So I bought an electric car.

Hmmm Id not seen the Bolt before - how large is this?
From the picture it makes me think of the Ford VMax or whatever their hybrid is called.
Like a mid-sized hatch, about the size of a Ford Focus etc

Congrats on the new ride dude.

It's surprisingly roomy. I tried the Volt too, and I honestly had a hell of a time getting in the thing, had to contort rather ridiculously and i'm 5'10. I have a long upper body/short legs though. The bolt was easy to get in/out of both front and back. The back seats surprised me even with the front seats all the way back you have about 2" knee room still.

The hatch is pretty good. It fit $200 of walmart groceries just fine. The back seats fold down. I need to test fit the AR case in the back, i think i'll need to fold down a seat for that.

Have you been in a Mazda CX3 or a maybe Ford Fiesta Hatch? it felt about the same size as those I've had them as rental cars.
 
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It's surprisingly roomy. I tried the Volt too, and I honestly had a hell of a time getting in the thing, had to contort rather ridiculously and i'm 5'10. I have a long upper body/short legs though. The bolt was easy to get in/out of both front and back. The back seats surprised me even with the front seats all the way back you have about 2" knee room still.

The hatch is pretty good. It fit $200 of walmart groceries just fine. The back seats fold down. I need to test fit the AR case in the back, i think i'll need to fold down a seat for that.

Have you been in a Mazda CX3 or a maybe Ford Fiesta Hatch? it felt about the same size as those I've had them as rental cars.
I own a Fiesta hatch now, 50+ on highway is highest Ive seen. Average 42ish per tank.
 
Had a similar conversation this week. I have a very small car and I was saying how I need some pallets but they wont fit in my car. Some of my coworkers chuckled, one said something to the effect of the 'good thing about a truck...' etc.
How often do I need to transport three pallets? OR, how often am I driving close to 300 miles per week and would rather get 50mpg highway vs 20 of a pickup... (or less).

Yeppers.

When I was looking for a replacement for my last car, my wife campaigned for me to get a pickup or SUV. I told her we already HAVE the Expedition she drives, why do I need a big ole gas hog, too?

I need a car that gets me back and forth to work, buy is big enough to pack a wife and three teens in about town. That's it. Need more room? Take the Expedition.

Nothing wrong with having a pickup or SUV as one's normal vehicle, if that's what you want. But that's not what I NEED.

201,000 plus miles on my LeSabre and how many times have I needed a pickup or SUV in its place for my use?
 
They are just too damn expensive for what you actually get. Over $30k for what is actually just a $15k car.
And the Bolt is the smallest. My Veloster has more room and cost a fraction of the Bolt.

By the way, you didn't get a tax credit on the car. CHEVY got that money. The market price is what you were willing to pay after the "credit." CHEVY just raises the price over market price by the amount of the credit. But you have to pay the car tax based on the inflated MRSP.

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4wd has more uses than most people think. You don't realize it until you need it. I sold my 2wd to buy a 4wd. Got tired of getting stuck on wet grass, not being able to get into drive way with .000001" of snow on the ground.

Born and raised in Indiana...no stranger to snow, here.

In cars, FWD is awesome in the snow. Never needed 4WD just because of snow.

And if the snow really was too deep to get out and about in my FWD cars? No business being out on the roads in the first place.

;)
 
I LOVE manual transmissions...but there is a reason why the sportscar makers are going away from them.
Transmissions like Porsches PDK or other maker's paddle shifters are faster and offer, often times, automatic throttle blip on down-shifts for smoother changes.
Those cars have dual clutch transmissions. They still shift slower than a manual. But they have much less lag than an automatic with "manual" function on the side.

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Those cars have dual clutch transmissions. They still shift slower than a manual. But they have much less lag than an automatic with "manual" function on the side.

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IF that were the case then why do the top sports cars have them, including the racers?
IE: why would a IMSA Prototype (their top tier/class) run them if they werent faster?
If it was slower, why would Porsche, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari etc go with them for their race cars?

Again, we're not talking about grassroots racer, but factory backed rides.
These new autos are simply quicker shifting than an old manual.
 
IF that were the case then why do the top sports cars have them, including the racers?
IE: why would a IMSA Prototype (their top tier/class) run them if they werent faster?
If it was slower, why would Porsche, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari etc go with them for their race cars?

Again, we're not talking about grassroots racer, but factory backed rides.
These new autos are simply quicker shifting than an old manual.
The most expensive cars have the most expensive and precise equipment.
But as far as what is available at price points for the typical consumer market, manual transmission is faster.
Manual transmission also has the benefit of being a theft deterrent as most young people today can't drive a car with a stick.
The Dodge challenger with a stick shifts faster than using the auto stick function on the automatic.

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$36,000 for the base model is insane for such a tiny car.
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They must have a different automatic then. The one on my wife's charger has very annoying shift lag.

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Just because it is annoying doesnt mean it's any slower.
 
