didn't mention it, I won't go there...

Quote:
Originally Posted by TromboneAl View Post
...
What are some things I should be considering?

For example,

1. Would there be any reason (other than fun-ness) to buy one now rather than wait for the Echo to die?

2. Big improvements in range might be right around the corner.

3. Could a Tesla be worth the extra cost?
1) Tax credits running out (I don't know if they are even close)? The newer models coming out in the next 2 years (new Tesla model and Chevy Bolt) - more choice/competition?

2) I doubt it.

3) Personal decision.

Is the range of the Leaf OK for you? I thought you had a pretty long drive to a lot of shopping?

-ERD50
ERD50 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 02:19 PM   #8
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
ls99's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 6,499
Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo View Post
+1

Nothing worse than impractical germs...
+1
__________________
There must be moderation in everything, including moderation.
ls99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 02:44 PM   #9
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 401
My choice will be the Volt if you like toying with cars.


My ideal car will be a Volt but on a small SUV form like a CRV.
HF63 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 10:39 PM   #10
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Telly's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,395
from Echo to Tesla, owww, you're making my head spin, T-Al!

OK, here's what you can do:

Buy the Nissan Leaf.
Buy or build a very small two-wheel trailer.
Buy one of those cheap generators from Northern Tool or the like.
Mount it and a gas tank onto the trailer.
Connect a 240 Volt cord from the generator's output up to the recharge port on the Leaf.
Fix up the generator with a remote start kit.

When you need to drive somewhere further away, hook up the trailer and go. When the Leaf's charge gauge is getting low, just pickup the remote start's fob, and start'r up.

There ya go, bud!
And maybe you could use the idea in one of your books.
__________________
-- Telly, the D-I-Y guy --
Two fools dancing on the hands of time
Telly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 11:35 PM   #11
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 17,203
Quote:
Originally Posted by travelover View Post
I've had fun with my hybrid, even just from a "gee whiz" standpoint, so I can appreciate that part of it. Used Chevy Volts seem to be a deal on the used car market and they allow you to be electric for all the local running around, yet take a longer trip or never worry about running out of juice when you are near the limits of its electric range. Not a particularly exciting car, but practical in terms of size and capability.
+1.... I would think Volt first off just for the ability to drive farther... also, if you forgot to plug it in...

There was a thread about buying a used Leaf... seems that they go pretty cheap a couple of years old... maybe Volts are the same...



Edit to add... looked up Leaf and you can buy for around $12K.... and less than 20K miles...
Texas Proud is offline   Reply With Quote
Electric Car Considerations
Old 07-05-2015, 02:29 PM   #12
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Chuckanut's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: West of the Mississippi
Posts: 17,171
Electric Car Considerations

How about the new BMW?

http://www.caranddriver.com/bmw/i3
__________________
Comparison is the thief of joy

The worst decisions are usually made in times of anger and impatience.
Chuckanut is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2015, 03:37 PM   #13
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Utrecht
Posts: 2,650
or the E-Golf.

2015 Volkswagen e-Golf Photos and Info – News – Car and Driver

Not a lack of choice these days in the Nissan Leaf segment, it seems.
Totoro is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2015, 03:52 PM   #14
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
travelover's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
Here ya go - Volt for $14K with 19K miles. 2012 Chevrolet Volt Base, $13,990 - Cars.com
travelover is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2015, 05:06 PM   #15
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 116
The problem with the volt is that it still has a gas motor.

The problem with electric cars is the technology is changing so fast that if you buy any electric vehicle it has horrible depreciation. My friend wanted an e-golf and after 3 years it would only retain 34% of it's msrp. That's land rover depreciation territory.

My advice is to lease a sonic ev or the leaf, low payments, walk away in 3 years.
ikonomore is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2015, 06:17 AM   #16
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 475
have a volt and a BMW i3. Plan to keep them a long time and run them into the ground. A risk with the current battery tech but have home solar and love not having the gasoline bills.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
jabbahop is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2015, 06:55 AM   #17
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 26,821
Quote:
Originally Posted by ikonomore View Post
The problem with the volt is that it still has a gas motor. ...
But that's also the solution - to range anxiety.

Or to state it another way - The problem with the [insert any affordable full EV] is that it still has a limited range before a long charge time is needed.

-ERD50
ERD50 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2015, 09:25 AM   #18
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
kcowan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Pacific latitude 20/49
Posts: 7,677
Send a message via Skype™ to kcowan
I think if you take in resale value, you will get a Tesla for a small premium, especially if your travels are along the charging station corridors. One driver drove from San Diego to Whistler and only experienced range anxiety once.
__________________
For the fun of it...Keith
kcowan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-07-2015, 08:27 PM   #19
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
mpeirce's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Northern Ohio
Posts: 3,182
If the government kickback incentive is a consideration, this might be interesting:

California's ZEV Tax Rebates Are Now Income-Dependent

Quote:
As of July 1st, average-income families will get a bigger tax rebate on the purchase of new fuel cell, electric, or plug-in hybrid cars. There's just one catch: The rebate disappears completely for high-income buyers.
The cut off it pretty high ($250K for individuals), so I doubt you'd have to manage your income too severely to qualify...
mpeirce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-10-2015, 11:03 AM   #20
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
TromboneAl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,880
Quote:
Originally Posted by ERD50 View Post
Is the range of the Leaf OK for you? I thought you had a pretty long drive to a lot of shopping?

-ERD50
It's 25 miles to the closest real grocery store, and our Saturday shopping/errand trips usually rack up 70 miles. So, that's doable.

My neighbor up the street has a leaf and it works well for him.
__________________
Al
TromboneAl is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Tandem Bike Purchase Considerations OAG Other topics 13 05-14-2008 02:08 PM
Retiring Very Early (FIRVE?) - special considerations? Maurice FIRE and Money 36 04-15-2008 09:35 AM
Job Move -US to Canada what financial considerations ? GLM FIRE and Money 9 06-23-2007 09:04 AM
New car, old car, same car? cute fuzzy bunny Other topics 74 06-15-2006 04:27 PM
Considerations for Moving to Texas Soon After Hurricanes BigMoneyJim Other topics 8 09-27-2005 07:33 AM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:30 PM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.