OT: Electric Vehicles--anyone driving them or seriously looked at them?

[cgolvin]

Originally Posted by jkbrwn

Looking at the Pacific Electric Railway map, for someone in SoCal, is one of the most depressing things one can do.

Interesting book on the subject of transit systems that died (including Pacific Electric Railway) and why: https://www.lostsubways.com/

Or, if TLDR, an interview with the author: https://99percentinvisible.org/episo...north-america/

[gravelreformist]

In our small town in upstate NY with no traffic lights and one store, there were three different passenger railroad stations within 2 miles of my door until they were ripped out in the 1950's.

We had the railroad infrastructure but we got rid of it. Fortunately one remains, at least in part, as a rail trail - and about to be extended to within half a mile of my door.

[bikinchris]

You used to be able to travel the entire East Coast from Southern Maine to Washington D.C. and the Eastern shore to Chicago using light rail in the US before it was bought up and closed. In most places, one track ended within feet of the beginning of the next line.
Once they closed, then you had to buy a car.
Thanks G.M.

About an earlier note:
Roughly 48% of Americans have parking spots with access to electricity. 41% don't know or don't have access to electricity but have a parking spot. However, this was at home. Many might have access to a spot with electricity at work.

[Llewellyn]

Originally Posted by verticaldoug

Between the doomsday prophet and the tech wizard, I still think we are eff'd.

I actually think we are at the beginning of the extinction of the human race. How's that for a gloomy outlook?

[Louis]

Originally Posted by Llewellyn

I actually think we are at the beginning of the extinction of the human race.

Really going out on a limb there...

[Llewellyn]

Originally Posted by Louis

Really going out on a limb there...

It's more about that population competing for fewer and fewer resources. As climate change makes more and more land useless for growing food, how do we feed everyone? You're already seeing water shortages - the same situation for food can't be far behind.

I hope I'm wrong, but I won't be around to see how it all plays out anyway.

[tuxbailey]

Update after 2.5 months of driving an EV.

Car (Leased): 2024 Polestar 2 Long Range Dual Motor with Pilot package. 421 HP, 550 ft-lb torque. 270 miles on full charge.
Energy Consumption: avg. 26 KW per 100 miles. I charge at home at $0.10/KW + distribution charge. Maybe $0.13/KW? I haven't gotten an up to date bill. So about $3.38 per 100 miles.

So far I have put down 3,486 miles since 5/25. The car is wonderful to drive. It is technically a Volvo and drives like a European car. The acceleration and the instant torque availability is intoxicating. If I am not worried about exceeding the lease terms (15,000 miles/year) I would probably put down 2x the number of miles.

No maintenance required so far and I don't expect any until 19,000 miles with tire rotation. Maybe I will have to add some windshield wiper fluid.

I like it so much that I have decided that when my lease ends, I will buy a used one with less mileage. I also enjoy the fact it is fairly unique and that the EV doesn't look a Tesla.

[CNY rider]

Originally Posted by tuxbailey

Update after 2.5 months of driving an EV.

Car (Leased): 2024 Polestar 2 Long Range Dual Motor with Pilot package. 421 HP, 550 ft-lb torque. 270 miles on full charge.
Energy Consumption: avg. 26 KW per 100 miles. I charge at home at $0.10/KW + distribution charge. Maybe $0.13/KW? I haven't gotten an up to date bill. So about $3.38 per 100 miles.

So far I have put down 3,486 miles since 5/25. The car is wonderful to drive. It is technically a Volvo and drives like a European car. The acceleration and the instant torque availability is intoxicating. If I am not worried about exceeding the lease terms (15,000 miles/year) I would probably put down 2x the number of miles.

No maintenance required so far and I don't expect any until 19,000 miles with tire rotation. Maybe I will have to add some windshield wiper fluid.

I like it so much that I have decided that when my lease ends, I will buy a used one with less mileage. I also enjoy the fact it is fairly unique and that the EV doesn't look a Tesla.

What’s the monthly lease cost, if you don’t mind sharing?

[tuxbailey]

Originally Posted by CNY rider

What’s the monthly lease cost, if you don’t mind sharing?

I put $0 down and after tax/fee is $550/month for 27 months. Big chunk of that is MD tax as I have to pay tax on the MSRP of the car. This is the Costco/Polestar deal where Costco gives you $2,000 and polestar has the 27 month lease at $299/month for the basic dual motor model with 10,000 miles/year.

[AngryScientist]

Nice that you provided the cost analysis.

