[LightningBolt]

Hello everyone!

My old clunker may last another 2-3 years and I plan to switch it out with an electric one but they usually cost a lot more than regular cars. The Chevy Bolt caught my eye because it's an electric car that is estimated to be around $30k which is more than reasonable for me.

Of course if I do go with the Chevy Bolt, it will be in that nice orange in the top banner.

 

[volta]

They are generally more expensive. The Leaf comes in pretty low at just above $20k when the tax breaks are factored in. http://www.nissanusa.com/electric-cars/leaf/

 

[LightningBolt]

I've never seen an electric car that affordable before and it's 10k less than the Bolt. Thanks for the tip! It'll still be a while before my current car dies so I'll have a bit of time to decide.

 

[volta]

So what are you driving right now?

 

[LightningBolt]

Sorry for the late reply. I think mine is a 2004 Toyota Camry. Not too sure about the specific year but that's the estimate. It's a pretty hardy vehicle but the design is outdated and a few extra repairs were needed recently.

 

[volta]

Toyotas are really reliable so you should be fine to wait for however long it takes for the Bolt to come out or for you to save up or whatnot.

Since you had a Toyota before, have you thought about the Prius? These are pictures of the next-gen Prius (allegedly).

 

[LightningBolt]

Mine has lasted this long with the things I out it through so an extra year or two on the road should be fine.

Haven't thought about the Prius as I thought it was a hybrid. Is the next gen Prius a hybrid too or will it run on electricity only?

 

[volta]

I think it is a hybrid, but you can drive it using only the electric motor. That range is not that significant though, but it would most likely get you from home to work and back each day.

There’s also a new version of the Prius Plug-In Hybrid in the works—expected this time to have an improved range that's closer to 30 or 35 miles of range rather than the current car’s paltry 11 miles.

 

[Roth33d]

That it should, one of the key motivations with these right now is just that, that with every day commutes it can run on all electric power. And the great thing is more and more parkades have charging stations, so you can charge while at work.

 

[Raymondjram]

Volta, that is a false report. The EPA has rated the plug-in Prius as having a 11 mile range on "blended mode" which burns gasoline (as a hybrid), but only six miles in EV only. The Chevy Volt has a minimum 35 mile range on EV only and some owners have passed 50 miles (search the forum at www.gm-volt.com for the postings). That makes the Volt the only 50-mile EV (which runs 100% on electricity at all times) that can also extend its range on gasoline at 40 MPG when needed , too. No Toyota product can beat that!

BTW, the next generation 2016 Chevy Volt has an EPA rating of 53 miles which can easily be beaten and give over 70 miles of EV only miles, reaching the Nissan Leaf's range. If you want to drive electric most of the time, get the 2016 Volt, which is the only EV that has the best EV range, and can extend your trips using gasoline. But if you want to drive over 200 miles on electricity only, wait for the Chevy Bolt EV next year, and don't buy any imported EV.

Keep your mone in America!

 

[LightningBolt]

I have time to decide but at this point it seems like the Chevy Bolt EV will be the one for me with 200 miles on electricity only. If I'm going to go the electric route I may as well go full electric instead of hybrid.

 

[Roth33d]

I have time to decide but at this point it seems like the Chevy Bolt EV will be the one for me with 200 miles on electricity only. If I'm going to go the electric route I may as well go full electric instead of hybrid.

The other benefit for me is knowing that they're using technology that has long been in development used in production vehicles as well... a lot of weeding out of issues and refinement in the process. Having confidence in a product is important to me.