Chevy Bolt EV Forum banner
  • Hey Guest, welcome to ChevyBolt.org. We encourage you to register to engage in conversations about your Bolt.

Your next EV

13699 Views 73 Replies 35 Participants Last post by  BoltevTy
My second car is a Ford Explorer and I just calculated my wife spends about $4000 a year in gas. I am going to have a solar system that would be able to pay for all of my electric and two EV's. With California's NET metering 2.0 I will be stuck paying $0.02 per kWh for any electricity used from the grid, so my electric bill per year will be about $500 for two EV's and my house demands. Now the dilemma starts, what EV will work for me?

A second Bolt won't work for me. I need more space for taking our family of 6, well 4 and 2 dogs, on longer trips. I know there are SUV (or minivan) PHEV available, but my wife commutes 50 miles each way to work and can't charge at work. I would love a Model S, but even the CPO Model S sold by Tesla are ridiculously high right now. I am thinking that they are not selling the used Model S cars they buy because they are accumulating them for loaners in case the Model 3 has issues. I think the best way to buy a Model S right now is from a private seller.

The Hyundai Kona will be about the same size as the Bolt, so that EV won't satisfy my needs. If I win the lottery I will buy the Jaguar I-Pace, but even the base model will be about $80,000. I have never spent above $30,000 for a brand new car, so I can't justify that purchase. I would also love the VW EV Bus that is being designed now, but 2022 is too far away.

As much as I hate it, I may put down $1000 for the Model 3. I think it would have enough space for long trips and even if it takes 2 years, it may be the only EV that checks off the majority of my wants. Is anyone here debating on buying another EV and what are they waiting for?
21 - 40 of 74 Posts
I plan on my '12 Volt to last me for several more years (have owned it for 5.5 years so far). But if it were to die tomorrow, I'm not 100% sure what I would replace it with. Possibly another used gen 1 Volt to tide me over till the next must have plug-in comes out.
If a Volt the shape of an Equinox was available, I would get that in a heartbeat to compliment the Bolt. I'd like to someday go 100% BEV, but we're not quite there yet infrastructure wise.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
My lease is up in June 2020, and my next EV will most likely be from a brand that’s still eligible for the $7500 tax break.

That will eliminate GM, Tesla, Nissan, and possibly Toyota.

It will be hard for a manufacturer to offer lease pricing that’s competitive without the tax break. On a three year lease that $7.5k takes about $200 a month off the lease payment.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
My lease is up in June 2020, and my next EV will most likely be from a brand that’s still eligible for the $7500 tax break.

With our current administration I don't think that the rebate will be around that long. Maybe it will survive 2019, maybe...


I think there will be a greater possibility of you installing a "clean coal" plant in your backyard for an IRS credit in 2020.
  • Like
Reactions: 2
With our current administration I don't think that the rebate will be around that long. Maybe it will survive 2019, maybe...


I think there will be a greater possibility of you installing a "clean coal" plant in your backyard for an IRS credit in 2020.
The law is still in effect with no expiration date, other than the manufacturer phase-out once 200,000 EVs are sold.

I think that there’s a decent chance it will survive through 2020. Many manufacturers lobby hard for this tax break, including some with plants in red states, such as Hyundai in Alabama. Most senators and legislators are loathe to vote against a break that supports local jobs.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Let's mark this thread "Solved"!!

Porsche Mission-E - if I like it once I see the product - will trade the Tesla Model S for the Mission-E - we'll see how the product is when it comes out.



Porsche has turned its Mission E into a lifted wagon to bring us the Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo!


  • This four-door, four-seat, all-wheel-drive 250 - 330+ Mile range - fully electric crossover is able to charge via an 800-volt fast charger or inductive charging. That's a 80% charge in just 15 minutes on the new Porsche Ultra-Charging network being deployed Nationally.

  • Total system output of 600 horsepower, rocketing the EV to 62 mph in 3.5 seconds

  • Mission E platform to have Level 4 autonomous driving technology (self-driving in nearly all situations, with driver attention NOT required)

  • Employs gaze tracking, that can tell which areas of the screens the driver and passenger are looking at. The system uses cameras and brings the app they are looking at to the foreground to reduce distractions.

  • The Mission E with software that will allow over-the-air updates; For example, when you have 400bhp, it could be possible to upgrade...over-the-air... to 450bhp."

Yep, All of the above are TRUE statements from Porsche. This is the i-Pace killer, The Tesla X killer, and most importantly, the 1997 Ford Explorer Killer!

Check out the story, and more importantly, all the Eye Candy!!

By the way, if you have to ask, you can't afford it.
See less See more
  • Like
Reactions: 2
yes the porsche announcements today are very very exciting - I love my Tesla and still think it's a wonderful car - but I'm THRILLED to be gaining more and more choice and competition for my EV $$$
Ford dropped the C-Max Energi. It's a little bigger than the Bolt, electric miles similar to the Pacifica, before ICE kicks in. Might get a good deal on those.
yes the porsche announcements today are very very exciting - I love my Tesla and still think it's a wonderful car - but I'm THRILLED to be gaining more and more choice and competition for my EV $$$
Gotta update; Does Tesla have a "Release the Drone" button on the dash like Porsche??



