When do you think you'll buy your first electric car?

In reply to frenchyd :

I don't think you are at all in touch with reality on your numbers there.  To be so flippant is kind of insulting.  I know maybe 10 people that make a family total of $100k a year and a third are family.  On top of that, tons of people don't have the credit, plus the requirement of full coverage insurance.  I've worked hard my whole life and my most expensive vehicle was $5k.

EVs are going to have to be cheaper, way more available used, charge faster and with more places to charge.  I can't imagine any time in my life I could afford a $40k vehicle of any type unless I built it myself Johnny Cash style

Maybe soon? My girls are almost old enough to drive and will probably steal my Jetta as its old enough for me to not give a berkely about it but would have to replace it. Day job will likely be 1-3 days in the office max and use as a runabout locally otherwise. A little plug in ev would do it. Don't need to impress anyone and still have minivan, truck and race car for other duties. Bolt maybe. 

I think soon, hybrid for the next new car - my wife's probably getting a Pacifica. I'd get a full electric now if I didn't have a company vehicle for 99% of my driving.

I'd like to build a hybrid that has a tiny propane generator in the trunk that is otherwise electric.  Programmable to turn on and charge at a specific battery level.   Basically if you stay under the range limit by a certain amou.t it never kicks on, if you get low and the superchargers are down (AGAIN) you can hit the red button and charge it yourself, using little green bottles from the camping section at any home store or walmart

Justjim75 said:

I'd like to build a hybrid that has a tiny propane generator in the trunk that is otherwise electric.  Programmable to turn on and charge at a specific battery level.   Basically if you stay under the range limit by a certain amou.t it never kicks on, if you get low and the superchargers are down (AGAIN) you can hit the red button and charge it yourself, using little green bottles from the camping section at any home store or walmart

So, basically a volt? But with more expensive and harder to fill fuel?

In reply to rslifkin :

I live in such an area - or at least travel to those areas with some regularity.  Yes... I did enjoy going from my 2008 GC that had the wheezy base 3.3L OHV V6 that barely got the van moving and was a bit scary when pulling out into traffic to the 2017 GC with a 3.7L DOHC V6 that moves that van quicker than it has any right to.  

Justjim75 said:

I'd like to build a hybrid that has a tiny propane generator in the trunk that is otherwise electric.  Programmable to turn on and charge at a specific battery level.   Basically if you stay under the range limit by a certain amou.t it never kicks on, if you get low and the superchargers are down (AGAIN) you can hit the red button and charge it yourself, using little green bottles from the camping section at any home store or walmart

I actually really like that.  The propane burns much cleaner and can be stored easily.  Take it to the next level and use the replaceable 25lb Rihno cylinders that you can exchange just about on every street corner.  That is enough fuel to get you to the next charger or home.  You can replace the cylinder with relative ease or just keep a replacement in your shed.  I wonder how much run time you would get out of those little green camping bottles.  Have a fitting for either.  Power is down in your area you can charge from the bigger cylinder.  Just need to get to the next charger on the other side of town use the camping cylinder.   

Justjim75 said:

In reply to frenchyd :

I don't think you are at all in touch with reality on your numbers there.  To be so flippant is kind of insulting.  I know maybe 10 people that make a family total of $100k a year and a third are family.  On top of that, tons of people don't have the credit, plus the requirement of full coverage insurance.  I've worked hard my whole life and my most expensive vehicle was $5k.

EVs are going to have to be cheaper, way more available used, charge faster and with more places to charge.  I can't imagine any time in my life I could afford a $40k vehicle of any type unless I built it myself Johnny Cash style

Not trying to be flippant. Most new cars  are purchased by those with higher incomes. Or like me, I was able to expense my new cars.  I'd buy new every 3-4-5 years ( based on tax codes) then hand it down to family members to get the remaining life out of it.  
     Of my family Only my youngest daughter and her husband don't make 6 figures.  She's a LPN and he's a railroad engineer who just lost his ticket because of color blindness.  If she keeps working on her RN she'll make it though.   
None of my neighbors make less than $300,000  and some are well into 7 figures. 

 I didn't start with a silver spoon. My father died when I was 24  ( mother never much in my life)  Dad came home from combat in WW2 and promptly lost his whole savings  from the war gamboling. 
    He worked as a delivery driver until he got into sales.  Long hard hours got him into middle class.  
    I came back from Vietnam but my savings finished college for me.  And long hard hours as a salesman got me where I am.  Often 4:00 am to 9-10-11 pm.  Even today at age 73 I work 9 hours a day. 
     

Thank you for serving.

I just got back from a "Taycan Launch Event" at a local Porsche dealer. Invite-only thing that a friend hooked me up with. I got to drive a Taycan 4S on about a 15-mile loop, mix of suburban and rural roads, including some decent twisties.

What. A. Car. Needless to say, the acceleration is intoxicating and addictive, though I think after a while it would actually get nauseating. And with the 2-speed trans, it just keeps on pulling. Triple digit speeds are very easily accessed. But the main thing is that nothing that big and heavy has any right to handle as well as it does. I was able to throw it into a few corners where it wanted to understeer, but a quick poke of throttle easily pulled it out of that. It's just so planted. As others have said, it's a Porsche first and an EV second. The Turbo must be truly batE36 M3.

