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

[Kent88]

Tesla Model S refreshed with a radically redesigned interior and 520-mile range

 

[AzOr]

Has anyone looked into cost of insuring Tesla. I had heard it’s expensive due to parts availability etc.

If I had to buy a family car now, I think it would be the new e-mustang.

 

[Kent88]

If I had to buy a family car now, I think it would be the new e-mustang.

I never thought I would hear/read such a sentence.

 

[Bilsch]

Has anyone looked into cost of insuring Tesla. I had heard it’s expensive due to parts availability etc.
If I had to buy a family car now, I think it would be the new e-mustang.

I insure two of them and it's a non issue anymore. Early on some insurers could not get their actuarial data figured out but these days most have. I find Progressive to give the best rates but of course it will vary greatly with each individuals age, driving record etc.

 

[RePete]

My son-in-law traded in his Volt on a Bolt. We switched cars last weekend, for reasons. So, I got to drive a Bolt for a while. It’s a nice little car. But I found the seat really uncomfortable. It’s made for someone smaller than I. So, I was happy to get my Volt back. Other than that I liked it.

 

[Kent88]

General Motors plans to exclusively offer electric vehicles by 2035

 

[Kent88]

Electric Cars Are Coming, and Fast. Is the Nation’s Grid Up to It?

 

[Kent88]

Checking out my spam email account. Looks like Chevy is revealing the Bolt EUV on February 14th.

Looking forward to it.

Edit:
2022 Chevy Bolt EUV Electric SUV Teases Range Number, Rear Badge

While our mathematic abilities are admittedly limited (hey, we're writers), we've loosely calculated the bow-tie-badged electric SUV could be capable of topping 290 miles on a full charge.

 

[Kent88]

Monarch Tractor is the driver-optional all-electric farm tool of the future

And this, because my family worked the land with Deere for decades:

 

[AzOr]

Monarch Tractor is the driver-optional all-electric farm tool of the future

And this, because my family worked the land with Deere for decades:

I have zero use for an electric tractor.
However, I 100% want one.

 

[Kent88]

With my current house/lawn, I also have no use for a tractor. I aspire to have a large enough property someday that it merits a tractor like that Monarch.

There is a thread around here for electric lawn equipment, but I figured something as big as these tractors belonged in the EV talk.

 

[Kent88]

I saw this headline, and then got paywall'd, and I'm bummed about it.

Meet Lunaz Design, the firm turning old-school Rolls-Royces and Bentleys into new-age, red-carpet worthy EVs

Here is a link directly to the folks doing the modifications:

Discovery - Lunaz Design - Classic Electric Cars

 

[Kent88]

GM evaluating second U.S. battery plant for EVs amid construction of $2.3 billion facility in Ohio

 

[Barbarossa]

When they finally find how to actually make a good, small and efficient battery, maybe. But for now, batteries make the cars overpriced, inconvenient, heavy and unreliable for long haul. I'll stick to my mustang till then.

 

[Kent88]

You like Mustangs, so here.

Overpriced is an interesting argument to hear from a mustang owner. I personally don't think affordability when I think of Mustangs.

Vehicle weight isn't something I've given much thought to since I moved away from the farm. I'm not pulling loaded wagons or livestock trailers anymore.

I don't really see how you figure that batteries are unreliable or inconvenient. I think I've heard that Nissan's batteries are less reliable, and are replaced every so often, but other EV makers, like GM, have made some pretty reliable batteries. Looks like you live a little ways north of me, so maybe you're talking about reduced range due to the cold? That's becoming less of an issue every year.

Inconvenient, though, I can see that maybe for road trips (level two chargers charge something like 20 miles per hour plugged in, so that could take a while) and renters who don't always have access to charging whenever they're back from work, but a quick search for "ev charging montreal" suggests that there are options around you.

Personally, it's convenient for me because I can charge in my garage (don't even need a fast charger), we have a range extender in the car, and we're a two vehicle household with an ICE Jeep. Last summer our car was my spouse's main vehicle for going to work and it was basically an EV for over 4 months. Had my sister in law not visited from Africa, prompting my wife to go on a short road trip, that 9 gallon gas tank would've lasted 4,000 miles (5.5 gallons lasted something like 3,200). I haven't gassed up all winter. It's pretty convenient for us to rarely ever go out of our way to the gas station.

