Featured I don't want an EV. I want an affordable plug-in hybrid that doesn't look stupid. Rocket science?

RAV4 PHEV as far as I know you get the same cargo space as Hybrid or ICE. What's not to like? Except price, and in Virginia with our annual car tax, it helps to keep price low. EV's might start to make more sense here in Virginia due to the news about faster depreciation, saves you car taxes, a defacto incentive here (compared to my RAV4HV which is not depreciating very much). If we turn bluer, which looks certain, Va. will probably add EV incentives. Actually Virginia already added EV incentives but is unfunded to date. The faster depreciation plus pending state credits will combine to make EV's look more cost-effective here.

 

the price?

 

Maybe AI can figure it out and tell us what to do. This is too hard. In 1975 you could buy a new Ford Bronco $4000, and sell it now for $40000, if you kept it up.
I actually wanted to do that but the wife at the time no no nonono. Buy Amazon in May 1997 with 2nd house sale proceeds? No no nono no.

 

That last one was costly, missing out on 600-1200X appreciation. If it is any consolation, I didn't buy any of it either.

Earlier I did buy a 1986 Honda Accord that wasn't really necessary, though at least it was a far better vehicle than the not-very-old other car kept as a spare, covering for the gf's ongoing car troubles. Kept it until getting my first Prius, almost 23 years later. But if I'd put that same money into a small local company that went IPO earlier that year (starts with M), bailed out at Y2K, parked it in an 18 month CD, then bought into that other local company, Amazon, I'd now be a multi-billionaire. Even after taxes. A missed opportunity. But at least it did buy greatly reduced domestic stress from car troubles.

Now, if I did either of those, then switched to Bitcoin when I first heard of it, I could now be funding the entire North Korean government, including its nuclear weapons and missile development programs, from the many security breaches of and thefts from crypto-currency exchanges and 'secure' online banks.

If AI could figure this out, it would also derail and wreck it when everyone with the same AI access attempts to hop onto the train at once.

At least I also didn't buy any JDS Uniphase, Enron, WorldCom, Global Crossing, or Washington Mutual. Long term, they didn't do quite as well. So ended up just rising well with the market's long-term tide, a far more certain thing that doesn't depend on huge amounts of gambler's luck.

 

With new EV's, yes. But with used EV's, I'm not so sure.

 

The expected life of batteries doesn’t change. Just take the expected lifetime when new and subtract the age of the car.
With used, you do need to consider mistreatment by former owner(s).
The studies done though, are valid for new or used.

 

plenty of horror stories here about used cars. ev's are no different than gassers.

and leaf has a bad rep, but there are lots of old leaves on the road with 80 100 miles left in them.

 

You can understand all you like about battery technology, but everyone is terrified about being >$35k in debt on the side of the road with a battery error blinking on the dash.

 

Maybe you need to stop listening to your wife.

Bronco with inflation that money would be $22K, kind of a high risk endevor unless you had an extra space in a garage for it, did your own maintenance, and the money laying around. Put the $4K in the S&P 500 and it would be $900K and no storage or maintenance needed (although you would have to pay tax on and reinvest dividends. Yeah amazon even a better bet but harder to put an entire house sale in, maybe half would work.

 

Irritating was mine:

• Hot day, 95 F
• 1/2 mi from Superchargers

Lessons learned:

• Press cars driven by reviewers have a battery reserve not found in 100,000 mi, 4 year old Tesla. Towed to Supercharger.
• AARP default does not include tow. Added tow to auto insurance.
• Stress caused 12V battery to fail … but it was due, 4 years.

Bob Wilson

 

My 12V gave a warning at 3.5 years. Tesla drove to my house and replaced it under waranty. But yes, don't assume a reserve and ac at least at the start of the trip uses a lot of energy. I actually love that I can turn the ac or heat on in a closed garage on hot days though and get it at a proper temperature.

 

i wouldn't say everyone is terrified, but many people are. it's no problem, we don't want overnight adoption, just a nice slow consistent growth, that the charging infrastructure, battery technology, renewables and the grid can keep up with.

 

Was never terrified of being stuck on the side of the road with a ‘battery error light’.
I was terrified once of my ICE car throwing a rod when it started making a funny noise (it did, lesson learned).

 

How many did you buy secondhand? Trying to stay in context here.

With a new one and a reasonable warranty I'd have no worry, and I think most people wouldn't.

It's the used ones that bring some real doubts.

 

Two, although I suppose a used car is in context in this case.

My first new car was a Saturn SL1
Loved the car, and the lack of dealer shenanigans (ok, far fewer than normal).

Edit****. Aha, wait, you were asking how many used BEVs I’ve had? Just one, but it wasn’t a private sale, it was a manufacturer certified, so perhaps not as ‘on point’??

 

My wife called me 4 km from the cottage saying the engine of our Tucson was doing a weird noise. Took the ATV, met here by the road, yep. Unusual noise. Had the vehicle towed to the cottage, then to the dealership (thank God for CAA). Blown engine :-(

Fortunately, it didn't happen 400 km from home the previous weekend when she and our youngest daughter went to Québec city to go get her golden retriever puppy.

 

Boo! Happy new year!

 

You too!

At least, it allowed us to make the purchase of the Model 3 earlier than anticipated lol.

 

My first car was a 1966 VW MicroBus. I replaced the middle seats with a single, metal frame, bed. Under the bed, I had a box of spare parts, tool box, and folded cardboard box to lay on for maintenance and repairs.

Bob Wilson

 

Those were the days...

Had a VW type 3 fastback. Took out the front seat and put a baby bassinet in its place for a month assignment in GA and down from DC area. with a 8 month old. Switched motels to one across the street and saved a $1 a night (company was paying) to be closer to laundry for cloth diapers.