Poll: Do you have, or plan to get, an electric car?

[Oldpaddy]

I was kind of surprised as to how many people who replied to one of my other threads have electric cars. I live in Massachusetts and I haven't seen many out here. Got me wondering how many people on here have one or plan to get one. Take the poll and tell us all why you have one or not and why.


Personally, I like my gas guzzling V8 Ford Expedition. It just feels right to me. Plus I don't like the idea of having to recharge during a long drive.

 

[grampamark]

No electric car for me. I live in Montana, a very large state with a very small population. Going anywhere involves a relatively long drive. We regularly travel between our farm and our city house, 250 miles one way. Some electrics have that much range, but not at the 75-80 mph cruising speeds common here.

When I fully retire, and we start spending most of our time in the city, an electric vehicle could be a possibility. We only drive 100 miles, or so, a week when we’re there. But, we would still need a conventional vehicle for travel outside the city, so the electric would be more of a “hey look at me” thing than a truly viable alternative.

 

[pdcm]

I plan to, but the important distinction is that it would be in addition to my existing vehicles. I recently added solar to the house, which has been fantastic. Having that power bill of $0.00 for June was kind of intoxicating. I live in a pretty urban/dense location, with chargers all over the place so it would be perfect for those short trips. Most of the driving I end up doing is within 20 miles of home. I have no intention of giving up my manual transmission, diesel or road-trip vehicles though - they'll just see less use.

 

[dmtaylor]

I love to travel long distances, so an electric-only car is out of the question for me. A hybrid might be alright eventually.

 

[Oldpaddy]

For you guys that have them, where do you get them worked on? I'm guessing you have to go to the stealership. Must get pricey.

 

[jrgtr42]

At this point, probably for our next one.
SWMBO has a very short commute - 1.25 miles each way, so it would make sense for her.
However, we do have long trips we take one a frequent enough basis that at this time we can't go full electric. Possibly hybrid, but that would be the following replacement, and that car is still pretty new (Mazda CX-5, 2016, we got it last year. It'll be quite a while before we plan to move that one along [unplanned is a different story.])
Full electric cars are best for in-city, short commutes, rather than long trips. Even at best, something like the Tesla doesn't get much more than a hundred or hundred fifty real-world miles per charge. Until they are able to get real-world several hundred miles per charge, and fast enough recharging - not rivalling filling a gas tank, but say, 50+ percent under a half hour (pulling numbers out of a hat), fossil fuel vehicles will not go away.

 

[smcinco]

For you guys that have them, where do you get them worked on? I'm guessing you have to go to the stealership. Must get pricey.

Yes, have one. Besides my old mechanical diesel, I will never go back to internal combustion. With electric vehicle time of use charging, we fill up the battery for pennies on the dollar.

We had a software upgrade under warranty (Chevy Bolt), other than that no work necessary. We have a friend with a Tesla who had all kinds of problems and did CA lemon law but I believe that was an extreme outlier.

 

[RePete]

I have purchased 2 Chevy Volts. They are basically electric cars, with a gas powered generator for back up. When I bought my first one, I did the calculation on what I was spending on gas, and found that I could make a car payment for the same money. That one has around 150k miles on it, and my daughter is still driving it. I bought a 2018 model last year. I previously had a PT Cruiser which was paid off. It got around 25 mpg, so not bad. I have a service business, and drive alot.

The thing about these cars is that there are virtually no maintenence costs compared to an ICE car. It is basically problem free driving. In 2 years I have had this newer one in the shop once for an oil change. That's it. The first has had maybe 4 oil changes in 7 years. And a new set of tires. The radio on that one died, and it was replaced under warranty. It still has original brakes, etc. The brakes don't wear out due to the regenerative braking system, which charges the car. They are simply far more reliable that standard cars in my experience.

The only thing I don't like about it is that it sits low. I have to get in and out many times a day. I'm waiting for someone to come out with some sort of small electric service van. I will buy one of those as soon as they build one.

 

[Steveruch]

No, because when my 28 year old Chevy Lumina takes a dump all I'll be able to afford is walking shoes, cheap walking shoes.

 

[MMP126]

No, because when my 28 year old Chevy Lumina takes a dump all I'll be able to afford is walking shoes, cheap walking shoes.

DUDE! My first car was a 1992 Chevy Lumina! LOVED that car. Probably my favorite car Ive had.

 

[grampamark]

I think we’re at the Model T stage of electric car development at this time.

Ford built the T for 20 years (1908-1928) and in that time, the basic infrastructure needed to put America on wheels was developed. I wouldn’t be surprised if, in the next 20 years, we see quantum improvements in battery and motor technology and charging stations on every street corner where there are gas pumps today.

The auto industry seems to be committed to developing a practical, all purpose, electric vehicle, one which will be capable of completely replacing ICE cars. I’m not sure I’d bet against them.

