Featured EVs are not for everyone

I hate it when they chime in the "EVs will save most people money over gas vehicles" and then slap up a comparison, not of economy cars, the type of car you'd buy if you're trying to save money, but between two full-sized pickups. For crying out loud! Toss up on that comparison the cheapest EV, perhaps the Nissan Leaf, along with, say, a Kia K4! This kind of marketing "cheap-for-the-rich" marketing drives me away from wanting an EV, and I'm sure there are a lot of others who feel the same way.

With EV incentives still in place in Colorado, I often wonder if I'm missing out on a great opportunity right now to get a good EV.

 

Maybe not for everyone, but for many more than currently own them.
That will change over time, there’s no rush

 

If I was in the market for an EV; I'd buy a used one. The depreciation hit is massive; IMHO. Just make sure you price it with the assumption that it's going to need a new battery in the near future.
I wouldn't even look at full size truck EV, because the numbers don't work out and it isn't cheaper to run one vs gas or diesel. If your actually using it as a work truck, how much time out of your day are you going to have to splice in for charging vs 5-10 minutes at the pumps?
Small econo-box EV's do work for commuters who can plug-in at either ends and charge while working in an office; but very questionable if your using it for work. Time charging is time your not making money.. While it is cheaper to operate overall in high cost gasoline markets; it becomes questionable in low cost gasoline markets. The same can be said if you live in a high cost electricity market.

Just my two cents.....

 

That’s exactly how I use mine, great second car.
I’ve never traveled farther than 30 miles round trip

 

As the tread title states...EVs are not for everyone. What one wants, needs, can afford, justifies and/or chooses is that persons decision.

 

That was my mistake. I had a 1985 VW Golf diesel and bought a 2013 Nissan Leaf. So how do you use the car that's nearly 30 years newer as the second car? Explaining to my wife that we had to take the old diesel to visit her parents and family didn't go over very well.

If I got an EV again, ideally it would be a second car that isn't any nicer than our current car. The problem I have is determining what would work good as a second car, and how would the wife and I transition into owning a good first and a good second car.

 

We’re retired, that helps. We hardly ever need two cars.
If one person’s daily needs are well within the ev range, that works as well.
Plus home charging

 

Free market is a lie. The government also decides what a person should or shouldn't buy. And both sides are as guilty of dictating what the car market should be as the other. Whether it's though incentives or through disincentives like tariffs, the government tries to force people into the kinds of cars the government wants. I am wondering, though, how close we are to the whole thing backfiring and lots of people just simply not being able to afford a car, period.

But who knows. Maybe this time next year there'll be a few Kei cars for sale in the USA and then everyone will be able to afford a car. Otherwise, I'm just wondering how many more months before there are no longer any cars below $30,000 available in the USA.

 

...and I personally remember when a "new car" could be purchased for under $2,000 and gas was $0.25 a gallon.

 

Yep, it’s a shame that government spends so much time and money trying to keep people healthy

 

And? That gives zero context.

A 1950 VW Beetle sold for $1,280, or around $17,275 when adjusting for inflation to 2026. At 2026 numbers, there have historically always been a new car for sale for under $20,000 when adjusting for inflation. The Chevy Trax starts at around $23,500, but Chevy is also adsorbing the tariffs since this car is manufactured in South Korea. So let's tack on 10% or 15% or 25% to that and see how cheap it becomes.

Gasoline should be way more expensive. In many states their roads are falling apart because the road tax on gasoline is a flat rate (about 40 cents a gallon in Colorado) that hasn't been updated in 40 years. So, departments of transportation, both state and by county, are stil making about the same amount of money per length of road as in the 1980's with no increase due to inflation because the tax is flat and not a percentage.

 

My ‘72 fiat was $1,600. New

 

Don't forget the greatly increased fleet average MPG, so that the state (and feds) get less gas tax per vehicle mile traveled, even before accounting for inflation.

 

I own a Prius, RAV4 HV and a ZR1. That's what "I" chose. Choose what "you" want.

 

Did you choose the ones without airbags?

 

Let's not forget the mandated safety and EPA equipment requirements. Air bags and pollution control devices (CAT) aren't cheap. You can't argue the outcomes of crash survival rates and cleaner air; when you compare it to the same time frame along with the added cars currently on the road everyday.
The Kei are stripped-down and purpose built for businesses. They will probably remain on the low end of the market; but the price will increase with whatever NTSB will mandate those vehicles to have installed. We were only allowed to import 20+ year old units, because they side-stepped regulations as a classic car. I know that loophole was closed for a bit - not sure of it's current status.

YMMV

 

Not a choice, but I picked two that are extremely reliable and one that goes over 200 mph while drinking a lot of gas.

 

Exactly. We don’t have complete freedom of choice

 

I cost justified my '23 base GMC Sierra Pro over a '23 Tesla 3.
The T3 crushed the Sierra out to year four and then the vehicles TCOs swapped places.
People forget what TCO REALLY STANDS FOR when they do the stare and compares.

I don't keep vehicles for only 5 years, gas is cheap, electricity is cheaper, and I live less than three miles from work - so I was economically a hard 'No' for a T3...and I have a house with a garage AND I live on free soil so I have the ability to self install a charging circuit.....AND I have the ability to charge for free at work.

Everybody's mileage will vary and SOME people can "statistically" save money with a BEV.
Me?
I might get a PHEV some day because I would like to have access to that many amps in a can as a post-storm power source with limited solar recharging - but the runway is getting shorter and shorter for me so I will probably stick with a golf cart.