What can your EV do?

[electriceddy]

Delightful video complements of VEVA (Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association)



After 9 years I find driving "My EV" has provided enjoyment and relaxation in whatever travelling conditions something never encountered driving ICE.
I will never forget my first time trying a 2011 Leaf (not much else available in Nanaimo other than pricey Tesla or i-MiVE at the time) and putting it into drive.
What? am I driving (as the car moved forward) silently. The salesman nodded his head and affirmed this is normal
Have not looked back since.
Would love to hear other stories, any EV type OK, bikes included.
Any first gen Roadster owners out there?

 

[Paul K]

Owner of 2018 Leaf S. The car is used as a small business service vehicle. Mostly urban/suburban with some out of town. It beats the doors off an ICE vehicle for most of what I'm doing which is stop/start driving in built up areas. This type of application is where EVs really shine and ICE cars suck. I find it hard to fathom that EV makers haven't marketed more towards the local service business uses. It certainly has made "getting there" a lot more enjoyable and economical.

The upfront cost of an EV I'm sure is a deterrent to many small businesses. As I keep very careful records for tax purposes I can tell you that my first EV (a 2016 Leaf) saved me about $1700 annually in operating costs and I'm factoring in an estimated additional $700 per year increase in my electricity bill. It cost me upfront about $10,000 more than a comparable ICE. That translated into a 17% ROI which was not too shabby to say the least.

I traded the 2016 in for a 2018 to take advantage of the very generous but soon to end subsidies. Took an awful whack on depreciation but it did generate a capital loss on the books and I got a tax refund of a little over $1000 as a result. I was going to move the 2018 along this year to gain even more range but decided against it because of the depreciation factor.

Ignoring the battery bashers if you talk to most longer term Leaf owners you will hear one thing in common: "Most reliable car I've ever owned. Haven't had any repairs except for normal minimal maintenance. If your field service vehicle breaks down on the job you're out both the cost of repairs plus the value of the lost time which has to be rebooked and can never be recovered. Something to think about as well.

 

[R P]

My EV lets me drive for free. Have yet to pay for a charge (2 years). And because it is free I don't think twice about doing some trips, short and longer, that I would not have in my ICE car. As a result, found some new interesting places to visit, hikes, and scenic drives.