Ford just dropped their EV and Toyota never really got on board and spent the R&D money on hybrid tech.

Look at a hybrid. Mileage in high 40’s low 50’s
Don’t need to invest extra in a house charger etc. can still gas up the traditional way.

I have a 2020 Chevy Bolt LT. 250+ mile range and I have a level 2 at home after a fuse box replacement (which I needed anyway) it’s a nice electric car I picked mine up used at a Chevy dealer 14999 I love it.

There is really only one answer..

TESLA

we looked hard and long when it came time to replace my wife’s Grand Cherokee diesel, which we loved but we usually keep our vehicles ten years and it’s time was up.

Like the OP’s wife my wife doesn’t drive as much as when the kids were home and since she works from home. We figured why not, let’s try an EV out. We researched a bunch and test drive a few.

The bottom line is that Tesla is WAY out in front as far as tech is concerned and that coupled with the charging network made the decision a no brainer.

We originally thought that we would just use the supplied charging cord and plug it into one of the standard 110V plugs in the garage which we did. But then we discovered that with the federal tax credit and the rebate from our utility company the installation of a Tesla ( in our case 60 amp) charger was basically FREE so we did it.

Since we bought our Y long range we have taken it on several 400 mile trips and since the car automatically routes you based on how much charge you have and how much you’ll need to complete your journey “range anxiety” is a non issue.

You can go online and set up an appointment for a test drive with zero pressure from anyone while you’re there. We test drove a 3 and a Y and chose the Y for the room.

If you decide to eventually get one I can get you an additional $1000 off by using my referral code (shameless plug! ). The other benefit is that the purchase process can be done completely online and the price quoted is exactly the price you’ll pay. No dealer BS..

Let me know if you have any other questions.

I have to disagree on Tesla being the answer. I think the build quality is questionable, and I can’t get on board with the electric-only aspect.

I believe that the path going forward is that of the plug-in hybrid, which is where Toyota is focusing most of their r&d energy. It’s the best of both worlds, charge to at home and make local trips on electric, and fly by the charging stations while on a road trip.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
And since your wife doesnt drive enough to charge the VW battery, the EV may have enough parasitic drain to discharge its battery before she can blast off. Can you leave your EV plugged in for days at a time? And at what cost? Would being constantly plugged in damage the EV battery?
Before I went EV, I would want to know the answers to these questions.

Let me answer your questions (at least as it pertains to Tesla)

1. The parasitic drain is very minor. We have left our Y unplugged for weeks when we’re away. Leaving your Tesla plugged in constantly is actually what is recommended by Tesla. You go on your app and set the state of charge you want to maintain (usually 60-80% for me) and voila! It’s done.

2. The cost for home charging is very low compared to a gas or hybrid vehicle. I have run the numbers but I’m not home currently. As I remember it is about a third of what a gas car would be.

Tesla has opened up its charging network to a couple of other brands. You need an adapter to use the Tesla/NACS chargers except on the newest supercharger. They have the adapter built in.

The first brand allowed access was Ford then Rivian. Eventually I see Tesla charging networks open to most all EV vehicles.

Yes, I have an adapter…

In the next few years most EV’s will have the NACS port.

Unless you've got new car fever, I'd recommend the battery tender or variation of it as well.

If she drives rarely enough for the battery to die, she's also not putting much fuel in it either. Which is another point against the Plug-In Hybrid EV, because it uses regular gas. That diesel Passat can sit for a LONG time and not have issues other than the battery because it's diesel. Throw gas into the mix and now you potentially have the gas going bad, which would be, well, bad.

Everybody get the choose what they want. In my world as has been stated here by several posters. The cost of electricity, installing charging stations in your home The possibility of a battery fire among a few other things. An Ev doesn't pan out for me. ymmv

For many considering an ev like the op and vtail. Probably would not put more than a tank or two of gas in it in a year if that. And a simple $5 bottle of a fuel additive and you are good to go almost indefinitely. And no charging a hybrid. Again, ymmv.

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
If the Passat is OK other than the charging issue, consider a battery tender with a quick connect harness (example below) from the battery to exterior for the connection. The mileage is hard to beat and you already own it.
All in, you'll be well under a hundred bucks.

