I am looking to purchase a new electric vehicle and yes I have researched all of them but I would be interested in hearing advice on what to ask about or stay away from. Good bye ICE.
I’ve been a fan of EV’s since 2011, haven’t owned one because the infrastructure doesn’t allow for it where I live, & charging stations aren’t readily available … I say absolutely go for it! Which EV’s are you considering?
Tesla or the new Mustang Mach E. I would really like the Lucid Air but I kind of like to drive it before buying it.
I fell in love with the Tesla Saturday when I drove one at the dealership (I guess I am an EV floozy now), and would have ordered it online that night but my cautious nature made me hesitate.
I would go for the Tesla / the Mach E is nice as hell but this is their first time to market (they will learn with first time buyers ) Lucid dream is badass, again new … also, I would ask for a level 1 or 2 charging station if you live in a house with a garage, should there be charging stations readily available in your city this isn’t a problem at all, & just know that if you want the model s you never have to pay at any Tesla stations. (Say goodbye to oil changes / spark plugs / transmission ) this car is virtually maintenance free, & say hello to 2 trunk spaces , in the back & in the front where the engine used to be lol
I was flabbergasted when I was told the brakes would last almost 100,000 miles. Holy crap! Yeah I hear you about the others. I don’t want to be a guinea pig on a car. Too expensive. But the Lucid Air…1100 HP????? I drove a performance Tesla that goes 0-60 in 3 seconds so I can’t even comprehend what the lucid will do.
At this point, it comes down to, do you have a place to charge it, and will you need to make long drives, because there are so few charging stations out there and charging can take a while.
@cuddles_ndream Not the front…it is the frunk. I have been indoctrinated already!
The lucid is something else, & I get the sense / feeling that you’re into sports car / performance / speed / the thrill ect … in that sense I’ll go with the lucid , me personally I would go for the amazing Tesla as my first, & if you’re into the environment , zero tail pipe emissions / 100% renewable energy if you have solar & energy storage / & there are panels so amazing & efficient (combined with the energy storage ) that you’ll start having surplus everytime , that energy will go back to the grid & now you’re making money off the electric company lol 😂
I am absolutely drooling over the new/old concept electric Ford pickup.
Going to be way out of my price range. But dang those are nice looking
@WriterGF the long range model I was considering gets almost 400 miles on a charge. And charges up to 80% in 20-30 minutes on a DCFC. Not really an issue.
@FunCartel nice !!! Lol …
The lucid is nice as hell!!! I would still go with Tesla, but lucid is wow !! I’ll consider it as my 2nd. & that’s maybe, I love Tesla too much.
@KYtranspant I think you will see prices dropping as supply chain issues and new competition rolls out. Toyota, Subaru and Genesis are all coming out with new EVs in the next 6 months. Others are on the way.
@cuddlesn_dream I am not really a sports car person, but I hate underpowered cars. The Lucid is more of a if I could click my ruby Sketchers three times I would like to try it. But I do think I will be in Tesla by 2022. The tech and amenities are incredible with the Tesla. The warranty on the battery—8 year/120,000 miles is the best in the industry.
But I want to test drive the Ford.
When you test drive the Mach E let us know how it is … love the look of it
@FunCartel - somewhere circa 2015-2017, the Chevy Volt was a hybrid and a gutless wonder with a 8.5 gallon tank and a ~40 mile range. I had made friends promise that if I ever bought a Prius to please put me out of my misery, a la Nurse Ratchet.
I'm a long-time Tesla fan. If you're not a Tesla fan, then I'll spare you the deets here:
The S is amazeballs and a dream for distance driving, but the 3 is a great intro and price point. Less comfy, but man it has juice. 18 months on the waiting list, but I got mine before they were producing the dual motors. Now they are everywhere. Is it a blast to take a newbie out to a freeway entrance and do 0 to 60 in seconds and let them hoot and holler? Every time. Autopilot is a misnomer: you keep your hands on the wheels. I use it for long distance driving (the longest being from the Bay area across Nevada, Utah, to Denver, and back). Advice: add a charging station at home. I had originally put in a 50 amp power outlet years ago for a kiln, which was also so convenient for the Tesla charging station. More advice: going up hills/elevation will bite into your overall range. Speed will bite into your range. Whatever the speed limit is, I rarely go 5 over it - except for Nevada and Utah stretches. Note, you cannot set cruise control beyond 90 mph. Ahem. Tried it, and all the alarms sounded like the Millennium Falcon dodging asteroids. Range anxiety: use the trip planner for total miles and estimated stops. The lower your battery, the faster it will charge. If you're at 20% battery, it will take 35-45 minutes to get a full charge. Average cost to "fill up" is around $15. When charging, use the urinal rule - always leave an empty spot between you and them: the reason being, the supercharge stations share lines between two, whereas the lines aren't splitting the charge when you stagger every other car/slot. I've heard Tesla has offered a year's worth of charging for some new owners. Depends on the day and Musk's mood, I guess. I'm sorry, but the Cybertruck looks like it was modeled after Musk's genitals and no. Just no. I'm waiting for the Ford 150 Lightning and have already put money down. Given the number of reservations and their production plan... I don't think I'll be seeing that beast until 2024-2025.