In reply to RichardSIA :

I hope you don't think of one motive force being correct while another is wrong.  
I look at cars as cars. If something new is better, more efficient I'm for it.  Sure like many people I like stuff that's familiar. But I also see the weakness and flaws in the familiar. 

EV discussions seem to get me in trouble.
I went from, "Meh, who cares" to "I hope that bubble burst SOON" when Elon the magnificent started pushing for a ban on ICE cars.
Trying not to get too "Political" but here in Nevada, home to Tesla battery and motor production, the same loony greeny eco-nuts pushing EV's are also going to extremes to block the opening of a new Lithium mine.

Reportedly current new ICE car inventory is being choked by a Chip shortage.
Current Lithium production is inadequate for demand so price is high, NIMBY's and professional protestors are blocking domestic increase in supply.
Yah, I don't think Elons dreams are going to happen nearly so soon as he and some others would like.
If the Greenies turn on him I will die laughing! 

In reply to RichardSIA :

Well I'm glad that you don't want to get political!

Yah well, the problem is that ANY recounting of fact is now "Political".
The NIMBY's trying to block the mine was front page news a few days ago.
The Chip shortage has been discussed here many times.
Elon's statements are public record.
But putting these verifiable facts together is always dismissed as political. 
 

In reply to RichardSIA :

Just for the record, you're the guy who brought up the topic of politics, and you're the guy who called those who disagree with your view "loony". I agree with some of your views, but making explicitly political statements then complaining about how you get unfairly accused of being political is disingenuous at best.

RichardSIA said:

EV discussions seem to get me in trouble.

So it would seem.

When you want it both ways, "The EV Revolution should be immediately mandatory!" and "Mining is EVIL, we are justified to engage in terrorism to stop it!" that pretty much defines as loony for me.

As seemingly always, my failure to go with the allegedly majority view of the moment gets me in trouble.
I'm fairly certain that view is being manipulated overtly and covertly, why I try to avoid catching the "News", AKA Re-Education media, as much as possible.
No TV, almost no radio, no expressly political "Social media".
I've come to the conclusion that trying to totally separate "Politics" of current fluid PC definition from frank discussion is like trying to separate Water from Wet! 

Meh, I have a Lotus head to complete removing.

When somebody makes a hot hatch and when I can take it to the track on occasion. This requires somebody to build that car (EV GTI or EV MS3 or similar) and the local tracks to un-ban EVs from playing there. I feel like that's not a lot to ask but I also feel like it's going to be a long time from now that it happens. 

RichardSIA said:

As seemingly always, my failure to go with the allegedly majority view of the moment gets me in trouble.

 It's the approach in addition to the content really. The fact that you see "wanting it both ways" being not possible. It is completely in the realm of possibility that: 1) EV can be made practical and get to zero tailpipe emissions 2) they can be powered by a grid that gets more carbon neutral over time eventually to zero 3) responsible mining can happen if we choose to do so.

I have seen some questionable "facts" like lithium being a constraint (plenty of that, cobalt is another story) and the comparison to a barely progressive administration to totalitarian goverment takes away any sort of credibility even from someone that may consider themselves pretty middle-road.

I put a $100 deposit down on an Aptera. So I was thinking that might be our first electric car. After reading through this thread I went to craigslist to check out used Chevy Bolts, and wow there are some great deals to be had out there. 

Back in 2015 we were new  car shopping for my wife and she really liked the BMW i3. We got a Mazda6 instead. I'm glad we didnt go down that route. The i3 really neat in an IKEA on wheels sort of way, but seems like the technology was just a bit too new. 

CrashDummy said:

When somebody makes a hot hatch and when I can take it to the track on occasion. This requires somebody to build that car (EV GTI or EV MS3 or similar) and the local tracks to un-ban EVs from playing there. I feel like that's not a lot to ask but I also feel like it's going to be a long time from now that it happens. 

Since the Tesla is rated by the SCCA in the fastest class Your wish is already granted. 

frenchyd said:

CrashDummy said:

When somebody makes a hot hatch and when I can take it to the track on occasion. This requires somebody to build that car (EV GTI or EV MS3 or similar) and the local tracks to un-ban EVs from playing there. I feel like that's not a lot to ask but I also feel like it's going to be a long time from now that it happens. 

Since the Tesla is rated by the SCCA in the fastest class Your wish is already granted. 

1. The model 3 is a sedan, not a hatch. 

2. Even though the SCCA decided to bury the Model 3 in the fastest autocross class, it's still banned by many of my local tracks. https://www.tracknightinamerica.com/locations/1984322  https://www.tracknightinamerica.com/locations/1981674
I'm not sure if any of my local autocross clubs have a similar prohibition but I enjoy both AX and Track and I don't want to have to worry about my car being banned by this organization or that facility or whatever. 

In reply to CrashDummy :

Why is the Model 3 banned from tracks? 

In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :

I'm guessing fire safety. Lithium fires are no joke and require different tactics and equipment.