Chicago-area Tesla charging stations lined with dead cars in freezing cold: 'A bunch of dead robots out here

[Hardcore troubadour 15,438]

I’ve driven a bunch of Teslas. They are incredible to drive. Wouldn’t buy one.  

[BuckSwope 654]

23 minutes ago, Fireballer said:

In all honesty, why are people buying these things?

According to the Geek Club the only reason is if you are a tree hugging homo liberal. 

[Fireballer 2,642]

2 minutes ago, RLLD said:

You seem to end up paying less per mile when using them, and they are really great vehicles with excellent performance.  They are feature-rich and those features are intuitive.

If the costs were not so ridiculous I would buy one.

So, are you personally not up for allowing up front costs to be offset by operating costs?  Or does that not happen?  

[Strike 5,553]

Let's not forget this wonderful little tidbit:

https://www.motortrend.com/news/energy-secretary-jennifer-granholm-ev-road-trip-incident/

[seafoam1 3,031]

11 minutes ago, BuckSwope said:

According to the Geek Club the only reason is if you are a tree hugging homo liberal. 

According to reality. 

[RLLD 4,230]

19 minutes ago, iam90sbaby said:

Typical Haley supporter 

I would actually prefer Vivek over Haley, but I do not have a big problem with Haley.  But having been in those cars a bit, they are impressive.  But their usage is limited to be sure.  That being said, Tesla has implemented tech to really offset their weaknesses to a large extent.

[RLLD 4,230]

15 minutes ago, Fireballer said:

So, are you personally not up for allowing up front costs to be offset by operating costs?  Or does that not happen?  

This is an interesting question.   The algorithm of initial costs vs savings will be heavily dependent on usage.   The other thing that initially bothered me was the potential to replace the batteries.  And apparently, if you use it properly those things can last 15-20 years.

I am a 15-20 year user of vehicles as a rule...I will drive that MF'er into the focking ground.... 

Then you have people who happily pay extravagant money for a depreciating asset, in this case a car, because that is just who they are.....I am not with that....

[thegeneral 3,214]

25 minutes ago, RLLD said:

You seem to end up paying less per mile when using them, and they are really great vehicles with excellent performance.  They are feature-rich and those features are intuitive.

If the costs were not so ridiculous I would buy one.

Many good answers here. 

Less maintenance, free options to charge abound. 

[seafoam1 3,031]

 

EVs Still Cost Much More To Buy

The EV-ICE price gap gets narrower every year, and Bloomberg predicts that EVs will be cheaper to buy than comparable gas cars by 2025 — but for now, electric cars still have much higher MSRPs.

“Most EVs still have higher-than-average starting prices, discouraging plenty of cost-conscious buyers,” Fix said. “There are some lower-cost EVs like the Nissan Leaf, KIA Soul, Hyundai Kona and Chevy Bolt EV. But keep in mind that the average EV is much more expensive.

“The average price for a brand-new EV is about [$61,488]. That’s considerably higher than the average four-door sedan, which runs about [$48,681], according to Kelley Blue Book. Tax credits and gas savings can save you money. However, it’s going to take a few years to make up a potential $20,000 difference.”

 

Most Drivers Will Change Cars Before an EV Pays Off

“A few years” might be an understatement.

A U.S. Department of Energy report found that, when factoring in the long-term ownership expenses, a small electric SUV costs $0.4508 per mile compared to $0.4727 per mile for a comparable gas car. That’s a difference of just $0.0219 per mile. The report concludes that it would take 15 years for the average EV to make up for its higher purchase price.

How many people do you know who keep their cars for a decade and a half?

“The average length of time drivers own a car is about six years,” Fix said, “with an average yearly total cost of $3,300 for EVs and $3,900 for gas-powered cars.”

Electricity Is Cheaper Than Gas, But It’s Hardly Free

The most compelling incentive to switch, of course, is fuel. Gas is much cheaper now than it was this summer, but it’s still more expensive than electricity. Still, it’s a mistake to consider switching without factoring in the considerable cost of charging.

“As the price of gasoline rises, so does the cost of electricity,” Fix said. “The average cost of gassing up a car is $1,120 a year. The annual cost to operate an electric vehicle is about $485 per year, although having a home charger can lower that figure. The average cost of a home charger plus installation is $2,000.”

Fixr backs up that figure with a national average range of $1,000 to $2,500; KBB says it’s $2,000 exactly, which goes a long way in stretching out the price parity timeline to 15 years.

