Do We Need To Switch Now?

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WhatDoYouGuysWannaDo

New Member
I'm driving a 2016 VW GTI right now and it works great for my current needs. The only other EV here in America that comes close in terms of performance, build quality, and comfort is the MINI Cooper SE, but the range would be a major sacrifice since I do a fair amount of 180+ mile round trips at night to perform stand-up comedy. But the climate continues to warm as many of us continue to drive gasoline powered vehicles like my GTI. So I'm wondering, how soon do I need to switch to help save the planet?
 
My EV experience:
  • Reliability of fast DC charging - going long distances, you need confidence that fast DC chargers are working. Discovering a fast DC charger is down means looking for a 10x slower L2 charger or worse, an unguarded 110-120 VAC outlet. With your EV, you are buying a charging network too.
  • Speed of vehicle charging - my BMW i3-REx and the Chevy Bolt have a 50 kW maximum charging rate compared to faster EVs with 3x faster rates. So what takes 10-20 minutes with my 178 kW charging EV becomes 30-60 minutes. Fortunately, my BMW i3-REx has a range extender engine (REx) that sustains 70 mph at 36 MPG on mid-grade or recommended premium gas.
  • Cost per mile 1/3d of gas - although gas prices vary, the EV charging costs are slow to change and EV savings are significant. I'm seeing $2.50-2.95/100 miles with my two EVs. I do my own EV maintenance so I need two to tackle the larger jobs.
  • Buying a used EV is tricky but doable - my 2017 BMW i3-REx with 55,000 mi and +95% battery capacity cost $15,000. This is my second BMW i3-REx. Join a user group for your prospective EV and ask for help. Best buy is an end-of-lease vehicle because they would have been maintained.
Bob Wilson
 
bwilson4web said:
My EV experience:
  • Reliability of fast DC charging - going long distances, you need confidence that fast DC chargers are working. Discovering a fast DC charger is down means looking for a 10x slower L2 charger or worse, an unguarded 110-120 VAC outlet. With your EV, you are buying a charging network too.
  • Speed of vehicle charging - my BMW i3-REx and the Chevy Bolt have a 50 kW maximum charging rate compared to faster EVs with 3x faster rates. So what takes 10-20 minutes with my 178 kW charging EV becomes 30-60 minutes. Fortunately, my BMW i3-REx has a range extender engine (REx) that sustains 70 mph at 36 MPG on mid-grade or recommended premium gas.
  • Cost per mile 1/3d of gas - although gas prices vary, the EV charging costs are slow to change and EV savings are significant. I'm seeing $2.50-2.95/100 miles with my two EVs. I do my own EV maintenance so I need two to tackle the larger jobs.
  • Buying a used EV is tricky but doable - my 2017 BMW i3-REx with 55,000 mi and +95% battery capacity cost $15,000. This is my second BMW i3-REx. Join a user group for your prospective EV and ask for help. Best buy is an end-of-lease vehicle because they would have been maintained.
Bob Wilson
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Where do you find a 110 VAC outlet? Does 110 volts even exist anymore?
 
WhatDoYouGuysWannaDo said:
I'm driving a 2016 VW GTI right now and it works great for my current needs. The only other EV here in America that comes close in terms of performance, build quality, and comfort is the MINI Cooper SE, but the range would be a major sacrifice since I do a fair amount of 180+ mile round trips at night to perform stand-up comedy. But the climate continues to warm as many of us continue to drive gasoline powered vehicles like my GTI. So I'm wondering, how soon do I need to switch to help save the planet?
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The Mini really is a blast to drive. But you’re right, it does have a limiting range. And the DC charge rate maxes out at a mere 50kW. The good news is that it maintains that 50kW all the way to 80%. You can definitely take it on longer trips but it does get tedious. Your 180 mile round trip would require a 30 minute charge stop.

If you can wait (and the difference of one person for a year in terms of emissions is so deep in the noise…) the 2025 model is coming with a much longer range option (over 200 miles). I just hope they keep it as light and enjoyable as the current model.
 
I don't see how you can get 110 Volts AC.

You can get 115 Volts by center taping a 208 Volt delta circuit. You can get 120 Volts AC from a 208 volt 3 phase Y circuit or center taping a 240 volt delta circuit.
 
GetOffYourGas said:
If you can wait (and the difference of one person for a year in terms of emissions is so deep in the noise…) the 2025 model is coming with a much longer range option (over 200 miles). I just hope they keep it as light and enjoyable as the current model.
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It's not clear when the new MINI Cooper will be available in North America. It's being built in China (initially) and there's a huge import tariff of over 25% on Chinese-made cars. Plus no more federal rebate.

