Looking to buy my first EV

The station I use the most is https://www.plugshare.com/location/220182 but it is in California, so that probably doesn't help you much. But I love it, it is free to use and always available when I go, which given the price is shocking.

And it depends on the ages of the kids, family dynamics, etc. as to if it works for them, only they could decide that, but it is quite doable without being able to charge at home or work, although those are obviously the most ideal.

 

Living in the USA, I only follow local sources.

NEW


USED

The USA Federal Tax Credit is only for new cars entering service. No tax break for used cars.

These car fast DC chargers will be using a CCS-1 interface which means Electrify American, EVgo, and others. Their charging networks are not operated or managed by the manufacturer with the possible exception of Volkswagen. However, Volkswagen doesn't not seem terribly active in this field beyond funding $2 B.

Bob Wilson

 

I'll share with you my experience(s).

My first EV was the 2004 Nissan LEAF the first generation. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THAT CAR, it was fast, small, nimble and easy to park, no maintenance required, I mean zero; except for a new set of tires. and the tires will wear out quickly because EV's have electric motors and have SO MUCH torque it just rips off the rubber and I think prematurely wears them out. so at 50k miles, 4 new tires.

But downside it only had a useable range of 90 miles.

Now the problem, there was a "defect" and "recall" on the battery and I qualified; and got a new 25kwh battery for zero cost out of pocket, The Factory paid for it.
I bought the car used for $5k and sold it for a profit because of the new battery for $8k.

then put that towards a brand new 2018 NISSAN LEAF S EV; OMG I love that car even more. Everything was so well improved. Even Faster, more room, the car looks good, looked better than the funky 1st generation. and when I say fast I'm talking zero to 60 in 6.7 or 7.0 seconds depending on who you talk to and who yu believe, but that was what was posted by "Car & Driver" and "Motortrend" publication. anyway I would go to lunch with 4 friends from work, 4 big guys and they were amazed how fast it was; and the acceleration was LINEAR because there is no transmission.

that car cost me $35k out the door with an extended warranty
but I did get my $2,500 rebate check from the state of California, (an actual physical check) YEP an actual check for $2,500
AND but I did get my $7,600 rebate check from the IRS (Federal Rebate), (an actual physical check) YEP an actual check for $7,600
AND but I did get my $1,000 rebate check from the SoCal Edison Rebate, (an actual physical check) YEP an actual check for $1,000

so I only owed about $16,000 when some idiot ran a red light at FULL SPEED 40 MPH (didn't even brake) and T-Boned me and totaled my 2018 LEAF;
AND would you believe the guy who hit me was in a NISSAN LEAF EV also, albeit an older model 2006.

But my only complaint was I didn't wait for the NISSAN LEAF PLUS which was 225 miles range. My model only had 150 miles range.

So now I currently own a USED TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN which I absolutely love; except in all EV mode, it only has a range of 11 miles. But I only use roughly $8-$10 dollars worth of gas a week. so it's still pretty sweet.

So right now I'm debating saving my $$$ for the 2021 Nissan EV SUV called the
Nissan ARIYA | All-New Electric Crossover | Nissan USA

or the Tesla Y. But the Tesla model Y has been listed as the Best Tesla Model to date. The problem is they have some "quality issues" but they are minor, like paint having orange peel.

but I will share this with you. so some simple math.

I bought my 2018 NISSAN LEAF prior to the T-Bone accident for $35,000 out the door with Tax/Registration extended warranty.
The car was $29,990 from the dealer.

Go to Costco website and use their Auto Buy assistance program you will save Thousands anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000 dollars depending on the car and the markup. Up to $5,000 savings for some higher-end luxury model.
If you don't have a Costco membership, Sign up and become a member. Ask yourself this question, would you pay $120 membership to save possibly $2,000 to $3,000????? Answer: yes a reasonable person would do that.

Anyway, so I got mine for $35,000 out-the-door.
I put $15,000 down. so I owned $20,000; by the time my car was wrecked I owed $16k.

The insurance gave me $20k value to cash out.

The point is got had gotten the legit Zero percent; yep 0% financing so my monthly payments were roughly $220 a month.
Now before I use to use roughly $40 to $50 a week in gas/fuel; and so $200 a month.

I no longer had to buy gas/fuel so that savings was my car payment; the car was paying for itself.

NOW HERE'S THE BIG CATCH. I'M A GUY, AND I'M CHEAP, VERY CHEAP.

I figured it out where I lived and where I worked. I NEVER NEVER, EVER CHARGED at home. I had a Charging location near my home and near my work that WAS FREE ELECTRICITY; YEP YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT.
AT downtown LA? LA DEPT. of Water and Power gave you 4 hours of free parking and 4 hours of free electricity charging per day Mon-Fri.