KBB estimates the average driver spends $56 per month charging an EV at home — but that doesn’t factor in stops at much more expensive fast chargers on the road.

The Myth of a Maintenance-Free Vehicle

When you switch to electric, you leave behind the incredibly complex internal combustion engine and the many problem-prone parts that make it run — no tune-ups, no oil changes, no coolant flushes. But that truth has fostered a popular myth that says electric cars don’t require any professional upkeep.

“You’ll hear some people say there is no maintenance needed for an EV, but that is not true,” Fix said. “If there are moving parts, there is maintenance. Yes, there are fewer moving parts in EVs, so the annual cost of maintaining an electric vehicle comes in at around $900 a year. That’s only $300 less than the $1,200 a year it costs to keep gas or diesel engines running smoothly.”

According to Forbes, EV drivers pay about $0.06 per mile in maintenance costs compared to $0.10 for ICE vehicles.

EVs Are More Expensive To Repair and Insure

While EVs are cheaper to maintain, they are much more expensive to fix in the case of an accident — more than 50% more, according to Forbes.

“Gas-powered vehicles cost less to repair if in a collision,” Fix said.

Because they cost more to repair, they cost more to insure.

“Insurance is a big factor to consider,” Fix said. “The average cost of an electric car is 23% or more expensive because the car itself and its parts cost more to repair and replace.”

When all is said and done, the bottom line is a $13,000 price difference unless you keep your EV for nearly three times the typical ownership period.

“Totaling all factors in, an EV will set you back $71,770,” Fix said. “A gas-powered car? $58,664. You will never make up the initial expense difference over the lifetime of your more expensive electric vehicle. Put another way, a gas-powered car will cost you $600 more a year to drive. But over an average of six years of owning an EV versus a gas car, the EV will set you back $13,000 more.”

[TheNewGirl 1,494]

the parking lot at a nearby grocery store just installed 5 or 6 charging stations. 

Drove by the other day and all of them were full, people just sitting in their cars waiting for their cars to charge 

My thought was, 'What an incredible waste of time." 

There are just so many other things I'd prefer to be doing than this. 

[Strike 5,553]

2 minutes ago, TheNewGirl said:

the parking lot at a nearby grocery store just installed 5 or 6 charging stations. 

Drove by the other day and all of them were full, people just sitting in their cars waiting for their cars to charge 

My thought was, 'What an incredible waste of time." 

There are just so many other things I'd prefer to be doing than this. 

 

Just out of curiosity, and you may not know this, but were those chargers you have to pay for?  If they were free I could see some people using them but otherwise yeah what a waste of time.  Honestly, either way is a waste of time but at least if they were free I could kind of understand it?

[thegeneral 3,214]

5 minutes ago, TheNewGirl said:

the parking lot at a nearby grocery store just installed 5 or 6 charging stations. 

Drove by the other day and all of them were full, people just sitting in their cars waiting for their cars to charge 

My thought was, 'What an incredible waste of time." 

There are just so many other things I'd prefer to be doing than this. 

I’d go shopping if at the store. 

[seafoam1 3,031]

1 minute ago, thegeneral said:

I’d go shopping if at the store. 

So those people should shop for a couple hours every time they want to juice up the vehicle?

[Hardcore troubadour 15,438]

4 minutes ago, thegeneral said:

I’d go shopping if at the store. 

You can shop for hours? And they ask where all the men have gone. 

[thegeneral 3,214]

2 minutes ago, seafoam1 said:

So those people should shop for a couple hours every time they want to juice up the vehicle?

It’s pretty rare to get down to that low when you have a range of say 200 miles. Poor planning or maybe they enjoy sitting on their phones.

[thegeneral 3,214]

1 minute ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

You can shop for hours? And they ask where all the men have gone. 

You should probably go back to judging sick memes

[TheNewGirl 1,494]

6 minutes ago, thegeneral said:

I’d go shopping if at the store. 

You can't. 

You have to wait in your car. 

[thegeneral 3,214]

1 minute ago, TheNewGirl said:

You can't. 

You have to wait in your car. 

Why?

[TheNewGirl 1,494]

8 minutes ago, Strike said:

 

Just out of curiosity, and you may not know this, but were those chargers you have to pay for?  If they were free I could see some people using them but otherwise yeah what a waste of time.  Honestly, either way is a waste of time but at least if they were free I could kind of understand it?