They can't be plugged in backwards and take zero technical skills beyond the initial installation, which takes minimal skills.
Once a week overnight should be enough but it can be left on if the car sits for any time.

Harness:
https://www.amazon.com/Battery...d=AC0UA62Z9ZBMG&th=1

Battery Tender unit:
https://www.amazon.com/Battery...sspa_dk_detail_img_1

Thats brilliant, I'll look into it, thank you!

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
You can get a solar charger for the battery. I used to use one on my police car (lots of vampire drain due to lightbar, radios, camera, etc)
It plugs into the cigarette lighter port, lay it on the dash and GTG

We've been out of town for a month on a road trip; I'm scared to try to go turn my rig on, though I don't currently have a camera, so there's less drain. Thats a great idea thank you.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
My apologies Anubismp to you and your wife. Obviously I am not a fan of ev's or the green deal bs. And let my disdain for these things lead me to make a post in poor taste. Sorry.

This is the benefit of years of reading your posts, I feel I know you better than that post. I appreciate it, no harm done.

I'm had my Tesla Model 3 for almost 3 years. So far no issues and no complaints. It's the household main car for doing all the pick ups/drop offs, grocery getter and etc.

It's fun to drive with the torque and I've got a home charger. $7 to top it off to 350 miles of range.

Not trying to save the planet with a EV. Just makes sense for our house and it's fun to drive. 0-60 in around 4 seconds.

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:
Harness:
https://www.amazon.com/Battery...d=AC0UA62Z9ZBMG&th=1

Battery Tender unit:
https://www.amazon.com/Battery...sspa_dk_detail_img_1

If you go with a battery maintainer, consider BatteryMINDer. They are a bit more expensive than a
Deltran Battery tender, but they have a desulfating feature that will keep your battery healthier in the long run. They offer flooded and AGM models.
 
Also, the ring terminal harness you linked to is 18" long. You can get 4ft and 6ft harnesses on Amazon. These allow you to route the cable to the front, with the plug outside (through the grill or under the grill, depending on the vehicle). This allows you to plug it in without raising the hood, which in turn leads to connecting it more often.

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:

If you go with a battery maintainer, consider BatteryMINDer. They are a bit more expensive than a Deltran Battery tender, but they have a desulfating feature that will keep your battery healthier in the long run.

There are several BatteryMINDer models that are aviation specific. Many people at Our Little Airport use them to prolong the life of the expen$ive aircraft batteries.

There has been a BatteryMINDer on every airplane that has been housed in my hangar.

A battery tender is worth discussing. Hybrids may also be an option. not all hybrids can charge their 12v systems from the hybrid battery pack. not the easiest thing to tell. so they may also have start up issues.

Pure EV's will have some vampire drain as well. depending on climate. they will lose range just sitting around. hopefully not enough to make it an issue when you need it.

id also compare insurance rate differences. some insurance companies are starting to charge much more to cover an EV due to repair costs of EV's.

my wife has a Rivian R1S. we absolutely love the thing, but id probably like it just as much with a v8

quote:

Originally posted by 220-9er:

Harness:
https://www.amazon.com/Battery...d=AC0UA62Z9ZBMG&th=1

Battery Tender unit:
https://www.amazon.com/Battery...sspa_dk_detail_img_1

Battery Tender also has an OBDII charging adapter, you can plug right into the cars diagnostic port to charge so you don't have to connect any cables to a battery.

You can also connect their solar panel to this adapter

Pretty neat stuff.

Link OBDII Adapter

Why not just get a battery tender or charger that's hard mounted for the Passat??? Plug it in to charge the battery a couple of nights a week?

Hertz is selling Tesla's right now very heavily discounted, they were a huge FLOP for rental cars. $20-30k for 2022-2023's.

My brother encountered a bidding war when he sold his prius with 85,000 miles on it.

He would buy another in a minute.

At one time, IC cars also struggled with extremely light duty cycles due to the fluids not getting warm enough to move around - axles, transmissions, the various pumps etc.

Personally, I like the idea of using horses, but that’s because I like horses.