“Bring it on”, say Drumpf and his Team of Deplorables, declaring war on all that is decent in America within the space of one week. This is a multi-front war, and we must play full-court-press defense while gritting our teeth. But there’s at least one front where we can play offense, in an enjoyable and immediately effective direct action, with the wind in our back.
It’s really simple: if you haven’t done so already, get yourself an electric vehicle (EV). And if you already have one, convince at least 2 people around you to follow in your footsteps.
It can be a “pure electric” that uses only electricity, or a plug-in hybrid that will use electricity for shorter trips and gas for longer trips. Either way, you’ll be undercutting this Oil White House and its pipeline revival plans, and helping the fight against global warming.
I made an earlier pitch for this idea as part of the 2013 #NOKXL blogathon, organized by the beloved late Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse. Given the capabilities/affordability of EVs in 2013, all I could ask readers back then was to at least give EVs a thought and a try.
Four years have passed. The mass-market revival of EVs is finally entering its second technological generation, and for a change this is happening sooner than expected, rather than later. After stagnation in 2015 (oil price drop, and key EV product-rollout delays), the US EV market has taken off again since mid-2016. Last month, nearly 25,000 EVs were delivered (1.5% of all US auto sales; 0.9% for the year), shattering the record set only in September. And 2017 brings an unprecedented variety of great mid-market and budget EV offerings; incredibly cheap deals can be found on the used EV market.
Meanwhile, the rest of the world saw no 2015 pause. Many Western European countries have been well above 1% market share last year. The Chinese made and bought in 2016 as many EVs as the rest of the world combined — a mind-boggling ~500% increase from 2014, and a 100-fold increase from 2012 (US EV sales increased “only” 3x since 2012). Regardless of what happens in the US, the global EV revolution has reached critical mass and momentum. But the US can actually resume its leading role this year; it is up to you too!
Disclaimer 1: This is NOT a sales pitch. First, I am a lousy salesman so I’ll try not to “sell” this. Second, I believe that as of 2017, the facts about EVs and the war-on-everything situation we’ve been forced into, speak for themselves. I am bringing you the information, warts and all, and pointers for getting more information. |
Disclaimer 2: This is NOT a celebration of car culture. I commute by bus. My wife works from home, commuting by bus once a week. Our college-age kids commute by bus and foot. So I get it, ok? This is not about celebrating cars. This is about switching the fuel source of all vehicles (cars, buses, etc.) to one that can use renewable energy. Specifically, this is about kicking the Oil Economy in the teeth. Moreover, in each of the past couple of years, >17 million new cars were sold in the US. And many millions of used cars. You can stomp your feet and ignore this reality, or leverage it to change the future.
Or think about it this way: when Exxon-Mobil CEO is about to become the Secretary of Friggin’ State, even a car-purchasing move becomes an effective act of outright resistance against the new regime.
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Hopefully after reading the information below, for the vast majority of car-owners reading this, you’ll realize that there is really no excuse *not* to switch at least one of your cars to an EV (“pure” or hybrid), sooner rather than later. Yes, even if you weren’t really planning on replacing your car right now.
I start with the lowest-budget options below the fold. New mid-market offerings will be explored in a sequel diary, because this one is getting too damn long.
Some EV Terms, and the Range Game
In EV jargon, the acronym for “Pure” electric cars is BEV (‘B’ for battery), and for those that have a gas engine on the side, PHEV (‘PH’ for plug-in hybrid; I’m simplifying a bit b/c there are subtypes, but that’s secondary). Gas and diesel vehicles are known as ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) cars.
Since “refilling” an EV is substantially slower than refilling gas, a paramount concern with EVs, in particular BEVs, is their range. Alas, one number representing “range” does not fit all. Just like an ICE car’s gas mileage varies greatly between stop-and-go and highway driving, EV range varies even more: city vs. highway, terrain, and most frustratingly, cold weather (due to simple battery physics).
