Say an ev cost $40k I purchase my daily
beater for $5k I don't change the oil
until I get 15k to 20k miles I only drive approx
7.5k a year and the beater gets approx 28 mpg
so that would be $35k to spend on fuel etc I
would probably be approx $20k still in pocket
EV's tranny flush, radiator flush, battery replacement
12 volt, wiper blades, window washer just a few
items that need maintiance on not to mention the
cost of the charging system you need at home
and most people can't or don't know how to install
a charging system for an ev. Also most diesel engines
get 400k to 500k plus miles before they need repair
and most ev's only have an 8 year battery warranty
but the 12 volt battery is the same as a car or truck
willy
I respect people who take the time to do the math. If you only drive 7.5k/year, I agree an EV probably won't save you money. However, I think it may be closer than you think...
A couple of notes on the raw data:
EVs don't have to be crazy expensive. I bought my daily driver EV used for $14k about 3 years ago. So far, my only maintenance cost for 50K miles has been tires, wiper blades, and windshield washer fluid. I just realized I haven't lubed the suspension since I bought it, so that's about to be an expense.
My EV still has the factory 12V battery from 2016. Batteries that never have to crank a starter in the cold last a long time. (But you're right, it's gonna die some day and cost me $100 to replace.)
EVs don't have transmissions, although some have a differential that will need a lubricant change around 60K miles.
Some EVs need coolant flushes. One of mine does, and the other doesn't. The one that does require it (Chevy Bolt) has the first flush scheduled at 150K miles.
For the charging system, you need a 30 Amp 240V plug and a $180 charger to plug into it. Agreed that not everyone is comfortable installing an outlet, but if you can adjust the valve lash on your old ICE, you've got more than enough brains to do electrical work.
Agreed that diesels should last well over 500K without an overhaul, but that's not without maintenance & minor repairs. (For instance, injectors won't last that long.)
You're spot-on about the battery warranty. That's my biggest worry, and at this point, I'm hoping an aftermarket battery will be available before I need it. My batteries are actually a bunch of standard 18650 batteries inside of each pack, so when they start to fail, I may just buy a cheap spot welder and try fixing it myself. I love tinkering with old machines, so I'll just have the fun of learning some new tinkering skills.
The Bolt maintenance schedule:
