NEWBIE: Consdering buying an EV and looking for help.

[justme]

I can't help but notice these days the line of cars plugged in at malls, offices, etc. all with preferred up front parking

considering buying an EV and now trying to educate myself on what it would be like with an EV in terms of:

1. hybrid vs all electric
2. what is maintenance like on an EV - do I go to my regular mechanic for things like oil changes, brakes, tires. is an EV less prone to things breaking?
   
3. volt, leaf, kia soul, prius - why are there so many used cars all seem to be around the same year and mileage. makes me wonder why and which used car would you recommend and why
4. charging - how long can i leave the car parked in one of these stalls? are you having to top off all the time is this good for the battery?
   
5. HOV sticker - if I buy a used car with an HOV sticker is that transferable and would I be abel to drive in an HOV lane by myself? what are the rules?

any helpful resources or links to get me acclimated this new world? appreciate all your guidance and things you learned along the way.

 

[interestedinEV]

I am looking at your questions, and some of them are very specific to your situation. HOV rules depend your state for example.

hybrid vs all electric: What are your usage patterns? How do you want to use it? Do you have range anxiety?

what is maintenance like on an EV - do I go to my regular mechanic for things like oil changes, brakes, tires. is an EV less prone to things breaking? EVs are not zero maintenance and some you may have to go to your dealer for some services. Others could be done by any mechanic. BEVs do not have oil changes. Also, there may not much of a secondary market for spare parts, so you may have to go to the dealer.

volt, leaf, kia soul, prius What are you looking for, you need to decide what you need before this can answered.

charging - how long can i leave the car parked in one of these stalls? are you having to top off all the time is this good for the battery? Commercial chargers do not like you leaving the car in the stall after charging is completed.

HOV sticker - if I buy a used car with an HOV sticker is that transferable and would I be abel to drive in an HOV lane by myself? what are the rules? Which state do you live in. It is state specific

 

[bwilson4web]

• hybrid vs all electric

I came to own a pure electric, a Model 3, 240 mi EV, after a decade of hybrids and two plugin hybrids: BMW i3-REx, 72 mi EV, and Prius Prime, 25 mi EV. The BMW taught me what works with an EV and my gateway to our Model 3. The Prius Prime is a fine car that is very affordable in urban driving but it lacks long range, EV capability

• what is maintenance like on an EV - do I go to my regular mechanic for things like oil changes, brakes, tires. is an EV less prone to things breaking?

Tires and windshield wipers wear out. If you have a liquid cooled battery, nothing else to do. The air cooled batteries have a filter and a poor reputation in some circles.

• volt, leaf, kia soul, prius - why are there so many used cars all seem to be around the same year and mileage. makes me wonder why and which used car would you recommend and why

Of that list: prius - excellent reliability and gas efficiency but air cooled battery and no plug; leaf - early versions with air cooled batteries have reports of poor battery life in Arizona; volt - no longer in production but with liquid cooled battery, and; kia soul - no experience but reports are that Kia provided most of the GM electronics and battery systems.

My experience includes: Prius Prime (A-); BMW i3-REx (A), and; Model 3 (A+). The Prime is an excellent car for areas with sparse chargers (use PlugShare.com to survey.) The BMW i3-REx has both gas and EV capabilities and can do long range driving. The Model 3 we bought ~90 days ago and already has 7,500 miles. On Thursday I'm driving 700 mi to the Detroit area and will return Friday night / Saturday morning.

• charging - how long can i leave the car parked in one of these stalls? are you having to top off all the time is this good for the battery?

Use PlugShare to map local chargers. Before the Model 3, I had every free charger mapped out and I would shop there. As for the terms and conditions, well that is a case-by-case and described in the PlugShare descriptions.

• HOV sticker - if I buy a used car with an HOV sticker is that transferable and would I be abel to drive in an HOV lane by myself? what are the rules?

Sorry, no idea.

Bob Wilson