Board 8 > Half considering trading in my car for an electric

(+) Yeah! (+)

Can apparently get some decent rates through my job, so looking at trading in for a small electric since I basically never use it for anything more than trips to work or minor errands.

I'd just need to figure out a way to charge at my apartment(work apparently has free EV charging) for emergencies, shouldn't be a big deal.

read as cat, could not support. now less clear

Steiner posted...

read as cat, could not support. now less clear

Electric kitty takes me everywhere

If you truly know you will be fine with the battery size, and have a method for getting a gas car if you have longer drives, then yes, worth it.

Especially if your work has free charging. That's removing your gas/charge bill.

I have a Kia EV6, and while it's not small or cheap, it's the smoothest thing I've ever driven, and it helps the environment. Has a larger battery though.

If you don't drive much then the optimal car is the one you currently have. Anything else is a waste in terms of money and ecological resources.

I've been really wanting an EV for like 5 years now but I'm still sticking with my old car for that reason. I realize that an EV would essentially be a toy for me.

foolm0r0n posted...

If you don't drive much then the optimal car is the one you currently have. Anything else is a waste in terms of money and ecological resources.

I've been really wanting an EV for like 5 years now but I'm still sticking with my old car for that reason. I realize that an EV would essentially be a toy for me.

This is also probably true

foolm0r0n posted...

If you don't drive much then the optimal car is the one you currently have. Anything else is a waste in terms of money and ecological resources.

I've been really wanting an EV for like 5 years now but I'm still sticking with my old car for that reason. I realize that an EV would essentially be a toy for me.

I feel the same way. I want to get an EV, but any pretense of it being better for the environment or saving on gas are all secondary to this would actually be a luxury toy. Which is fine, but Im not in the market for such a high-priced toy yet

I recommend hybrid-electric, you get the best of both worlds.

I drive one, and I havent used gas in weeks, but its nice to know its there so you dont get that range anxiety you get with pure electric.

What foolmo said. I'm still driving the same car from 14 years ago. I don't put a ton of miles on it, and even fewer since the pandemic. I can't justify buying an EV.

GANON1025 posted...

Which is fine, but Im not in the market for such a high-priced toy yet

Yup. I almost got the ioniq 5 but then they lost the 7500 credit. I wanted an expensive toy but not a stupidly expensive one.

ChaosTonyV4 posted...

I recommend hybrid-electric, you get the best of both worlds.

We should be trying to switch to these instead of pure EVs. These actually are even better for the environment too, because you don't need to keep charging your car on juice that's partially from a coal burning plant. The solar and wind energy used only covers so much.

There's also the fact that if you go on a road trip, you're not stuck for 3 hours waiting on your car to charge. You can charge it for half an hour while you eat lunch and refill the gas tank too.

But for your situation, I'd say just keep the vehicle you have, because of what foolmo said.

I just ordered a Model Y bc my car is falling apart but yeesh it hurts to see how much it costs even with the tax credit.

BlueCrystalTear posted...

We should be trying to switch to these instead of pure EVs. These actually are even better for the environment too, because you don't need to keep charging your car on juice that's partially from a coal burning plant. The solar and wind energy used only covers so much.

please think about this some more

NFUN posted...

please think about this some more

I'm sorry I understand these things better than you do.

I actually specifically avoided a hybrid-electric because the majority of driving I do would default to use the gas instead of the battery, even though I don't cover that much ground.

HanOfTheNekos posted...

I actually specifically avoided a hybrid-electric because the majority of driving I do would default to use the gas instead of the battery, even though I don't cover that much ground.

In your case I'd probably have gone with just a hybrid then. I just really don't like the idea of having to charge a car like a mobile device, especially when I have to go out of my way to a charging station (which would be pretty much everywhere, including home). It doesn't feel intuitive and the environmental impact is not enough for the effort.

I will never buy a full electric car unless they improve significantly. My next one will likely be a hybrid though. And we really should be standardizing the hybrids, because those have positive impact by burning significantly less fossil fuels. Some EV owners don't realize where the electricity comes from...

BlueCrystalTear posted...

In your case I'd probably have gone with just a hybrid then. I just really don't like the idea of having to charge a car like a mobile device, especially when I have to go out of my way to a charging station (which would be pretty much everywhere, including home). It doesn't feel intuitive and the environmental impact is not enough for the effort.

I will never buy a full electric car unless they improve significantly. My next one will likely be a hybrid though. And we really should be standardizing the hybrids, because those have positive impact by burning significantly less fossil fuels. Some EV owners don't realize where the electricity comes from...

Andy, I've done enough of the research, and iirc, after something like a year of driving an EV, the carbon footprint from charging it outweighed by an equivalent amount of driving under gas. And it only grows from there.