 

[Apple_Jacker]

I'll wait and see what technology comes after the lithium-ion battery.

 

[Barbarossa]

Yeah, many people struggle to differentiate value from price.

 

[Kent88]

I'll wait and see what technology comes after the lithium-ion battery.

I shared this story about a new battery plant with a friend of mine who is a real EV enthusiast, and before he had to get back to whatever was on today's schedule he commented on how GM was going to make a plant to handle battery tech that we'll see in a few years that is barely more than a stray thought in the mind of a grad student right now.

Yeah, many people struggle to differentiate value from price.

That's ambiguous.

 

[Barbarossa]

That's ambiguous.

Do you have in mind a more fairly priced toy car? Because this thing is a beast. I get a lot of smiles per gallon. But anyway. I'm here to brew. Enjoy your car. I definitely enjoy mine.

 

[AzOr]

There are a few ev’s that fit my need and plenty more to come in the next few years. I’m just waiting for some to pop up in the used market.

I’ve always had 2 vehicles; a commuter and a bigger suv for towing and family trips.
I could easily see myself w an ev for commuting. That’s why an ev with a range of 200 miles is more than adequate for me and others.

 

[Kent88]

Do you have in mind a more fairly priced toy car? Because this thing is a beast. I get a lot of smiles per gallon. But anyway. I'm here to brew. Enjoy your car. I definitely enjoy mine.

I'm not trying to be confrontational here. You came into a thread about EVs and shared some common misconceptions about EVs. I offered the benefit of my experience while being honest about the current shortcomings that one could point out about EVs. I can't force you to like them, and I wouldn't try to do so. I'm just trying to be honest about them.

I'm not surprised you like your car, I know a couple of mustang owners who also enjoy their cars. I enjoy my Volt.

 

[Barbarossa]

I did try to buy one. I will definitely buy one. The performance will be insane. At some point, there will be no contest. You will only buy a muscle car for the thrill. But you will get smoked by cheap cars all day. But that day has not come yet.

I still remember when I wanted a Prius. It was basically a compact car priced 50% higher than their comparative. The salesman admitted that I would take about ten years before I start to save on gas, since there was a 10k$ markup for the battery/electric setup. And that is if I don't need to change the battery, which most likely don't last ten years. Think buying a civic, but pay 28k for it instead of 18$.

I did share my thoughts, since the question has been asked. You save on gas but pay a hefty price upfront, most likely on credit. I'm not saying these cars are bad, just saying that the technology is not there yet.

 

[Kent88]

There are a few ev’s that fit my need and plenty more to come in the next few years. I’m just waiting for some to pop up in the used market.

I would dearly love to get my parents into a Bolt EUV, because until about 5 years ago, their vehicles tended to stay in the family. I'd like to revive that practice. Unfortunately at least one of them is completely anti-EV.

I’ve always had 2 vehicles; a commuter and a bigger suv for towing and family trips.
I could easily see myself w an ev for commuting. That’s why an ev with a range of 200 miles is more than adequate for me and others.

We have the same setup. One car for the bulk of trips in the tri-county area in the no-snow months, and one 4wd suv for winter driving and road trips.

The car is a PHEV as of about 16 months ago, and it's been a smooth transition.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

If I gave up the role I have in Alaska, and was back at home, there would be an hour and a half drive to Huntsville, so I would get a Tesla with the autodrive feature, for sure.

 

[Kent88]

I still remember when I wanted a Prius. It was basically a compact car priced 50% higher than their comparative. The salesman admitted that I would take about ten years before I start to save on gas, since there was a 10k$ markup for the battery/electric setup. And that is if I don't need to change the battery, which most likely don't last ten years. Think buying a civic, but pay 28k for it instead of 18$.

I did share my thoughts, since the question has been asked. You save on gas but pay a hefty price upfront, most likely on credit. I'm not saying these cars are bad, just saying that the technology is not there yet.

I never really looked at a Prius. I don't know much about their batteries. I don't think there was a PHEV Prius comparable to a Volt until just a couple of years ago.

It actually sounds like the pricing isn't where you want it yet, rather than the tech. The tech is, IMHO, pretty good and still improving. I suggested earlier that maybe the battery capacity/range or charging wasn't where you wanted, or maybe you were concerned about the performance hit they take due to cold, and you haven't said anything about those.

