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Electric Car Considerations
07-04-2015, 09:15 AM
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#1
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,880
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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
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07-04-2015, 09:35 AM
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#2
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Leeward Oahu
Posts: 17,794
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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!
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07-04-2015, 09:39 AM
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#3
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,130
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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.
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The Non-Elitist Electric: GM Revs Up Marketing Message For Chevy Bolt - Forbes
The Leaf looks like a nice fun, short distance EV car.
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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
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07-04-2015, 09:44 AM
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#4
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,366
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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.
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07-04-2015, 10:30 AM
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#5
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
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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.
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07-04-2015, 10:32 AM
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#6
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,004
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Quote:
Originally Posted by travelover
Not a particularly exciting car, but practical in germs of size and capability.
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+1
Nothing worse than impractical germs...
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Numbers is hard
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07-04-2015, 11:29 AM
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#7
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 26,821
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Koolau
Unless this is a "green" thing, ...
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Since he didn't mention it, I won't go there...
Quote:
Originally Posted by TromboneAl
...
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?
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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
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07-04-2015, 02:19 PM
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#8
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 6,499
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Quote:
Originally Posted by REWahoo
+1
Nothing worse than impractical germs...
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+1
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There must be moderation in everything, including moderation.
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07-04-2015, 02:44 PM
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#9
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 401
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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.
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07-04-2015, 10:39 PM
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#10
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,395
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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
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07-04-2015, 11:35 PM
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#11
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 17,203
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Quote:
Originally Posted by travelover
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.
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+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...
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Electric Car Considerations
07-05-2015, 02:29 PM
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#12
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: West of the Mississippi
Posts: 17,171
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Electric Car Considerations
__________________
Comparison is the thief of joy
The worst decisions are usually made in times of anger and impatience.
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07-05-2015, 03:52 PM
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#14
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 14,328
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07-05-2015, 05:06 PM
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#15
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 116
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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.
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07-06-2015, 06:17 AM
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#16
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 475
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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
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07-06-2015, 06:55 AM
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#17
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern IL
Posts: 26,821
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ikonomore
The problem with the volt is that it still has a gas motor. ...
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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
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07-06-2015, 09:25 AM
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#18
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Pacific latitude 20/49
Posts: 7,677
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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.
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For the fun of it...Keith
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07-07-2015, 08:27 PM
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#19
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Northern Ohio
Posts: 3,182
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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.
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The cut off it pretty high ($250K for individuals), so I doubt you'd have to manage your income too severely to qualify...
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07-10-2015, 11:03 AM
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#20
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,880
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ERD50
Is the range of the Leaf OK for you? I thought you had a pretty long drive to a lot of shopping?
-ERD50
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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
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