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Originally Posted by solarguy
Really, we're saying that extreme cold is bad for cars. All cars.
As much as you can keep the Leaf plugged in, and it does have battery heat and -some- insulation, I would go electric if in your situation.
hth
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Yep. Some say I should just move. But hey! I love it here! The cold is hard on ICE engines. It's also hard on batteries. The nice thing is that I don't have to deal with the heat. 80°F is about as hot as it gets around here, in the afternoon in mid July.
But the cold does bring up some things to think about. For an example, would a rubberized under coating to protect from road salt interfere with how the batteries cool in the summer? I guess I could just do a good inspection every spring and use regular old paint for any damage.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vskid3
The Leaf sounds like it would work well for you. I would just be sure to get one with a heat pump (I believe they started offering them in 2013).
Regarding the longer trips 6 times a year, how far would they be? If there are chargers available along the way, you might be able to get away with driving the Leaf. A Volt would also solve the range anxiety and extra cost would be less than the rental car. The Volt seems to have better temperature control for the battery, from what I've read.
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Yes, I'm looking for a 2013 or newer for that very reason. The claim is that it gives you up to 25 miles more range in the winter than the resistance heaters only, as in the 2011 and 2012 models. I do understand that under 0°F/15°C a heat pump becomes less efficient than a resistance heater. But there are plenty of times that it will be warmer than 0°F/15°C and I'll need heat. There are just going to be plenty of days where it's also below that.
As far as trips go, I'm afraid that charging stations won't work for me. Denver is over 200 miles away, and I have to drive over the Continental Divide and drop over 6,000ft into Denver, and then climb that back up. And between here and Denver there are no charging stations. I'm not near the interstate, just pretty much out in the middle of nowhere. If there were some charging stations in South Park I might be able to make it work.
However, I would love to invent some kind of pusher trailer for a Leaf. If there's no option to use just electricity, well I'm going to have to burn fuel somehow. Might as well as be in the Leaf. But I foresee a lot of potential problems doing that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by roosterk0031
I'm pretty sure a Mirage has a electic boost HVAC heater, really easy slip in the hole engine block heater, and $3500 rebate till the end of March 2016. If my cobalt xfe was ready for replacement I'd be all over one. I priced a CVT ES at 10,800 out the door, you really don't need Cruise control, and if could get by with a manual I'm sure you could beat that but $1000+.
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Yes, I agree. The Mirage is the best bang-for-buck. Just doing some quotes, I see I can get a 2015 as-basic-as-it-gets Mirage for $13,830. I'm not sure if that's including the $3,500 rebate, but it's still pretty good for a new car. Compared to the Leaf, I can get a 2013 for under $9,000 with around 30,000 miles on it after the tax credit. But add in a level 2 charger and the need to find other ways to go far once in a while and the Leaf now costs more in the long run.
However, if I keep one of the current vehicles that I have (choice right now between a 1972 Super Beetle, a 1985 VW Golf and a 2001 Chevy Astro) and a Leaf, I think that would be the most economic, for now, with the advantage of owning a newer car. Plus I'd have an electric car! There's just something about having an electric that intrigues me. Maybe it's not the best choice. Maybe a VW diesel isn't the best choice either. Nor my air-cooled Beetle. But I'm just that kind of guy who likes things that are different. (e.g. Windows Phone.) A Mirage is just another typical gasoline car to me. There's nothing about it that says, "Hey, it's time to think outside of the box!"
Obviously it would be most economical to just drive the cars I have until they completely dead. But that isn't exactly the most comfortable. The Golf has a leaky roof, needs painted and re upholstered, and has several electrical and other problems. (Hey! It's got over 500,000 miles on it! What would you expect.) The Bug is great, but not that practical. I need a four door for most of my work and for my family. The Astro would be good to pull a Leaf if I do actually get one, to the mechanic in Denver if need be. It's also confortable and will hopefully have air-conditioning for trips down to Denver in the Summer. And for just a few times a year it's not going to use that much fuel.