How much would you save driving Leaf?

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Xist

...heaven forbid that people need to walk to access a car in a normal neighborhood!

Even more so, the idea that living in a "neighborhood" is normal (for anyone except the young & poor), and a desirable way to live. Sure, many people go through a phase of living that way, perhaps as a natural continuation of the college dorm, but it tends not to last.

[user removed]

Originally Posted by Xist

My sister is trying to get a job with Google, I think for an autonomous car project. Today she said that cars were a big waste of money for something that you only spent a percentage of your time using. I responded that ride sharing should work fine in a dense area like an apartment building, but heaven forbid that people need to walk to access a car in a normal neighborhood!

Then I wondered about a roommate situation. How much would one need to charge roommates to allow them to run errands in it, as long as they are not gone for an hour or two, and they plug in when they return.

Calculate your true per mile cost and let them get their own insurance with a promisary note for the deductible but absolute proof of insurance.

regards
mech

[redpoint5]

I made my own spreadsheet to evaluate the true cost of ownership of any 2 vehicles, including gas vs EV.

Modify this yourself with your own numbers.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rb...2dCJSLxp5ne6Q4

[NeilBlanchard]

Here's another aspect to this issue: if you get an EV such as a Leaf, and you then get solar PV on your house - you will then save most or possibly all of the energy costs for driving an EV. And the cost of the solar PV system will often pay for itself (even without the EV savings) in about 10 years.

The other point I'll make is that some EV drivers primarily do so because we want to not use fossil fuels. Electricity is improving on this all the time, whether or not we individually generate our own electricity.

[Ryland]

My parents save almost exactly $1,000 per year over the geo metro that died, their leaf cost $15,000 used.

They needed a new car anyway and wanted something that was easier to care for.

[ocnorb]

There seems to be a missing element in these calculations. Most of us are looking to replace a 10+ year old vehicle with a newer Leaf. How do you do the math on the unknown cost of repairs for the old car (or for a used Leaf)?

My daughter has a 2013 that she pays less than $200 a month for. Compared to the Jeep she was driving, the fuel savings put her in a nearly free car. She loves it.

My wife has 2012 Leaf that was under 10K that she used to replace her 13 year old Jetta TDI. She likes the car, but seems to have a hard time predicting miles and is afraid to go places that she could easily make. She is not as happy about the overall purchase, but does like that she burns no gas for her commute.

I like that they don't have to check the oil or worry about filters, belts, etc. Its basically tires, brake checks and windshield wipers unless something big lets go.

The real benefit of these cars to hobby builders will be OEM quality parts becoming available from wrecks and broken EVs in the next few years.

[NeilBlanchard]

Here's a related observation: my ecodriving has always involved understanding how much range I have left vs how far I need to drive. So, I am far more comfortable setting out on a drive that is not routine, because I can look up the distance online, and I know that arriving home with a few miles left is no different than arriving home with 20 or 30 or 40 miles left.

It comes down to that range cushion and whether or not you are not worried about using most of the range.

Being a practiced ecodriver makes a better EV driver.

[elhigh]

Originally Posted by Xist

My sister is trying to get a job with Google, I think for an autonomous car project. Today she said that cars were a big waste of money for something that you only spent a percentage of your time using. I responded that ride sharing should work fine in a dense area like an apartment building, but heaven forbid that people need to walk to access a car in a normal neighborhood!

That's called "the bus."