Current gen. holding pattern?

[epaminondas]

Yeah - It is interesting that as much of an enthusiast as I am - to those that ask, I would reccomend holding off for 2 years or getting ashort term lease. The next generation of 200 mile EVs is right around the corner. The 200 mile Bolt and the new gen Leaf are really just months away from hitting the streets. I love my FFE but when those arrive it will be tempting. I probably will hold off until the Tesla model 3 though. I got a killer deal on my FFE ( I actually purchased because it was 5 years zero interest, zero sales tax, and a dealer rebate) and it will be paid off by then.

Thoughts?

 

[jeffand]

The Chevy Bolt is about 1 year and a half away yet. The Chevy Volt is about a half year away. Tesla Model 3 is about 2 and half to 4 years out at this time. The Nissan Leaf is about year to year and half out out at this time. These are just estimates of how long the wait may take.

 

[Olagon]

I would be really surprised if there is an affordable 200 mile EV in two years. I think we are 4 years out, maybe more. Currently running a thermal storage company with utility clients and have lots of contacts in the battery storage industry. I would recommend calculating the difference in leasing versus purchasing to figure out the best deal for the number of years you expect to drive.

Even with a 200 mile EV, I would not use that. If you have an Android phone, loook at https://maps.google.com/locationhistory/b/0. Google tracks how far you drive every day and you can see what you realistically need in terms of range.

 

[jmueller065]

Actually there is a really cool app called iEV that you can use to estimate your battery usage:
http://www.ievapp.com/

It attempts to compensate for more than simply distance (elevation, acceleration, temperature, etc.). I used it before I got my FFE to figure out how much within the range of the FFE I would be daily. (Not affiliated with them, just a happy user.)

 

[EVA]

I'm kind of afraid of the "wait 2 years" concept. That 2 year wait seems to turn in to, next year, and next year, and never ends.

If somebody is interested in an electric car, buy it now. Make you choice on lease or purchase based on money, what you can afford. I'd say, not on what two or three car companies claim will come out in two or three years.

We're all still early adopters of EV cars. We will be for a few more years.

I went to the Chicago auto show and walked away pretty confused. Our FFE lease is up in about a year and a half. I don't know what we will do then. There was nothing else I wanted at the auto show. The Leaf seemed nicer from before, but still not as nice as the FFE. The i3 is nice to drive, but not very pretty. And there's the FFE, we love that car. And I just can't really bring myself to buy a plug in hybrid - that darn gasoline engine just bugs me.

 

[epaminondas]

I'm kind of afraid of the "wait 2 years" concept. That 2 year wait seems to turn in to, next year, and next year, and never ends.

If somebody is interested in an electric car, buy it now. Make you choice on lease or purchase based on money, what you can afford. I'd say, not on what two or three car companies claim will come out in two or three years.

We're all still early adopters of EV cars. We will be for a few more years.

I went to the Chicago auto show and walked away pretty confused. Our FFE lease is up in about a year and a half. I don't know what we will do then. There was nothing else I wanted at the auto show. The Leaf seemed nicer from before, but still not as nice as the FFE. The i3 is nice to drive, but not very pretty. And there's the FFE, we love that car. And I just can't really bring myself to buy a plug in hybrid - that darn gasoline engine just bugs me.

These are great points. The future is always a bit unclear as evidenced by the slow release of the X. I am with you - I just can't see going for the Leaf - I also take exception to its styling as well as the i3. The new Bolt looks like a version of the i3. I guess this all being said I am going to hold on and enjoy my FFE . The range is just fine for my use. Perhaps in a few years we can belly up for a Tesla to replace our M class.

 

[hybridbear]

I'm kind of afraid of the "wait 2 years" concept. That 2 year wait seems to turn in to, next year, and next year, and never ends.

If somebody is interested in an electric car, buy it now. Make you choice on lease or purchase based on money, what you can afford. I'd say, not on what two or three car companies claim will come out in two or three years.

We're all still early adopters of EV cars. We will be for a few more years.

I went to the Chicago auto show and walked away pretty confused. Our FFE lease is up in about a year and a half. I don't know what we will do then. There was nothing else I wanted at the auto show. The Leaf seemed nicer from before, but still not as nice as the FFE. The i3 is nice to drive, but not very pretty. And there's the FFE, we love that car. And I just can't really bring myself to buy a plug in hybrid - that darn gasoline engine just bugs me.

I'm likely in the same boat. Our FFE lease ends in August 2016. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that there will be many more appealing options at that time. Our main concern is cost. We'll be looking to further reduce our cost from the $250 per month we're paying now for the FFE. I'll be looking at total cost: insurance, lease payment & registration taxes/license plate fees. Since the total cost of operating an EV is so low, each of those pieces is a large portion of the cost. We'll be looking to further decrease our total costs. The Focus is expensive to insure compared to the Leaf and compared to our previous vehicles. I assume that is because the Focus ICE tends to be purchased by a younger crowd who has more claims and because the insurance companies don't have enough Focus Electric owners to break it out into a separate model with its own pricing formula, thus we have to pay the price for the teenage drivers of Focus ICEs with lots of claims.

Based on what I've heard about so far, I'd think that the Soul EV might be near the top of the list to replace the FFE in 18 months, assuming that Kia is willing to sell it in MN.

 

[michael]

Just today I was thinking to myself about what changes, if any, would be required in the FFE for me to "re-up" with a new one when my present lease expires.

I reached the conclusion that if Ford would double in range and provide a heat-pump heating system, it would be an easy call, no hesitation. If not, I would be forced to at least explore alternatives.

My rationale is that the car itself is very satisfactory in terms of comfort, size, amenities, performance, etc. etc. No important complaints. But my daily commute is close to 100 miles round trip. I would dearly love to be freed of the need to get a recharge at work. 140-150 mile class range plus a heat pump would allow me to make that commute year round without ever having to think of range.

Every cell phone company knows that it is vital to retain customers, and if you threaten to leave they will take significant steps to keep your business. Ford isn't offering us early adopters a good next step.