I kwow two people that have Volts and both love them. One has his own solar panels on his house so his electrivity is free (after he pays off his invenstment in the panels...about 6 yrs at todays electric prices).

No hate here. House is off grid solar. If there was a good electric Tacoma that would charge off 240v single phase, I'd give it serious thought.

quote:

Originally posted by varoadking:

quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:
Meh, I'd rather drive a Mercedes everyday. And how much do you even spend on gas per week? $20? Probably less, but even if it's $20, that's only $1000 per year.

So if you buy a $7000 car, that's 7 years for break even, not considering your higher power bill each month from charging.

So, yeah, it'll save wear and tear on a vehicle, but that vehicle (2014 E class) isn't even maintenance heavy, at least in the first 5 years or so. (I know, I just sold my 2009 E class.)

Plus, you will have at least some wear and tear on a 2nd car, which lives outside and has huge batteries.

And though it saves you some gas money, it will take it a long time to do so.

I'm with you...the OP sounds like he is looking for a solution to a problem that doesn't exist...

You're right. To a degree. I don't have a problem I'm trying to solve. I'm simply considering dipping my toe in the EV pool. I don't *need* more than one gun (a SIG), but I have three (SIGs). Adding another gun doesn't solve a problem, it satisfies a want. What I'm looking at are the upsides to owning an EV: I have the charger (otherwise I wouldn't even be considering this). Many of my drives are short distances. I don't need large (I live alone and I don't haul trees, tools, equipment or similar).

My gas costs for my Merc is actually more than $20/week. I log my fillups. Just yesterday I paid $27.08 for 11.290 gallons of premium at Costco (lowest price around: $2.40/gal.). An overnight charge on an EV runs around $1.20. Even with my driving pattern, which might require two charges a week, that's still less than 10% of my gas costs. Keeping the mileage low on the Merc isn't a primary concern. I just turned over 18,000 miles on it, and it's over two years old.

Like I said, I have the opportunity to get a taste of the future at a very low entry price. The Smart lets me walk in, pay cash and drive away. Registration + insurance would add to my cost, as would property tax, but there's no monthly payment. Also, the Smart I'm looking at has an interesting Mercedes/Daimler program called Battery Assurance Plan. That could actually work AGAINST my choosing it. As I understand it, the BAP is a battery "rental" program, which assures that the car will have a workable battery at all times. But there is a cost (I think it's $80/month). If that's a mandatory program, that negates the fuel cost saving in a hurry!

quote:

Originally posted by fpuhan:
My gas costs for my Merc is actually more than $20/week. I log my fillups. Just yesterday I paid $27.08 for 11.290 gallons of premium at Costco (lowest price around: $2.40/gal.).

yeah but that 11.3 gallons of fuel will take you 250 miles, at least. If your trips are almost all around 5 miles or less, how long does a fill up last you?

I do agree that short trips in a car is not all that good for it, but I actually think EV's shine a whole lot more when you push them to their charge limit on a commute. So a 25 or 30 mile commute saves you a lot more than a 5 mile commute.

All said, you're gonna get one if you want it. It's just not what I would do. If I had a commute that would be well suited for an EV, I wouldn't ALSO have $30,000 worth of Mercedes in the garage. I'd sell it and get a different, cheaper, fun car, like maybe an old SL.

The 2017 Ford Focus Electric has just been upgraded in range and charging capability (has the fast DC charge as an option).

It also looks more like a normal car. I've been considering this as an option for my commute.

quote:

so I'm now considering purchasing a used, cheap EV to complement my very enjoyable 2014 Mercedes-Benz E350 Coupe 4Matic.

There are a LOT of "off grid" types in Colorado.

Many of them generate their own electricity and sell the excess back. The problem is they only get credit, not actual cash, for their power and they draw less from the grid than they sell back on an annual basis.

So, how to get paid for all that energy credit?

Buy an electric vehicle and use the credit to buy "gas".

