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Your next EV

16K views 73 replies 35 participants last post by  BoltevTy 
#1 ·
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?
 
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#2 ·
Uh, net metering doesn't work quite that way for me, and probably not for you either. The power companies are in business to make money, and they can't sell power for 2 cents a kWh, which is about their cost (read on). Here in Northern California where PG&E is the electric company for most of us: their net metering is based on time of use. When I produce power on my solar panels, I sell it to PG&E, then I buy it back. At peak hours, (usually in the afternoon) I'm selling my excess production to them for about 43 cents per kWh. Of course, I buy electricity from PG&E when my demand exceeds my production, but it's much cheaper if I buy it at off-peak hours (11PM to 7AM). So if I minimize my use during the day (especially the afternoon) and charge my car at night, I come out ahead. But there is another factor: the annual 'true up'. PG&E calculates all of the power I have consumed and produced for an entire year. If I produced more than I consumed, they pay me just 2.6 cents per kWh for my excess production, which is their purchase cost for power from big power plants. So producing much more than I have consumed isn't cost effective: the payback on that excess production is forever, and the excess capacity will never pay for itself. Also: they charge me about $12 a month simply to be connected to their grid.
 
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#4 ·
The way I use energy is not typical. With everyone gone during the day during the week, almost all of the energy will be put into the grid. I use far more energy than I will produce, but the selling of energy at higher prices and me charging my Bolt at $0.12 per kWh means price wise I will break even. However, you can't avoid paying the 2 plus cents on energy used from the grid. A 1:1 ratio is not needed because of the higher prices during partial peak and peak hours if the majority of your use is during off-peak.
 
#5 ·
Is anyone here debating on buying another EV and what are they waiting for?
As I have stated here, my first ICE-EV replacement was to be a Bolt (pre-owned) for me, but we will now make the first replacement for the wife. This will be the 2018 Honda Clarity PHEV.

My wife's commute is 52 Miles R/T . She can charge at work. The Honda gets about 48 miles E-Only, and 40 MPG. But the primary reason for the Honda PHEV is for longer trips she takes about once per Month. These are 600 mile R/T to visit relatives. The Honda (although not the most visually appealing car to me) is far more spacious (like a Model S) and luxurious than the Chevy Volt. 4 real-size humans and 2 dogs (Not Malamutes) would likely be very comfortable.

Back of the envelope Clarity PHEV calculations for what you stated would mean that your wife would use about 1210 ICE miles/Month @ 40MPG = about 30 gallons of petrol/Month. 365 gal/year @$3.25/gal - YMMV - (an Internet acronym that is actually apropos here) = $1186/year is petrol. Almost a $3000/year savings.

Moreover, your long distance trips are sans anxiety.
 
#6 ·
The Honda Clarity PHEV is not big enough and lacks the appeal for me to get a new car payment. The Ford Exploder is paid off and even though it guzzles gas, about 22 mpg average, it has been a trouble free car with low maintenance cost. I guess 22 mpg is not bad for such a big car with a V6... After I get more solar install and see how my energy output and demand is, I will reevaluate to see if a used Model S is even worth it. I could see a Model S being a money pit with expensive repairs. Each door handle costs about $1000 and that is a common failure. By the time I could get a Model 3, I could probably get a used Chevy Bolt with low mileage for $15,000. I am not a patient person though!
 
#7 ·
"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? "


If you hate to do it, then don't. The Model 3 is a tad smaller in overall storage than the Bolt. It may be more usable in it's configuration but that would be totally subjective. A sedan is not really what you need.
The model X is about the same price as the Jaguar so a used one would be your only option if you wanted to use the superchargers. They are also one of if not the safest cars on the road with a decent Autopilot suite that improves all the time. Mitsubishi is coming out with a smaller SUV probably sooner than the Model Y and it would probably be at an attractive price point. The next 5 years will see a lot of manufacturers crawling out of the woodwork now that EV's seemed to have turned the corner of acceptance. If you're planning on this being the backup to an EV and you don't go with the Tesla, I would consider a hybrid until the DCFC network is more robust and reliable, especially with children.
 
#11 ·
I would be running the numbers for the Pacifica and the Outlander phev.

Shows how little choice there is, even in Carb jurisdictions.
Of all the choices, the Pacifica Hybrid is probably the best for me. I have seen prices for $36,000 for it. With $7500 federal, $1500 California Rebate, and $2000 Air Pollution district I am probably looking at a sub $30,000 minivan after all taxes. Looks like a great deal.
 
#25 ·
Let's mark this thread "Solved"!!






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.
 
#15 ·
My next EV will be a Model Y or more probably the GM equivilant Bolt EV Crossover. I need an EV SUV with minimum 300 miles range and a rear hatch / tailgate opening of 48 inches wide or high, DCFC and premium interior and features. . Dont care about anything else---****, throw Bolt EV seats in there, I dont care.
The race is on..GM delivered a 35K EV before Tesla did with better range 210 v 238. The new race is between Model Y and GM's new CUV EV my next EV!,
 
#16 ·
Just a curiosity about the videos of the Jaguar I-pace... every official video states 485km range whereas every other site I visited states 385km. Why?
 
#17 ·
The 485 km is probably the NEDC range, which is an unachievable number due to how they perform the tests. They can basically do whatever they want to do for these tests like remove the passengers door mirror, no highway driving, and they can overinflate tires. They can also fudge the numbers at the end of the test. The EPA test is likely the 385 km or 240 mile range.
 
#19 ·
My wife currently drives a 2007 Odyssey, which will likely be due for replacement in a few years. We both love the looks of VW’s Buzz concept. Assuming they make their 2022 production goal, that will be at the top of our shopping list. My Bolt should also be paid off by then, so we won’t have two car payments.
 
#21 ·
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.
 
#22 ·
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.
 
#23 ·
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.
 
#29 ·
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.
 
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#31 ·
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.
 
#33 ·
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.
 
#36 ·
: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.
 
#37 ·
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...
 
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