Hurricane evacation and electric vehicles

[oil pan 4]

Yep, 50% depreciation at about lease turn in time is about what their doing.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I've been considering a used Spark EV, but if replacement batteries are $22k, that represents a huge potential for the car to become a paper weight, even if it does have a more robust battery conditioning system.

The Spark is a compliance car that GM made to fulfill CARB EV mandates while they were working on the Bolt. As such they only make the 2000 per year that CARB required. That low volume pretty much ensures that any spare parts required will be hard to find which is why I have no intention of buying my Spark EV once the lease is up.

I personally believe that $22K price on a replacement pack is specifically designed to prevent anyone from ever buying one. GM is required by law to provide replacement parts for 10 years. Setting one pack on the shelf with a price so high that nobody buys it meets the letter of the law.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Yep, 50% depreciation at about lease turn in time is about what their doing.

I just bought a 2014 Jetta Sportwagen TDI for 46 cents on the dollar. It has 30K miles and everything remotely emissions related is warrantied for 10 years / 120K miles.

The dealer I bought mine from had 220 TDIs for sale.

[freebeard]

The most I ever spent on a vehicle is on my leaf, just shy of $7k with shipping.

The most I spent was $5550 for a 1971 Superbeetle (out of a farmer's field), which was $50 less that NADA mid-book. Which is currently $7800, down from a high of $8600 six months ago.

Come to think of it, $5550 was also (±$10) of the most expensive computer I ever bought, a Macintosh 7100/66.

[redpoint5]

I'd hope everyone were very scared to buy a used Spark EV, and drive the price into the ground. If I could pick one up for $4k, I'd not worry much about the battery giving up the ghost in the future. As it is, $9k is a bit much for a limited range, small utility, disposable vehicle.

[oil pan 4]

I'm sure plenty of them are getting slightly wrecked and I bet they have really high repair costs.
So totaled cheap ones with a decent battery should be available.

[Xist]

The Leaf S starts at $30,885. The Leaf SL starts out $37,095.

The most expensive car that I ever bought was my 1999 Forester with 95,000 miles in 2012 for $6,000. Second was Dad's 2007 Focus just a month earlier for $5,000. It had 200,000 miles.

I would still be driving that Focus had someone not ridden a Harley into it.

Edit: I have now had my $250 accord for just over two years and 30,000 miles. I have replaced two tires, the brakes, rotors, timing belt, and windshield, plus $200 in parts after the tire blew. I do not think that maintenance has added up too badly.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Xist

In unrelated news, I use heavy duty aluminum foil. Only the best for my head!

Doubled up, I'd hope ?

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by JSH

Who pays $30K for a car? I won't but I'm glad someone does so I can buy it 3 years later at a 50% discount.

I'm buying new cars
But you won't be getting them on the cheap shortly after
I'm keeping them about 10 years or 200K km

Sole exception was a Toyo Yaris that ruined my back by just sitting in it.
Sold after half a year.

[gumby79]

My Hope Is that when you don't pay the extra money for the full use of the battery that uses the middle 60% of the batteries capacity. DOD test is based on only using the middle 60% and having 80% of the original capacity at 1000 Cycles. Charge to 80% discharge to 20% remaining repeat 1000 times add 20% to the remaining capacity and you have your amp hour / kilowatt-hour . Eg 5ah will have 4ah after 1000 80%cycles.

Leaf does this on the bottom end. They call it limp / Turtle mode.