So at your lease terms the lease itselft is costing $6,600/year

@$3.38/100 miles, if you drive the full lease limit of 10k miles/year, that's only $338 in "fuel" cost if you are able to charge up at home every night bringing the full cost of ownership to just under $7k for a year.

My truck averages about 18mpg with the driving I do. If gas were to stay where it is now, at about $3.30/gallon, and I also drive 10k miles for a year, I will spend $1833/year in fuel alone.

The plus for leasing is you are not tied to the vehicle or the technology. Give it back after 2 years and get the newest tech. Never be on the hook for a big repair or maintenance cost. The negative is that it's a recurring cost that never goes away.

That's interesting about paying MD tax on a lease. I have never looked into what taxes you pay on a lease, seems they always get their pound of flesh though.

[old fat man]

I recently replaced my dead Honda Pilot (engine blew up) with a pre-owned Volvo. Insurance went up a fair bit. While talking to my insurance agent, she said "at least it's not an EV because the increase would be significantly more."

Have EV owners found the insurance cost to be much greater?

As an aside, my sister has been doing the Care by Volvo program which includes insurance in the cost. A nice benefit she found recently is that the Care by Volvo program excludes the vehicle from her regular insurance plan. Their other vehicles are much less expensive so her insurance premium on those with a 17 yr old son is not as outrageous as it would be if the Volvo was part of the regular insurance. Unfortunately I think Volvo is stopping the Care by Volvo program.

[kppolich]

The insurance for my 2021 Model 3 long range is lower than the 2013 Subaru Impreza wagon it replaced.
Same carrier, better coverage, new agent.

[saab2000]

Originally Posted by old fat man

I recently replaced my dead Honda Pilot (engine blew up) with a pre-owned Volvo. Insurance went up a fair bit. While talking to my insurance agent, she said "at least it's not an EV because the increase would be significantly more."

Have EV owners found the insurance cost to be much greater?

As an aside, my sister has been doing the Care by Volvo program which includes insurance in the cost. A nice benefit she found recently is that the Care by Volvo program excludes the vehicle from her regular insurance plan. Their other vehicles are much less expensive so her insurance premium on those with a 17 yr old son is not as outrageous as it would be if the Volvo was part of the regular insurance. Unfortunately I think Volvo is stopping the Care by Volvo program.

My insurance today seems to be way more expensive than it was a few years ago. I don’t know how much of this is due to the fact that I drive a Tesla and how much is due to the overall rise in auto insurance costs. Probably some of both. But yeah, it’s more expensive than it used to be.

I’ve had my car since December 2022 and it replaced a VW Tiguan.

The added insurance cost is offset partly by lower operating costs. I know that Teslas can often be a write off in what seems to be a minor accident. Hoping to avoid that fate.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by saab2000

My insurance today seems to be way more expensive than it was a few years ago.

Everybody's is. When we got out Bolt we paid $0.116kWh, now before the time of use place that rate is $0.172, 3 years ago a bag of groceries averaged $18-23.00 for us, seem like near double pretty much. Look at the price of these cars. 2018 Fit was $17,300.00, I thing the cheapest Civic is like $25k now. The exact same Pacifica PHEV we got in 2020 MSRP of $46k last I looked was $59k

I was thinking about changing again to get car INS cost down, had done that 4 yrs back. I visited my oldest Sis in Nashville April and we reviewed her costs of everything to see where to shave. Ours did not go up when we traded the 2018 Fit for a 2022 Bolt. And it did not go down when I replaced the PHEV we sold for $36k with a Certified KIA Senoda we paid $20,500.00 for. This seemed odd to me.

She wanted to drop her liability on her Auto. Her car INS was %60 higher that ours. And no accidents for 5 years either. I actually came thinking ours was not so bad. I did get her to drop a cable package that was 154.00 a month and subscribe to an alternate source for her Hockey addiction for less than 10%.

Also told her to keep MAX car INS, with no Mort and long retired explained how that would work if and accident was her of husbands fault. In fact suggested looking into umbrella.

[MikeD]

A friend leased an Audi EV. He said his power bill went up $500 over a year (his solar system couldn't cover the added power whereas it did before the EV) and he drove 5000 miles. I did a calc and my 50 mpg Prius driven 5000 miles at $5 per gal gas pencils out about the same cost.. So much for EVs being cheaper to operate. Factor in higher cost of the vehicle, higher insurance, dismal resale value too, not to mention all the other negatives...