Is this a good time to buy an EV?
Posted by Alarmed_Dot3389@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 33 comments
Or are we expecting some leap in tech next 5 years, eg like leap in range or something that would make evs today obsolete
MaximumDerpification@reddit
Can you charge at home? That's the biggest factor IMO
Aside from that, the biggest leap on the horizon is better battery tech... solid state batteries and other advances will increase range, decrease expense, and hopefully also reduce weight.
admin_default@reddit
Solid-state batteries are coming - possibly within 3-5 years. That takes range from ~300 miles up to ~600-800 miles.
Toyota is well positioned as the leader in solid state batteries (at least, outside of China) and they’ve stated they aim to commercialize in 2027-28.
And Waymo announced a collaboration with Toyota to develop self-driving personal vehicles, which sounds like it could arrive in the next 5 years.
All that means buying an EV today is a bit like buying an expensive CD player in 2004, right as the iPod Mini took mp3 viral.
hirouk@reddit
Obsolete? No. There will be many advances over the next five years, especially battery technology, and that will cause more depreciation for present EVs.
But if you have an EV that suits your needs now, it will suit your needs five years from now regardless of improvements in technology.
needle1@reddit
Yes.
series-hybrid@reddit
The first-gen Leaf in a cold climate is OK, its the hot climates that stressed the early battery packs, since they were air-cooled. That being said, a second-gen Leaf truly is better from the lessons they learned.
gonyere@reddit
What year did gen 2 start?
series-hybrid@reddit
Google says that: 2019 is what the factory calls the second gen
Leaf started in 2011. https://youtu.be/s4QFMcKwSF8?t=179
Jolly_Cicada380@reddit
2018 is second gen
pokeyt@reddit
My first gen leaf is still going strong 13 years in and nearing 160k. Thing has paid for itself time and again. Has needed front ball joints and a set of tires, that’s it.
Now is a bad time to buy an EV. Gas is expensive so the EV market has lots of interest. If you can wait until it’s cheap again. I stole my leaf used during the first trump admin when gas was under $2 in the PNW, deals could be had then.
DiddyEpsteinSixSeven@reddit
The best time to buy junk is... never
peppermintpattymills@reddit
if you’re in the market for a car and can charge at home and commute, it’s a great time to buy an EV. they are fantastic commuter cars. if you don’t fulfill those three, then it kind of depends.
Lovevas@reddit
I started driving EV since 2022, and I will never go back to ICE. I had dozens of new cars in my life, including BMW, MB, Porsche, Volvo, and none of them had the experience of my EV.
Particuarly the cost of owning EV is so low. For driving one mile, electricity cost is only 2-3 cents, while gas (premium plus) would cost 20 cents in our city.
swisstraeng@reddit
I'd say it's the time to get hybrids instead.
EVs benefits lot from "tax evasion" in countries where road infrastructure is paid with gasoline taxes.
WizeAdz@reddit
Now that I spent the money to install a home charger, driving anything other than an EV is just burning money with extra steps.
Anyone who can charge at home and drives less than about 200 miles per day is an ideal candidate for an EV, based in my experience as an EV owner and driver.
But not everyone can spend $1200 to install a charger where they live to cut their fuel costs to 20% of that they’d be paying for gas.
Buckeyebornandbred@reddit
You don't even need to do that. Buy a cheap charger $100-200 and plug it in an outlet. Done. Just always plug it in at night.
SailingSpark@reddit
I really wanted to buy an EV. I tried several, and honestly, I hated all of them. Phenomenal acceleration, excellent braking, and some have really good tech. The problem is they all felt dead to drive. You could feel the weight in every corner and the steering had absolutely no feedback as to what the front tires were doing.
It did not help that one I liked even a little out of the bunch, the nearest dealer is over 2 hours away.
Buckeyebornandbred@reddit
BMW has some nice ones that handle well
terran1212@reddit
Used EVs are the best deal right now after tax credits went away
Mountain_Tear8608@reddit
Gas prices will likely decline in the future. The time to buy is when no one is really thinking about prices at the pump. EVs depreciate faster, so buy something used.
Fafnir2020@reddit
Are gas and diesel expensive?
AntiquesRoadHo@reddit
Id wait a few months if you can. With gas prices going up, so are the prices of EVs. We were in the market to buy one just before th gas prices went up, and since then we have seen the average used price go up by $5-7k. Hopefully they come back down after everyone is done panic buying
ShadowsOfTheBreeze@reddit
Depends on what you need and if you can charge at home.
rdadeo@reddit
Wife and I just bought one.
Fuel prices these days were the straw that broke the camels back. Internal conbustion is dying.
FlatSixFun@reddit
If solid state batteries eventually make it to market, they'll increase the energy density and allow for lighter EV's. And they're also a lot safer than lithium ion batteries. But widespread adoption is many years out.
Range: What most manufacturers have found is that the range generally offered is more than enough for people's commutes and around town trips. They're not really pushing for longer ranges considering the downsides to adding additional weight to already heavy vehicles.
In the meantime, as fuel prices continue to go up, EV's, even without incentives, will end up looking cheaper to own and operate than other options, especially for those that can charge at home.
WizeAdz@reddit
The implication of this comment is that an EV the OP buys today might be a generation behind on the tech treadmill in 5-10 years.
The automotive design cycle is 3-5 years, and solid state batteries are just making their way into the first Chinese cars now. That means we might-maybe see the first solid state battery EVs in a few models here in the USA in 2029-2031.
Maybe it’s possible someone will rush one out sooner, but probably not — Tesla is an FSD company now and not interest in cars, and Rivian has future plans that are workable with familiar lithium batteries. GM said with the Ultium platform that they’ve planned to be able to change battery chemistries easily - but they’re not known for a “because it’s new” style of innovation.
So, yes, EVs are a tech treadmill. If you own an “obsolete” EV when a new and better one comes out, you can expect depreciation. But everyone expects depreciation already, so that doesn’t change anything.
If the OP buys an EV that meets their needs, it’ll still meet their needs when new battery chemistries like (semi) solid state or NMR start being available on the market. But an “obsolete” EV that gets you to the places you need to go will still get you to the places you need to go.
VegaGT-VZ@reddit
"Obsolete" is too much of an exxageration IMO, theres nothing that can come out that will essentially make current EVs worthless
I mean people are still driving old Leafs and Model Ss from 10+ years ago and EVs today are way better than those. So its hard for me to imagine what could make all the EVs on the road today obsolete
Doublestack00@reddit
It depends on your charging situation and location.
Possibly yes, possibly no.
GreenTrees797@reddit
Yes, I’ve been driving a Volt for 10 years now and last month got a Chevy Equinox EV after thinking about it for a while and then having witnessed the ineptitude of the new petroleum wars that we are only going to be paying for one way or another.
A full EV is leagues ahead of any ICE vehicle. They are so nice to drive. I have the highest trim of Equinox EV but coming from the Volt, there are so many features I didn’t have before. Some for safety, some for convenience. Not having a button or turning a key to turn the car on is a bit odd. It just turns off when you put your foot on the brake and turns off when you exit the vehicle. But one of the best things really is not stopping at a gas station and refueling overnight at home.
gregredmore@reddit
If you can charge one at home and you don't need to tow a caravan long distance, yes.
that_dutch_dude@reddit
The best time to buy one was yersterday, the second best time is today.
pjc50@reddit
Do you need/want to buy a car right now? If so, there's a strong case that it should be an EV, especially if you're medium-high milage.
However, it's like buying a computer or a mobile phone around the millenium: every year there is some significantly better "game changer" tech.
HousingFar1403@reddit
If the current state of EVs meet your needs, why does the future even matter? It’s a great time to buy if it works for you.
Rough_Cancel7265@reddit
Yes. The focus now is on optimizing infrastructure and optimizing current tech. There are 1000 fast chargers going up every month nationwide. You'll be fine