I think get the car that interests you now and if it doesn't work out you can always trade in later. Like in the computer industry, if you wait for the next thing you'll never get anything.
 
WhatDoYouGuysWannaDo said:
I'm driving a 2016 VW GTI right now and it works great for my current needs. The only other EV here in America that comes close in terms of performance, build quality, and comfort is the MINI Cooper SE, but the range would be a major sacrifice since I do a fair amount of 180+ mile round trips at night to perform stand-up comedy. But the climate continues to warm as many of us continue to drive gasoline powered vehicles like my GTI. So I'm wondering, how soon do I need to switch to help save the planet?
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If you like your GTI, perhaps you should wait a bit now that VW confirmed last Friday the electric Golf will return. Here's a photo VW released of the GTI version:

upload_2023-10-3_23-58-56.webp
 
WhatDoYouGuysWannaDo said:
Alright, so you guys think it's worth waiting at the expense of emitting more carbon emissions from my GTI for the next couple of years?
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The carbon emissions of one or two years of driving your GTI are nothing compared to manufacturing any new vehicle. If you are concerned about emissions, drive the car you have until the car you really want is available. If you were looking to replace an imminently dying car, that would be a different story.


Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
 
GetOffYourGas said:
The carbon emissions of one or two years of driving your GTI are nothing compared to manufacturing any new vehicle.
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Price of gasoline, on the other hand, is quite high (particularly in California). As @bwilson4web points out, EVs are for people who prefer not spending money on fuel. As someone who puts on a lot of miles (500 miles per week), having my MINI Cooper SE saves me over $300 a month in fuel costs (cost of gasoline minus cost of charging). And now I find excuses to drive more often in my SE, because it's so fun and costs so little to operate.
 
Puppethead said:
Price of gasoline, on the other hand, is quite high (particularly in California). As @bwilson4web points out, EVs are for people who prefer not spending money on fuel. As someone who puts on a lot of miles (500 miles per week), having my MINI Cooper SE saves me over $300 a month in fuel costs (cost of gasoline minus cost of charging). And now I find excuses to drive more often in my SE, because it's so fun and costs so little to operate.
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See, I mean, I'm looking at an average of 175 miles a week. I can reach 500 miles in a week, but I also have weeks with 0 miles, and half of my driving is the ~200 round trip commutes. I'll get 50% off bridge tolls if I get the tag, and public charging is still cheaper than gas, but I still only spend $150 or so a month on gas. If the payments on the MINI are at least $250, and insurance goes up $35/m, I'm still paying $135 more per month than I am now for the next four years. Granted, there may be some maintenance savings with the MINI. The GTI might need a clutch at some point during that time, etc. But oil changes I do myself so it's $100/y or so. I guess at that point it seems like the MINI is more just something that I want but I don't really need. The GTI is objectively a better car, but the MINI is still more fun in terms of the energy it radiates into the world as you drive it around. So what suits my needs better? Radiating that I'm fun and environmentally conscious while making poor choices that lead to charging every 70 - 80 miles on a road trip, or radiating that I drive a very well made, well thought out, precise, comfortable, practical car? In my mid 30s, I think that was really appealing, but now that I'm starting my 40s, I kind of just don't GAF and the idea of doing something fun and stupid seems more appealing. So I guess that's really what it is.

GetOffYourGas said:
The carbon emissions of one or two years of driving your GTI are nothing compared to manufacturing any new vehicle.
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Well yeah, but it's not like the GTI would automatically go right into a junkyard. It would go back to the used market and provide an opportunity for someone who had an old junker to step up to something cleaner and more modern.
 
Puppethead said:
Gee, generic SUV style. I still don't accept the Mach-E as a valid replacement for the classic Mustang styling.
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I've never seen an SUV that looked like that. To me it looks like typical VW Golf hatchback, which is exactly what it should look like. The Mach-E isn't supposed to be a classic Mustang replacement. It was designed to trigger conversations like the one we're having now.
 
WhatDoYouGuysWannaDo said:
I'm driving a 2016 VW GTI right now and it works great for my current needs. The only other EV here in America that comes close in terms of performance, build quality, and comfort is the MINI Cooper SE, but the range would be a major sacrifice since I do a fair amount of 180+ mile round trips at night to perform stand-up comedy. But the climate continues to warm as many of us continue to drive gasoline powered vehicles like my GTI. So I'm wondering, how soon do I need to switch to help save the planet?
Click to expand...
Ultimately, the decision to switch from a 2016 VW GTI to an EV is a personal one, But what features are most important to you in a vehicle?
 
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