Check it out (only first 3 minutes are worthwhile)

See less See more
Ford dropped the C-Max Energi. It's a little bigger than the Bolt, electric miles similar to the Pacifica, before ICE kicks in. Might get a good deal on those.
I test drove the C-Max Energi a while ago, and overall it was a decent hybrid, but the battery takes up quite a bit of the cargo area and makes loading anything into the car awkward. The Bolt has a much more practical layout, with a flat load floor.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
For those of us who must traverse the frozen-ass-end-of-nowhere, our next EV must be all-wheel-drive.

jack vines
My next vehicle will be...

Option A) Tesla Model X (Supercharging, good towing capacity)
Option B) Tesla Model Y (Supercharging, ok towing capacity)
Option C) Tesla Pickup Truck (Supercharging, great towing capacity)
Option D) Tesla Semi Truck (Megacharging. Backup plan if the above 3 fall through)

My criteria: Fast charging, towing capacity, AWD, company history.
That reminds me of the time that my wife pointed and said "look, that car is just like ours!"

"What do you mean," I said, "that's a completely different style from a different manufacturer - it's nothing like our car at all!".

To which she replied, "But it's the same colour!".
Ha. And that reminds me of when I worked in a scuba dive shop. We stocked 45 kinds of masks so we could match every head size and facial bone structure to get a good seal without undue pressure from the strap.

After picking out what I thought would be a good mask to test on her face, a French customer stops me: "I don't like that one. It's not blooooh."

"Uh, why does your mask have to be blue?"

"Because it must match my wetsuit!"

(sigh, whaddayagonnado?)
I'd try to find a decent $30k used S with the rear facing dog seats, or a new Pacifica plugger.

And 22mpg is not that bad for what it is, but that $4000 yearly bill I could never stomach that.

And 0.02 $ per kW... how the heck does that work.
Wait a second, 4 people plus 2 dogs inside a 3? Your idea of dogs must not be the same as mine. If you're talking rats, that opens up a whole lot of other options.
I'd try to find a decent $30k used S with the rear facing dog seats, or a new Pacifica plugger.

And 22mpg is not that bad for what it is, but that $4000 yearly bill I could never stomach that.

And 0.02 $ per kW... how the heck does that work.
I recently completed a trip to Sacramento in a Pacifica plug-in. We averaged 27 MPG with mostly freeway speeds.
:DI purchased my 2012 Prius Plug In because it was a hybrid and had 10-15 miles all EV. I leased a 2014 BMW BEV because it was all EV and had about 80 mile range, not bad for 2014. With the return of my i3, I wanted another EV with a lot more EV range. The Bolt was the answer. My Bolt with between 200-260 mile EV range meets my needs. Very happy and content with my Bolt for now. Not looking towards the future, but something will emerge. Wait and see.
My next EV will be in ~3 years when my lease is up. A few months before that I'll be evaluating the charging networks again. If there hasn't been enough of an increase on DC fast charging around the areas I travel then I'll probably be looking at a Tesla. It's passable now, but it's definitely extra effort to make sure that I'm good on a road trip. If there has been enough advancement then the door is wide open. 3 years is a good amount of time and I hope to see things improve outside of the Tesla Supercharger network. Time will tell...
The new Jaguar iPace will start right at $70,000. After taxes and rebates it would be right about $60,000. I like the looks much more than the Tesla X. I guess I might have to teach summer classes and overload every semester to buy it...
the new Porsche announced this week looks like an awesome CUV…mmmmm EV choice is coming - I'm soooooo excited! But also disappointed - up until now you could actually own every EV made - soon that will no longer be possible - sadness.
I'd try to find a decent $30k used S with the rear facing dog seats, or a new Pacifica plugger.

And 22mpg is not that bad for what it is, but that $4000 yearly bill I could never stomach that.

And 0.02 $ per kW... how the heck does that work.
With Net Metering 2.0 you need to pay about $0.02 per kWh that you use from the grid. Even though I will have enough credits to pay for all my electricity needs, you can't avoid that 2 cent charge. This is why Net Metering 1.0 is a much better deal. With two people commuting about 250 miles per day, the amount of money we were spending on gas was insane. It was at least $6000 per year. The 22 mpg is not bad for trips, but for an everyday commute it adds up quick. I just need to be patient with the Model S I think. Tesla is holding back inventory trying to sell floor models of their older Model S, so you can't get a decent used Model S right now. I will continue to look for deals and the teslamotorclub forums until I can get one for about $40,000. I want an older Model S 85 with tech package and rear seats. All the extra stuff I don't care about. I love to drive and Autopilot is not a need for me.
21 - 40 of 74 Posts
Top