4 ms·

For my part, I'm not anxious about range; price is the main issue. The car purchases over my lifetime have been $5000, $2500, $1, $4000, $11000, $8000, $12000 .

For my part, I'm not anxious about range; price is the main issue. The car purchases over my lifetime have been $5000, $2500, $1, $4000, $11000, $8000, $12000 ... and I have never bought new. I do not see a viable electric vehicle for me. Tesla looks awesome, and I cannot find an affordable one near me. Hell, there are TWO (count 'em, 2) used Model-3's within 20 miles of me, and they're selling for $50,000. LOL and Model 3 was claimed as the "affordable" one. I make 6 figures, and look at my car-buying habits. * Model-3 is just not in my wheelhouse, and probably won't be for many, many years. I'd love to buy a quality electric, and I don't see it happening any time soon. Anyway, this is just one more data-point ... ... * and to anyone who suggests I change my habits, I'll reply: 401k is important to me, saving for my first house is important to me, saving for kids' college is important to me, and staying debt-free tops everything (aside from a mortgage someday).

F_r_k 8y ago
For Teslas, wait a bit, you'll see them coming in some years
- BrandonMarc 8y ago
  That's what I'm hoping for. You may notice I mention "quality" electric car ... and from what I can see, Tesla is the only producer of quality electric cars, period.
  - dougmany 8y ago
    We bought a 2014 leaf last October for less than $10,000 after tax and registration. FWIW Quality was much higher than the 2006 Civic I had previously. It is a great car and cheaper to operate.
ryandrake 8y ago
Price anxiety and maintenance anxiety. I buy 2-3 year old cars and drive them for another 10 years. What is maintaining a 12 year old electric car going to cost? Nobody knows! When Tesla has been gone for 5 years, will a 10 year old model 3 still even boot up?
- BrandonMarc 8y ago
  Indeed. Tesla has its nay-sayers and financial enemies shorting it, yes, but there is decent reason to wonder if they'll be around 10, 20 years from now. If I buy a Model 3 in 10 years and plan to drive it 10 years, that's a very important consideration. Good point.
gascan 8y ago
Used Leaf's have come down to the upper end of your price range. Heck, with group buys and all other related discounts, I've seen them for $14k new.
- headmelted 8y ago
  I got a 2013 one not long ago with a 24kwh battery (with about 20kwh of capacity remaining). I paid well under $10k for mine with a bunch of Nissan incentives (warranty and MOT cover for 3 years, things like that). In fuel and tax savings it'll have paid for itself within those 3 years (versus a petrol or diesel car), after which it's effectively a free, zero-tax, zero-fuel-cost car. My point being that an EV is already an absurdly good deal if you can make it fit your lifestyle. Also, I realize I'm biased, but I don't really get the range anxiety argument. If I run out of gas in a car I need to get towed to a gas station. If I run out of electricity I need to get to literally any wall outlet.
  - maxerickson 8y ago
    You can just fill a can with gas and bring it to the car. (this is what a tow service will do if you've only run out of gas)
    - headmelted 8y ago
      Yes, but I ignored that because it didn't support my argument. And you caught me! You're right of course, although I still maintain plugging the car into a wall socket for an hour is easy to do almost anywhere - realistically this would get enough charge for most people to get to a charger (in my case it would get me to a rapid which would top up the rest of the battery in another 25 minutes).
      - BrandonMarc 8y ago
        I wonder if the day will come soon when tow trucks feature inverters and outlets as a standard feature, in order to help "gas up" a stranded (electric) motorist.
mikeash 8y ago
The Model 3 has only been produced in significant numbers for a few months now. The oldest production unit that exists at all is barely over a year old. This isn’t the sort of situation where you find a bargain on used cars. Give it a few years and there will be a more reasonable used market.
bsder 8y ago
> I do not see a viable electric vehicle for me. Tesla looks awesome, and I cannot find an affordable one near me. Hell, there are TWO (count 'em, 2) used Model-3's within 20 miles of me, and they're selling for $50,000. I think this year is a watershed along those lines. My guess is you will start seeing used hybrids shortly (within 3 years) at reasonable prices. Quite a few "hybrid" cars in California are losing their ability to use the carpool lanes because there are so many of them. You now have to be able to do something like 40-50 miles on battery or you don't qualify anymore. In addition, I think GM has moved out of the first tier of federal rebates on their electric/hybrid cars because they've sold so many of them. You probably won't find used Teslas, but I bet you will start finding used Volts/Bolts. From my point of view, the biggest issue I have is that while my internal combustion engine car is 25 years old, I haven't been able to keep a hybrid for more than 5 years because the technology is still evolving so quickly.

