So I drove an electric car


 
LMichaels

LMichaels

TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
Yesterday I was getting my Highlander serviced at my Yota dealer. Spoke to the sales guy I deal with exclusively to ask about all the deals Yota is cutting on it's BZ4X. My interest here is replacing the RAV4 Hybrid. Since all it really is used as is a "grocery getter/to-from work for the CFO".
So happens they had one there. A beautifully decked out Limited. Pleasantly surprised (VERY pleasantly I might add) at just how nice a car this is and how well it matches up to our RAV4 Limited.
He let me take it out for a bit (by myself). The thing drove, rode, handled identical to our RAV and I am sure identical to any Toyota. Which I LOVED. No goofy "weirdness" as in Teslas. (You listening here Elon? I don't want your "weird looks, or behavior"! I just want a car that drives and behaves like any other car. BOOM! Toyota gave me just that. A car that is instantly @home for just about any conventional vehicle owner.
Literally so close, that if you were blindfolded, put in the driver seat, (blindfold off of course) and told to drive this new car. You would not know it's a BEV.
So, dealer cut me a helluva whopper deal if I want it. Now I have to sit down and look at all the financials and determine if it makes sense for us or not. In the mean time I think (since now I have the electrical upgrades done), I think I will go ahead and get the proper wiring and breakers and get that all installed in "readiness". Since it's pretty low investment at this point
 
I will be unbiased here.........I do have my own opinions.......but they are fairly irrelevant.
I am a car guy, I sold cars for years and have had a bunch of "cool" cars ect ect.........
Word on the street is.....

The value they hold...or resale value....or whatever you want to call it.....is apparently terrible.
I don't have much proof on hand to show of course, but it was what I have been hearing.

Also I am sure most people already know, that the repairs...mainly the battery itself and replacement can sometimes exceed the value of the car down the road which would make replacing the battery nonsense.......which would indeed probably lower the lifespan of ownership.

Just my opinion....I also see the building of these electric vehicle decreasing, FORD I think it was had to completely remove an EV line as they just were not selling.

They are unique and do cool things and the performance is awesome but not sure on the whole spend 40-50 K on one of these ideas.
 
I believe electric vehicles are great as commuter vehicles, but not a good all around choice if you every leave your general area due to charging time, range and station availability. Depreciation is a real issue. I can not see paying a premium for a vehicle that will depreciate faster than a comparable gas version. Just compare the resale values of a hybrid vs gas vehicle. Hybrids drop a lot faster due to battery replacement concerns. Pure electrics will be the same if not worse. Think of it as the way you look at a classic Weber vs the new offerings.
 
So, I definitely know about the depreciation on BEVs. Though part of it is because when they first started hitting the market, they were selling at crazy inflated prices above retail. I.E. SIL was telling me a while back cars like his Tesla Model Y were selling well in excess of sticker. Sometimes approaching 80-90k.
Well now of course the market is catching up and prices are coming back into a "normal" balance. As for hybrid vs gas not true (at least not for Toyota products and Honda products). Our RAV is holding quite bit above the same car as a gas only version. If you're comparing more inferior ones like US versions or ones from Hyundai/Kia yeah because they're extremely trouble prone, they don't hold up like the far more well made stuff.
But frankly I was pleasantly shocked how much value our RAV has held
As far as uses of BEV I firmly believe they're not ready (will likely never be ready for) long distance commutes and travel on a "regular" basis. We'd need to see a HUGE improvement in our infrastructure, and the technology of the batteries.
But for my particular needs it would be primarily a simple "convenience" to have a BEV. Wife not needing to go to gas station, MUCH lower maint stuff and at the end of the lease it would simply be given back.
 
Ford lost a ton of money on their EV line and has since changed direction towards hybrids. I don't think we are quite ready for the transition to all-electric vehicles yet and I think the reason you got cut a deal was because the EVs aren't selling real well right now. Resale is going to be an issue because everyone knows that batteries don't last forever and the technology is changing so rapidly now that nobody knows if replacement batteries are even going to be available.
 
Ed P said:
Ford lost a ton of money on their EV line and has since changed direction towards hybrids. I don't think we are quite ready for the transition to all-electric vehicles yet and I think the reason you got cut a deal was because the EVs aren't selling real well right now. Resale is going to be an issue because everyone knows that batteries don't last forever and the technology is changing so rapidly now that nobody knows if replacement batteries are even going to be available.
Click to expand...
I haven't cut a deal yet. I need to do a lot of number crunching to make sure a deal is worth cutting. But if I trust ANY company with that kind of tech it's Toyota.
 
Ed P said:
Ford lost a ton of money on their EV line and has since changed direction towards hybrids. I don't think we are quite ready for the transition to all-electric vehicles yet and I think the reason you got cut a deal was because the EVs aren't selling real well right now. Resale is going to be an issue because everyone knows that batteries don't last forever and the technology is changing so rapidly now that nobody knows if replacement batteries are even going to be available.
Click to expand...
Also, look into how much insurance costs will be. EVs aren't cheap to repair, if you can even get repair parts.
 
