$29,000 to replace batteries in Chevy Volt. Would you buy electric car?

[Anonymous]

[abc3643]

Sure I would. For one reason, the image you show is to replace a 2012 Chevrolet Volt so those batteries aren't even made anymore - the car isn't either. In fact, it's not an EV. It's a hybrid and that's an important difference because of the nature of charging.

This is what the car dealer said about this invoice:
"This is an estimate for a 12 year old vehicle out of warranty and for a battery that is extremely hard to get, due to the older technology of the 12 year old vehicle. The dealership does not set battery prices. In the newer EV or EUV vehicles with newer technology the batteries do cost less. Think of it like big screen TVs. Remember when the first big screen came out, they were very expensive, and as the technology advanced the prices became better. This battery is also out of warranty of 8yr/100k miles whatever hits first."

So, in other words, your example does not support your position against EVs.

[MrOracle]

It's very common for early adopters to get raked through the coals price-wise, not only buying the car in the first place, but to keep it running. Those parts aren't made anymore, and few extras were made in the first place because those parts are so expensive.

You can buy a brand new entry-level BEV (battery electric vehicle) for that price, or a mid-level used one that's 3 years old. You could also buy a very nice ICE used car for that amount of money. Thus, spending that much money on a battery pack for an obsolete car with an obsolete drive system makes very little sense. A 10 year old Volt with a brand new battery pack is going to be worth less than the brand new battery pack on the day it's installed, and its value will only continue to drop.

Blame Chevy for their low-level of effort when designing that battery pack in the first place.

[BeMuse]

New they cost what $34K So basicly it's a disposable car that you throw away after use.

[BeMuse]

*basically

[NamerOfStars]

Given that electric cars don't have HYBRID batteries...

[jshm2]

What fuckwit would buy a shitty Chevy to begin with?

[d3n0939]

70000Km. what would be your gas cost for that?

[MaxRobespierre]

It's electronic. You take it to a charging Is station.

[d3n0939]

@MaxRobespierre yes, what would be the cost if it was gas

[NamerOfStars]

No, 70,000 MILES. Assuming the middle of the Volt's run, that'd be 2015, and that model got an estimated 37 MPG combined city/highway. 70,500 divided by 37 gives us 1,905 gallons of gas. Assuming the average of gas prices in Jacksonville (the largest city) from then until now, we get about $4,775. In order to surpass the cost of replacing that hybrid battery, gas would have to be over fifteen bucks a gallon.

[d3n0939]

@NamerOfStars this means gas is so much cheaper than going electric

[d3n0939]

by the way, how much would you pay for repairs till that mileage?

[NamerOfStars]

Currently, yes. And our electrical grid is WAY behind where it would need to be for mass use of electric cars. But our conventional oil reserves have been flat for over a decade, and fracking isn't going to buy us THAT much time. There isn't an infinite supply of oil, and unless you're willing to wait 150 million years between fill-ups, it's not really replenishable. More competition and innovations will drive costs down- but without the government being willing to start building the nuke plants we need, that won't matter, because the electricity simply won't be there.

[d3n0939]

@NamerOfStars if eclectic car can run without repairs until it hit that mileage, it will be good I think

[NamerOfStars]

Well, we're definitely going to need early adopters if we're going to manage to drive costs down. Teslas are as much as status symbol as anything, and the physical DLCs and constant spying are the LAST thing we need- hopefully a real competitor will come along and knock some sense into them.

[BLP11520]

No, we need to resist the switch. What if the power goes out? Gas cars are ready all the time.

[Likes2drive]

I would probably just buy another car