[Caevlist] What's next?

Sun Feb 25 10:06:45 PST 2018

Alan,

Don't have a simple answer--it's always a very individual choice. We do have a link to the specs for most worthwhile EV's on our website at oeva.org/resources/specsheets , current as of the PDX auto show last month. 

I test drove an Outlander prototype a number of years ago. I was a pretty good PHEV. The new one has half the EV miles, and the MPGe is not so good. 

On the Tesla front, having owned all three models, I can say it was hardest to get in and out of the S, the 3 is better, and the X is very easy. The 3 truck is very deep, but the rear trunk height might be limiting. My "old" (April 2016) X90D has middle seats that do not fold, but the new ones do, matching the massive cargo space of the S. 

I am selling my 2011 Leaf now that I have a model 3. A temporary Leaf might be good, but I'll likely sell mine to Platt Auto or one of my son's friends. 
(I know you are used to good range now, so mine would likely not work for you). 

Best of luck on your decision!

Gary G

-----Original Message-----
From: caevlist-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:caevlist-bounces at rdrop.com] On Behalf Of Paul Wallace
Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2018 9:23 AM
To: Alan Batie
Cc: OEVA; Corvallis EV CLub
Subject: Re: [Caevlist] What's next?

Allen,
have you considered taking over a lease on a car which will cover your needs?  I just took over the last 16 months of a 2015 Spark EV while my truck is laid up (again) with encoder and battery issues.  I’m also in the quandary of what to do longer term.  We have a 2017 Volt which we like very much and around Corvallis/Albany we use no gas with it.  I got the Spark for my commute to work, Philomath to Avery Park, and the occasional trip to Albany and even Independence (charge L2 at the Dairy Queen for an hour).  I find that long term, I think the CCS charging opportunities will be too limiting for any CCS vehicle, unless Chevy and others get behind building out the infrastructure.  As long as they remain compliance cars, I don’t expect much.

I’m also looking for a tow vehicle.  I’m considering the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.  I’m hoping that by the time the Spark lease runs out mid 2019, the plugin small SUV market with tow capability will have matured a bit.

I hadn’t heard that the 2018 Leaf is having issues with the AV DCFC stations.  The Outlander has the same DCFC connection.  I would like to be able to use it.  Unless AV converts the DCFC to support both Chademo and CCS, I’ll steer away from the CCS options.  The Spark has CCS, but I find that both the Salem Red Lyon and the Albany Fred Meyer CCS chargers are frequently ICEd.  This combined with few CCS options outside of the I5 corridor make it impractical for me to rely on CCS for now.

Paul Wallace

> On Feb 24, 2018, at 7:13 PM, Alan Batie <alan at batie.org> wrote:
> 
> Now that I'm back to gas-only, the question is "what now?"  Everything that I really want, namely long range with active cruise control is a year out.  I would save a bundle by sticking with gas, as I'll only use about $100/mo in gas in the RAV at 24mpg.  But I really like driving EV...
> 
> 2018 Leaf:
>  Not out of the question, I really like the new leaf, but...
>  * 40kWh without active cooling is too little too late
>  * leasing has an up front cost that is prohibitive for something with a one year or less lifetime until the 60kWh Leaf w/active cooling comes out
>  * the forums say that AV fast charge stations aren't working with the 2018 Leaf, which would be a serious limitation around here, particularly if I wanted to go to Eugene or Seattle.  Ironically, the Bolt may have more charging options for a trip to Seattle!
> 
> Bolt:
>  I really liked the one I test drove a couple years ago; back then the CCS charging network was too limited to be useful, but that has changed.  However, it doesn't have active cruise control.  I got a chance to use that in a rental in Sweden last fall, and it's *really* nice in congested traffic, and would likely have prevented the accident last December.  The Bolt is also a little more difficult to get in/out of as I don't fold up as well as I used to, and a friend who works with a local solar panel installation company that has one hates it for that reason.  It's also rather expensive - I was considering leasing one for a year to wait for the new Leaf, but they want $450/mo on a 3-year lease minimum, plus $5k up front.
> 
> Used Model S:
>  I need to talk to a friend and give one another try: what I recall from sitting in one a couple years ago was that they also are hard to get in/out of, and in fact, in back, I hit my head on the roof (relatively tall torso and short legs).  There's also the question of if one will fit in my garage, which barely fits the Leaf (surprisingl, the RAV seems to fit slightly better).  But if I could get a used 90D, I could get rid of the RAV and be fully electric from now on.
> 
> Model 3:
>  Still waiting to get a chance to get in one, but I'm really skeptical of the center-only dash and the limited rear access for hauling "stuff".  Big plus is the 90kWh battery option and the Tesla charging network, but to get one in the next few months ("Mar-May" says Tesla about my reservation), I have to pay for the "premium package" I have no interest in, and to get the 4wd, which I *do* want, is a year out.
> 
> Kia Plug-in Niro:
>  A friend got a regular hybrid Niro last fall, and I really like it. I test drove the plugin at Salem Kia a month or so ago, and my only complaint is the waste of space in the dash with an analog speedometer and the fact that the gas engine starts up too easily (but there is a power gauge that marks where that happens, so you can easily control it).  It has enough range that all of my in-town driving would be electric, and at 40-50mpg*, cross country driving would be a lot better than my RAV.  *it's rated at nearly 50, but my friend drove me back from Salem in it today, and his indicator said 40.7, though I'm not sure of his driving mix - mostly in town I think.  The biggest drawback to the Kia is that though etrailer has hitches for the Niro, they all say "excluding plugin hybrid".  I looked under both the regular hybrid (my friend's) and the plug-in I test drove, and they look identical, so I'm not sure that that's about, but I have a small utility trailer to haul things from the lumber store or landscaping, and would like to get a small boat.  With my arthritis, I'm not sure how much I'll really need that capability though.
> 
> At half the price of the Tesla options, and with battery technology changing so rapidly over the next few years, it's really tempting to throw in the towel and go with the Kia, however one of the sales guys at the Nissan in Salem is looking into options for a 2018 Leaf - if I can get a decent deal, I may yet be talked into that, as I really liked the test drive.
> 
> Decisions, decisions...
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Caevlist mailing list
> Caevlist at rdrop.com
> http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/caevlist

_______________________________________________
Caevlist mailing list
Caevlist at rdrop.com
http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/caevlist

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus