Teslas and other electric vehicles

Kdogg said:
I think it was $.54. I did know EV was the priciest charger but I figured it was still cheaper than what the rental company would have charged for returning it at 39%. I knew I always had that option so I wasn’t too worried. I knew going in that there might be a problem so I wasn’t caught off guard. I doubt that many other people would go knowing the concerns. I was going to the Wells Fargo Center. The car’s nav said the closest charger was at the nearby casino. It was there a free ChargePoint station. One side was broken and the other side was plugged into a BMW but done. I tried that and the time to a complete charge was 6.5 hours. I noped out of there.
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Hertz has historically charged $25 for returning an EV with “not enough juice” (however defined). I pay it every time. I have better uses for my time than hunting for a charger in an area I’m unfamiliar with.
 
budwom said:
We're flying to RDU Saturday for the football game, and we don't want to be hunting around for charging stations very late Saturday or very early Sunday. Unnecessary pain in the butt.
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EA at Sheetz in Hillsborough. On NC 86 just south of I-85. Totally convenient.

It’s easy enough to find hotels with level 2 chargers.
 
crote said:
I've been researching EVs trying to see if one makes sense for replacing our second car (a '98 Forester if you can believe it). We're looking for something that's under $30k but is more than just a glorified smart car and which has decent range, which more or less limits you to a Nissan Leaf or Chevy Bolt. I'm told that the Leaf's air-cooled battery is a non-starter if you live in a really hot climate, which I certainly do (Arizona). That leaves just the Bolt, which people seem to love.

Only problem is that Chevy discontinued the Bolt in model year '23. They say they're bringing it back for '26, updated for GM's new Ultium EV platform, but that won't be for another year or so. I'd love to grab a used Bolt, but we make slightly too much money to qualify for the IRA's used EV tax credit. We do qualify for the larger credit for new vehicles, and a new Bolt with the credit costs about the same as a lightly used one without the credit, but there are zero new Bolts available in our area. I'm in whatever the opposite of the Goldilocks zone is for income level, tax credit eligibility, and vehicle availability. Now it's a game of chicken to see if we can go another 9+ months with a second car of, uh, dubious roadworthiness, or if I should spend the same amount of money for a slightly worse car right now.

Would be nice if there were more than like two EVs with an MSRP under 50 grand. Jeep has promised a $25k EV in the near future, and Ford says its working on a similarly priced model, so hope may be around the corner.
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There is at least one VW dealer I know of (Capistrano VW in OC) that is selling base ID.4 for $27k. The issue with the base model is the small battery, but is it’s an around-town second car 62 kWh should be fine.

Base model Equinox EV is around your price range, but it charges really slowly.
 
burnspbesq said:
There is at least one VW dealer I know of (Capistrano VW in OC) that is selling base ID.4 for $27k. The issue with the base model is the small battery, but is it’s an around-town second car 62 kWh should be fine.

Base model Equinox EV is around your price range, but it charges really slowly.
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Yeah, I've considered the ID.4, but I'd theoretically like to be able to do the longest single-day drive I do with any regularity (~230 miles roundtrip) on a single charge if possible. Bolt gets you there more or less, base ID.4 is a bit short. I'll take a look at the Equinox.
 
crote said:
Yeah, I've considered the ID.4, but I'd theoretically like to be able to do the longest single-day drive I do with any regularity (~230 miles roundtrip) on a single charge if possible. Bolt gets you there more or less, base ID.4 is a bit short. I'll take a look at the Equinox.
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It was interesting to hear your comments on the Leaf not being a great choice in hot areas. We have a 2016 model, and have had no issues like that living in Georgia (I get that Arizona is a different story).

The one thing we have learned is that range is approximate. If you're doing highway speeds, you may find your range is measurably less.
 
dlmzzz said:
It was interesting to hear your comments on the Leaf not being a great choice in hot areas. We have a 2016 model, and have had no issues like that living in Georgia (I get that Arizona is a different story).
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My understanding is that the Leaf is unique among mass market EVs in that it uses air cooling as opposed to liquid cooling for its battery, which effectively means the battery can't be cooled when the car is not running. This causes problems with the battery chemistry in areas with sustained, very high temperatures, which degrades performance over time. I don't know that there's a specific cutoff where it gets too hot, but living in the desert southwest where you routinely have highs north of 110 is the real danger zone.
 
crote said:
I don't know that there's a specific cutoff where it gets too hot, but living in the desert southwest where you routinely have highs north of 110 is the real danger zone.
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Actually, if you head north, the highs are probably better. ;)
 
Saw one at a cemetery recently with a medium blue and beige paint job. Not gonna let theirs rust in peace!

-jk
 
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