I am not sure if they are free or not, just that they have to wait in their cars; they are the Tesla Superchargers. Not sure if those cost more or if they just charge faster. 

Was reading that if your car is charged and you continue to sit there, you get charged extra. 

 

[thegeneral 3,214]

Just now, TheNewGirl said:

I am not sure if they are free or not, just that they have to wait in their cars; they are the Tesla Superchargers. Not sure if those cost more or if they just charge faster. 

Was reading that if your car is charged and you continue to sit there, you get charged extra. 

 

There are many types of chargers. In a situation like a mall or something like you described you can plug it in and go do whatever. Superchargers are pretty quick and often people would just be getting like 10 minutes so in that case I can see sitting around and waiting. 

 

[zsasz 369]

Elon Musk sucks.  

[Horseman 2,458]

Tesla people are like timeshare people.  They just refuse admit they got duped.  

[thegeneral 3,214]

Work trip this week. My airport has about 150 free chargers. Great to come back to a full tank! 

[iam90sbaby 2,611]

1 hour ago, Horseman said:

Tesla people are like timeshare people.  They just refuse admit they got duped.  

Dude this is it. Couldn't of worded it better. There's a lot of crossover there.

[Hardcore troubadour 15,438]

EV’s are great. To run errands in the suburbs. 

[Hardcore troubadour 15,438]

Biden was bragging a while back that Hertz was buying thousands of EV’s. He’s not saying much about Hertz getting rid of them for gas vehicles. He’s got the touch.  

[supermike80 1,913]

5 minutes ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

Biden was bragging a while back that Hertz was buying thousands of EV’s. He’s not saying much about Hertz getting rid of them for gas vehicles. He’s got the touch.  

Oh CNN did.. Blamed it ALL on Elon and tesla.  Every stitch of it.   It was an amazing read.

[Hardcore troubadour 15,438]

Just now, supermike80 said:

Oh CNN did.. Blamed it ALL on Elon and tesla.  Every stitch of it.   It was an amazing read.

Sounds right. Couldn’t be that the consumer didn’t want them. No way. 

[seafoam1 3,031]

1 hour ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

Biden was bragging a while back that Hertz was buying thousands of EV’s. He’s not saying much about Hertz getting rid of them for gas vehicles. He’s got the touch.  

How can it be that biden is never right?

It's gotta be somd kind of record. 

[Hardcore troubadour 15,438]

10 minutes ago, seafoam1 said:

How can it be that biden is never right?

It's gotta be somd kind of record. 

Infrastructure! 

[lickin_starfish 1,937]

3 minutes ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

Infrastructure! 

Truindanashipressha!

[DonS 3,292]

2 hours ago, thegeneral said:

Work trip this week. My airport has about 150 free chargers. Great to come back to a full tank! 

SeaTac?  So you can hog a charger the entire time you're paying for airport parking? 

[thegeneral 3,214]

1 minute ago, DonS said:

SeaTac?  So you can hog a charger the entire time you're paying for airport parking? 

Yep. You pay to park and the charger is yours.

[thegeneral 3,214]

1 hour ago, Hardcore troubadour said:

EV’s are great. To run errands in the suburbs. 

This is probably a significant chunk of the population.

[Hardcore troubadour 15,438]

9 minutes ago, lickin_starfish said:

Truindanashipressha!

Aha! Took me a second ! 

[Horseman 2,458]

2 minutes ago, thegeneral said:

Yep. You pay to park and the charger is yours.

At $40 dollars a day in the garage instead of $15 in a lot next door.  Smart!

[thegeneral 3,214]

Just now, Horseman said:

At $40 dollars a day in the garage instead of $15 in a lot next door.  Smart!

Work trip. They don’t expect you to deal with that hassle. 

Personal travel I lean towards Uber TBH. Nice having the option of charging there though!

 

[DonS 3,292]

6 minutes ago, thegeneral said:

Work trip. They don’t expect you to deal with that hassle. 

Personal travel I lean towards Uber TBH. Nice having the option of charging there though!

 

Figured it was probably for work so yeah who cares how much it costs since you'll just expense it. 

[thegeneral 3,214]

1 minute ago, DonS said:

Figured it was probably for work so yeah who cares how much it costs since you'll just expense it. 

Until some nickel and dimer starts running the joint!

[BunnysBastatrds 2,442]

 Wifeys sister has one and as much as she loves it, she hates it. 

Twelve grand alone on battery issues over the past six months. And she cant sell it, as nobody wants it.