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Cars are pretty simple to estimate value on. Take a car, estimate its useful life left, estimate TCO. Compare to new. If the batteries are good for 200,000 mil
by throwawaaarrgh 3y ago
Cars are pretty simple to estimate value on. Take a car, estimate its useful life left, estimate TCO. Compare to new.
If the batteries are good for 200,000 miles and you get one at 75,000, for half the price of new, and you pay cash (financing on used is typically terrible interest rates), then this is an economical purchase. If they require serious repairs other than the battery then maybe it's not economical.
There's some small advantage to buying used, even if it's not the best deal. It's a fixed amount of money for a fixed amount of time (life left). If you hate the car and want to change it, or it gets totaled and insurance won't pay for it, then your financial hit is less than if you had paid full price. Your next car can still be new, or used if you find a better deal. Finally, if you have the means, there's no shame in wasting some money on something you really want.
However, being used, and being a used rental car, are two different things. Buying it from a fleet, at least it would be driven somewhat sanely. But there's no crazier driver than a rental driver.
- finnh 3y agoExactly, the battery question is what it is all about. I wonder if these Hertz cars will be tracked on Recurrent[0] so you can gauge their battery health [0] recurrentauto.com, started friends of mine but otherwise no relation
- maxerickson 3y agoIt should basically align with the mileage, if the battery management system is at all reasonable. Like a given battery should be about as healthy as any battery with the same mileage if you make the assumption that the battery management system works.
- finnh 3y agoI'm not sure that's true - temperature is a big factor that's uncorrelated with mileage, as is how frequently the battery depletion beyond the optimal level. There may be other things - I don't own an EV yet so I'm not particularly current on it,
- stevehawk 3y agowhat is the incentive of an ev owner to use that site?
- finnh 3y agoI think used car lots are the biggest users, per se - like a CarFax situation. I think a lot of the relevant data can be pulled off the car's monitoring post (i forget the acronym).
- bsdpufferfish 3y agoThat purely utilitarian analysis ignores how at least 80% of people shop for cars, and ads are supporting evidence.