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The open secret to EV ownership is to buy after the lease. The depreciation is insane, why pay to rent the car for three years when you can buy it outright afte

The open secret to EV ownership is to buy after the lease. The depreciation is insane, why pay to rent the car for three years when you can buy it outright after the lease return for a fraction of the cost? EVs with active cooling systems last just about forever but people are still "oh no the battery". (Still driving my 2012 EV - not a typo - and got a can't-miss off-lease CPO deal on a "new" 2022 this year.)

bryanlarsen 1y ago
High mileage EV's are really cheap right now. Buyers think they'll have to spend a fortune to replace the battery when in reality those batteries still have lots of miles left in them. People are picking up 150,000 mile model 3's for $10K, and that car could be good for another 150,000 miles.
- cogman10 1y ago
  Other than some squeaks and creeks, my 2018 model 3 is working fine with 160,000. I don't plan on replacing it anytime soon. Battery has lost ~10% max capacity over the years.
bsder 1y ago
> The open secret to EV ownership is to buy after the lease. How do you dig into this responsibly? I really don't want to be buying a new car right now as the ICE ones all seem to be expensive trash but the EVs are changing so quickly that it isn't worth it. My Chevy Volt is beginning to show its age, but you will pry it from my cold, dead hands at this point.
- iwanttocomment 1y ago
  Three years is plenty of time to assess the reliability of a make and model - and also to get early issues resolved. Take a look at the forums. As the owner of both a 2012 BEV and a 2014 PHEV (in addition to my "new" 2022), all of which are in perfect mechanical condition, it's tough to look at BEV technology as something that will "greatly improve". Is my 2022 BEV way better than my 2012? Sure, but it's an entire decade removed (my 2012 is looking like... well, whatever the dog did to it). Is it worse than current 2025/26 BEVs? No, not by much at all. Keep on rockin' with the Volt until your dog rips up the upholstery. There'll be a three year old off-lease BEV or PHEV waiting for you at a shocking low price when it's time.

bryanlarsen 1y ago

High mileage EV's are really cheap right now. Buyers think they'll have to spend a fortune to replace the battery when in reality those batteries still have lots of miles left in them. People are picking up 150,000 mile model 3's for $10K, and that car could be good for another 150,000 miles.

cogman10 1y ago
Other than some squeaks and creeks, my 2018 model 3 is working fine with 160,000. I don't plan on replacing it anytime soon. Battery has lost ~10% max capacity over the years.

bsder 1y ago

> The open secret to EV ownership is to buy after the lease. How do you dig into this responsibly? I really don't want to be buying a new car right now as the ICE ones all seem to be expensive trash but the EVs are changing so quickly that it isn't worth it. My Chevy Volt is beginning to show its age, but you will pry it from my cold, dead hands at this point.

iwanttocomment 1y ago
Three years is plenty of time to assess the reliability of a make and model - and also to get early issues resolved. Take a look at the forums. As the owner of both a 2012 BEV and a 2014 PHEV (in addition to my "new" 2022), all of which are in perfect mechanical condition, it's tough to look at BEV technology as something that will "greatly improve". Is my 2022 BEV way better than my 2012? Sure, but it's an entire decade removed (my 2012 is looking like... well, whatever the dog did to it). Is it worse than current 2025/26 BEVs? No, not by much at all. Keep on rockin' with the Volt until your dog rips up the upholstery. There'll be a three year old off-lease BEV or PHEV waiting for you at a shocking low price when it's time.