Do you own or would you buy an electric car?

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Dgflorida
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Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Do you own or would you buy an electric car?

Post by Dgflorida »

Electric cars are cornerstone of the effort to reduce the need for petroleum. If you own an electric car, are you happy with it? If you don't own one, what are the criteria you need in order to buy one?

I don't own an electric car, but if golf carts were made street legal here, I would drive one a lot. Because we are faced with possible evacuations of hundreds of miles, current electric cars do not meet the distance criteria.
LogicsHere
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Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2015 9:49 am

Re: Do you own or would you buy an electric car?

Post by LogicsHere »

I doubt seriously that I would purchase an electric car. First of all they are expensive and really not in a retiree budget. I purchased my Camry back in 2011 for $24K and with only 35,000 miles on it and barely 2-3000 miles a year now. There's still too much life left in it yet. Spending another $30K+/- on another car is out of the question.

I drive somewhere between 150-200 miles a month. It would take a really hefty gas price increase for me to even consider the possibility and then considering the number of years I quite possibly have left to drive would probably still be cheaper than an electric car.
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LWolfT
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Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 10:46 am

Re: Do you own or would you buy an electric car?

Post by LWolfT »

We've considered it for one car (would still keep a gas-run vehicle for long trips). But for us, the cost is still prohibitive. I know at the time there was some additional expense to install a charging unit (not sure if that's still the case).

Plus, my state is one of those that has slapped an extra tax on hybrid/electric car owners, since it's losing gas tax $$ on those folks.
mbrudnic
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Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 7:57 am

Re: Do you own or would you buy an electric car?

Post by mbrudnic »

I would have considered if it if I was still married and the other car was an SUV. I have ridden in a Nissan Leaf and the experience was good. My brother is considering a Tesla, but his bonus was not what he hoped, so he is waiting.
floridacatlover
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Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 7:21 am

Re: Do you own or would you buy an electric car?

Post by floridacatlover »

Most likely I won’t buy an electric vehicle. Like Logics I drive very little, 250-300 miles a month. My 2012 Honda Accord has just over 30,000 miles. My drivers license comes up for renewal in 2022 and I’m not sure if my eyesight will pass. (If the test was today I believe I’d pass.) I’ve always said that if I can renew my license in 2022 I will buy a new car and that will be my last vehicle. But now I’m not sure because a Honda Accord with such low mileage should last many more years. (Just bought four new tires this year, too.)

I am noticing more public charging stations in my area. I’ve also read that my uncle’s rural Nevada town now has two charging stations installed by Tesla.

I like the idea of reducing the need for petroleum by making vehicles more efficient with higher gas mileage. This has been the California and Obama Administration approaches that the Trump administration is trying to reverse, most recently with a lawsuit against California. I just don’t get the opposition to fuel efficient vehicles.
colonialgirl
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Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2015 2:01 am
Location: Central Illinois

Re: Do you own or would you buy an electric car?

Post by colonialgirl »

I would consider a hybrid when I was ready to trade - but I always have read that the most environmentally friendly thing you can do is to keep your own car and maintain it. The data said that the use of resources to produce a new car and then the resources used to scrap the old car far outweigh any environment impact gained by buying a more efficient car.

Of course, at some point the ability to keep an older car loses its feasibility. When I hit that I am hoping there will be huge improvements. Our friends just bought a hybrid and are very happy with it, but it is small.
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