The issue you're running into with your argument here is forgetting that hybrids and hybrid-electric also run on something. Hybrids still run off of fossil fuels. Hybrid-electrics are hybrids that can plug in - that is, you can increase their charge by plugging them in.

Plugging in and charging is better for the environment than burning gasoline.

HanOfTheNekos posted...

Andy, I've done enough of the research, and iirc, after something like a year of driving an EV, the carbon footprint from charging it outweighed by an equivalent amount of driving under gas. And it only grows from there.

The issue you're running into with your argument here is forgetting that hybrids and hybrid-electric also run on something. Hybrids still run off of fossil fuels. Hybrid-electrics are hybrids that can plug in - that is, you can increase their charge by plugging them in.

Plugging in and charging is better for the environment than burning gasoline.

I'm not forgetting anything.

An electric car itself doesn't burn any fossil fuels, but does that take into account where the electricity comes from in the first place? Or is it just taking the vehicle into account? I don't trust those studies for this reason. Hybrids burn significantly less gas than non-hybrids. You also have to consider electricity used to keep the charging station operating is no different than a gas pump.

This does not change that charging times are a massive inconvenience and having too few stations in the areas I go to make an EV something I won't even consider. And I doubt enough will change in five years, so.

The most environmentally friendly thing you can do is use your car until it's a broken husk, THEN buy an EV.

BlueCrystalTear posted...

I'm not forgetting anything.

An electric car itself doesn't burn any fossil fuels, but does that take into account where the electricity comes from in the first place?

Okay, but this is like you saying "a salad isn't healthier than a pizza because it also has calories".

Nobody is saying EV's have zero environmental impact, but they do have much less. And that improves year to year.

This does not change that charging times are a massive inconvenience and having too few stations in the areas I go to make an EV something I won't even consider. And I doubt enough will change in five years, so.

I'm not trying to convince you to buy one, I'm just saying that you're arguing like they're worse than gas-burning cars.

But for the sake of clearing up some misconception!:
Modern vehicles have chargers packaged that can fully charge in under 20 minutes (though yeah, it's not spectacular for the battery).

And yeah, charging can be difficult if you don't have a charging station at your home, and I wouldn't recommend someone spring for an EV if they don't have one at home, but if you DO... then a charging station ends up being more accessible than a gas station! Way more accessible. I am fortunate enough to live at an apartment complex that has charging stations, and when I move in with my gf, we plan on installing a charging station. But for a lot of other people, charging stations are becoming more and more widespread - not in totality yet, but as the technology develops, they'll be around more and more. I just got back from Florida where a lot of restaurants just have a bunch of ports in their parking lots.

Also, it's never been an inconvenience. Usually once a week, I just park in the charging port and charge overnight, then drive out of there the next day. If the port is there and accessible, then it's not even close to a contest with being less of an inconvenience than having to go to a gas station. Not to mention that charging is cheaper per mile than gas.

HanOfTheNekos posted...

I actually specifically avoided a hybrid-electric because the majority of driving I do would default to use the gas instead of the battery, even though I don't cover that much ground.

How much do you drive a day? Ive got a 2018 Volt, and I can still get squeeze 60 miles on pure electric, have they not improved in the last 5 years?

Also, just speaking to anyone, please dont buy a Tesla.

Big_Bob posted...

The most environmentally friendly thing you can do is use your car until it's a broken husk, THEN buy an EV.

This is the plan

ChaosTonyV4 posted...

How much do you drive a day? Ive got a 2018 Volt, and I can still get squeeze 60 miles on pure electric, have they not improved in the last 5 years?

Also, just speaking to anyone, please dont buy a Tesla.

I was mixed up - that was my reason to not drive a hybrid, since it's all highway driving.

However, I do drive distances of up to 120 miles a day at times as well, whenever I drop down into the city or visit my parents.

Hybrid is by far the dumbest option

NFUN posted...

please think about this some more

This is really the only response to that idea

foolm0r0n posted...

Hybrid is by far the dumbest option

This is really the only response to that idea

Consider this: On pure electric I can drive about 60 miles, meaning if I stay local I literally never have to get gas.

If Im driving far, on the 8 gallon tank I can make it over 400 miles, meaning I never have to think twice about stopping to charge.

Wheres the downside, exactly?

ChaosTonyV4 posted...

Wheres the downside, exactly?

With a hybrid?

Personally, the massive inefficiency of an entire other engine system that you're carrying around and maintaining.

Ecologically, the continued reliance on gas infrastructure which makes fossil fuels even harder to get rid.

foolm0r0n posted...

Hybrid is by far the dumbest option

This is really the only response to that idea

watch out. now he might block you too