Used EV residuals

[Laconian]

My mom is looking for a new car. She wants to get a Prius Prime because she drives a Prius and the Prime is... like... more of one? I don't know, but I had a panic attack when she mentioned that.

I think her driving needs -- non-COVID about 50mi/day, with occasional weekend trips of 160mi round trip -- would be perfectly addressed by a BEV with 200+ mile range. My dad has a Mazda3 so they already have a longer range ICE car in their stable. I recommended a Bolt, new or used, but what are some EVs worth looking at? Used is preferable - I think her budget goes up to around $35k, which is really on the low end for most medium-range EV cars out there.

[CaminoRacer]

Used Bolts with 30k miles are like $15k now

[Laconian]

Used Bolts with 30k miles are like $15k now

Why is that, exactly?

[CaminoRacer]

New ones can be had in the mid $20ks due to discounts, so used ones have dropped in value a lot

[Laconian]

OK, that's what I told them before, but adding "a Bolt owning friend said" helped lower their guard.

I just called them and now they're pretty interested in EVs! I must've knocked her from her hybrid rut.

[Morris Minor]

Why is that, exactly?

People are worried about battery end-of-life. But, from the (admittedly anecdotal) evidence I've seen, batteries degrade a lot slower than is popularly thought. Especially in cars like the Volt, which have decent thermal management systems. I think the Leaf's shitty reputation in this respect tarred the whole segment.

[Laconian]

People are worried about battery end-of-life. But, from the (admittedly anecdotal) evidence I've seen, batteries degrade a lot slower than is popularly thought. Especially in cars like the Volt, which have decent thermal management systems. I think the Leaf's shitty reputation in this respect tarred the whole segment.

Most EVs don't come close to touching 100% charge in order to prolong the battery life, no?

[CaminoRacer]

Volts don't, but most full EVs charge to real 100%. They want to get the most range possible. But there are settings to limit the charge %. I keep my Bolt at 88-90% instead of going all the way to 100% for normal commuting.

[afty]

In Teslas you set the max charge percentage manually. The car warns you if you set it to 100% too frequently.

There's also the Kia Niro. I've never met anyone who has one, though. For $38k before state incentives, you could do a base Model 3.

[Laconian]

In Teslas you set the max charge percentage manually. The car warns you if you set it to 100% too frequently.

There's also the Kia Niro. I've never met anyone who has one, though. For $38k before state incentives, you could do a base Model 3.

My mom says she's too old for the MMI-centric Tesla interiors.

[Morris Minor]

Most EVs don't come close to touching 100% charge in order to prolong the battery life, no?

Yes. For day-to-day you go to around 80% & only exceptionally 100%.

Porsche, I think it is, has a hard cap at 80% - you can't go higher. It may even be that Porsches' displays state 100% when the underlying batteries are only at 80. They prioritize longevity over numbers used for boasting at the clubhouse bar.

[afty]

This article might be helpful: https://electrek.co/2021/01/25/january-ev-deals-200-miles-of-range-for-less-than-200-month/