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

[NHAero]

We just got our Bolt EV battery replacement, so fingers crossed that it's the last thing to be concerned about with this vehicle. All the bits replaced come with a new 8 year warranty, so our 3 year old car has its most expensive part reset to a new warranty.
It's my wife's car here on Martha's Vineyard, where range isn't an issue. But it will go to Boston and back easily without needing a charge. We have a home Level 2 charger. We had a $1,500 credit with Eversource which we couldn't get as a payment, so with an EV the solar makes enough for the all-electric house and the car that gets the most miles.

[saab2000]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

A really cheap electric car would be totally awesome. If I could buy an electric vehicle for $5k, I would go get one right now.

Would be absolutely perfect for daily errand running, dropping the kids off places, grocery shopping, etc, without burning any gas. or displacing our ICE vehicles for longer trips or moving bigger stuff.

Maybe before too too long, I'll be able to get an electric motorcycle with a side car cheap.That would be a fun sort of practical way to do stuff locally.

Due to crash and safety regulations, I doubt we’ll be seeing too many $5000 EVs on these shores anytime soon. But we’ll see. No doubt Chinese EVs could be disruptive to the US auto industry. That industry is likely to savagely fight a Chinese car invasion.

What you’re describing as your daily errand vehicle that runs on electricity alone is available as a plug-in hybrid. If you keep them plugged in and charged they run on battery alone for up to about 40 miles I think. After that they run like a normal hybrid, still getting great economy.

[AngryScientist]

Originally Posted by saab2000

Due to crash and safety regulations, I doubt we’ll be seeing too many $5000 EVs on these shores anytime soon. But we’ll see. No doubt Chinese EVs could be disruptive to the US auto industry. That industry is likely to savagely fight a Chinese car invasion.

I agree that in the US we will never see these ultra light, ultra cheap utility vehicles. Not going to happen. The auto industry sees that the US population can stomach an average new car cost in the $40k region and there will be no appetite for them to significantly bring that number down.

[verticaldoug]

The light-automobiles, K-car, in Japan have been around forever. The cars never met US safety standards plus capped at 550cc historically and now 660cc with top speeds general <60mph, there is just no appetite here for the car.

There is so little appetite, the US hasn't even imposed tariffs.

The electric Chinese one is basically a golf cart. Buy a golf cart and run errands in that.

[pwgoode]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

A really cheap electric car would be totally awesome. If I could buy an electric vehicle for $5k, I would go get one right now.

Would be absolutely perfect for daily errand running, dropping the kids off places, grocery shopping, etc, without burning any gas. or displacing our ICE vehicles for longer trips or moving bigger stuff.

Maybe before too too long, I'll be able to get an electric motorcycle with a side car cheap.That would be a fun sort of practical way to do stuff locally.

This is sort of happening in my neighborhood. Our municipality approved street legal golf carts on low speed roads (30 mph speed limit) about a year ago. Many families have purchased them to haul their kids to school, grocery shop etc. Initially they were just toys for the rich folks to zip around it and I hated them (ride a bike for f's sake!). Neighbors across the street just got rid of their jeep and replaced it with a golf cart-like electric. They both work from home so it made a lot of sense for them. Much rather have them than the regular Tahoes or quad cab full sized pickups that the insurance agents like to drive in our part of town.

[benb]

Originally Posted by pwgoode

This is sort of happening in my neighborhood. Our municipality approved street legal golf carts on low speed roads (30 mph speed limit) about a year ago. Many families have purchased them to haul their kids to school, grocery shop etc. Initially they were just toys for the rich folks to zip around it and I hated them (ride a bike for f's sake!). Neighbors across the street just got rid of their jeep and replaced it with a golf cart-like electric. They both work from home so it made a lot of sense for them. Much rather have them than the regular Tahoes or quad cab full sized pickups that the insurance agents like to drive in our part of town.

Do you have nice weather? I feel like this is a non-starter in places with bad weather/lots of rain/winter. Never see them around here.

People buy (and bling them) for RV campgrounds & "Park Home" campgrounds. I have seen that.

Literally anything is better than all these people who think a Tahoe is needed for anything further than couch -> refrigerator and think it's fine to take your kid to sports and idle the Tahoe in the parking lot the entire time while you play with your phone. Or the refuse to put the kid on the school bus and go idle the Tahoe in line for an hour at the school while the kids on the bus get dropped off first. (That is literally the calling card of the limousine liberal here)

[dgauthier]

If you're looking for a cheap alternative fuel car you can probably get a great deal on a new hydrogen-fueled Mirai.

You'd better act fast though. Shell is permanently closing 6 of its 7 light-duty hydrogen fueling stations in Californy:

https://www.hydrogeninsight.com/tran...ia/2-1-1596104

This apparently vexes current Mirai owners:

https://insideevs.com/news/708375/to...tations-close/

[KarlC]

Originally Posted by saab2000

I don’t want to keep tooting the Tesla horn because I know the baggage of the brand, etc. But their charging in the wild is simply the best there is. I think Ford and Rivian now have access to their network but the physical adapters are not all out there yet and there will be a learning curve. Tesla chargers and Tesla cars are designed to work seamlessly by backing into the charging stall. Other brands put their charging ports in different spots. There will be challenges.

As mentioned, it’s like a gas car in the 1920s.

My life with my Model Y is pretty freaking easy (but there are a number of aspects of the car I don’t love as well as many good things too to be fair) and this is largely because charging on a road trip is super simple.

People need to consider their needs with a vehicle and assess their charging requirements with the knowledge that any charger (on a road trip, not a home charger because there are lots of good home chargers that are not Tesla) not branded Tesla is likely going to disappoint in April 2024.