When I used to compete locally there would always be 5-6 Prius or Insights in the parking area, loaded with guns and ammo. I used to joke that the cars were going to spontaneously combust from the paradox.

The technology has only gotten better since then.

Since it doesn't sound like you'll be generating your own electricity you'll want to compare cost of gas vs electric but if the math works out why not?

Nothing against EVs, but I think there is a flaw in your decision making process. It seems like with your short commute that this purchase is not financially beneficial. And you said that if the house had not come with the charging station you would not even consider an EV.

I have to ask, if the previous owner had left behind a boat trailer, would you be shopping for a boat? Okay, not a perfect analogy because you have expressed an interest in EVs, and this would be a way to "test the waters". But I don't think you'll learn much or maybe anything with this purchase. None of us doubt that it will get you to work and back. I don't think it will tell you anything about what it would be like to drive a Tesla as your primary vehicle.

So if you concede that it won't save you any money, what do you hope to learn from buying it?

quote:

Originally posted by honestlou:
Nothing against EVs, but I think there is a flaw in your decision making process. It seems like with your short commute that this purchase is not financially beneficial. And you said that if the house had not come with the charging station you would not even consider an EV.

I have to ask, if the previous owner had left behind a boat trailer, would you be shopping for a boat? Okay, not a perfect analogy because you have expressed an interest in EVs, and this would be a way to "test the waters". But I don't think you'll learn much or maybe anything with this purchase. None of us doubt that it will get you to work and back. I don't think it will tell you anything about what it would be like to drive a Tesla as your primary vehicle.

So if you concede that it won't save you any money, what do you hope to learn from buying it?

Great question(s)! A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of seeing a BMW i8 up close. My dentist owns a Tesla Model S. I like the looks of, and have read glowing reports of, the BMW i3. I really do believe electric and/or hydrogen vehicles are the cars of the future. There's only so much fossil fuel science and culture will provide.

I also am a bit of a "battery phobe." Whenever one of my handheld devices is on battery power, I worry about how much charge I have, and how long I have before I'm not able to use the device. (By the way, I think battery technology is the unheralded technology of the 20th and 21st centuries!). I've gotten a whole lot better about this with smart phones and watches. It would be an education to get an idea of how and when the battery on an EV is discharging, how long it takes to re-charge, and so on.

If price weren't an option, I'd be at the BMW dealer today (it's less than two miles from me) getting on board with an i3. And if I weren't buying a new home right now and selling another, maybe I still would. But this way, I can spend a modest amount on a car that doesn't require a lot of maintenance, is cheap to insure, and is cheap to run.

Yes, it's a little crazy. But so is buying a barn full of guns, a mansion full of guitars or any of the many things we do to satisfy our urges (yes, I have a gun collection. And a guitar collection...). I remember feeling a little guilty when I bought my first Mercedes, back in 1995. But a friend of mine simply asked me, "Can you afford it?" When I said I could, his only reply was, "then you deserve it."

quote:

is a hybrid.

Actually it is not, it is a short-medium range ev that happens to have a gas generator on board. The engine never starts if you don't run the charge down, but if you do, it is there for you.

My wife is at 2500mi on the tank we put in January 4th. Still has half a tank and we will probably have the engine run in maintenance mode soon because it won't let the gas go bad.

Some folks have hinted and mentioned it briefly, but my primary concern would be passenger safety. Yours, and whoever rides in it with you.

There isn't much there to protect the occupants, and if another vehicle is at speed, they can do you tremendous harm. Statistically, 77% of auto crashes occur within 15 miles of home. And if you look at some of the crash test videos on youtube, it would make me second guess the wisdom of carrying passengers (or myself) in it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iKGfo1wmOM

I think I've discovered a way to mollify the smart car haters.

Speaking of your picture, fpuhan, I would definitely purchase a Smart car.....as long as it had a GSXR or Hayabusa engine installed in it!!
Just check the youtube videos.