 

[MMP126]

I agree, and fossil fuel isn't sustainable...But I digress beyond that.

 

[Steveruch]

DUDE! My first car was a 1992 Chevy Lumina! LOVED that car. Probably my favorite car Ive had.

Mine has a bit over 140,000 miles and runs really smooth, a year and a half ago it passed California deq. We only put 7,500 or so miles a year on it, less right now because of the corona virus.

 

[stealthfixr]

Bought a 2017 Toyota Prius Prime in Jan 2018, which is a partial EV with ~30 miles electric only range before the normal ICE kicks in. Gets the same mileage as a 'normal' Prius when the engine is running. Anyway, I was amazed how much I preferred the electric only mode and how much that little range actually provided day to day. Electric only mode was much quicker than I expected, almost 'zippy' for any small sedan. And, oh so quiet, like silent enough that you have to be careful in a parking lot, as people do not hear it approach. I have not checked it recently, but after the first six months the combined mileage was 124 mpg! That was in DC where many trips were electric only, and some took only a little gas when the batteries were not enough.

I bought the car to save money and it hardly ever goes to the gas station. At about the six month point, after driving to an amusement park 100 miles away, I hesitated when driving up to the gas pumps not knowing which side the receptacle was on. Funny thing, my wife (who drove the car almost every day) didn't know either. We had to stop and verify the little arrow on the dashboard...after six months of ownership. I think it was the third fill up, ever.

Even beyond the PEV side, it's a great car.

 

[Knightshade]

I've somehow managed to equate the necessity around purchasing an electric car/truck to needing AC in my house. When the weather gets to the point where I need AC, I'll only do so after installing solar because the price of electricity around here is stupid.

And since I don't plan on installing AC anytime soon, I'm probably not going to get solar, which means I won't get an electric car/truck.

The place where I work requires a parking permit (what I call a Pay for the privilege of working here tax) which is close to $1K a year, so I actually hate driving my car to work. After 2 years of ownership, it has less than 9K miles. I was riding my motorcycle to work for awhile because the permit is a lot less expensive, but even that was getting old.

I purchased an e-bike around Xmas time last year w/the intention of riding that work...and then covid hit. Calling that thing a bicycle is a joke btw, it is considered a Class 2 but hits 30 mph all throttle easily. Stupid fun.

 

[RePete]

Bought a 2017 Toyota Prius Prime in Jan 2018, which is a partial EV with ~30 miles electric only range before the normal ICE kicks in. Gets the same mileage as a 'normal' Prius when the engine is running. Anyway, I was amazed how much I preferred the electric only mode and how much that little range actually provided day to day. Electric only mode was much quicker than I expected, almost 'zippy' for any small sedan. And, oh so quiet, like silent enough that you have to be careful in a parking lot, as people do not hear it approach. I have not checked it recently, but after the first six months the combined mileage was 124 mpg! That was in DC where many trips were electric only, and some took only a little gas when the batteries were not enough.

Electric motors have more low end torque. You don't have to rev an engine to get instant power. It's right there. I get about 60 miles electric with my Volt before the gas kicks in. Since the pandemic hit I've been driving less, and have been able to drive almost all electric. It's great. I stopped and filled up the tank this week because I had extra time and was bored. But it's nice not to have to worry about stopping for gas. It use to be that I would sometimes be low on gas in the morning, and have to stop on my way to my first appointment. Now,it's not a worry. As long as I remember to charge when I get home, and I rarely forget, I have plenty of range to get where I need to go that day.

 

[dawn_kiebawls]

I would be all for buying electric vehicles and mowers/equipment, if the technology gets to where I need it to be. My mowers cut ~75-85 acres a week and the trailer that I haul every day is 6,000 lbs but occasionally upwards of 12k pounds and when I'm not working I enjoy long road trips. For me, right now, there's just no substitute for diesel and premium.

 

[RePete]

Everyone’s needs are different. Electric cars will work well for most people. Not everyone.

 

[Bilsch]

I have had a Tesla for 2.5 years now and it's the best car ever. With 270 miles of range (thats the small battery) it's more than enough for anywhere I go, especially with all the superchargers now everywhere. The new models have 400 miles of range so it's even less of an issue. The cost to fuel it is 1/5 the price per mile then if it were gas so I find myself making excuses to go drive somewhere. I also live in Montana so the argument that being in the middle of nowhere is limiting to EV's, IMO, doesn't apply. My house has solar so a lot of my charging is free! Gas stations.. what are those? I just pull in my garage and plug in, using the same outlet my brew system runs off of. As for the maintenance, well there hasn't been any so far. With only 20 moving parts, they only need tires and wiper fluid. In the rare case it might need something, the company has service vehicles that come to your house and fix it. The best part is it's just way too much fun to drive.. and it's fast, I mean really fast. There aren't any Bugattis or F1's in my town so I'm the baddest thing on the road. It's like it's 1908 and I've got a model T and everything else is a horse and buggy. It may take some time for people to figure it out, but eventually everyone will be driving electric.