If you’re not a road tripper and you can charge at home for most driving the world is your oyster because home charging is way, way, way simpler for every brand and there are some great brands out there.

I got my Model Y because it more or less duplicated my VW Tiguan in terms of utility and came with a factory trailer hitch receiver with the appropriate electrical connector. If I didn’t have that requirement I would be much more receptive to a different brand. The trailer hitch requirement is for my bike rack, pure and simple. For many trips I can just put the bike in the back with the seat folded down and be on my way. I can put my 57ish road bike in the back without taking the front wheel off. That’s a plus.

This is after all nominally a cycling forum.

We considered a Model Y as you can get them for like $34K now, I know a guy that spent dubble that not long ago. Tesla's are great in MANY ways but they can feel cheep and common, so we wanted to try somthing else.

Our EV charging will be done from home 95%+, so no worries.

.

[dgauthier]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

I agree that in the US we will never see these ultra light, ultra cheap utility vehicles. Not going to happen. (...)

Originally Posted by verticaldoug

(...) there is just no appetite here for the car (...)

Exactly. No one outside of China is going to buy a tiny $5000 car because it's beneath serious consideration.

But *this crossover from BYD for $13,400* is what keeps the domestic auto industry awake at night:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMUTvEVtiaM

[bfd]

Originally Posted by dgauthier

If you're looking for a cheap alternative fuel car you can probably get a great deal on a new hydrogen-fueled Mirai.

You'd better act fast though. Shell is permanently closing 6 of its 7 light-duty hydrogen fueling stations in Californy:

https://www.hydrogeninsight.com/tran...ia/2-1-1596104

This apparently vexes current Mirai owners:

https://insideevs.com/news/708375/to...tations-close/

lol, you want people to buy hydrogen fuel cell cars?! Good Luck finding a charging (filling?) station. According to the 2nd article you cited, there’s only like 50 or so charging stations in the US and none in San Francisco! Further, as the article states, owners are “finding themselves driving to these hydrogen stations only to find them offline or out of order, sometimes for days while the station was waiting for a repair or even just a delivery of hydrogen.” Lol

If Toyota was serious, they should have done like Tesla and created their own charging/filling stations. Instead, they rely on the government or 3rd parties like Shell, who appear to have lost interest. Basically, hydrogen cars are a dead end.

Good Luck!

[72gmc]

Originally Posted by bfd

lol, you want people to buy hydrogen fuel cell cars?! Good Luck finding a charging (filling?) station. According to the 2nd article you cited, there’s only like 50 or so charging stations in the US and none in San Francisco! Further, as the article states, owners are “finding themselves driving to these hydrogen stations only to find them offline or out of order, sometimes for days while the station was waiting for a repair or even just a delivery of hydrogen.” Lol

From 1999-2005 I worked for a small company in which the officers were BMW freaks (not used pejoratively, they were). I recall them sharing a BMW brochure with me as an example of interesting direct mail--a preview of a hydrogen-powered 7 series sedan, as I recall, with a jacket that had a thin layer of water in it. Lots of tech marketing content and a little about infrastructure needs. I guess they didn't distribute enough of those brochures?

[saab2000]

Originally Posted by KarlC

We considered a Model Y as you can get them for like $34K now, I know a guy that spent dubble that not long ago. Tesla's are great in MANY ways but they can feel cheep and common, so we wanted to try somthing else.

Our EV charging will be done from home 95%+, so no worries.

.

I paid in the mid-$60s for mine, which is way more than the same car costs right now….. Anyway, I can’t change it so I’m not going to lose sleep over it. Thank dog it’s paid for!

Be aware that Tesla’s online price can be slightly misleading. Imagine that……. They price it with a federal tax credit which is income based and not everyone will get this. Additionally, they advertise “estimated gas savings” in their price, which nobody does when selling a Prius compared to a Ram 3500 pickup truck.

My home connector cost $1500 including professional installation and they no longer include the 120V Mobile Charger, so these costs need to be considered as well.

All that said, it’s much less expensive now than when I got mine. It is now priced appropriately for what it is. It was overpriced when I got mine but I got caught up in the hype and it was post-Covid when all kinds market forces were going crazy. I should have waited. Hindsight is always 20/20.

As for the car feeling kind of cheap and plasticky and not premium, I totally agree. It’s an appliance and kind of boring. It’s also very efficient and so far, as reliable as the sunrise 18 months into ownership.

Pluses and minuses, like with most things in life I guess.

[Ralph]

I think an electric motor is superior to an ICE engine....generally. Problem is the charging....and around here, that is less and less a problem.

[bfd]

Originally Posted by 72gmc

From 1999-2005 I worked for a small company in which the officers were BMW freaks (not used pejoratively, they were). I recall them sharing a BMW brochure with me as an example of interesting direct mail--a preview of a hydrogen-powered 7 series sedan, as I recall, with a jacket that had a thin layer of water in it. Lots of tech marketing content and a little about infrastructure needs. I guess they didn't distribute enough of those brochures?

Don't laugh, but BMW is still into hydrogen cars! On their website, they have the 2024 iX5 Hydrogen concept vehicle!

https://www.bmwusa.com/ix5-hydrogen.html

But with 50+ filling stations in the entire US, that's not going to do it. It doesn't matter how advance or efficient these cars are, if you can't find a way to charge it? You can't do it at home like an EV?

And according to that article previously cited, in addition to all the other challenges cited, the cost of hydrogen fuel is going up too.

Good Luck!

[merckxman]

@NHAero: you might want to read this, BOLT owner: How G.M. Tricked Millions of Drivers Into Being Spied On (Including Me) https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/23/t...5.62haIjJw8wdJ