NEAR my home, there are 5 charging stations that FREE ELECTRICITY; YEP ALSO FREE.
first-come-first-served. AND I MEAN FREE.

If you go to Android Apps and download a mobile APP called EZ-Charge that is the Nissan app that shows all the locations world wide, that have free charging stations and paid charging stations. If you see and ORANGE FLAG AND IT SAYS "NC" NC= means NO-CHARGE AKA FREE.

https://www.ez-charge.com/

Anyway good luck

 

A late model Kia Soul EV might work well too. I would go with 2018 or 2019 b/c they have a slightly bigger battery, I have a 2018 and get 130 miles per charge give or take 10. I got mine for about $17,000 with only 11,000 miles on it.

 

Find an Electric Auto Association (https://www.electricauto.org/) user group in your area and contact them. You will find an amazing number of sources from owners who have just purchased their first EV to those who have owned 10 or more EVs since the 1990s. They will be more than willing to offer suggestions, warn of pitfalls, and help you determine what exactly you are seeking in your first EV.

Above all, do a test drive. There are many organizations who offer "touchless" test drives, including Tesla.

 

Based on that, you're in a great position for a number of different models. But based on your budget, you're going to be looking mostly at used EVs - but the good news is, they are a tremendous bargain!

Based on your mileage and budget, I would suggest the following:

* BMW i3 (with or without Range Extender). The earlier models showed a range of about 75 miles, but with the range extender, will go to about 150 miles. I've been told the newer models go well beyond 80 miles without REX. Yes, you will have to put gas in it for the Range Extender from time to time, but it's only to charge the batteries. The suicide doors give you plenty of room for three kids when needed. And the used models are an incredible discount - often dropping from 45-50k new to around 15-18k.
* Mini Cooper SE. It has a range closer to your needs - around 120 miles - and since it's still new, you'd get all the incentives which can drop it as low as 19k. However, it may be a big snug for three kids in there.
* Chevy Bolt. Right now, Costco is running a lease deal anywhere between 150-200 a month, with 200 down. Unbelievable deal! But check the details locally, as incentives will vary a little from state to state.

Anyone else have better suggestions?

 

I still think a 2018 Soul EV would be a good option too. You get a little more room, and you'll have like 3-4 years on the warranty (6-7 more for the battery). Having said that, if warranty is not a big concern (EVs don't break down very often, after all) the Bolt is a really nice car. But drive one first to make sure you're ok with the seats (I hated them so much it was a deal breaker for me).

 

At the cost of opening the flood gates of information, I would suggest a review of the information sheet my car club hand(ed) out at our public EV education events. It's focused on DC, Maryland and Virginia, but has a lot of information applicable anywhere.

The suggestions of a used BMW i3, Mini Cooper or Bolt are good. Also a used eGolf would work. And keep in mind that the usual used car sites like (not an endorsement) Carvana, cars.com, cargurus, truecar and autolist are all searchable by electric power train, which I included in the links. There are also maintained listed of the best EV lease deals.
And Tom Moloughney had a good piece on chargers.

As for us, we have leased a 2012 Leaf, a 2014 Leaf, a 2016 Kia Soul EV, then bought and now drive a used 2017 Bolt and a used 2013 Leaf.

 

I searched and researched for 14 months. In Feb. 2020 I bought a 2017 BMW i3 with REX. It was loaded. MSRP was $52,000. It was a lease return with 38,000 miles. Got it for 17,999. SOO NICE! I live in central Iowa. Got the car in CA--had it shipped to me for $900. I found the best places to look are Cargurus.com and Autolist.com
Private message me if you have any questions on my purchase. (-;

 

So this year, Tesla added two, SuperCharger stations with eight stalls each:

• Lowell AR, eight, 150+ kW spaces
• Ozark AR, eight, 250 kW spaces

We used to take a +4 hour, L2 charging session at Ozark AR to barely reach Tulsa. Now we'll charge less than half an hour at each SuperCharger to quickly reach Mom's place in Coffeyville KS. Alternately, we can go to the Tulsa OK SuperCharger to visit hometown Stillwater OK.

The other aspect is whether your car, ours is a Standard Range Plus Model 3, can take a fast charge:

Many other EVs have 'flat' fixed charge rates at lower rates.

Two key requirements are:

• Local charging
  • Slow, overnight is OK at home
• Cross country charging
  • Fast DC charging along route is best

Bob Wilson

 

In March 2019, I traded in my 2017 Prius Prime for $18,300 to buy a $41,000 Standard Range Plus Model 3 ... $41,000 - $18,300 = $22,700. This $22.7 k becomes the purchase price reducing the sales tax and registration fees.

The way to find out is go to Tesla.com and find out how much Tesla will give you for your trade-in. Then look at the new and used offerings to see how much it will cost you. Take that to your bank and negotiate an auto loan.

Bob Wilson