Fortunately, EPA (as long as it exists) has done a superb job of putting together a series of range-estimation tests that peg pretty accurately an EV’s *average* electric range. The analogous Japanese and European rating agencies are ridiculously optimistic. So the first number you want to know about a BEV, is its EPA range. Then subtract 25% for worst-case scenario (even 35% if you live in a very-cold-winter region), and add 25% for best-case. You want an EV that meets your daily needs even under the worst-case scenario. And once you learn how to drive it optimally, you will be able to squeeze the best-case scenario during warm-weather road trips.
Even more fortunately: apart from range, EVs are superior to ICE vehicles on pretty much every aspect of driving and owning a car. Including, of course, the environmental and political aspects. So really, if you get an EV whose size, range and price fit your needs, just go for it. All the rest will be far better than you imagine.
A note about quick-charging. Many BEVs have a special quick-charge (QC) outlet. QC stations do not refill the battery as quickly as a gas pump does (and they can’t do 100% full, more like ~90% tops), but quickly enough to enable travel beyond the car’s single-charge range in a reasonable time frame. Sometimes you get the QC port as standard. But sometimes it’s an option that affects the price, and then it’s a cost-effect decision vs. your needs. Although generally it’s worth it IMHO.
RE: QC, FORGOT TO MENTION (h/t Ranglinlover in the comments): having a QC port enables people with no access to overnight charging (apartments, etc.) to own a BEV. If, e.g., the shopping center where you can do your groceries has a QC station, then using it 1-2 times a week while you shop, might suffice to keep you charged. Most charging companies have monthly subscription plans, which make this also cost-effective.
Ok… below are good budget EV options available in the US in 2017, starting from the cheapest.
1. Dump your Clunker, and Get a Used (2013/4) Nissan Leaf.
Until very recently, one downside of EVs was that only the middle class or richer could get themselves one. As I wrote in 2015, this was changing fast. Nowadays, everyone can get an EV, and people of lesser means might actually save a good chunk of $$ if they get one. How come? Here’s how.
Most of us Nissan Leaf drivers got our cars via a Nissan lease deal. It’s a win-win: Nissan gets its Leafs out the door, bags the $7500 Federal rebate, plus some of the car’s value from us (as down/monthly payments), then gets the car back in 2-3 years to sell it again. Meanwhile, because Nissan factors the full $7.5k into the lease deal, we get a much cheaper lease than for comparable ICE cars, and can partake in the EV revolution without the risk of getting stuck with a badly depreciated, outdated tech product. Case in point: in 2011-2 the Leaf’s EPA range was 73 miles. Now it’s 107 miles, the 2018 range will certainly be much longer, and the new ones sell for less than the original 2011-2 prices.
So it’s mostly the dealers, and used-car lots who buy from the dealers to quickly resell, who are stuck with this lease-return stock.
This is why you can find many 2-4 year old Leafs for ridiculous prices. The 2014 model shown in the picture above is offered in the Bay Area for $7900. It has 27k miles, which means that 1. Its battery capacity is likely to be degraded ~10% off the original 84 miles, but 2. that there are still 33k miles and/or 2-3 years remaining on Nissan’s bumper-to-bumper warranty, which includes a commitment to replace the battery for free if its capacity degrades by 30%. This one does have a QC port. Similar 2013’s can be found for $1-2k less, and 2011-2 are even cheaper of course. In hot EV markets, there are dozens of Leafs like these for sale at any given time.
After buying you will save in twoup to three ways, compared with driving an ICE clunker. The obvious but (usually) smaller savings is gas. How much will depend on how much you drive, and what ICE car the EV replaces. Before getting our 2012 Leaf, we drove a clunker SUV that did 15 MPG in the city (where most of its time was spent). Gas prices were also higher then, so despite not driving a lot we saved nearly $100/month on the gas vs. electricity cost. Even nowadays you are likely to save at least several hundred $/year on the fuel front.
And then there’s repairs. That clunker SUV cost us $6300 in 2006, but in 6 years we dumped at least twice that on repairs and maintenance. Unless you’re a superb DIY mechanic or are extremely lucky with your clunker, chances are you’re wasting at least $1.5k/year on it in the shop. Chances are also that your brain is deluding you to believe you’re spending less (I’ve noticed that phenomenon, you know).
EVs have far fewer moving parts, and electric motor related components are far more reliable than their ICE counterparts. And you’re getting a 2-4 year old car anyway, instead of a ~5-20 year old one. You’ll spend much less. The only major concern is battery degradation, which I address in the tips below.
