quote:

Originally posted by HRK:

quote:

Originally posted by nhtagmember:
I’ve never understood the EV hysteria.

I was the same until I drove them, once you have and get over the range anxiety, which isn't a thing anymore for 99% of the country, they make a lot of sense for daily commutes over ICE.

Plus even the slow ones are super quick, some are blindingly fast for the street as is any Plaid model in the Tesla line or PGT's Lucid Gravity GT... They are quieter than comparable ICE vehicles and smooth to drive.

Not to mention, you don't have to stop and get robbed at any gas stations, in fact I've been in maybe three gas stations since we turned on the home charging system. I've saved a ton on WaWa sub sandwich's and iced drinks alone!

Then again a 5.0 GT Mustang was burbling by in the Publix parking lot, that v8 sounds good...

I read where the Mach-E may be on the way out at Ford as they are redoing EV's completely as Ford learns how China is building them for less, a lot less.

Festus, Teslas with the FSD active is a big thing for seniors, it helps with driving as it can self drive you as you get older and concerned with getting out in traffic due to slower reflexes and feel safer.

That’s so true. The government screwed up by pushing them too hard so people naturally recoiled. If you have charging at home the EV has the highest return customers in the industry. Almost everyone that has experienced one says the same thing. Once you’ve driven a good EV for a while an ICE vehicle feels very out of date and old technology.

I bought the Mercedes coupe shown in my pic parked in the garage back in August as a fun weekend car. I've spent more than the car cost me on required work to get it reliable (went in eyes open on this) and it's been in and out of the shop much of this spring as we got it fully sorted. I love both and even more, love not being being forced into one by the Government. I get to choose what I want to drive each day...depending on where I'm going and what I need that day.

The MB came out on Sat night for a cancer fundraiser car event and again for a local Cars and Coffee on Father's Day as my daughter asked if we could go and take the V12 twin turbo. Been driving the Lucid the last two days as I had to make a run to to Old Town Alexandria yesterday to do a friend-to-friend literal-trunk-sale-in-an-alley before assault weapons are banned next week here in VA. It was pouring down rain, the alley was an old cobblestone street and I could raise the Lucid up to it's highest level whereas the MB would have dragged on the cobbles.

I think electric cars have a HELL of a way to go before they begin to really challenge ICE vehicles. They should pay attention to what electric dirt bikes are doing in my opinion.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to ride a high power electric dirtbike around Norfolk Virginia. Technically the bike was not street legal but it could easily be made legal.

Full disclosure: I have been a HUGE electric motorcycle hater in the past. The EridePro e-dirtbike I rode blew my mind and completely changed my opinion. It isn’t even close to the top tier in terms of e-dirtbike performance but it was still wild as hell.

I liken it to a Honda Grom (super light motorcycle) in terms of handling/weight but with the acceleration of a 650cc-750cc street bike up to about 55-65 mph. After about 60 it plateaus and the acceleration falls off. But for around town riding it is mental and the regenerative braking is tunable on the fly with a button on the left side of the handlebars and not only saves your brakes but extends your range. These things are AMAZING. I rode around for an hour and half and only saw the battery go down by 11 percent!

I rofe around for an hour and half all over Ghent and saw the battleship Wisconsin, the jade garden thing near the battleship and rode a ton of backroads and neighborhoods I had never seen before.

It was one of the most fun rides I’d ever been on.

Once these e-dirt bikes become dual sports (street legal) and get priced around Honda Grom/Z125 Pro pricing it’s going to be a game changer. I wasn’t being an asshole and doing wheelies so I didn’t attract any attention from law enforcement, hopefully the chuckleheads don’t get this things banned before they get a chance to become a viable & legal mode of transportation.

Battery swaps on these things take only a few minutes! Electric cars cannot do that.

Another compliant I have is some states (Commonwealth of Kentucky) will send you an additional tax bill/fee/whatever for owning a hybrid or electric vehicle. And this is on top of the ridiculous yearly vehicle tax you already pay.

