Does it make sense to buy a new gasoline car now?

[boilermaker75]

One more thing I just thought of from my visit to the Tesla dealer. They kept making a big deal that if I bought an S and I knew someone who had a Tesla I could get a referral. I would then get free supercharging. I asked them what the cost of supercharging would be with the model 3. It is $0.08 per minute! About $1.60 per visit to a supercharging station.

[Jurgis]

One more thing I just thought of from my visit to the Tesla dealer. They kept making a big deal that if I bought an S and I knew someone who had a Tesla I could get a referral. I would then get free supercharging. I asked them what the cost of supercharging would be with the model 3. It is $0.08 per minute! About $1.60 per visit to a supercharging station.

 

Yeah, if I get Tesla, I'll still gonna use gas car for very long trips (i.e. more than ~180 miles roundtrip). So not planning to use superchargers at all. Just charge at home. That's also the reason I won't get extended range.

 

BTW, I took a look at supercharger map around us. I'm pretty sure there are "good ones", but there's bunch for "members only" of some hotel/club/whatever. And there's bunch of "everyone allowed" but you have to call to make appointment to use it...  ::)  :o WTF.

[rkbabang]

One more thing I just thought of from my visit to the Tesla dealer. They kept making a big deal that if I bought an S and I knew someone who had a Tesla I could get a referral. I would then get free supercharging. I asked them what the cost of supercharging would be with the model 3. It is $0.08 per minute! About $1.60 per visit to a supercharging station.

 

Yeah, if I get Tesla, I'll still gonna use gas car for very long trips (i.e. more than ~180 miles roundtrip). So not planning to use superchargers at all. Just charge at home. That's also the reason I won't get extended range.

 

BTW, I took a look at supercharger map around us. I'm pretty sure there are "good ones", but there's bunch for "members only" of some hotel/club/whatever. And there's bunch of "everyone allowed" but you have to call to make appointment to use it...  ::)  :o WTF.

 

If you used your Tesla for long trips you wouldn't be looking at superchargers near you, but a few hundred miles away from you in the direction you are heading.  That is when you will need to stop.    I agree though, if I end up ever getting one of these it will be for commuting and short trips around town (which accounts for 90% of my vehicle useage anyway).  I'd keep my big gas SUV for long trips.

 

[kevin4u2]

Oddball,

 

I'm not sure if you have seen this video, but it may change your mind regarding EVs, solar and the future of ICEs.  Paradigm shifts are hard to see but many are predicting EVs to be the next one.  This guy gives a lot of facts to support his views, and while I don't who the winners and losers will be, I have no doubt my kids will live much better than I do. 

 

 

If this video has been mentioned here, my apologies. 

 

Regards,

Kevin

 

I've just done a VERY scientific study.  I just got a taxi back to work from my physio - 1.3 miles in central London.  Spotted 12 fully electric cars and I was looking at my phone half the time, not the road.  No way that would have happened 2 years ago.

 

That's crazy.  I had to drive around for a few hours yesterday in Pittsburgh traffic, zero electric cars.  I did see a Prius, that sort of counts..

 

I guess it makes sense in England.  England is about the same size as Pennsylvania.  If I was landlocked to an area the size of PA then range isn't much of a problem.  You can get from one side of the island to another on one possibly two charges at most.

[SmallCap]

What would happen if ICE became significantly more efficient, Sometimes we don't know what direction tech will take us.

 

Would this change the equation for conversion to Electric?

 

http://www.core77.com/posts/68280/Mazda-Achieves-Engine-Design-Breakthrough?utm_content=buffer3d927&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

[petec]

What would happen if ICE became significantly more efficient, Sometimes we don't know what direction tech will take us.

 

Would this change the equation for conversion to Electric?

 

http://www.core77.com/posts/68280/Mazda-Achieves-Engine-Design-Breakthrough?utm_content=buffer3d927&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

It certainly slows the closing of the cost gap - if it works and is widely available.  It doesn't necessarily slow the policy push in Europe and China.

[oddballstocks]

What would happen if ICE became significantly more efficient, Sometimes we don't know what direction tech will take us.

 

Would this change the equation for conversion to Electric?