Ed P said:
Also, look into how much insurance costs will be. EVs aren't cheap to repair, if you can even get repair parts.
Click to expand...
Everything will be factored into the books. No stone unturned :D Most know my thoughts on EVs are not all that high regard. Still aren't. Because unless they're used in the proper environment and use type. They miss the entire point of existence.
But, again, if and I do mean IF we pull this off, it will be a grocery getter. NOT what I call an actual piece of transportation. Especially because the use we're giving the RAV (hell even the Highlander) is really not the highest and best use for them. Especially in winter. Where we barely even get them warmed up. So I think a BEV will "shine" in that use. And I really don't give a :poop: about range here. As it will likely never go more than 40-50 miles in one direction ever. So, no reason it would not work well for us. But, again until I can crunch numbers I won't know fo sho
 
And one last thought...from what I have read, the environmental costs of producing an EV, from digging the materials out of the ground, etc., is somewhat higher than the fossil fuel-powered vehicles that we are used to. The benefit from an EV in environmental terms comes further down the road, over extended use. If nobody is willing to buy an used EV, aren't we kind of shooting ourselves in the foot here? For me, the technology is just evolving too fast right now...sodium ion batteries, solid-state batteries, paintable solar generating coatings, oh my!
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
I actually saw a Cybertruck today, very odd looking vehicle, as a truck, I think it looked like a joke! As a dollar sign driving down the road, just like any other overpriced piece of “whatever” over priced anything.
Click to expand...
As you can imagine, living here in CA, we see a lot of those. We reference them as CyberSchm&&ks.
 
As far as resale, when I bought my last new car 4 years ago, we had a Highlander to trade/sell. Checked Kelly Bluebook and the hybrid was valued at $4000 less than the gas version even though the new price was about $4000 more. Got to save a lot of gas to cover that gap. Shame that site does not give you prices as easily now.
 
JSaus said:
As far as resale, when I bought my last new car 4 years ago, we had a Highlander to trade/sell. Checked Kelly Bluebook and the hybrid was valued at $4000 less than the gas version even though the new price was about $4000 more. Got to save a lot of gas to cover that gap. Shame that site does not give you prices as easily now.
Click to expand...
Depended on the year of the HL. The earlier 1st and 2nd gen Highlanders had inverter issues unique to that model. And they were REALLY expensive to repair because it took down not only the inverter but the battery as well. So yeah I could see that. Knew that. It's why when I was looking for my 2nd gen Highlander about 8 years ago I took my time and found one quite pristine, and equipped how I wanted it and also a non hybrid. But with 3rd gen and beyond there have been no such issues. Stuff like that? Sure can kill the resale.
And again, anyone who knows me knows I am not one of these EV Heads (if you want to know the Holy Gospel of EV you need to meet my SIL). It's all he does is preach the gospel of EV. He knows every quirk and all, is in total love with his Tesla (wonder if more than with my daughter :D) and if you try to take even the slightest stance on why they're not good, he comes up with 50 reasons to attempt to prove you wrong.
I'm NOT that guy. Again all of you are missing my initial point. It will be a lease. 3 years (maybe 4). So the resale is not an issue. It will be solely a CONVENIENCE tool for my wife to run errands in that for me, will need FAR less maint then the RAV, and for us likely be more economical overall. But again, until I sit down and begin crunching numbers and other things I will not know.
So all the stuff "against" EV's are preaching to the choir with me. I know them all. But in the end.....................it's about our lifestyle and my convenience more than trying to be "green" or anything like it.
I simply noted that it was a WAY WAY nicer vehicle than I expected. Drove in dead silence and behaved.........................well.....................Like a Toyota.
Anyone who owns a Toyota will understand. If you don't, than you never will understand. And it's something that is "tactile" and very difficult to explain
 
LMichaels said:
Anyone who owns a Toyota will understand. If you don't, than you never will understand. And it's something that is "tactile" and very difficult to explain
Click to expand...
I sure agree with you there. Bought our first Toyota in 1989 and have owned nothing else until we traded the Highlander in for a Subaru Outback. It is every bit the equal, maybe because Toyota owns a stake in them.
 
The indebtedness aspect of it would be enough of a turn-off for me, but if it fits you and your lifestyle, go for it! I'm not trying to rain on your parade, Larry! I, too, am a Toyota man, having bought my first one in 1985, and that's all I've owned since then. They are good cars.
 
I never understood the Toyota "mindset". Until I bought an old Camry (beater with a heater) and was amazed at how well built that thing was, how buttery smooth that old 2.2 4 banger was, and that even though it was old, and high miles, everything worked perfectly, the engine ran like a watch, it rode quiet smooth, basically like a dream. From then on I was "hooked".
 
Was blue oval man since I was 16. Had a ton of issues on the wife’s Escape, least of which was the paint just falling off, told em if they didn’t paint it I couldn’t buy another one.
Enter our 22 Highlander, can’t see not getting another Toyota, I’m torn between a Tundra and a Sequoia.
I refuse to do electric though, I don’t want to be forced into it by a state.
 
Last edited:
We've had good experiences with Toyota hybrids. Got one now that's a 12 year old plug-in hybrid, 145K miles, still going strong, averages 54 mpg. Had a previous hybrid that was 19 years old, 160K miles. The battery finally died and was replaced for $3500. Turned around and sold the car to a private party for $6000 and she was thrilled to get it. Never had to do a brake job on either of them due to regenerative braking systems. My Toyota mechanic (not at a dealership) says lots of Toyota hybrids are pretty much bulletproof. I would buy another in a heartbeat.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top