 

[schematix]

I think in a typical commuting multi-car household they make a lot of sense. Keep one gas vehicle for road trips where range and quick refueling are key, the rest can be electric. The round-the-town stuff is well within the range of an electric. I think we're on the verge of massive change, but it'll be another 25 years before all the current vehicles wear out and are mostly off the road. Electric cars are going to be massively more reliable than today's ICE beasts.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I love my electric cars! They're the best thing I've ever purchased. I have two of them as daily drivers and one as a weekend toy. To be honest they're not 100% electric. They do depend on the installed batteries... Okay not that much depends on the batteries. The starters definitely depend on the batteries. The starters are 100% electric. Can't start the engine without it.

 

[scaglikm]

For you guys that have them, where do you get them worked on? I'm guessing you have to go to the stealership. Must get pricey.

I have two EV's. Other than tire rotations and adding windshield wiper fluid there isn't much to be done. Very low maintenance compared to ICE vehicles.

 

[AzOr]

I don’t own an ev but probably will soon. I drive a forester as a commuter and also a Toyota Sequoia as a tow vehicle and weekend family wagon. I can’t imagine replacing my sequoia anytime soon with an electric truck.

However, for a daily commuter, an ev would be just fine. In 5 years the ev choices will be doubled or tripled.

I have a coworker who recently purchased a Ford C-Max. It’s the plug in hybrid. Nice car and he gets about 40 miles just on electric. He paid about 41k w all the bells and whistles. For that price he coulda gotten a used Tesla S or a new model 3.

 

[Oldpaddy]

What do you guys with electric cars do during extended power outages?
I'm shocked no one here has suspension issues. Between my half mile dirt road and the state roads, I'm always having suspension work done every 2-3 years. Do they make an electric full sized suv/truck? Winters can be tough where I live since they don't plow my road. When I drove sedans I spent a lot of time shoveling snow.

 

[davidabcd]

No plan to. I ride my motorcycle as a compromise.

 

[scaglikm]

We have solar so we would be okay w/ a power outage. One of our cars is a BMW i3 w/ range extender. It has a small 2 gallon gas tank and a small motor to charge the battery if you are out of charge. I also have a truck for towing things and long trips. They are coming out with electric trucks. Tesla has the cybertruck, Ford is making an electric F150, and Rivian is producing a truck as well. None currently available to my knowledge. We use the electric cars for commuting. We each have a 50 mile roundtrip commute so we bought used electric cars for about 40% of their sticker price (both had about 15k miles on them) and when you account for our solar they will pay for themselves in about 4 years. Works well here as it never gets very cold so the range stays around 100 miles a charge year round.

 

[Bilsch]

What do you guys with electric cars do during extended power outages?
I'm shocked no one here has suspension issues. Between my half mile dirt road and the state roads, I'm always having suspension work done every 2-3 years. Do they make an electric full sized suv/truck? Winters can be tough where I live since they don't plow my road. When I drove sedans I spent a lot of time shoveling snow.

Mine is all wheel drive with adjustable height air suspension. Goes anywhere a Subaru can, in even deeper snow. As for power outages, you don't need to charge every day just like you don't need to fill the tank everyday on an ICE car. Besides how often do people have outages that last more then a few minutes?

 

[Oldpaddy]

Mine is all wheel drive with adjustable height air suspension. Goes anywhere a Subaru can, in even deeper snow. As for power outages, you don't need to charge every day just like you don't need to fill the take everyday on an ICE car. Besides how often do people have outages that last more then a few minutes?

A Subaru wouldn't get you far on my road if there's more than a foot. As far as power outages, ours tends to last more than a few minutes. Not that it goes out all the time. Back in '18 it was out for two weeks.

 

[myelo]

I had a Tesla as a rental last year and loved it. I'm seriously considering it as my next car.

 

[HB2 HughBHomeBrew]

