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Does anyone here know someone (in California) who purchased an EV between 2012 and 2018 and then went back to a gas car? The results of this study do not jive w

Does anyone here know someone (in California) who purchased an EV between 2012 and 2018 and then went back to a gas car? The results of this study do not jive with my anecdotal experience.

CameronNemo 5y ago
what kind of cars did people you know buy? Nissan leaves with small batteries and poor cooling tech, or early Tesla models (which were much more expensive than the Model 3). Frankly I'm surprised the number isn't higher. It bodes well for the new class of vehicles like Model 3's and Chevy Bolts which have longer range, better cooling tech, better prices, and faster charging options. As the charging networks get built out, the retention rate will only improve.
- electriclove 5y ago
  Leaf, eGolf, and Volt leases. And Model S and X purchases. I think you make a great point though that the time period didn't include many Model 3s. I think a follow up survey might see even less going back to ICE
thephyber 5y ago
Yes, me. I did it, but I enjoyed the EV and will very likely buy another. I bought a used gen 1 Leaf (2 model years old) in 2013 and traded it in for an ICE VW in 2019 after I was faced with the decision to either buy a new gem 1 Leaf battery pack at full price (it was out of warranty so 0% pro-rated) or get another car. The car I wanted at the time was a VW and I didn’t think the e-Golf was a mature enough platform. I can’t explain why I didn’t go with another brand EV except that I like to buy used with very low miles and only 2-3 years old (my preferred sweet spot of value). As mentioned elsewhere, the gen 1 Leaf had inferior battery management which likely contributed to the shorter battery life and lower battery value. I was also a little peeved that gen 2 and 3 battery packs were not available for the gen 1 body/drivetrain so it felt like an inferior investment to put 50% of the original purchase price into a new battery pack and still have to deal with the same old car body. It was also getting a little tiresome to have to remember to charge it _every_ day. A gen 3 would have avoided this issue and charging stations at my work place would have alleviated some of the anxiety of forgetting to plug it in (only happened 2 times, but both impacted my ability to commute).
nwah1 5y ago
Finding charging stations can be a challenge, and if you are renting an apartment you likely don't have access to a garage. And if you want and affordable car, then you are stuck with older used EVs with poor range. And if you are in a colder climate, the vehicles don't hold much of a charge in winter, although that may not apply in most of California. All of these are solid reasons for someone to find EVs impractical.
- pkolaczk 5y ago
  In many areas of the world EVs are more expensive to buy, much more expensive to repair, and not really cheaper to drive, because electricity is about the same price as gas. Add to that they are less convenient and slower on large distances because of the time wasted for looking for a charging station and then charging, and I can see how most people don't want them now.

Does anyone here know someone (in California) who purchased an EV between 2012 and 2018 and then went back to a gas car? The results of this study do not jive with my anecdotal experience.

CameronNemo 5y ago

what kind of cars did people you know buy? Nissan leaves with small batteries and poor cooling tech, or early Tesla models (which were much more expensive than the Model 3). Frankly I'm surprised the number isn't higher. It bodes well for the new class of vehicles like Model 3's and Chevy Bolts which have longer range, better cooling tech, better prices, and faster charging options. As the charging networks get built out, the retention rate will only improve.

electriclove 5y ago
Leaf, eGolf, and Volt leases. And Model S and X purchases. I think you make a great point though that the time period didn't include many Model 3s. I think a follow up survey might see even less going back to ICE

thephyber 5y ago

Yes, me. I did it, but I enjoyed the EV and will very likely buy another. I bought a used gen 1 Leaf (2 model years old) in 2013 and traded it in for an ICE VW in 2019 after I was faced with the decision to either buy a new gem 1 Leaf battery pack at full price (it was out of warranty so 0% pro-rated) or get another car. The car I wanted at the time was a VW and I didn’t think the e-Golf was a mature enough platform. I can’t explain why I didn’t go with another brand EV except that I like to buy used with very low miles and only 2-3 years old (my preferred sweet spot of value). As mentioned elsewhere, the gen 1 Leaf had inferior battery management which likely contributed to the shorter battery life and lower battery value. I was also a little peeved that gen 2 and 3 battery packs were not available for the gen 1 body/drivetrain so it felt like an inferior investment to put 50% of the original purchase price into a new battery pack and still have to deal with the same old car body. It was also getting a little tiresome to have to remember to charge it _every_ day. A gen 3 would have avoided this issue and charging stations at my work place would have alleviated some of the anxiety of forgetting to plug it in (only happened 2 times, but both impacted my ability to commute).

nwah1 5y ago

Finding charging stations can be a challenge, and if you are renting an apartment you likely don't have access to a garage. And if you want and affordable car, then you are stuck with older used EVs with poor range. And if you are in a colder climate, the vehicles don't hold much of a charge in winter, although that may not apply in most of California. All of these are solid reasons for someone to find EVs impractical.

pkolaczk 5y ago
In many areas of the world EVs are more expensive to buy, much more expensive to repair, and not really cheaper to drive, because electricity is about the same price as gas. Add to that they are less convenient and slower on large distances because of the time wasted for looking for a charging station and then charging, and I can see how most people don't want them now.