39 months with a Chevy Spark EV

[JSH]

Well the time has come, the Spark EV went back to Chevy. All in all my first EV experience has been very positive. The driving dynamics were great - vastly superior to an ICE car. Press the accelerator and the car movies silently forward. The car is always in the correct "gear" and acceleration is instant.

It has also been the cheapest car I've ever owned:
$3900 Lease
$ 288 Title Registration
$1878 Insurance
$ 182 Maintenance (tires)
$ 699 Fuel
$6945 Total

That comes to $178 per month all-in or $0.27 per mile. Even my 2005 Prius that I bought used, kept for 10 years, and did all the maintenance myself cost $245 per month. (adjust for the same miles per year)

I drove 25,834 miles and consumed 5828 kWh of electricity for an average of 4.43 miles per kWh

So what are we replacing it with? Nothing. My wife started biking to work most days and drives our camper van when she can't bike. Even if she drove the van every day it would only be $40 a month for gas. I'll drive the Sportwagen TDI for my commute.

I got used to starting everyday with a full charge and it will be annoying to go back to waiting in line for fuel.

[redpoint5]

Love the analysis, thanks for sharing!

I had considered a Spark EV lease back when they could be had for something silly like $100/mo.

Your post inspired me to look at Oregon specific incentives again, and found out I just missed $3,500 Nissan Leaf through PGE. It expired at the end of Sept. I had actually just inquired about pricing on a Leaf from a couple dealerships last month too.

If I can buy a new Leaf or Bolt with a final cost near $18k, I'll jump in. Chevy might be heavily discounting the 2019 Bolt due to a slightly higher range 2020 Bolt this month.

On another forum someone mentioned older Model S prices are coming down, so that idea interested me too.

[JSH]

I got mine on the $100 a month lease back when they were moving out the Spark EVs to make way for the Bolt.

I was pretty surprised that the dealer where I turned it in said they were going to buy it from GM. They had an identical Spark EV on their lot for $11,000 (way over priced) but he said they move pretty quickly. People buy them as a commute car and leave the truck in the garage.

[oil pan 4]

Buying gas sucks.
Get a cheap leaf with a good battery.

[redpoint5]

Well, I want a cheap Spark, but it seems they don't go for a little as I think they should be worth.

Seems crazy to buy a Spark EV for $10k when I can get a brand new Bolt with more than twice the range for $20k (after incentives)

[JSH]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

Buying gas sucks.
Get a cheap leaf with a good battery.

Yes buying gas sucks but just the insurance on an additional car is more than the gas bill if she drove the van every day. Buying another car has a payback of infinity.

[oil pan 4]

With $2.50 rug I save around $200 per month driving my leaf counting the power it uses, after insurance and not counting what I save by having my other car on "storage insurance".
But I don't lease, take out car loans or have full inaurance. When I buy a car I only make 1 payment.
If it costs more money than what I have that's like the economies way of telling me I don't need it.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by oil pan 4

With $2.50 rug I save around $200 per month driving my leaf counting the power it uses, after insurance and not counting what I save by having my other car on "storage insurance".
But I don't lease, take out car loans or have full inaurance. When I buy a car I only make 1 payment.
If it costs more money than what I have that's like the economies way of telling me I don't need it.

???

I paid cash for the last 5 vehicles I purchased. I would have paid cash for the Spark had I planned to keep it.

What does that have to do with me not buying another car that I don't need?