So, does anyone have an electric car? What's it like?

FilmCarp said:
well, if you guys are going to continue to use road taxes as an argument, let's look at them more closely.  It is a terribly regressive tax, as the poor driver pays the same as the wealthy driver, and a terrible environmental tax, as the gas guzzler pays the same per gallon as the efficient car.  So we should pay an odometer tax.  Drive more, pay more.  And it should be on a sliding scale, based on purchase price of the car and efficiency.  My electric car would be fairly low, but my prius might be higher.  Your BMW or Suburban would be higher still.  After a car is 8 years old, the purchase price segment is dropped to a flat rate, but the efficiency rate remains.  You report your mileage with your renewal forms, and it is cross checked randomly or with any traffic stop.

 actually, the whole notion of a car-related tax (gas tax, odometer tax, etc) is kind of old-fashioned and inefficient. Our roads benefit EVERYONE, regardless of whether you drive a car at all, much less how much you may drive it. Road maintenance should simply come out of income tax revenue. Gas taxes are stupid, in my estimation.

conandrob240 said:
I am thinking about buying a pre-owes Tesla. Are there tax credits for Used or only for new? 


Boy, are these amazing riding vehicles. After driving one, honesty the “electric” part and free supercharging is just an added bonus.

 Nope, just for brand new cars. In CA and some other states there are ongoing financial benefits, but not NJ.  Which is why a new Model 3 is a better deal, given how well Tesla’s used prices are holding up.

Do people actually do significant road trips with electric cars?  I would be continually stressed about trying to find a charging station and it sounds like it takes orders of magnitude longer to recharge a car than to fill it up with gas, so I can't really imagine that is very practical with the current technology - both re recharge times and availability of charging stations nationwide.  

OTOH - A hybrid is very appealing, especially with plug-in option.  It seems like that could be the best of both worlds.

Am I missing something?

sac said:
Do people actually do significant road trips with electric cars?  I would be continually stressed about trying to find a charging station and it sounds like it takes orders of magnitude longer to recharge a car than to fill it up with gas, so I can't really imagine that is very practical with the current technology - both re recharge times and availability of charging stations nationwide.  
OTOH - A hybrid is very appealing, especially with plug-in option.  It seems like that could be the best of both worlds.
Am I missing something?

 Yep, Steve, mentioned above road trips in his Bolt. He has an app to find charging spots.  

EVs now have fast chargers....  yes, it’s not 5 minutes - most chargers seem to be near coffee shops, malls, restaurants, so you can make the most of your break.

From what I understand “range anxiety “ goes away with experience.

I predict the model Y, Tesla’s next SUV will fly out of the showrooms, with model 3 sales declining 

The next EV from Chevy will be a Bolt based SUV... that’s where the market is going 

peteglider said:

conandrob240 said:
I am thinking about buying a pre-owes Tesla. Are there tax credits for Used or only for new? 


Boy, are these amazing riding vehicles. After driving one, honesty the “electric” part and free supercharging is just an added bonus.

 Nope, just for brand new cars. In CA and some other states there are ongoing financial benefits, but not NJ.  Which is why a new Model 3 is a better deal, given how well Tesla’s used prices are holding up.

 But the S is a way nicer car!

I wonder how many people have been hit by one - you can hardly hear them.

The acceleration on the tesla is crazy.

FilmCarp said:
well, if you guys are going to continue to use road taxes as an argument, let's look at them more closely.  It is a terribly regressive tax, as the poor driver pays the same as the wealthy driver, and a terrible environmental tax, as the gas guzzler pays the same per gallon as the efficient car.  So we should pay an odometer tax.  Drive more, pay more.  And it should be on a sliding scale, based on purchase price of the car and efficiency.  My electric car would be fairly low, but my prius might be higher.  Your BMW or Suburban would be higher still.  After a car is 8 years old, the purchase price segment is dropped to a flat rate, but the efficiency rate remains.  You report your mileage with your renewal forms, and it is cross checked randomly or with any traffic stop.

 Good thoughts. I would like to add vehicle weight to the parameters. The amount of wear on the road is proportional to the fourth power of axle weight!