This is part of the save the planet drive a hybrid scam.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
Another compliant I have is some states (Commonwealth of Kentucky) will send you an additional tax bill/fee/whatever for owning a hybrid or electric vehicle. And this is on top of the ridiculous yearly vehicle tax you already pay.

Is the additional tax to cover the road-use tax the EV owner didn't pay by not buying gasoline/diesel?

Yes.

quote:

Originally posted by DrDan:

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
Another compliant I have is some states (Commonwealth of Kentucky) will send you an additional tax bill/fee/whatever for owning a hybrid or electric vehicle. And this is on top of the ridiculous yearly vehicle tax you already pay.

Is the additional tax to cover the road-use tax the EV owner didn't pay by not buying gasoline/diesel?

Georgia has something similar. Tag renewals are like $230 or so. Was a surprise for me the first year.

And how is that tax a failure of the EV?

It isn't, it's been one of the things the EV crowd has enjoyed for the years that they have been pushed into production and the market.

Governments get on the feel good bandwagon and give out $$$ to get the market moving, then forget or ignore the road tax income situation when nobody is buying fuel.

Stick I bet that little electric bike is fun, I rode the HD Livewire when it came out, they had them at the demo tent in Daytona, and it was really interesting, you had two drive modes, and in full power it was unreal quick. For me at my size it didn't work in the same way a small cc bike doesn't work.

If HD had built it with more of a laid back cruiser vibe it might have survived, lots of HD owners own more than one bike, range was an issue back then as was charging.

Super Unleaded is $4.64 a gallon, that's what my old F150 required, didn't buy a gallon today,

The real rub is that a lot EV people can’t just say it works for them and explain the hows and whys it works for them. No, they have to say that because it works for them, it must work for everyone else as well if everyone else would just change. These people support their claims with fuzzy math, false logic, and name calling. We have both kinds of EV music.

Its no different than ICE people who've never owned or driven and EV to tell everyone why they are wrong, don't work, never will work, or one excuse over the other why it's not feasable.

quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:

Once these e-dirt bikes become dual sports (street legal) and get priced around Honda Grom/Z125 Pro pricing it’s going to be a game changer.

I can certainly see the appeal for some applications.

It's still going to take some time before the practical range comes close to something like a Honda Grom.
I could leave my driveway with an extra 5 gallon can of fuel strapped on the back on our Grom and go an astonishing 750+ miles. Those little engines are amazing. A 5 minute stop to refuel and I would be off again for another 750+ miles. My butt hurts just thinking about it.

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:
So, do the resale values of these things drop like a rock? Does a 1-2-year-old vehicle make it appealing as an "Around town" car? What brands would be the ones to look at?

No input, Ladies and Gentlemen?

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:
So, do the resale values of these things drop like a rock? Does a 1-2-year-old vehicle make it appealing as an "Around town" car? What brands would be the ones to look at?

No input, Ladies and Gentlemen?

why buy one? you can lease a model 3 for $350

Define drop like a rock.

New Porsche Taycan Turbo S - starting at $220k
Used 2021 with 30k miles - $80k

Don't ask how they turbo charge an EV.

New Porsche 911 Turbo - starting at $255k
Used 2021 911 Turbo - $225k

Most 911s are turbo charged, don't ask how they turbo charged what has already been turbo charged.

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:
So, do the resale values of these things drop like a rock? Does a 1-2-year-old vehicle make it appealing as an "Around town" car? What brands would be the ones to look at?

No input, Ladies and Gentlemen?

Yes resale typically is pretty low, and depends on market forces such as the Iran War driving up fuel costs tends to help keep them more expensive.

Like most over the top high end lux vehicles, the resale is no where near retail, outside of specific low volume high demand high performance vehicles.

A 1--2 year old EV for everyday transportation is a great idea, the key is to install a 240v plug in the garage or on the house and charge at home where there is no add on for the service as is done at Tesla or other EV charging stations. Every day you leave with a full charge and most of them now get 300+ miles on a full charge so you can run a lot of errands and drive right past the gas stations.

