4 ms·

Feel the same. I wanted to buy an EV but my habit has been to buy a 10 year old car and drive it until it is 20 years old. EVs don't appear to fit well in that

Feel the same. I wanted to buy an EV but my habit has been to buy a 10 year old car and drive it until it is 20 years old. EVs don't appear to fit well in that use case until batteries can be replaced affordably. Even then, the new models have huge screens and electronics integrated throughout, chances are slim those parts will be easily repaired 10+ years down the line.

simfree 4y ago
There are many Fiat 500e and Nissan Leafs on the road that are cheap and closing in on a decade old. The Fiats generally are above 90% battery health at 80k miles since they only support level 2 charging or slower, so you don't need battery replacement. Nissan Leafs have many options for battery replacement, but the 2011 era ones had a bad battery chemistry so you should probably avoid buying one with the original battery. There are also some electric Smart cars out there that are fun to drive!
- uxp100 4y ago
  Unfortunately used 500es have gone from around 7k to around 14k, which is a much less compelling price for a deeply flawed vehicle. Otoh, if you like that size, I tend to feel there will never be small EVs that are still full speed cars again, so…
  - simfree 4y ago
    The flaws of the 500e are pretty manageable if you accept that it's just an around town car, but this means you probably want it as an addition to your fleet of cars, or want to have the option to borrow or cheaply rent a long distance vehicle when needed. The current runup in used prices for the 500e is crazy though, there is no way a 500e should be as valuable as a Ford Fusion Energi Titanium. The longer range of the 500e and lower maintenance needed might partially justify this.
dangus 4y ago
Unfortunately you’re going to find the electronics problem across the auto industry regardless of whether your next vehicle is electric or not. If you’re currently driving a 10-15 year old vehicle you just aren’t seeing it yet. There is no 2022 car you can buy without some kind of electronics integration. I think battery replacements will only get more affordable. On top of that, you can weigh that cost against the alternative of purchasing gasoline and burning it away. With gasoline being controlled by cartels and becoming more difficult every year to extract, my bet is on electricity being the better option, especially considering all the residential solar generation options becoming available. Every year you drive 15,000 miles in a gas car burns $2,000 of fuel assuming 30MPG at $4/gallon. Maybe you avoid needing to replace a battery in every 10-15 years but that gas you burned is gone forever. And, sure, electric cars aren’t cheaper right now overall. Someone like you who buys used/fully depreciated vehicles will not see the value of an electric vehicle. However, they offer a number of advantages that people are willing to pay for: they drive incredibly well (the F-150 lighting is the best driving F-150 money can buy), they save cargo and passenger space, they’re quiet and smooth, and they eliminate trips to the gas station for people who have their own garage or driveway. For many people willing to spend more money on cars than you’re willing to spend, they’re worth paying extra for.

simfree 4y ago

There are many Fiat 500e and Nissan Leafs on the road that are cheap and closing in on a decade old. The Fiats generally are above 90% battery health at 80k miles since they only support level 2 charging or slower, so you don't need battery replacement. Nissan Leafs have many options for battery replacement, but the 2011 era ones had a bad battery chemistry so you should probably avoid buying one with the original battery. There are also some electric Smart cars out there that are fun to drive!

uxp100 4y ago
Unfortunately used 500es have gone from around 7k to around 14k, which is a much less compelling price for a deeply flawed vehicle. Otoh, if you like that size, I tend to feel there will never be small EVs that are still full speed cars again, so…
- simfree 4y ago
  The flaws of the 500e are pretty manageable if you accept that it's just an around town car, but this means you probably want it as an addition to your fleet of cars, or want to have the option to borrow or cheaply rent a long distance vehicle when needed. The current runup in used prices for the 500e is crazy though, there is no way a 500e should be as valuable as a Ford Fusion Energi Titanium. The longer range of the 500e and lower maintenance needed might partially justify this.

dangus 4y ago

Unfortunately you’re going to find the electronics problem across the auto industry regardless of whether your next vehicle is electric or not. If you’re currently driving a 10-15 year old vehicle you just aren’t seeing it yet. There is no 2022 car you can buy without some kind of electronics integration. I think battery replacements will only get more affordable. On top of that, you can weigh that cost against the alternative of purchasing gasoline and burning it away. With gasoline being controlled by cartels and becoming more difficult every year to extract, my bet is on electricity being the better option, especially considering all the residential solar generation options becoming available. Every year you drive 15,000 miles in a gas car burns $2,000 of fuel assuming 30MPG at $4/gallon. Maybe you avoid needing to replace a battery in every 10-15 years but that gas you burned is gone forever. And, sure, electric cars aren’t cheaper right now overall. Someone like you who buys used/fully depreciated vehicles will not see the value of an electric vehicle. However, they offer a number of advantages that people are willing to pay for: they drive incredibly well (the F-150 lighting is the best driving F-150 money can buy), they save cargo and passenger space, they’re quiet and smooth, and they eliminate trips to the gas station for people who have their own garage or driveway. For many people willing to spend more money on cars than you’re willing to spend, they’re worth paying extra for.