EV lots getting cleaned out.

used ev market is wild right now. the hidden underbody damage on trades is scary because a cracked battery casing can easily total them, but people are still bidding them up at auction anyway.
 
derwagen said:
used ev market is wild right now. the hidden underbody damage on trades is scary because a cracked battery casing can easily total them, but people are still bidding them up at auction anyway.
Click to expand...
Assuming the battery cells were not affected, a cracked battery casing is a pretty easy fix. The problem is the repair knowledge is not widespread and for those who don't understand them, it seems like basically a black magic box.

A competent EV mechanic should be a able to fix a cracked battery casing in a day. i.e., obtain new/good used case, drop existing battery, transplant components, reinstall battery, test, complete. Most mechanics don't have the knowledge and the tooling though. You need a toolset that is similar to an electrical lineman's toolset, i.e., insulated wrenches and sockets, and the correct PPE, to do it safely.
 
Astro14 said:
At your prices, just battery seems a way to avoid all that. The installed price of a Powerwall runs about $14,000. Your price may vary, of course. That’s about the installed price of our Generac, but the Powerwall doesn’t require a propane tank in the yard, nor does it require annual maintenance. It might be worth pricing out the options for standby power.

This is a case where the capability is desired, and not a cost question. If you add up the likelihood of having to throw out all your food, and the cost of that food, then, standby power has insufficient ROI, based solely on total costs on both sides of the equation. Take the chance, throw out the food if it happens, and you’ll be spending less.

But if you value the convenience, the lack of worry, or other good reasons, outside of cost, to have standby power where power is unreliable, then this isn’t a money discussion - it’s a capability discussion - and comparing battery with ICE generator is where the money can be examined.
Click to expand...
A Tesla power wall can it be expected to lose 30% of its capacity in 10 years. If you’re using it daily for nighttime hours when the solar panels aren’t generating electricity.

Using it as a backup generator with no solar panel it can last much longer. However depending on how much electricity your house uses you can expect about 12 hours of back up power during a power failure. That’s pretty costly investment for a backup power supply vs a generator
 
Astro14 said:
The downsized B bodies (Impala, Olds 88/98, etc.) were both smaller and lighter but much of the fuel savings from downsizing and weight reduction were countered by lowering the compression ratios in 1972 to meet emissions. A 1977 Impala got better mileage than a 1976 because it was smaller, lighter and had a 2.73 rear end - but if it had better than 7.5:1 compression, and had something better than a carburetor it would have been a lot better.

We are talking going from 4,500 to 4,000 lbs - it wasn’t that much of a “downsize”. 4,000lb cars today (and there are lots of them) get far better mileage than the 1977 GM B bodies because of improvements in engine efficiency, not weight.
Click to expand...
Another difference:

As I recall, the base V8 in the '71 to '76 full-size Chevy was the 350.

In the '77-on, it was the 305.
 
demarpaint said:
You got that right, the "crisis" with odd even rationing. The minute gas prices dropped people started buying gas guzzling land yachts all over again. History seems to repeat itself over and over again.
Click to expand...
Indeed it does, that said more EVs on the roads means more used EVs in the market in the future and more demand as people get used to the new technology.
So while i am sure this is transient, i'll still take the W.
 
buster said:
EVs also offer a more simplistic drivetrain. Modern automatic transmissions don't seem to be that reliable these days. No transfer cases, 10 speed transmissions, oil changes etc. So there are some other benefits rather than just fuel/charging costs etc.
Click to expand...
You have to buy the right ones.

Mazda's torque converter + multiplates are reliable, Honda's DCTs with torque converter are reliable, Toyota's CVTs with starter gear are reliable, Prius' eCVT are usually reliable.

Stay away from garbage brands near bankruptcy (like the older Nissan with both Jatco CVTs and Leafs). It is not about the fundamental design but who built them.
 
Brons2 said:
Nothing down on the lease. First payment only due at signing. I also paid $375 to have it shipped to my house as opposed to driving or flying to a dealership 4 hours away to pick it up, but that would have been the case also if I bought an ICE vehicle.

There was also a $499 broker fee, which I would do also if I bought an ICE vehicle, because I'm not one to waste my time going to a dealership so I can sit there all day and have them run their playbook on me. I'll pay for the convenience of letting someone else negotiate a great deal for me.

$399 disposition fee at the end of the lease.

The paid off 14MPG vehicle was sold for $2K, and needed a transmission, timing job, and an ABS pump. Oh and one of the blend door actuators on interior was clicking yet again. And the front leather seats were pretty much done because it sat outside for years in the Texas sun. And, and, and....

Vehicles are not assets in any normative sense of the word. They depreciate fast. Eventually the depreciation flattens out, but only if they have no issues. I judged the value of my prior vehicle to be scrap considering the needed repairs, so I took my $2K and ran.

There's lots of arguments all over the Internet about whether leasing makes sense or not, that's really a value judgement that goes beyond ICE vs EV, so, that's really a separate discussion. Many buyers end up trading in upside down vehicles over and over again, we've all seen the stories. Leasing is one way out of that cycle if you frequently want to have new cars. If you want to have a paid off truck for 25 years, fine, some people do that, I'm not one of those people.

I wouldn't mind having a paid off gas tow pig truck for occasional usage, and I've looked at some but I don't currently have room for something like that. We live on a zero lot line single family home type deal, even the Lightning barely fits in the driveway and I usually use the cameras to pull forward enough to not block the sidewalk, while not hitting the garage. I believe there's also HOA rules that forbid street parking something for more than 3 consecutive days in front of your house. Bottom line, we can really only have our daily drivers at home at the present time. Maybe when my kid is grown up we'll move farther out into an acreage type deal and I can have an occasional use vehicle sitting around.
Click to expand...
Lease is a great way to go when you don't trust the company building the car.

Audi, Nissan, Jag, Fisker, Fiat, Hyundai, and Kia, I would not trust them even to lease one, but if you must have that car you really really want from them, lease and see how other owners are doing, then you can buy it off if they are trust worthy, or return the key and let the manufacturer hold their own bags. Nissan learned it the hard way at the end of Leafs leases, (and maybe a lof of their V6 with CVT) serve them right.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

D
17" and 18" Wheels on Chevy Equinox EV
Replies
18
Views
1K
dogememe
M
Really hard to pay for gas after 8 years of EVs.
2 3 4
Replies
70
Views
2K
JeffKeryk
Brons2
Rental Car Review: 2026 Camry
Replies
14
Views
285
Dave Hess
Cujet
The angry neighbor nonsense of the day
4 5 6
Replies
103
Views
4K
dlundblad
D
  • Locked
Affordable vehicles unavailable but dealership lots are full!
2 3
Replies
49
Views
4K
Leo99
Back
Top Bottom