Very interested in the Tesla Y so gladtohear this. The 3 long range is a contender, but the extra clearance and cargo space are both appealing. Have been toying with the idea of buying used (2021). Thoughts on that?
Look at Hertz, they’re dumping a bunch of them.
I have!! That’s what started this renewed interest. Mostly Model 3, mostly high mileage, and a few with accident histories. Feeling like I might be better off with something that had a warranty from the dealer. Thoughts on that?
Ah, I didn’t check the accident histories locally. Most had lower mileage here. I’d steer clear of damaged ones for sure. I bought my current truck with 90,000 miles on it, so that doesn’t bother me.
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Have you checked the Tesla new inventory lately? There are amazing deals . I am very glad to have the Y instead of 3 because of the amazing storage in this car. It’s deceptive but every time I go away I am surprised how much can fit. And I have AWD but not long range—at the time that was $4K or $5K more and would have put it out of my price range—and while I would much prefer to have LR, it has been just fine.
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Just checked inventory—in my area the LR Model Y is as low as $44K. I believe the $7500 tax credit also still applies if you qualify (I did not).
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We’ve been considering for a while and finally jumped into EVs with a 2023 C40 Recharge Twin Ultimate. We love it so far, range isn’t an issue for us with short commutes and free charging available at work as well as a garage for home charging (Level 2 charger pending). Thanks for everyone who shared info here about various EV options.
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WAPO: Plug-in hybrids vs. electric cars: We did the math on which is better for you
Hybrids make sense for some people.
gift link https://wapo.st/3SmzQHM
I imagine the same is true for the big heavy duty pick up trucks I see driving around everywhere too.
Ford F-150 weighs between 6,100 to 7,050 pounds which is a heckuva a lot more than my Chevy Bolt (3,589 to 3,624 lbs) or a Tesla model Y (4,154 to 4,398 lbs).
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A Rivian is about 2000 lbs heavier than an F-150.
Thanks for pointing this out.
A bit alarming when I think of the small sedan I drive.
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Rivian delivered 39,000 trucks in 2023 vs more than 700,000 Ford F-series trucks, with the F-150 being the lightweight in that category. The F-250 and F-350 weigh more. Far more heavy pickups on the road than EVs.
Top selling vehicles in the US here: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/g43553191/bestselling-cars-2023/
Top three are all pick up trucks.
Perhaps it’s the very low center of gravity that is causing alarm with EVs.
Just shoddy journalism. There are a lot of alarmist articles out there about EVs pandering to an anti-EV audience.
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So the University of Nebraska study was no good?
The issue may be the guardrail, not the car Failure to Protect: roadside guardrails turn dangerous when not properly installed – InvestigateTV
WCBD’s article is bad. They should have asked the same questions of the Nebraska folks that Philip Jones brought up. And yes it may be a poor study. I’m not qualified to say but if they don’t have data on the big pick ups (they mention lightweight pick ups from the 90s further down in the article but not the current much larger models) then that seems like a glaring omission since those are the top selling vehicles in the US.
“We knew it was going to be an extremely demanding test of the roadside safety system,” said Cody Stolle with the facility. “The system was not made to handle vehicles greater than 5,000 pounds.”
Ok. So no 6,100 lb F-150s then or other big pick up trucks?
Philip Jones, executive director of the Alliance for Transportation Electrification, which supports the use of electric vehicles in North America, questioned why electric vehicles were singled out in the testing, noting that several large SUV models can weigh around 6,000 pounds.
“The EVs are not necessarily heavier,” Jones said. “I drive a Chevy Bolt, and it’s 3,700 pounds.”
It could be a good study but the article is so poorly written with a click bait headline that I could not say. Maybe it is a lower center of gravity issue or maybe if you aim a F-150 or a Silverado at a barrier it will smash right through like the Rivian did too. I really don’t know but a good journalist would ask that question of the study authors and a good study would have that data (and maybe they already do but the article does not point it out if so).
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or SUV’s…a Chevy Tahoe, for example, is well over 5500 pounds, way more than a Tesla Model 3. what a silly report.
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We definitely have a car weight problem. But it’s not an EV-only issue. However, for the same size/class of vehicle, an EV is generally heavier.