Government simply will not tell the truth about "green" technologies -- they are FAR dirtier than they claim when you count total cradel-to-grave consumption of resources and waste disposal, they require decades or centuries of tax support to stay alive, they are generally underperforming and not reliable, they serve the perpetual government fetish of "saving energy," they swallow billions of dollars of our tax-dollar support to create millions of PhDs who perpetuate the lies, and they trick gullible people by the millions with their phony claims of "saving the planet."
Priority has to be the battery pack. How many charging cycles do you have left (this can only be estimated)? Are the batteries proprietary (unique to the vehicle) or will any lead/acid battery fit?
Replacing the batteries could cost more than the value of the whole car. Is that why the previous owner decided to sell?
Your son will be starting “collage” soon?
Maybe he needs further schooling from professionals.
Yuh ain’t doin him no favuhs....
Then again, maybe he’ll be an artist and express himself through pictorials using colleges as his medium.
LOL
I’m an engineer driving a 57 Bel Air and a 67 Camaro - gas hogs. But I have no problem with electrics, as long as they aren’t pushed as being the salvation of mankind. Ditto for solar panels etc. Each has its niche. It’s just the idea that we are going to somehow live in a hydrocarbon free world just torques me no end.
I had a two-mile commute to work for a few years. I changed from my Chevy Avalanche to a Toyota Camry Hybrid and let the gas savings roll in. Something like $75/month in gas to about $20. Now that I have a much longer commute, I’m saving even more.
Range is important to me. Also winter performance. The colder it gets the less power or sustaining power. Same holds true in extremely hot weather too.
I have two retired friends who own Chevy Volts and they love them......
We have a hybrid (Honda Civic with all the high-end trim packages and retrofitted with Honda fog lights in place of the day-time running lights that are standard). It makes sense — saves lots of money on gas.
Electric-only makes no sense here in the Great Plains. If I lived in an urbanized area and had a petroleum powered vehicle suitable for long distance trips, I’d certainly look at an electric-only vehicle for commuting.
When green and cheap coincide, go green. The problem is leftists and deluded urbanites who even if not leftist fancy that what makes sense in densely populated areas is a universal good pushing them on everyone.
The total energy use of an electric car gas has to include the generation of electricity. Factor that in and get back to me with the numbers.
I commute 40 miles a day and live in a state where it often gets below zero. That 62 mile range would not not get me reliably to and from work as I would need to use the lights, defroster, heater and wipers many days and at below zero temperatures that battery has no where near a 62 mile range. With a 6 mile commute and a milder climate the electric car might work great. I noted the rather large depreciation. In three years the vehicle goes from a $28K sticker price to a $7.7K market value. That says a lot about market value for electric cars
At my last fillup the price of gasoline was $1.79 / gallon. I am unclear on why someone would buy an electric car right now.
Did a polar bear come up to you and give you a hug.
that the thing ...true “green” things should be inherently less expense then non green things.
“Since the range is only an estimated 62 miles it works for us.”
That’s when it is above freezing. Below the freezing mark your range is cut in half so make it 31 winter miles. Then throw in the defroster and heating the interior of the car and you might get 20 miles.
And when you finally get to the point of having to replace the battery that’ll cost you between $3,000 and $5,000. Hope you don’t mind that too much.
Be sure you know where the battery cutoff switch is located in case you get into a wreck. Wouldn’t want to get a nasty shock trying get get out of it.
Something also to think about is how quiet your car is compared to those with combustion engines. They become more of hazard to the blind when they are trying to cross the road or to others when you are backing up. Might want to install some car tones for it.
When you go to recharge your car it’ll take a while. At 220-/240 volts it’ll take about 8 hours compared to just a few minutes for refueling combustion engines. If your charger is only on 110/120 volts it’ll take a about 20 hours. But if you don’t travel that much and you aren’t in a big hurry your car is the way to go. The external ambient temperature your car is at will also affect charging time. In the winter time it will take a bit longer.
Gotta love those coal-powered electric cars!
Make sure you re-charge it outside and away from flammable objects.
nothing wrong with it if it’makes sense’for’you. and youre not being a smug preachy prick about it to everyone else.
I did a quick search and it's probably as good a bet as most out there and I have some acquaintances that have or had electric hybrids - rode in a couple and have no complaints for the niche they serve. Hope it works out well.
I’ve had several electric trains for years.
If your son or daughter had a car that got 30mpg, which is common among today's compact cars, his cost for gasoline to commute would be around $1.75 a week.
If your child's electric car achieved 90 mpg, his cost for gasoline would be $0.58 a week, representing saving $60.66 for the year. Assuming four years of college, his savings on the commuting cost would total $242.64.
Does your son/daughter date?