EV owners of today and tomorrow

[tradosaurus]

Is an EV a good purchase for someone who drives 3,500 miles per year on average? I had talked to an older couple a few years back and they brought up a point with hybrids that I didn't know. They had bought a Camry hybrid and if I remember correctly they had killed the battery in it as they drove very little. 2,000 miles? a year. They basically had to trade their hybrid for an ICE Camry. Maybe this had all changed by now, but the wife is considering a new / newer car. Thoughts?

Chevrolet Bolt

Tesla

A few posts discussing low mileage drivers and EV's.
Personally I would always keep the EV plugged in at home for battery maintenance (heating and cooling depending on outside weather). There is no oil or transmission fluid to worry about deteriorating or sludging.
I would be more worried about tire pressure with that minimal annual driving.

 

[lsgreg]

My introduction to EV's was driving my son's Volt. I believe he had the 1st generation. I thought it was cool except the seats weren't that comfortable for me. I've heard the 2nd generation Volt was a homerun and still sought after today.

Yes, mine is a 1st generation, and I agree the 2nd is more desirable. Too bad we never saw a 3rd generation.

 

[lsgreg]

Chevrolet Bolt

Tesla

A few posts discussing low mileage drivers and EV's.
Personally I would always keep the EV plugged in at home for battery maintenance (heating and cooling depending on outside weather). There is no oil or transmission fluid to worry about deteriorating or sludging.
I would be more worried about tire pressure with that minimal annual driving.

I'd love to have a Bolt.

 

[tradosaurus]

I'd love to have a Bolt.

That was our first EV (2022) and after experiencing ownership decided to add a 2nd EV a year later.
For the price at the time the Bolt was a slam dunk. I think, back in 2021, I drove one and the dealership was offering the Bolt for $23K.
Now the Tesla 3 is close in price to the Bolt especially with the tax incentive.

 

[ponytug]

I have a 2nd gen Volt, and I agree that it is definitely an improvement on gen 1, but I would comment that I think Chevy's software and electronics for the Volt is not only different, but subpar in my opinion. (Did you know that there are three electronics modules in the dash, each with its own serial number, and if one needs to be replaced, only the dealer can update the master serial number list?) There are software bugs, or "features", that are unfixed eight years later. Chevy's lack of progress at fixing the bugs, their ditching of Android auto and CarPlay, and the general trend of EVs toward being software controlled motors, definitely make me hesitant to ever buy an Chevy EV again. Laying off their Silicon Valley software team wasn't exactly a confidence booster in my book either. Some of my issues with our Volt are definitely local incompetence at the dealer. (The Volt dripped engine oil from day one. The dealer could not locate the issue, and required a $3k deposit to look beyond the "Yup, the block and oil pan are wet with engine oil" step, which I thought was ridiculous for a car under warranty. I let it slide until I found the time to go look. It turned out to be a design/assembly issue on Chevy's part that I was able to fix after spending six hours or so under the car to get to the problem, and then putting it back together, and I'm not generally a slow mechanic. Annoying to me, and one that I definitely felt the dealer should have said "our bad. Let us fix it." I'm sure that there are better dealers elsewhere. I still need to clean the garage floor of oil spots.)

The Volt has some non-obvious (weird?) algorithms for when to run the motor, and when the user is allowed to alter it that seem to get less obvious when the car isn't driven regularly, but no other issues for just a few thousand miles/yr, which is what happened post 2018.

The introductory price on the Bolt was great.

But I think there are lots of vehicles with sub-optimal design choices out there. One of the first cars that I drove had all the controls in an arc from the driver's seat so they were all equi-distant (more or less) from the driver, like a cockpit. It made driving the car by feel easy, and comfortable. Since then, I haven't been so fortunate. Yes, I'm not a fan of touchscreens with moving control locations, and three levels of sub-menus. I think it is poor ergonomics. Just like the vehicles that put one screen in the center of the car, so the driver really has to look awkwardly to see something like, say speed.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Grumpycat]

He (and I) didn't say they were forcing us to buy them. I said they are forcing them ON us, i.e., using tax money for charging stations, and incentives to try to "nudge" people to buy them.

That is the nature of government.

The only way you can prevent it is to limit the size of government. Which only limits the number of things and extent government can indulge in.

"EV", "green", "DEI", and "Woke" are only current focus of government.

 

[Grumpycat]

What difference does it make - right now. I could be GIVEN an EV pickup and it would just sit in my yard. It can not do what I need done - there are NO local charging facilities - there are no local dealerships - no local service facilities.

At this particular time - it's a moot point.

Which proves you are clueless.

You are determined that you have always used Gas Stations and will always require Gas Stations.

Picked up my 2nd Tesla in December 2023. Haven't used a "Gas Station" yet. August 11, 2024. Drove 220 miles on Monday, away from home and back. Had 89 miles remaining in the battery.

Charge at home. Takes 15 seconds to plug in when I return, 15 seconds to unplug when I leave. It is a terrible inconvenience!

 

[Grumpycat]

OK - I see your point tradosaurus. However - I don't have to make a 60 mile round trip to refill my Power Wagon. And I do not have to build a recharge station at my home for my Power Wagon.

You are not a Real Man if you don't have a 240v 50a outlet for your arc welder.

An EV would be very happy with that outlet.

However, mine spends most of it's time connected to 120v 15a outlet under my carport. You have 120V outlets, right?

Give it time. The technology on batteries is making a new breakthru almost daily. EV's may be the wave of the future.

No, "technology" isn't. That is the media hunting for eyeballs. After a few years when nothing hyped in the news comes true you begin to realize the truth.

The "breakthrus" are slow. Tesla is the clear leader in battery and motor technology.

 

[Grumpycat]

Is an EV a good purchase for someone who drives 3,500 miles per year on average? I had talked to an older couple a few years back and they brought up a point with hybrids that I didn't know. They had bought a Camry hybrid and if I remember correctly they had killed the battery in it as they drove very little. 2,000 miles? a year. They basically had to trade their hybrid for an ICE Camry. Maybe this had all changed by now, but the wife is considering a new / newer car. Thoughts?

I would suggest the EV would be plugged in when not in use and therefore maintaining it's batteries. A Toyota hybrid would not be doing anything for it's traction battery if placed on a traditional automotive battery maintainer, however a PHEV (plug-in hybrid) would probably be fine sitting months at a time plugged in.

 

[Grumpycat]

Driving low miles is a good question about longevity as I too drive low miles. It is the same reason I would shy away from engines that have a wet belt.

An EV doesn't suffer from high engine wear with a cold engine on short trips.