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How can I get a good price on a new EV?

Ichinisan

Ichinisan

Lifer
I really want an EV. I'm inexperienced at buying new cars and would probably pay way too much. Should I just expect to pay MSRP?

I have a great driving record, so maybe I'll Uber/Lyft the heck out of it. If I did that, it would be really nice to have driving assistance features -- but the Tesla Model 3 won't be generally available for a long time. A Chevy Bolt seems like a good balance of price / fun / practicality.

Any tips to make sure I don't pay too much and help avoid buyer's remorse?

[edit]

I did a test drive in a Chevy Bolt last night (3/21). My desire for a cool car is defeating my desire to be thrifty / economical. The Bolt is really cool and I really want it.

Just a couple aesthetic things I'm not a fan of:

1. The little dorsal fin on the top-rear.
2. The big plastic area around the rearview mirror.

b1PFsSQ.jpg


Also, I would prefer if the charge port was on the front. The EV etiquette guide for the chargers in my town says to look for any other EV parked near you when you unplug your EV, and plug them in before you drive away. If someone has to walk all the way around my car, they probably aren't going to bother plugging me in.

I also don't like the place where your mobile phone goes. The car I tested has built-in wireless charging and the cubby-hole is not big enough. A "Plus" size iPhone fits very snugly when it's completely naked. Even a low-profile case like Incipio NGP prevents the phone from fitting at all. An iPhone would typically need some kind of case to support wireless charging, so that basically makes the "Plus" iPhones incompatible. Another problem with the snug fit: Grit and stuff will collect in the cubby-hole and scratch/gouge your naked phone as you insert/remove it.
 
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In some ways buying a new car is easier than buying a used one because there are lots of sellers with the exact same item. I don't think you'll be finding any "deals" on a Bolt given it's in short supply. I'd start by hopping on a forum and seeing what others are paying. If you don't need the range, I'd guess a much better deal could be had on a Leaf or any other EV for that matter.

Just my $0.02 as I've done zero research on the topic.
 
Buy used. People have (generally unwarranted) concerns about battery life, so depreciation on EVs is much higher than normal cars. Sure you won't get the tax credit, but the prices are very attractive.

I believe you're in the ATL area, so here are some examples:

2015 Nissan Leaf, 17K miles, $9000 - http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=448071016

2013 Chevy Volt, 39K miles, $12500 - http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=441993831

Always wanted a (really ugly) BMW?
2014 BMW i3, 15K miles, $18300 - http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=447993290

For what it's worth, my SIL has a 2013 Volt and absolutely loves it. It hasn't had a single issue and the onboard gas generator that recharges the battery gives it a fantastic range for road trips. It has plenty of range to get her to work and back daily on battery only, so they just charge it up at night and she almost never goes to the gas station.
 
I don't think you could uber very well on a Leaf. The Leaf has a range of like 50-80 miles, and used Leafs have shown a pretty high drop in capacity and range, more than any other electric car.

Uber driving often you go over 100 miles just in a day in town. Sometimes you get a ride to the next town over and that's like 150 miles. A Leaf has problems doing that.
 
I did a test drive in a Chevy Bolt last night. My desire for a cool car is defeating my desire to be thrifty / economical. The Bolt is really cool and I really want it.
 
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Just a couple aesthetic things I'm not a fan of:

1. The little dorsal fin on the top-rear.
2. The big plastic area around the rearview mirror.

b1PFsSQ.jpg


Also, I would prefer if the charge port was on the front. The EV etiquette guide for the chargers in my town says to look for any other EV parked near you when you unplug your EV, and plug them in before you drive away. If someone has to walk all the way around my car, they probably aren't going to bother plugging me in.
 
I also don't like the place where your mobile phone goes. The car I tested has built-in wireless charging and the cubby-hole is not big enough. A "Plus" size iPhone fits very snugly when it's completely naked. Even a low-profile case like Incipio NGP prevents the phone from fitting at all. An iPhone would typically need some kind of case to support wireless charging, so that basically makes the "Plus" iPhones incompatible. Another problem with the snug fit: Grit and stuff will collect in the cubby-hole and scratch/gouge your naked phone as you insert/remove it.
 
There have been reports that Chevy dealers outside the natural hot spots for EV sales are discounting Bolts so it could pay to look around more widely, FWIW.
 
I have a great driving record, so maybe I'll Uber/Lyft the heck out of it.
Click to expand...

Generally speaking, buying a 25k car to get 90 cents a mile isn't a wise decision. Far more economical sense to buy a 1k beater and uber/lyft the shit out of that
 
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