Last but not least, some states headed by California (pdf), offer you substantial money just for scrapping a clunker, in particular if you are low-income. California in particular (link above) offers low-income drivers $10k or more if they replace an ICE clunker with a BEV. If you qualify, you will get your Leaf essentially for free, even before the cost-of-ownership savings. Other states might also have low-income programs for clunker-scrapping or EV-getting; I haven’t seen online mentions, though.
Used Leaf Buying Tips:
- Bargain hard. It’s totally a buyer’s market. Unless this is the only used Leaf for sale in your region, there’s no reason to pay the asking price, surely not vs. a dealer.
- History and mileage. Ideally you want a <30k mile Leaf, that didn’t spend its summers in a hot (35 Celsius or higher typical daily max) region.
- Examine the battery. The simplest way is “capacity bars” that show on the Leaf’s display. They will only tell you the approximate range of remaining capacity (all 12 bars — >85%; 11 of 12 — 79-85%; 10 of 12 — 72.5-79%; it’s a weird scale, and a bit subject to speculation). But unless you’re getting, say, a very low-mileage 2014-5 from a private first owner in a mild-climate region, you really want to use the LeafSpy app. This does require buying/borrowing a thingie (a few bucks online) that connects to the car’s USB port. But you’ll know everything there is to know about the battery; likely TMI (I’ve never bought the thingie; when you lease, who cares?).
- Suggested rule of thumb: go for an actual range that is about twice your current daily driving needs. This will ensure that even after some additional battery degradation, the used Leaf will serve you well for quite a few years. For example, assuming that the 2014 Leaf in the picture has a current range of ~75 miles, it should work well, year-round, for a good few years if your daily driving is up to 35-40 miles. Of course, if you, e.g., commute by car and your workplace has guaranteed charging, you can accommodate much more daily driving.
- Be extra-careful with 2011-2. Those model years were essentially the Leaf’s Beta version. Still a great car (we had a 2012 for 2 years), but battery degradation was more of an issue, esp. in hot climates. From the 2015 model year onwards, Nissan has tweaked battery chemistry enough to declare the problem officially resolved, and from 2016 onwards it has offered a longer battery warranty. But 2013 was already an improvement over 2011-2, plus it came with an official EPA range bump (84 vs. 73 miles). OTOH, if your daily drives are 10-20 miles or less, a crisp ~$5k or so can land you one of those (relatively) older Beta Leafs that will meet your needs just fine. Just check carefully.
What about those much longer trips, that you cannot do with a used Leaf, even one equipped with QC? If that’s your only car, then just rent an ICE car for the trip. Over the past 2 years the 2014 Leaf has been our only car (the clunker SUV died of disuse on our driveway, and we eventually donated it to Sierra Club, with the middleman still managing to sell the carcass for $1600). Over these 2 years, our 5-person household needed to rent an ICE car only twice to replace the Leaf, for a total cost of ~$300 plus gas. In both cases, btw, the Leaf was still capable of the trip, we just didn’t have the extra time to wait at QC stations. On the whole, unless you drive long-distance on a regular basis, switching your only car from ICE to EV, and renting ICE when needed, is still likely to be cheaper overall.
If you’re really adventurous, you might go even further below from a used Leaf, whether to the Pokemon-looking Mitsubishi i-MiEV subcompact (asking prices ~$6k), somewhat popular in 2012-3 before all but disappearing from the US market — or to one of a slew of “compliance EVs” sold in deliberately limited quantities, mostly in California since 2013, but now finding their way to all kinds of locations (e.g., 2013 Fiat 500e ~$7k, 2014 Chevy SparkEV ~$8-9k, etc.). Those definitely fall under the “Buyer Beware” column, b/c you might have trouble finding a shop that can handle their EV parts. OTOH, they are EV versions of standard ICE cars so many parts will be shared; and again, the EV parts are usually very reliable.
2. Buy a Used Chevy Volt
Our neighbor just bought a used 2012 Chevy Volt for $12k. The Volt is a 4-seat PHEV that in 2011-2 had 35 miles EPA electric range (the new “Gen 2” version has 53 miles EPA), and thanks to its fully-powered gas engine, it sports a typical (and gas-refillable) ICE car range beyond that.