 

http://www.core77.com/posts/68280/Mazda-Achieves-Engine-Design-Breakthrough?utm_content=buffer3d927&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

This is a good and overlooked point.  It's easier to improve what exists verses tearing up something and starting fresh.  We already have a network of gas stations and pipelines and logistics around getting energy where people need it quickly and cheaply.  To me this is the biggest hurdle of an EV.  You need to design a new fueling system.  For people in the suburbs they can install a 220 outlet, but what about everyone who doesn't live in a suburb?  Increasing the efficiency of a gas engine by 20-30% is significant.

 

This thread also also brings up a second question.  Do people want EV's or do they just want a Tesla EV?  If a Leaf ticks all the checks why not buy a Leaf?  Instead the Bolt and Leaf aren't selling, but a Tesla is.  If this is strictly EV vs ICE then a Leaf should be preferable to a Sentra.  But it isn't.  Is all the hype really just around a single product and not the product category?

[Jurgis]

This thread also also brings up a second question.  Do people want EV's or do they just want a Tesla EV?  If a Leaf ticks all the checks why not buy a Leaf?  Instead the Bolt and Leaf aren't selling, but a Tesla is.  If this is strictly EV vs ICE then a Leaf should be preferable to a Sentra.  But it isn't.  Is all the hype really just around a single product and not the product category?

 

A friend in CA has Leaf. He and his wife are both in queue for Model 3. I believe he likes Leaf, but the range is too limited for longer trips. (He also "fills up" for free at Google and does not charge at home - haha he's a value investor I guess  8) ).

 

For me, I would buy Model 3 for autopilot only. I don't care about the e part much. Torque would be nice, but if there was a gas car with better autopilot than Tesla, I'd just buy that.

I might be too optimistic about autopilot/self-driving - maybe I would not use it much/at all due to limitations - and then the whole purchase is mostly bleh...  ::).

 

That's just me though. ./shrug

 

8)

[rkbabang]

What would happen if ICE became significantly more efficient, Sometimes we don't know what direction tech will take us.

 

Would this change the equation for conversion to Electric?

 

http://www.core77.com/posts/68280/Mazda-Achieves-Engine-Design-Breakthrough?utm_content=buffer3d927&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

This is a good and overlooked point.  It's easier to improve what exists verses tearing up something and starting fresh.  We already have a network of gas stations and pipelines and logistics around getting energy where people need it quickly and cheaply.  To me this is the biggest hurdle of an EV.  You need to design a new fueling system.  For people in the suburbs they can install a 220 outlet, but what about everyone who doesn't live in a suburb?  Increasing the efficiency of a gas engine by 20-30% is significant.

 

This thread also also brings up a second question.  Do people want EV's or do they just want a Tesla EV?  If a Leaf ticks all the checks why not buy a Leaf?  Instead the Bolt and Leaf aren't selling, but a Tesla is.  If this is strictly EV vs ICE then a Leaf should be preferable to a Sentra.  But it isn't.  Is all the hype really just around a single product and not the product category?

 

Three reasons, 1) performance, 2) range, 3) Nissan and GM go out of their way to make the absolute ugliest electric cars that anyone has ever seen or could possibly imagine.

 

If those three problems are solved then people would probably buy Bolts and Leafs.

 

[rkbabang]

This thread also also brings up a second question.  Do people want EV's or do they just want a Tesla EV?  If a Leaf ticks all the checks why not buy a Leaf?  Instead the Bolt and Leaf aren't selling, but a Tesla is.  If this is strictly EV vs ICE then a Leaf should be preferable to a Sentra.  But it isn't.  Is all the hype really just around a single product and not the product category?

 

A friend in CA has Leaf. He and his wife are both in queue for Model 3. I believe he likes Leaf, but the range is too limited for longer trips. (He also "fills up" for free at Google and does not charge at home - haha he's a value investor I guess  8) ).

 

For me, I would buy Model 3 for autopilot only. I don't care about the e part much. Torque would be nice, but if there was a gas car with better autopilot than Tesla, I'd just buy that.

I might be too optimistic about autopilot/self-driving - maybe I would not use it much/at all due to limitations - and then the whole purchase is mostly bleh...  ::).

 

That's just me though. ./shrug

 

8)

 

You are correct amend my above post to 4 reasons.  4) autopilot.