I hope y’all are having fun at Netroots, or on the way there.
So… in today’s list we are sliding towards the price range at which you might score a brand-new EV after Federal and state incentives… As a rule of thumb, if it’s over $20k, you are pretty likely to be better off buying/leasing new. Surely if you live in a state that incentivizes new EV purchase more than used.
However, if, e.g., you don’t have enough Fed tax liability and the lease deals don’t suit you, there may be a bigger gap between the two options. Also the cars below are good cars.
But there are not many of them in this narrow gap.
The order does signify my order of recommendation. Not that there is a lot to order here... Anyway never forget to bargain! Used car prices are *asking* prices, not final till you agree to them.
MODEL AND YEARS |
TYPE |
PRICE ($K) |
AVERAGE RANGE (MILES) |
SEATS |
2016-2017 CHEVY VOLT |
PHEV |
15-23 |
50-55 |
4.5 |
2014-2016 BMW i3 |
BEV/EREV* |
14-24 |
70-80 |
4 |
*The i3 comes either in a BEV flavor, or as EREV (Extended Range EV). The latter has small a gas tank, but rather than a full ICE it just has a scooter engine retooled as a generator, to continuously quick-charge the battery pack as you drive. For the 2014-2016 i3, this adds another 70-80 miles in what some have described as a “limp-home mode”. Of course, you can quickly refill that tiny tank as many times as you want.
Yes, only two (2) models made it to my “pricier but worthy” list. The 16-17 Volt (whose strange middle back seat is good mostly for baby/toddler carseats) beat the 14-16 i3 (which has some loving fans in the audience) by a hair. If you insist to read the pros/cons for each, I will list them in the comments.
What happened to all the rest?
- Most commonly, if they were mentioned previously as a 2016 or earlier model, then the 2017-2018 models are too close in price (or even pricier after factoring incentives) than getting new.
- Several exciting new PHEVs (Honda Clarity, Hyundai Ioniq, Chrysler minivan PHEV, Prius Prime) and BEVs (Bolt, the Koreans) only started in the 2017 or 2018 model.
- Then of course, are all the low-volume compliance models, or too-short-range PHEVs, or luxury/pricey brands, that haven’t made it to any of the 3 diaries.
- And then there are the Teslas… there was a comment asking about used Tesla Model S. I almost added it to the list, but the running price online for the oldest Model S (2012-2013) is $30-40k. You can get yourself into a decent brand-new 150-250 mile BEV by another maker, for that amount or less. And pretty soon, once Tesla runs through its waitlist, you’ll be able to get a brand-new Model 3 for that amount or slightly more.
Awareness, Awareness, Awareness
Today I just had another stark proof of my thesis that the main roadblock to accelerated EV adoption has become awareness and psychological barriers. I rode to a work meeting with a colleague, and realized they had just bought a new (well, used) car: a 2015 BMW 328i. Very cool car, smooth driving. It’s even a mild hybrid. It cost you $25k, right? I ask. “Yes!”
Well, I guess wasting so many hours on cars.com preparing these diaries is useful for something…
Oh, you could have gotten an electric car, I go. “But they are expensive!” comes the automatic answer. That’s what everyone knows, right? Well, no. You could have gotten a 2016 Chevy Volt for $16-17k, and it’s an excellent car, rides even smoother than this one. Turns out they didn’t know that GM made EVs at all, and had never heard of PHEVs. Basically, they’ve heard of Tesla and very little else. And they have a STEM Ph.D. and their partner (Ph.D. as well) is a car fanatic; and they had just been in the market for a car. You can only imagine what the average American knows about EV prices and options.
So… spread the word. Please.
Thank you and love y’all.