I bought a plug-in hybrid: a 2019 Prius Prime. It’s my favorite car I’ve ever owned. It’s smooth, quiet, low-maintenance, comfortable, and I’m averaging around 130 mpg. It gets 30 miles per charge, which takes about 7 hours on a level-1 charger, if the EV mode is 100% depleted. 30 miles might not sound like much, but it’s more than enough for daily city driving. I love my plug-in hybrid! If you want to write me, we can discuss more. If not, my feelings aren’t hurt.
@Sideon @JL_Borges Thank you both. This is what I was looking for.
@cuddles_ndream @KYtranspant thanks for sharing your fandom. I have been making googly eyes of desire from afar for years and decided to do it. I am into reducing my carbon footprint—have rain barrels, solar panels, recycling and so on, but I always felt the cars were not quite there yet. That has changed.
@JL_Borges I have friends that have the Prius and they love theirs, but it doesn’t fit with what I need. I not only travel long distances (I get tired of being in airports and on planes so I drive the 8 hours to Dallas and Texas when I have to go there) but I also entertain designers and architects who can be brilliant but can also be some of the most pretentious people you will ever meet. So I need a wow factor that a Tesla can provide.
@Sideon I sm definitely a Tesla fanboy now. I was previously flirtatious with Tesla, but after Saturday I really am an enthusiast. I think since you got one they have added a governor where you can set a speed limit you never want to go over. I do have one question—the main complaints I read about Teslas are the quality of the bodywork (trim not matching up or sticking out) and the paint chipping easily. Have you had an issue with any of this?
Electric power price per kilowatt will rise due to demand and reconstruction of transmission lines over head and especially underground . The buried power distribution lines have no way to dissipate the increased heat . There’s going to be underground meltdowns and service interruptions . And EV will probably cost more in the near future to operate .
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@FunCartel - when I got my cars, they used to have a red-carpet concierge rollout when you picked up your car in Fremont. Now... you pick up the car, or get it delivered once payment/funding is handled.
That said, at delivery/pickup, go over the car with a fine tooth comb. There are some complaints of trim/bodywork, but Tesla fixes these on their dime. I have not had an issue with paint chipping.
I neglected to mention the Model X. I don't have one, but I should/would have sprung for it, aside from the futuristic doors, but because it sits higher. I don't care about all the extra room/seats, it's not like I'm hauling around 7 dwarves or the Brady Bunch. But. Getting in and out of the S and 3 sometimes feels like a yoga event. They sit very close to the ground. Fair warning.
Tesla Model S here - the deciding factor for me was the network of chargers and speed at which I could re-charge fully. The Tesla Supercharger network, paired with the in-car directions, navigation, and battery planning it makes is the best in my opinion. You literally map your trip if it will take more battery charge than you currently have, and the car's tech plans it for you, even telling you how long to stay at the charger, how much battery you will leave the charger with, and where the next one is. It's a brilliant system and the network of chargers around the country is very robust at this point in my opinion. This sealed the deal for me, and I am on my second Model S now.
A YouTuber named Shelby Church owns a tesla and says its not worth it if you can’t charge it at home because the extra cost and time it takes to charge at a station.
@sdcuddleguy yeah I read that Tesla’s network of stations is incredible and they are popping up at gas stations out here. I am getting the charging station regardless of which EV brand I get (most likely Tesla).
@xandriarain Actually have zero issues charging my Tesla at home on a regular 110 wall outlet, no special provisions. I drive about 25-30 miles in a normal day, sometimes a little more. When I get home I plug it in. It charges at a rate of about 2-3 miles per hour. So if I get home by 8 and I am not leaving until 7 the next morning (usually home longer than that) then I get about 25-35 miles of charge out of the wall in a normal night while asleep - and electricity rates are lower over night too!
Also, for what it's worth, there is no extra cost for some Tesla's because they have been purchased with Supercharging included. You can make that purchase on a new one, but the number of used Tesla's out there now make purchasing a used one very attractive - just be sure to check and see if the original buyer had included free supercharging and if it carries over to you as the next owner.
@FunCartel Before springing for the home charger I would recommend living without one and just use a regular wall outlet for a couple weeks at least. You may find your driving patterns (see my message above) don't warrant the need for the extra juice or expense of it. Remember, it is not just the cost of buying it, but also pumps up your electric bill too.
Or go all out and have a 40 panel 12KW solar system. $5/gallon for premium? No. Fear of brownouts and power outages? No. Tesla is and has changed the world, one carbon offset at a time.
@Sideon 👍
I have a big passion for EVs and love every second in my Model Y. It takes a little extra work if you're going to go on a roadtrip 200+ miles from home, but I personally find it fun and a bit more relaxing. But day to day, when the average American drives about 30 miles daily, it's really an amazing car.
I hadn't driven an ICE vehicle in over a year until this weekend and found it very unappealing and backwards. If you can afford it, I think it's an amazing experience and puts my mind at ease when it comes to the little maintenance needed and the amazing driving experience.
I would recommend leasing first to see how you like it. Nissan has a 12 month lease on the Nissan Leaf because the Ariya is coming out late next year/ early 2023. That might be the way to go instead of spending the $ on a tesla or other high priced EV. Good luck!
Final comment. Don't bother with purchasing the full "auto pilot" functionality. Tesla has been dangling that carrot since 2018. Now it comes down to 1) if you've given money to Musk and you're buddy-buddy 2) and if you sign up for this BETA program that tracks your driving safety... and THEN you upgrade the car cameras, then of course you can get the $5K auto pilot functionality that doesn't exist yet.