I had a Tesla (Model S) for 3.5 years/about 32,000 miles. It was a "slow" one - single motor/2WD. Great car. Hardly any service issues - didn't take in at all until a little over 2 years for a scheduled service, new tires and there was a sensor in front that went out. It needed a new 12 volt battery (yes, they have one) and a mobile service truck came and replaced it in the parking lot while I was at work.
Good: Even the slow ones are really fast. Electric was fun in a lot of ways - never going to gas stations, feeling like you were sort of green and part of the future, learning how to drive with one foot (regen braking all the time). Very low maintenance. The tech was cool - over the air upgrades. One thing they "added" while I had mine was the option to leave the climate control on while parked. Yes it used more battery power, but if you aren't on road trip - who cares? It was nice to come out to a cool car (I live in Texas). Tesla customer service while I owned it (2014-2017) was great.
Bad: As fun as electric can be, in can also be a pain. Mainly for road trips. Even with the growing Supercharger network it got kind of old. In an ICE car, I live about 6 hours from San Anotonio each way. In the Tesla it took me 8 to get there and 7 to get back (on arrival, I wanted to have a full battery when I got there - no Supercharger there and staying at my friends house or most hotels, you can't really charge). For day-to-day driving, the range is plenty, assuming you have a garage to park and charge. Not sure how great it would be for apartment life. And finally - they are expensive!
Bottom line: great car, well made, fun to drive, electric is viable in 2020 but still not always great. Would I buy again? Maybe, if they weren't so expensive and if I had at least one ICE vehicle in the family.

 

[Jayjay1976]

....They are coming out with electric trucks. Tesla has the cybertruck, .....

Was that cybertruck concept a joke or are they actually going to launch it looking like that? Honestly, with the ridiculous styling and the unbreakable glass that broke...I just thought Elon was trolling the industry and perhaps had a real truck up his sleeve. That, or he is totally nuts.

I do think EVs are the wave of the future, I just don't think that weirdo will continue to be a part of it.

 

[AzOr]

I’d love to own a Tesla. I’m just waiting for the price of ev’s to come down a little bit.

My wife and I make a really comfortable living but I can’t bring myself to drop 50k+ for a car. It’s in my dna to be cheap. My favorite vehicle is my Toyota Sequoia that is used for towing and a weekend family cruiser. It’s an 06 that I paid 10k for and runs and looks new.

In a few years I’m sure the used 3s will come down in price in addition to the bigger automakers releasing new more affordable models.

 

[AzOr]

Speaking of being cheap, does anyone have experience with the Kia ev’s?

Theoretically, the Tesla 3 is about the same price however it seems when optioned, the 3s price goes up significantly. Plus the availability of 3s has been low (not sure if that’s still the case).

 

[ehall]

I agree, and fossil fuel isn't sustainable...But I digress beyond that.

fossil fuel is a made up name. They've been telling us for around 50yrs now that its non sustainable and we're gonna run out. funny how we've never run out! even with increased usage in those last 50 or so years.

 

[AzOr]

Regardless of beliefs, gas or diesel exhaust is stinky as @*#¥. And just because there seems to be an endless supply of fuel, does t mean we should use every last drop.
I do have a gas guzzler, although I don’t drive it every day. I bike and walk to do many errands. I have several grocery and a hardware store in walking/biking distance and will take the kids along to do those chores without taking a car. Many weekends, all our cars sit while we entertain the kids by going for long bike rides to parks etc.

Recently I had the kids with me in my suv and bc or pandemic we had to get lunch from a drive-thru. There were several cars and trucks in front of me and behind. The gas and diesel smell was so bad, I almost got sick.

 

[Randar]

We have been an all-hybrid family since 2004. Bought a (9mo on wait list) Prius when the Gen3 model was first year and have had a civic hybrid (which was crap) replaced with a second Prius and now a Prius V. All the comments about low maintenance costs and fewer moving parts and easier on the brakes... all true. Wife still driving the original 2004 Prius with 250k miles. Mostly just tires and brakes and a suspension overhaul I performed at 200k miles and 13 years of age.

We will certainly get an electric of some kind for our next vehicle... either all-electric commuter or something like the Pacifica hybrid that has 30 some odd miles of all Electric and then an ICE for road trips.

 

[Jayjay1976]

fossil fuel is a made up name. They've been telling us for around 50yrs now that its non sustainable and we're gonna run out. funny how we've never run out! even with increased usage in those last 50 or so years.

Why of course 'fossil fuel' is a made up name! The entire English language was made up, then we made up the word 'language' to describe it. Since fossil fuels are without question the remains of ancient plants an animals, 'fossil' seems like a reasonable descriptor to distinguish it from nuclear, solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, and other forms that energy can take. On the question of whether we will ever run out of fossil fuels, I can assure you that it is indeed a finite resource, evidenced by the simple fact that our entire planet itself is finite and therefore everything contained within it must also be finite. The question is, which will run out first? The fossil fuels, or a breathable atmosphere? I'll save you some googling, the earth's volume is about 770 times that of the volume of water and atmosphere combined.

 

[bracconiere]

i just saw "flex fuel" selling for $7.79&9/10" i can make a gallon of flex fuel i can drink for less then that......

sorry if that's me going off on a tangent.....


edit: the hippies don't like nuclear, hydro, coal, anything....how are they going to charge their damn batteries.....and even if solar was viable they'd complain about taking light away from plants, or how grass doesn't get light.....lol

 

[MMP126]

Ah man, what have I done...

 

[AzOr]

Good god man, you asked a question on the internet. What were you thinking?