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Just saw $6 per gallon at the chevron on my way to work. (hexbear.net)
submitted 2 weeks ago* by to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net
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party-sicko

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[–] 37 points 2 weeks ago (30 children)

I'm shopping for a new car and a relative was trying to tell me that getting a used electric car might be risky because that's a lot of money to drop at once for a replacement battery, even though we're on course for $10 a gallon

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  • [–] 23 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

    Assuming you're American (using dollars and gallons) your main concern should be that you can't buy chinese EV cars

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  • [–] 9 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

    The US doesn’t have the electrical grid (and generation) to support a significant move to EVs anyway. Failed nation shit

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  • [–] 16 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 child)

    The US doesn't have the infrastructure to support a significant move to DC fast charging as a complete replacement for gasoline stations.

    But if everyone just plugs an ev into 110v or 220v power at home, tell it to only charge during the middle of the night, and don't care if it's fully charged by the morning, about 80% of ice vehicles could easily be replaced without significant difficulties for the grid as it is right now..

    Legalizing plug-in solar panels like Colorado and California recently have could also more than offset daytime usage spikes that would be more likely to cause problems with mass electrification of transportation, cooking, and heating.

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  • [–] 18 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

    You’ll almost certainly not need to replace the battery. That’s just nonsense.

    The only thing to concern oneself with is that they depreciate in value super fast. GAP is almost a necessity for a couple years as they just drop like a rock after purchasing, even used.

    That said, we’ve saved a ton of money compared to a gas vehicle on both maintenance (not a lot of moving parts) and obviously gas/electric. I highly recommend an electric vehicle for those that require a vehicle.

    Just be sure to install a level 2 charger at home if you have a long, daily commute. For me, my level 1 charger that came with the vehicle has been good enough.

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  • [–] 17 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

    Oh I usually drive cars into the ground so I'm not super worried about resell value

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  • [–] 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 child)

    Likewise. A battery should last a long time to the point something else is likely to catastrophically fail before one ever needs a new battery installed into the vehicle. I just can't stress getting GAP enough.

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  • [–] 12 points 2 weeks ago (10 children)

    I bought a used Chevy Bolt EV a couple years ago and it's been mostly trouble-free. The only thing I've had to replace so far have been tires and windshield washer fluid. Eventually I'll have to replace the coolant, transmission fluid, brake fluid, 12V lead-acid battery, shocks and struts, etc. but I never have to deal with oil changes or timing belts or any of the usual engine stuff. The main battery was replaced under a recall before I got it, with a warranty. I used a fuel savings calculator before I bought it and figured out that I'd be saving about $1,000 per year by not buying gas, and that was when gas was about $3.50 per gallon. So including maintenance costs compared to my old car, it's saving me around $2,000 per year, and will pay for itself in about 4 years of driving.

    Pretty much any modern EV with a liquid-cooled battery will be more reliable and will last longer than an equivalent gas car. I'd stay away from the first generation Nissan Leaf, unless you get a really good deal and have a short commute, because range degrades quickly with those. You also might also look at a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) like the Toyota Prius Prime, Ford C-Max, or Chevy Volt. In some states they also qualify for EV tax credits. Also, check if your electrical utility company has rebates or incentives for installing a level 2 charger in your garage, or charging at certain hours.

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  • [–] 11 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

    Seconding this. Although, lucky me, I live in a state that just doubled the price to register my EV every year to an eye-watering $400 since we don't pay gas taxes. The cost for ICE vehicles is $60.

    rant“The EVs are very heavy and have a big impact on our roads, so we need money from those owners and lessees to help.” - meanwhile my EV is 1000lb lighter than your average F-150. Which in terms of road damage, still does not compare to the issue of our weight limit for semis being more than double the federal limit (and to boot I've not once seen a weigh station that was actually open).

    "We definitely need the revenue to fix the roads,” fuck the damn roads. We've been "fixing the damn roads" since they graced the face of the earth. Every political candidate basically makes it their entire personality to "fix the damn roads" and i-voted ers go hog fucking wild for it. If it were up to me (or any of the neighborhoods that were demolished to make room for them) we would have never built the damn roads in the first place and invested all those trillions of dollars into rail.

    eat fuck dumbass maddened (not you, reader. the car brain I invented in my head to get angry at.)

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  • [–] 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 child)

    I just paid my registration for the year and there was a $60ish fee for EVs. foucault-madness

    The EVs are very heavy and have a big impact on our roads, so we need money from those owners and lessees to help.

    TBF, my Bolt is the size of a Corolla but weighs as much as an Avalon. Although it's not near as heavy as all the giant trucks I see everyone driving.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 child)

    Seconding the bolt, I feel like this is one of the best cheaper electric options in the states.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 weeks ago

    Yeah it's definitely good for the price. I think you can buy a used one for less than $10,000 nowadays, not counting any still existing state tax rebates. The motor and battery are very well engineered, they were mostly built by GM Korea (formerly Daewoo) and LG. It's one of the fastest EVs for the money, and has decent range, because it was built to compete with the Tesla Model 3. The chassis and suspension are also based on a Daewoo design, although they're a little more basic, so the ride and handling aren't the greatest. Neither is the interior comfort, which can be blamed on GM USA. The early years had a battery issue that should be fixed with a recall, although some cars slipped through the cracks. So most cars have a battery newer than 2021, although you should check to make sure.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

    I deliberately don't have a car (e-bike nerd) but we charge my wife's Bolt EV on 110v only and haven't had any problems with this. People really overestimate the amount of range they need and how quickly they need to replace it.

    I highly recommend getting a Comma, which is one of the only practical and useful AI derived products I've seen outside of the machine translation space. They really like going after the Tesla full self driving type bullshit for marketing, but it's incredibly useful for augmenting or replacing poorly implemented or entirely missing features like Lane-Keeping Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control.

    A bunch of people will jump down my throat over this I'm sure, but ADAS features make driving significantly less stressful to a point where I have gone from being physically unable to drive without becoming sick due to anxiety and stress to easily able to drive 100km. They're a life changing improvement for anxious drivers or anyone who gets overstimulated.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 child)

    I'm glad it helps you, but I don't trust the clankers to drive for me.

    I charged with only a 110V outlet for a few months before I got the level 2 charger installed, and it was mostly fine. A couple times I got close to running out of range, but only when I was driving 200+ miles in less than 48 hours. 110V is fine if you're not going on road trips, or if you have a plug-in hybrid.

    Ebikes are fantastic. I just got one, but haven't ridden it much.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 child)

    what? this is crazy, I had no idea about this as a retrofit

    I have an Equinox EV and if I'd gone up to the model with supercruise (full highway self-driving) it would've cost like $6k more whereas this is $1k. Not trying to drop that any time soon, but to have the option eventually...

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  • [–] 11 points 2 weeks ago (7 children)

    No one has ever bought a replacement battery for the EV they bought new. (Prove me wrong)

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  • [–] 10 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

    Oh this was in a hypothetical for the future of the car "Ok but you're still saving a lot of money on not buying gas at ever rising prices until then right."

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  • [–] 7 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 child)

    This is correct, they sell them to people who can't afford $50,000 - $80,000 for a new AmeriKKKan/Occupied Korean EV who then have to replace the battery once it gets too degraded to drive to the next major city.

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