Hydrogen powered vehicles are coming. Toyota and a few others are already bringing a product to the table.

This battery powered rechargeable electric vehicle idea is just a blip on the radar. Hydrogen powered vehicles will eventually be the future.
 
By the way, you didn't get a tax credit on the car. CHEVY got that money. The market price is what you were willing to pay after the "credit." CHEVY just raises the price over market price by the amount of the credit. But you have to pay the car tax based on the inflated MRSP.
Yep. It's like the mortgage interest deduction, which is often misunderstood. It doesn't make a house more affordable - it inflates the prices. The mortgage interest deduction was a giant wealth transfer to people who owned houses at the time the tax law passed and to developers. Everyone buying homes after that is paying a higher price.

It's also effectively a regressive tax, but that's a different issue.
 
Hydrogen powered vehicles are coming. Toyota and a few others are already bringing a product to the table.

This battery powered rechargeable electric vehicle idea is just a blip on the radar. Hydrogen powered vehicles will eventually be the future.
It takes a great deal of energy to create hydrogen gas. Hydrogen does not exist in nature as a stand alpine element. It must be separated from some other compounds. When the energy used to extract the hydrogen is included, it is not a very efficient source.
A former employer of mine had liquid hydrogen storage. Angry time there was a leak the building and the area surrounding had to be evacuated.
I would never buy a car fueled by hydrogen. These cars are rolling bombs, far more dangerous than gasoline.
It won't take many catastrophic explosive crashes to end them.
Remember the Hindenburg.

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Hydrogen powered vehicles are coming. Toyota and a few others are already bringing a product to the table.

This battery powered rechargeable electric vehicle idea is just a blip on the radar. Hydrogen powered vehicles will eventually be the future.

Hydrogen generators are being used in labs and Industrial facilities to produce hydrogen onsite efficiently, safely and cost effectively using basically water, a common catalyst and electricity. These generators can range is size from table top models for small labs to generate a liter or so of hydrogen for their lab experiments to a full hydrogen skid that produces major gallon levels for production processes and cool thing is this process basically generates high purity hydrogen with its byproduct being high purity oxygen ... no CO or other polluting gases. I don’t buy in on a lot of oil/automotive conspiracy ideas but if these two would get together hydrogen as a fuel could be huge. Hydrogen “filling stations” could actually generate their own hydrogen onsite and go even greener by using solar for electricity ... and this could be scaled down for home fueling setups. Yes, the initial costs for setting up the generators would be heavy but amortized over time it is far less costly, gets us away from petroleum and has future application possibilities.

I believe hydrogen and solar together are the better energy sources than wind but lobbyists and eco idiots have wind power ahead in the gooberment channels for now.
 
I was opposed to hybrid and electric cars when they first started to show up, but now that they're becoming more common, and the infrastructure to use them becomes more common, I'm starting to warm up to the idea. I doubt I'll be getting one anytime soon, but I can certainly see the advantages they offer.

Ideally, having a solar panel setup at home and an electric/chargeable hybrid would probably offer huge transportation savings.

I'm looking forward to rapid charging to become available at service stations. If you can build an electric car that can be charged in 15 minutes or less at a station, long road trips become viable.
 
I was opposed to hybrid and electric cars when they first started to show up, but now that they're becoming more common, and the infrastructure to use them becomes more common, I'm starting to warm up to the idea. I doubt I'll be getting one anytime soon, but I can certainly see the advantages they offer.

Ideally, having a solar panel setup at home and an electric/chargeable hybrid would probably offer huge transportation savings.

I'm looking forward to rapid charging to become available at service stations. If you can build an electric car that can be charged in 15 minutes or less at a station, long road trips become viable.
Full charge still takes hours even with rapid charge.
Rapid charge heats the battery more thus reducing the useful life. As such it should not be the normal charge method.
EV's are stool priced in the ECO jewelry range.
I'd consider buying an electric motorcycle is they weren't so expensive for what you get.
Electric scooters are by far the most popular vehicles in China. They are small enough to fit in an elevator and park in one's tiny apartment.

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Personally, I'm not one to spend upwards of $40 grand or more on a new vehicle, period. It's absolutely insane in my economic figuring to do so.

What do I get for a new car, with my typical usage? I typically buy used cars, maybe 7 years old or older, with relatively low milage (less than 12,000 a year). So I buy a 7 year old car with maybe 70,000 miles on it. In 2 to 3 year's time, I'll have put close to 70,000 more miles on it. I'll

Think about it...I buy a new car with a new car price tag (and payment), pay new car full coverage insurance, and in 2 to 3 years have 70,000 miles on it.

No, buying a new car for me is economic stupidity. So, I buy a decent used vehicle which I'll likely be able to put 250,000 more miles on it and save literally tens of thousands of dollars.

But what about a used electric car?

I'm not seeing much of an affordable used electric car market, frankly. Why?