Tesla Model 3 and Y, Chevrolet Equinox or Blazer, and you'd be surprised at the low cost of picking up an Audi EV or BMW I series EV that has come off lease. $30K or less depending on the model, trim, miles...

Polestar is exiting the US market and concentrating on the EU only, so those will be showing up super cheap as people jump ship to other brands.

Check on Tyler Hoovies Garage page where he gets his wife a used Audi EV that retailed over $70K for around $25K.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1478311907313110

https://x.com/itskyleconner/st.../1950914644610044206

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Define drop like a rock.

lol Let me clarify I’m considering something to scoot around town under 30 miles. Keep some miles off my regular vehicles when doing the honey-do list.

Certainly, nothing high-end on the contrary.

I don't know if there's certain brands and models to look at and more importantly, what I want to run away from, immediately.

I may be off, but I have to think the resale value of a 3+ year-old EV has to have huge depreciation based on battery age alone.

The newest kid coming on the market is the Slate truck.

Starting at $24,950.

Cheap run around until you do the add ons to customize.

Amazon product…

Replace batteries how frequently? Based on time (age only) or by number of miles?

I have to believe that the batteries are very costly - true?

We have a 2014 Ford Escape with only 35,000 miles, obviously for trips to Doctors and very limited around town for groceries, pharmacy, bank etc. We keep mobility products in the back… really do not see changing vehicles at our age and physical conditions!

Opinions appreciated!

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:
So, do the resale values of these things drop like a rock? Does a 1-2-year-old vehicle make it appealing as an "Around town" car? What brands would be the ones to look at?

No input, Ladies and Gentlemen?

Like a Mercedes or Jaguar and many “luxury” cars, yes the depreciation is hefty. Those, you drive off the lot new, and soon as you hit city pavement, you lose $10k or more. EV’s, buy them used. Do not buy them new. I just got done with a Leaf I used for a commuter car for 12 years straight. From initially leasing it to owning it was $19,500 all in, every dollar spent. I sold it for $5500 12 years later to a neighbor who wanted right of refusal for the past 5 years. It think the original sticker price was $36-37k with the Bose Sound system, a factory option.
12 years, zero failures. Replaced in cabin air filters every few years. New 12v battery (like ICE) every 3-4 years. Of course tires. I flushed the brake fluid once, half way at year 6. And I thought the AC broke at one point but I had just used up all the refrigerant. No leaks, no ac pulley failure.. just needed refrigerant refilled. New owner has the Leaf spy (OBDII reader thing) and I think range lost in 12 years was 15%. They are using the shit out of it, more mileage than I was doing with it.

I replaced it with another one but much newer and triple the range. It had 3k miles on it and was essentially brand new. Not a mark on it and still under bumper to bumper factory warranty. So in essence a CPO. I paid $19,500 for this one as well. The Monroney sticker was double that when new. I was going to buy a GR86 for a daily but that would have cost me double and the first one I owned proved that the EV toaster was cheaper to purchase, insure, and a fraction of the running costs. Nissan just swapped the Leaf from a hatchback to a CUV and I loathe CUV’s and grabbed one of the last hatchbacks in my state. The last year Nissan produced the hatchback Leaf was ‘25. So I’d look for a ‘24 or ‘25. Get one with low miles and you should still be under the factory bumper to bumper warranty. They can be had for $16-22k. I can’t speak for other EV’s, as I have only driven them, not owned, but these Nissans have been brick shit reliable for me.
The newer one is a lot faster than the previous, albeit heavier. Double the HP and more TQ. But for me it’s perfect for a daily as nobody pays attention to it. My old one had these raised up headlights that looked EV. Newer one just looks like your run of the mill hatchback. Looking at it you can’t even tell it’s an EV. Looks like a gas hatch. The OEM tires are for hypermiling. They work well enough but I drive them like sportscars and my old one I tried to move my rims and tires to the new one but my neighbor said no way LOL. So I’m full sending these tires to their graveyard every drive. Conti makes a stickier tire for handling. But I say that and my gas vehicles are the same. I replace the tires. Factory tires are not my jam.