The route I went was to buy a gently used Volt, and let someone else absorb that initial depreciation. I researched how durable the batteries are, and even called a friend of a friend who had a Volt and asked him if his high-voltage battery ever gave him trouble. Everything I heard and read pointed to them having reliable batteries and didn't have any more issues than ICE cars.

And saving money by using electrons instead of gas isn't the only way that an EV can save money. You also have less maintenance and spend less time at the shop or dealership. If you have a way to charge at home, then your house becomes your fuel station, so you spend less time at the gas station and more at home. Some electricity providers provide better off peak pricing for you to save even more by charging at those times. There are also some businesses that provide reduced price or even free charging, like my grocery store.

So you wanted a Prius, but it was too expensive so you ended up with a Mustang, that's an interesting turn of events.

 

[AzOr]

I did try to buy one. I will definitely buy one. The performance will be insane. At some point, there will be no contest. You will only buy a muscle car for the thrill. But you will get smoked by cheap cars all day. But that day has not come yet.

I still remember when I wanted a Prius. It was basically a compact car priced 50% higher than their comparative. The salesman admitted that I would take about ten years before I start to save on gas, since there was a 10k$ markup for the battery/electric setup. And that is if I don't need to change the battery, which most likely don't last ten years. Think buying a civic, but pay 28k for it instead of 18$.

I did share my thoughts, since the question has been asked. You save on gas but pay a hefty price upfront, most likely on credit. I'm not saying these cars are bad, just saying that the technology is not there yet.

Agreed in buying a new Prius. However, buying a used Prius makes a lot of sense. Or hybrid Camry etc.

 

[AzOr]

Realistically I could deal w a plug in hybrid. The new RAV4 Prime makes a lot of sense but is just priced too high. The 40 mile range could cover my commute for 3 days. Having awd is a big plus as well (my commuter is a Forester).

 

[AzOr]

I would dearly love to get my parents into a Bolt EUV, because until about 5 years ago, their vehicles tended to stay in the family. I'd like to revive that practice. Unfortunately at least one of them is completely anti-EV.



We have the same setup. One car for the bulk of trips in the tri-county area in the no-snow months, and one 4wd suv for winter driving and road trips.

The car is a PHEV as of about 16 months ago, and it's been a smooth transition.

There’s a whole community of retired people who have been driving electric vehicles for a loooong time.
Sun City Az
Quite a few residents use their e-golf carts to get groceries etc.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

I did try to buy one. I will definitely buy one. The performance will be insane. At some point, there will be no contest. You will only buy a muscle car for the thrill. But you will get smoked by cheap cars all day. But that day has not come yet.

I still remember when I wanted a Prius. It was basically a compact car priced 50% higher than their comparative. The salesman admitted that I would take about ten years before I start to save on gas, since there was a 10k$ markup for the battery/electric setup. And that is if I don't need to change the battery, which most likely don't last ten years. Think buying a civic, but pay 28k for it instead of 18$.

I did share my thoughts, since the question has been asked. You save on gas but pay a hefty price upfront, most likely on credit. I'm not saying these cars are bad, just saying that the technology is not there yet.

Maybe the markup was higher back when you looked at it. Right now Toyota says it starts about $24.5K for a Prius sedan, and the Honda site says $21,250 for a Civic sedan.

I'm in a similar place right now regarding EVs. They're just too expensive, especially for what I need. I have a wife, 3 kids, and a 90# dog. Until the kids start leaving the nest, I simply need the size. I currently drive a Ford Flex, which I got used for $26K, and has three-row seating and plenty of cargo room. It's a pig on gas, but a comparable EV doesn't exist. The Model Y comes closest by having three rows, but absolutely doesn't have three usable rows like the Flex. I also am currently renting, so I won't have a Level 2 charger at home for it--and my Jeep currently lives in that garage, so I don't have room in the garage for an EV anyway.

That said, my oldest has about 5 more years of school and that will be about the time that the Flex is getting seriously long in the tooth as it's 2014. So I expect my next car will likely be an EV. It's just not on a near-term time horizon.

 

[firerat]

Do they come in pick up?

I'd get a pick up if it doesn't cost my first born.