Leaf got away

[Xist]

Like Audio Express, home of the $1 wire fire?

Can I just take one to Pep Boys for a brand-new 12v battery?

Hey OP, sorry for your loss, and for turning this thread into "Xist asks stupid questions about Power Wheels."

Pow-pow-power wheels!

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

I a way it seems that rebate sort of sucks because all the Oregon dealers are doing is adding $2500 to the price. I suppose maybe it will suck in all the EVs from surrounding states by encouraging higher bids for Oregon dealers at the auctions. Then it will even drive the used EV prices up outside of Oregon. I would be all over a few $6500 EVs I have seen if I could get another $2500 off.

Not quite, but that's generally what subsidies do. You have to meet a certain "median or below" income threshold to get $2,500 off, so the prices aren't increased the full amount. You are right that it's pulling in CA vehicles though. Once those HOV stickers expire on the older EVs, the value plummets. Then you get an artificially high market up north. That 2nd vehicle I looked at had just been received and wasn't detailed yet, so it had the CA HOV stickers still attached. I asked where it had come from, and the salesman told me Fremont auction. Probably a lease return. I still don't know why manufacturers would rather sell their lease returns for pennies on the dollar when they could simply offer a more enticing residual, or even selling the vehicle themselves on the used market. How does the auction add value?

[Hersbird]

I put an address in the Oregon caculator for the rebate for a $300,000 house for sale in Eugene, and for a family of 4 it said I could make $77,000 and still qualify for the $2500 used credit. That's not just low income, but middle income.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Hersbird

I put an address in the Oregon caculator for the rebate for a $300,000 house for sale in Eugene, and for a family of 4 it said I could make $77,000 and still qualify for the $2500 used credit. That's not just low income, but middle income.

I mistakenly said low income first, but then I amended that in a following post saying median, which still isn't accurate, but getting close. It's median income for your zip code plus some marginal %. The point is, it's a progressive subsidy that excludes income brackets above some amount.

I don't qualify, but my parents do. The state offers $2,500 for anyone purchasing a new EV, so that combined with the federal tax credit gives me $10k off.

The current plan is to get my parents into a used EV to supplement their 2003 Toyota Corolla. Mom has a 14 mile daily commute, and she sometimes doubles it. EV would be perfect for this. 95% of their driving is within 40 miles roundtrip.

I'm holding out for the Model Y and RAV4 Prime to drop to see what the market does. I may purchase a new Bolt, Ioniq, Leaf, or RAV4 Prime, or a used EV, or just wait a bit longer. I've got 2 more years left with the company car and I get unlimited use including fuel. I probably won't get another car for myself unless I can sell it for around what I bought it for a couple years later.

[Vman455]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Kinda shady that Nissan has the first bar represent 15% capacity, and then other bars represent half that.

Gas cars do this too. When Cadillac introduced digital fuel gauges for the first time, they got a number of complaints that the gauge dropped from 18 (full) to 17 too quickly. The next model year, they changed the programming so it displayed 18-18-16, skipping 17 entirely. The complaints went away. Gas gauges aren't linear, and I suppose manufacturers don't want to make battery reserve gauges linear either for the same (entirely psychological) reasons.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Vman455

Gas cars do this too. When Cadillac introduced digital fuel gauges for the first time, they got a number of complaints that the gauge dropped from 18 (full) to 17 too quickly. The next model year, they changed the programming so it displayed 18-18-16, skipping 17 entirely. The complaints went away. Gas gauges aren't linear, and I suppose manufacturers don't want to make battery reserve gauges linear either for the same (entirely psychological) reasons.

I can think of one reasonable explanation besides that too. Capacity decline occurs more rapidly at first, and then slows over time. They could program the bars to decline at a more linear rate of time rather than a linear rate of capacity loss. It might take the same amount of time to lose the first 15% as it does to lose the next 8%. Obscuring the rapid initial capacity loss from the customer probably makes sense. Other cars have built in reserves to cover the initial capacity loss, and I bet that helps to insulate the customer from feeling that their car is rapidly wearing out.

One of the reasons I was interested in the Model 3 standard range is that it has the same battery as the standard+. That means it naturally has a buffer that will maintain full range for a longer period of time. At some point not too far into the future, both the standard range and standard+ will have the same usable range even though people paid more for the standard+

[Fat Charlie]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I still don't know why manufacturers would rather sell their lease returns for pennies on the dollar when they could simply offer a more enticing residual, or even selling the vehicle themselves on the used market. How does the auction add value?

Because the manufacturers aren't retailers. They want to sell new units, and they're happy to get as much as retailers are willing to give them for the lease returns.

An auction is the free market at work, and lets the manufacturer get away clean. After the auction, the used car lot has to go through the car and make it ready for sale, then convince someone that it's worth the auction price + however much he's had to put into it + a profit. That's one headache the manufacturer is happy to not have. It's hard enough convincing people that new car prices are worth it.

[oldtamiyaphile]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I think you call these guys who appear to be expert installers.

Pretty sure that car's being returned to OEM to maximize resale.

[Fat Charlie]

The used car lot said they had a Cobra for $9,999.