F_r_k 8y ago

For Teslas, wait a bit, you'll see them coming in some years

BrandonMarc 8y ago
That's what I'm hoping for. You may notice I mention "quality" electric car ... and from what I can see, Tesla is the only producer of quality electric cars, period.
- dougmany 8y ago
  We bought a 2014 leaf last October for less than $10,000 after tax and registration. FWIW Quality was much higher than the 2006 Civic I had previously. It is a great car and cheaper to operate.

ryandrake 8y ago

Price anxiety and maintenance anxiety. I buy 2-3 year old cars and drive them for another 10 years. What is maintaining a 12 year old electric car going to cost? Nobody knows! When Tesla has been gone for 5 years, will a 10 year old model 3 still even boot up?

BrandonMarc 8y ago
Indeed. Tesla has its nay-sayers and financial enemies shorting it, yes, but there is decent reason to wonder if they'll be around 10, 20 years from now. If I buy a Model 3 in 10 years and plan to drive it 10 years, that's a very important consideration. Good point.

gascan 8y ago

Used Leaf's have come down to the upper end of your price range. Heck, with group buys and all other related discounts, I've seen them for $14k new.

headmelted 8y ago
I got a 2013 one not long ago with a 24kwh battery (with about 20kwh of capacity remaining). I paid well under $10k for mine with a bunch of Nissan incentives (warranty and MOT cover for 3 years, things like that). In fuel and tax savings it'll have paid for itself within those 3 years (versus a petrol or diesel car), after which it's effectively a free, zero-tax, zero-fuel-cost car. My point being that an EV is already an absurdly good deal if you can make it fit your lifestyle. Also, I realize I'm biased, but I don't really get the range anxiety argument. If I run out of gas in a car I need to get towed to a gas station. If I run out of electricity I need to get to literally any wall outlet.
- maxerickson 8y ago
  You can just fill a can with gas and bring it to the car. (this is what a tow service will do if you've only run out of gas)
  - headmelted 8y ago
    Yes, but I ignored that because it didn't support my argument. And you caught me! You're right of course, although I still maintain plugging the car into a wall socket for an hour is easy to do almost anywhere - realistically this would get enough charge for most people to get to a charger (in my case it would get me to a rapid which would top up the rest of the battery in another 25 minutes).
    - BrandonMarc 8y ago
      I wonder if the day will come soon when tow trucks feature inverters and outlets as a standard feature, in order to help "gas up" a stranded (electric) motorist.

mikeash 8y ago

The Model 3 has only been produced in significant numbers for a few months now. The oldest production unit that exists at all is barely over a year old. This isn’t the sort of situation where you find a bargain on used cars. Give it a few years and there will be a more reasonable used market.

bsder 8y ago

> I do not see a viable electric vehicle for me. Tesla looks awesome, and I cannot find an affordable one near me. Hell, there are TWO (count 'em, 2) used Model-3's within 20 miles of me, and they're selling for $50,000. I think this year is a watershed along those lines. My guess is you will start seeing used hybrids shortly (within 3 years) at reasonable prices. Quite a few "hybrid" cars in California are losing their ability to use the carpool lanes because there are so many of them. You now have to be able to do something like 40-50 miles on battery or you don't qualify anymore. In addition, I think GM has moved out of the first tier of federal rebates on their electric/hybrid cars because they've sold so many of them. You probably won't find used Teslas, but I bet you will start finding used Volts/Bolts. From my point of view, the biggest issue I have is that while my internal combustion engine car is 25 years old, I haven't been able to keep a hybrid for more than 5 years because the technology is still evolving so quickly.