Sure, the value of the cars will drop over time, just like any other vehicle. But batteries don't last forever and you'd certainly end up replacing the battery on a 7 year old electric car if it hasn't already been replaced.

An entire battery pack out of warranty? Up to half the cost of a new vehicle. Word is out that it now runs about $3,000 to $3,500 for an out of warranty battery replacement. But upon research, that's not a NEW battery. It's a battery whose cells have not degraded any more than your original pack.

An actual drive motor replacement battery from GM may even cost up to $34,000, "depending".

Sorry, Charlie...wayyyyy too much fiscal risk in a used electric vehicle for me.


https://electrek.co/2017/06/12/gm-bolt-ev-battery-pack-price-cost/

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?180897-3-500-Replacement-Battery-confirmed

https://www.autoblog.com/2014/01/10/chevy-volt-battery-replacement-cost-34000/
 
Friend just bought a Tesla - free batteries for life.
Is this for all models or only the Model S? Hard to imagine the economics of the Model 3 being good for Tesla if they have to foot the bill on lifetime batteries (assuming the car's other major components will outlive the batteries).

On a different note, I know liberals are enamored with EVs and they do make a lot of sense from a combustion vs electricity efficiency, but what happens to old EV batteries?
 
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Is this for all models or only the Model S? Hard to imagine the economics of the Model 3 being good for Tesla if they have to foot the bill on lifetime batteries (assuming the car's other major components will outlive the batteries).

On a different note, I know liberals are enamored with EVs and they do make a lot of sense from a combustion vs electricity efficiency, but what happens to old EV batteries?

For the most part they can be recycled. Over 90% of the materials can be recovered. The problem right now is that the recycling facilities are dedicated to just one type of battery each. Every car company uses a different battery formulation that makes it hard to switch processes between battery models.
 
I LOVE manual transmissions...but there is a reason why the sportscar makers are going away from them.
Transmissions like Porsches PDK or other maker's paddle shifters are faster and offer, often times, automatic throttle blip on down-shifts for smoother changes.

I believe when they did the insanely fast lap at the Ring with the new GT2 RS, the driver didn't even use the shifters. The car did all the shifting!
Pretty crazy when you think about it.
EDIT: Checked into this and I was incorrect. Driver shifted with paddles.

Their technology is awesome. People talk about how fast a Tesla, or a Demon or whatever is, but a 911 Turbo will do 0-60 in like 2.6.
But it can do it like 50 times in a row, with a newb driving, and not even bat an eye. Tesla would be out of juice after like 5, and the Demon would need a new clutch/tranny!
 
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Sticker was 42k and it had all options, got it for 37k. the feds will take 7500 off your taxes next year if you purchase it. I leased it as I get reimbursed for having a newer car for my job (car allowance) and it is better tax wise, well it was until this years changes, guess i'll find out if anything changed. The tax is a credit only, you don't get the money back if you don't pay that much in taxes.

I have a 240v/32A charger in the garage. An hour of time puts about 25 miles on the range. Max range is supposedly 230. You can charge on a household 110v forget about it, takes days to recharge anything. Think it was optomistic at 4m per hour on that.

There are a few chargers around town that are DC chargers that can do 90 miles of charge in an hour, but they need 480A circuits I think, so doubt i'd put one in a house. I've not done a long trip yet like out to Frontline Defense to see what happens, but they say 8-9 hours to recharge from dead. This is mostly to/from RTP or running the kids around to activities.

so far I've driven 371 miles at an estimated $13 in electricity.
Did some math here and that's roughly equivalent to 75 MPG. Whether that's good or bad...
 
They are just too damn expensive for what you actually get. Over $30k for what is actually just a $15k car.
And the Bolt is the smallest. My Veloster has more room and cost a fraction of the Bolt.

By the way, you didn't get a tax credit on the car. CHEVY got that money. The market price is what you were willing to pay after the "credit." CHEVY just raises the price over market price by the amount of the credit. But you have to pay the car tax based on the inflated MRSP.

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Not really, after you and I pay $7500 PER car for OTHERS to buy them, it's not that bad.
 
Those cars have dual clutch transmissions. They still shift slower than a manual. But they have much less lag than an automatic with "manual" function on the side.

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PDK transmission shifts in like 100 miliseconds. Not even a top driver could drive a manual faster.

Here's a cool vid that gives an idea, with 'Ring pro Sabine:

 
Not sure if anyone is interested, but here is Sabine humbling the whole field at Nurburgring (probably not appropriate for this thread, but lots of car people here):

 
PDK transmission shifts in like 100 miliseconds. Not even a top driver could drive a manual faster.

Here's a cool vid that gives an idea, with 'Ring pro Sabine:



there is no changing his mind on this topic
 
Not sure if anyone is interested, but here is Sabine humbling the whole field at Nurburgring (probably not appropriate for this thread, but lots of car people here):



Looks like when I play a racing video game on easy level :)
 
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