Note the difference in price vs. a used Leaf: the Volt was somewhat pricier to begin with, it has been “over-engineered” by GM so that its battery hardly degrades at all (my neighbor did report only 25 miles range upon getting it, which I attributed mostly to the sub-freezing temperatures we had), and having a gas engine makes it an easier sell for used-car customers, thus improving the demand/supply equation for sellers.
For buyers, the upsides of a used Volt are:
- Depending on your commute length and local climate, you might still do all your daily driving purely electric, and never rent for longer trips despite having only one car.
- Since the gas engine doesn’t need to work as hard (=doesn’t drive nearly as many miles) as engines of ICE-only cars, you’re not likely to spend much time in the shop for it. Volt scores very highly in used-car reliability surveys.
- Cumulatively, the Volt is the best selling EV in the US (currently edging the Leaf 113k sales to 104k, with Tesla Model S at ~90k), and it has a broader geographical sales distribution. So it might be the most viable used-EV choice near you.
3. Possibly the Best Budget Option! Lease a 107-mile, 2016/7 Nissan Leaf.
Inspired by our EV experience, our friends decided to replace one of their 2 cars with a Leaf this month. They vacillated between buying used, and leasing new — and eventually decided that the latter makes more sense. They got an 107-mile 2016 model, base-trim with a QC port, at closeout prices. How “closeout” was it?
How about, $2200 down and $98/month for 2 years (restricted to 12k miles/year), with an option to extend to 3 years?
True, it included a “[Famous Tech Employer] Discount”, but upon first inquiry they were told the discount had already expired, then it was revived after they insisted. There are always discounts and specials around the Leaf leasing scene, especially for the outgoing model near a model-year transition.
Unlike in Europe and Japan where the range bump to 107 miles (introduced a year ago) has been a hit, the American consumer has collectively thumbed its nose at the 107-mile Leaf, so Nissan has had to scramble after would-be customers. Currently no discounts are offered for 2017, but frankly right now the 2017 model presents nothing new, so 1. Don’t be silly, just get a 2016 at closeout, and 2. The 2017 will be discounted soon enough, b/c the Leaf doesn’t “compete only against itself” in the affordable EV segment anymore (about that, in the next diary).
So, compare buying a 70-80 mile used Leaf for ~$6-8k and assuming the full risk for its battery life, vs. spending $5-7k on a lease for 2-3 years, driving a brand-new version with 1.5x the range, then returning it risk-free and getting something even better? Hence our friends’ decision.
Furthermore, since it’s a new EV you’ll be leasing, you’re eligible for state incentives: some states will send you a cash rebate (CA $2.5k!), others an exemption/credit from sales or income tax. Nissan will also throw in a 2-year card that provides free charging in many locations. These goodies slant the equation even more towards leasing new rather than buying used. [Some state rebates are for used *or* new buyers , e.g., rebates to help buy a charger, something you’ll need if your daily driving is >40 miles.]
I am aware that lease deals depend upon a credit check, and some people might be at risk of failing it. First, again, until Nissan rolls out its second generation, the Leaf is in a buyer’s market, so even if your credit was initially rejected you might still be able to talk your way into a lease. Second, that’s why I started off with advice about buying used.
Ok, enough for now. Now go out there and kick the oil men.
More Resources
A great news source about all things EV is insideevs.com. The chat-forum site mynissanleaf.com has tons of Leaf-specific information, albeit in a very male-dominated, hobbyist-oriented setting. If you want a more welcoming and multi-gendered atmosphere, try one of the Leaf Facebook groups, for example Seattle Nissan Leaf Owners, which warmly accepts people from around the globe, and where members gladly answer newbie questions without sniping at you.
Or you can direct-message or email me! My email address is in my profile page.
Next diary will present the unprecedented quality and variety of new mid-market EV offerings hitting the US auto market in 2017, some of them having already gotten an early start at the end of 2016.
[Ha, I noticed that all my pictures (except the top one, I guess) have a red EV in them. Viva La Revolucion!]