I bought a plug in. Might not have been worth it...

It isn't worth driving around to plug in to a free charger. You only get about $0.30 of electricity per charge (10c/kwh). It is worth finding (online) where there are free chargers and then using them when you go places (for me I've found them at the SJC airport and a restaurant). But seriously, it is easier to find a coupon for $5 off at many other restaurants.

If you charge for free almost once every day for 10 years that is worth about $1000 (in electricity costs, not gas costs).

I'd explain this in detail to your HOA. And say you'd pay for "two" 110v charging stations so the next guy doesn't have to pay. And then say you'll prepay for one year of charging once per day.

Mike

 

unless you can return the car due to state law, it's best to look at positives for the car.
make a self-presentation with different aspects why the car was worth it.

 

There isn't one in CA that would let the OP return the car. If you know of states with one, please post it at which states have a "cooling off"/return period on new cars? | PriusChat.

Yep.

 

The next time gas prices go nuts, you'll be loving the car.

 

How will we be able to get the nuts in the gas tank?

 

Now, that takes balls.

 

Now I was thinking peanut oil! go figure!

 

No good, attracts mice.

 

Base a plug for just using the HOV lane? No way! So, what you are saying is the $8000 more in purchase price worth it?
One would have to plug into a lot of "free" hours in order to recoup that $8000.

"Free" charging should be grabbed and used as much as you can, for it will not last. Once charging costs are added (think revenue enhancememts, budgets cutbacks), a plugin owner must really think hard if the plugin is worth it from an financial aspect.

The OP does has a ligitimate concern about whether they should have bought a regular Prius.

IMHO, basing the purchase of a plugin based on "free" charging or for just using the HOV lane is a foolish investment. The tax credits will vanish - it's not "if", but when. $4/ \month is way too low for a parking garage to try to make a profit off of this. Rather, the plug in owner should be charged the ongoing parking rate in fairness to non plugin owners. After all what you, the car owner are paying for is the use of a piece of real estate for a limited amount of time. Non plugin owners parking in a garage or a lot don't get a deep discount like a plugin owner gets.

Fair is fair, if the plugin owners don't like paying more, take the bus.

DBCassidy

 

When I bought my 2008 Prius, i didn't give a rats *ss about tax credits at all. I looked at a 50+ MPG vehicle for my daily driving. This allows me to leave my diesel pickup truck at home. Doing this I only use the truck for hauling the M/C trailer and camper on the weekends.
The Prius is a great vehicle for day to day usage.

DBCassidy

 

re: HOV lane, really? what's your time worth?

the price difference between a Base pip and a Prius Three (which has slightly less features) is either negative (pip is cheaper) to about $3k after all incentives, depending on where you're buying/operating the vehicle. even if we take $3k to be the difference (an overly pessimistic number), if you make $104k/yr, your time is worth $50/hr. My mom, who saves 60-90 minutes daily by using the HOV lane, therefore would save 50*5*50=$12,500 PER YEAR due to the HOV lane access. That's a pretty good ROI if you ask me. In fact, for the HOV privileges to NOT be worth it, she would need to value her time at less than $4/hr ($3000/3 years/50 weeks/5 days).

I do not know about you, but I certainly value my time more than that, and I don't even make $104k/yr.

 

I lease and will not get any tax credits, either State or Fed. I do get HOV and a nice GREEN EZ pass for big discounts on Bridge and Tunnels ( off peak). GWB bridge reg price $13.00, green price $4.25.

 

Well, you won't get any tax credits for leasing due to the way Toyota handles the tax credit vs. how Nissan and GM do it. As for state incentives, that depends on the state. In California, the CVRP (Clean Vehicle Rebate Project) is available w/leases that are 3 years or longer.

The is a huge discount on a toll though.

 

Going into the city, mass transit makes more sense: less wear and tear on the car, owner, no taking up valuable real estate with a parking space, and less pollution.

Of course Americans are too addicted to their cars, hence, hell or high water, they are determined to drive into the city. When I travel into the city, I park the Prius in a commuter parking lot outside the city, and take the train and bus into the city.
NO need to worry if I can use the HOV lane or not - its' a mute issue.

DBCassidy

 

??? Where do you live? None of the cities I've been to have HOV lanes. San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland have none AFAIK. Having a PiP gives you no special advantages in the city. HOV lanes are hardly a mute issue though. They typically stop right at the outskirts of the city.

Not sure why your conclusion that purchasing the PiP for HOV access is foolish. It obviously isn't to you so if you bought the car for that sole purpose, it would be foolish. Bisco's mom and I are saving an hour or more off our commute. You can call us foolish for not moving closer to work instead buying a new car. But an hour savings per day, foolish? That's like calling everyone who bought an Advanced PiP foolish because I "think" the features are not worth the extra $7k.

 

I think the sarcasm might be lost on some.

Off-topic : One of the interesting developements that has resulted from HOV lanes is "Slugging".

Slugging - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some interesting, and hilarious stories have been captured on the DC area "slugging" site.

Slug Stories

 

Alright, I'd love to see you take public transit from Torrance to Anaheim. That would take even lower valuations of your own time.
Also, modem, quit confusing me with bisco lol.

 

That happens in the Bay Area due to the faster travel time and reduced toll.
They definitely just call it casual carpool though.

 

BINGO!!!, Cali, needs to expand public transportation, roads are already overloaded, and will (guess what?) even more crowded. Building more roads is not the answer for the metro areas, even id busses were used to commute to / from metro areas - that would be a big plus.

Bottom line: get people out of their cars and into using mass transit, especially in cities where air quality is a major health concern.

DBCassidy

 

IIRC, Lawrence Expressway and San Tomas Expressway in the South Bay do have carpool lanes. However, I'm not sure if the white/green HOV stickers let you drive solo in them. http://www.sccgov.org/rda/expressways2/highoccupancy.pdf mentions others, but I'm not sure how current that file is.