Opinions on the best value in a used EV

[JSH]

Originally Posted by hayden55

Also, like we saw in the Leaf... cycling small battery packs 100 to 0 will lead to capacity loss much more noticeably and much faster than using a Chevy Bolt the same trip and maybe using 20% of its cycle...

The Leaf is also an unique use case because the battery pack is not liquid cooled.

[Vman455]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Depreciation is nearly always the biggest cost. The newer the vehicle, the bigger a hit you're going to take. "Fuel" cost is usually not as big of a concern as depreciation.

When I bought the Prius, I started a spreadsheet to track every expense associated with owning it: purchase price, taxes and fees, loan interest, insurance, expendables (fluids, tires, brakes, etc.), insurance, and, of course, fuel (~$30,500 total right now). My fuel costs are generally $0.04-0.05/mile, and overall I'm sitting at $0.38/mile all in at 80,000 miles. Were I to sell the car today for $8900 (KBB), that would lop approximately $0.11/mile off that, to ~$0.27/mile. So, that depreciation eats up more than $11,000, much larger than any other expense. At the rate I'm going my projected cost at 160,000 miles will be about $0.23/mile, and I plan to keep the car much longer than that.

Now I just need a driving job that will pay me the federal mileage reimbursement, and I could potentially turn a profit....

[hayden55]

Originally Posted by Vman455

and I could potentially turn a profit....

Start trying to not avoid those avoidable accidents consciously. Once you get a couple summed up you should have a free car since you were never at fault. Profit turned.


Kidding lol

[hayden55]

Originally Posted by Vman455

When I bought the Prius, I started a spreadsheet to track every expense associated with owning it: purchase price, taxes and fees, loan interest, insurance, expendables (fluids, tires, brakes, etc.), insurance, and, of course, fuel (~$30,500 total right now). My fuel costs are generally $0.04-0.05/mile, and overall I'm sitting at $0.38/mile all in at 80,000 miles. Were I to sell the car today for $8900 (KBB), that would lop approximately $0.11/mile off that, to ~$0.27/mile. So, that depreciation eats up more than $11,000, much larger than any other expense. At the rate I'm going my projected cost at 160,000 miles will be about $0.23/mile, and I plan to keep the car much longer than that.

Now I just need a driving job that will pay me the federal mileage reimbursement, and I could potentially turn a profit....

I would love to see all of our investment strategies here. I bet we have a ton of smart frugal people on here.

[Snax]

Originally Posted by hayden55

I would love to see all of our investment strategies here. I bet we have a ton of smart frugal people on here.

I'm out, having paid about twice what a similar age and range LEAF goes for. LOL.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Vman455

When I bought the Prius, I started a spreadsheet to track every expense associated with owning it: purchase price, taxes and fees, loan interest, insurance, expendables (fluids, tires, brakes, etc.), insurance, and, of course, fuel (~$30,500 total right now). My fuel costs are generally $0.04-0.05/mile, and overall I'm sitting at $0.38/mile all in at 80,000 miles. Were I to sell the car today for $8900 (KBB), that would lop approximately $0.11/mile off that, to ~$0.27/mile. So, that depreciation eats up more than $11,000, much larger than any other expense. At the rate I'm going my projected cost at 160,000 miles will be about $0.23/mile, and I plan to keep the car much longer than that.

Now I just need a driving job that will pay me the federal mileage reimbursement, and I could potentially turn a profit....

My spreadsheet should give similar results as what you've calculated if you input the values you've collected. I'd be curious to compare your results vs my spreadsheet to see if there's anything major I'm missing in it.

I had the choice to pick among ~7 models of cars as a company car for a very modest monthly paycheck deduction and drive it for personal use, or buy any vehicle I wanted (no more than 4 years old, 4 doors) and be reimbursed miles and some amount of the depreciation. EVs were very attractive to me considering 2 cents per mile in fuel, and getting reimbursed at something like 50 cents per mile.

Originally Posted by Snax

I'm out, having paid about twice what a similar age and range LEAF goes for. LOL.

I suspect your i3 will hold the value more than a Leaf over time though. From what I've read, the battery will hold up better and the Leaves will become paperweights.

[Hersbird]

My cost per mile is huge because I don't drive many miles. The bright side is the same, high cost per mile times low miles isn't that bad.

I thought the pure EV might help as say I bought a Prius I could potentially be spending 1/2 as much as I spend on gas on just oil changes. EV not only saves gas but those 2 oil changes a year. What would jack up the cost would be something that required full coverage insurance. Anything over $5000 would probably require a loan and then the full coverage. Just driving the Suburban is really the least expensive even at 10 mpg city.

11 years old and I could get permanent registration for about the same cost as 2.5-3 regular years. I just have trouble keeping the same car much more than 5 years.

[redpoint5]

If you don't drive many miles, it doesn't matter much what you drive, and it's harder to justify a commuter. Too short though, and I think it makes sense to drive an EV again. Short trips where the car never gets to operating temperature and the heater never makes the cabin comfortable favors an EV. Start off with a heated cabin and no worries about the extra wear due to always operating a cold engine.

[aerostealth]

You all need to read this, fossils are dead,stick a fork in them.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2019/08/...or-renewables/

[Piotrsko]

I have been hearing that, along with the immediate impending disastrous demise, for the last 45-50 years. pardon me for being skeptical.

If and when it gets to be extremely cheap and practical, there will be a slow and consistent move towards it, much like nat gas over coal fired. Company accountants don't like shutting down multi million dollar facilities.