What EV would you consider?

ProDarwin said:

I was waiting for a GTI equivalent.  Bolt was close but tall and goofy proportions.  Low end Tesla 3 has caught my interest as well.

That said, I just moved to an apartment, so no EVs are on the table as I don't have a place to charge.  If you have to rely soley on public charging, they are a non starter.

Alpine A290 looks like it will fit the bill.  Supposed to be here in 2027

Europe gets it next year, we shall see how it goes.

For scale, it is about 160" long.

The Tesla Model 3, Chevy Bolt, Hyundai Ioniq5, and Kia EV6 and their sedan are awesome mid level commuter cars. Price points and a little higher than I'd like but range is pretty good.
 

The savings on gas and maintenance help offset the higher initial price but I'm cheap and don't like spending money on my appliance / commuter cars. Like others who referenced the EV version of the GTI, I'm looking for that but I'd rather use the Mazda 3 as the reference marker because it's more reliable. :)

I really want to like the Bolt but the ergonomics don't work for me unfortunately. Ymmv 

I'd be willing to shop used electric cars for something for my commute while keeping the TDI for long trips. So for me to consider an electric car, I'd need:

• Price under $10,000 including charger
• At least 5 years of battery pack life remaining
• Ergonomics that fit a tall driver with long legs

Is there anything out there that would fit these requirements?

frenchyd said:

Flynlow (FS) said:

In reply to preach :

I am waiting for a Civic Si, VW GTI, or something similar, with decent driving dynamics and 300+ mile range.  Reading articles like this:

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/g29994375/future-electric-cars-trucks/

Makes me worried that i'll be waiting a few years.  Theres too much SUV love (and profit) to cater to enthusiasts yet.  

A close 2nd would be a lexus isf/is500 type car thats all electric.  I think toyota would be a step above the germans when it comes to long term reliability, which is why the i4, taycan and similar don't really interest me.  
 

May I suggest you try a Tesla Model 3 performance before you condemn all EV's ?   I was shocked at how fast it was.   Using the same throttle position I use on my V8 F150  to get up the hill I was doing 40+ mph where the truck would barely reach 25. 
  As far as reliability. Our past preconceptions just don't seem to apply.  At this point the Japanese car companies only have .0o3 % of new cars as EV's   And the best selling EV is the Tesla Model Y  followed by BYD  and then Tesla model 3 

BYD  is mostly sold in China.  And in Europe they  haven't taken well to them.   In Europe Tesla is #1&2  same with here in America. 
        As far as reliability there is already a early Tesla  with a million miles on it.  The Tesla forum has plenty with 300,000+ miles on them already. 
   Read what Kieth Tanner's experience  with his Tesla is.  Come to my neighborhood and chat with Tesla owners. 

He's already replied to this when I asked the model 3. Don't think there's any point to go any further about it. 

Kreb (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Trent :

I hadn't heard anything about Ioniq 5s being discontinued. Source?

Google returned a JD Power article as a top hit when I went looking for an Ioniq5 pic

frenchyd said:

Flynlow (FS) said:

In reply to preach :

I am waiting for a Civic Si, VW GTI, or something similar, with decent driving dynamics and 300+ mile range.  Reading articles like this:

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/g29994375/future-electric-cars-trucks/

Makes me worried that i'll be waiting a few years.  Theres too much SUV love (and profit) to cater to enthusiasts yet.  

A close 2nd would be a lexus isf/is500 type car thats all electric.  I think toyota would be a step above the germans when it comes to long term reliability, which is why the i4, taycan and similar don't really interest me.  
 

May I suggest you try a Tesla Model 3 performance before you condemn all EV's ?   I was shocked at how fast it was.   Using the same throttle position I use on my V8 F150  to get up the hill I was doing 40+ mph where the truck would barely reach 25. 
  As far as reliability. Our past preconceptions just don't seem to apply.  At this point the Japanese car companies only have .0o3 % of new cars as EV's   And the best selling EV is the Tesla Model Y  followed by BYD  and then Tesla model 3 

BYD  is mostly sold in China.  And in Europe they  haven't taken well to them.   In Europe Tesla is #1&2  same with here in America. 
        As far as reliability there is already a early Tesla  with a million miles on it.  The Tesla forum has plenty with 300,000+ miles on them already. 
   Read what Kieth Tanner's experience  with his Tesla is.  Come to my neighborhood and chat with Tesla owners. 

Where, anywhere, in my post about eagerly anticipating a hot hatch EV, did I, "condemn all EV's"?  Please work on your reading comprehension.

And while you're at it, stop evangelizing a lifestyle you don't yourself subscribe to.  (You ignorant troll). 

I enjoyed the first page and a half, I'm out now that the thread has been frenchy'd.  And on the off chance that frenchy is just a GRM staff members troll account, rather than a real person, ala Phil Hendrie from KFI 640AM getting into arguments with himself:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/southern-california-area/248896-iroc-camaro-talks-about.html

Please consider the atmosphere it is creating for the forum.  

I could see myself getting a gasoline/electric hybrid because the ICE engine is there to charge the battery on trips over 200 miles. 

I would have to be forced at gunpoint to get a full electric car.  

preach said:

I know this community feels strongly, both ways, about EVs. I have my own opinions as well. If you have something negative to say about EVs, how about you find another thread to post in so this does not get locked like all the others. That would be great. It reminds me of the whole Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge truck fight (when we all know the Toyota Hilux/Tacoma is the best truck ever).

Some people need a different playground. They should use it.

I'll confess that every time I see a Mustang Mach E I kinda want one. But...

In a couple years when we are ready to shop for a new kid hauler I would be very happy to see some actual family car sized options. The Ioniq 5 and Mustang Mach E are cool but expensive and not quite big enough for full time kid duty. I'd love to see something sized between that and full minivan. Give it the range to do the school run and errands around town all day and price the base model as an entry-level family vehicle. I don't think anything like that exists though.

edit: I guess I just described an EV version of our Mazda5, haha

I previously mentioned I think an Catherham EV 7 would work for me.

I'd also take one of these; I already have the car and would be willing to keep my F500 as an autocross only car as an EV.

In reply to frenchyd :

Rangers are practically 1/2 ton in my opinion lol

In reply to yupididit :

I've no further information.  But I would hope it's smaller than the Lighting. And lower in cost as well. 

Okay so this is a partial complaint, because it WAS going to be the Cybertruck until some of the internal shots leaked. The other vehicles that fit the bill are the Canoo van and the Aperta to a small degree, but the Canoo is more because it's just a cool ass van.

Okay, I LOVE the geodesic interior. berkeley me up Picasso, that's kickass.

Tesla attempting to delete the turn signal and gear select stalks is utterly goddamn stupid. I LOVE the idea of a steering wheel that lets me customize what controls I can select on the buttons, but most owners are wanting MORE physical controls for things like AC, not LESS. Now the gear select is in the screen and everyone- even Electrek which has Tesla reference codes in their bios- is talking about how clunky and bad it is. If they were doing the opposite, I'd consider selling my M3P for one.

In reply to frenchyd :

If you say so...

Flynlow (FS) said:

frenchyd said:

Flynlow (FS) said:

In reply to preach :

I am waiting for a Civic Si, VW GTI, or something similar, with decent driving dynamics and 300+ mile range.  Reading articles like this:

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/g29994375/future-electric-cars-trucks/

Makes me worried that i'll be waiting a few years.  Theres too much SUV love (and profit) to cater to enthusiasts yet.  

A close 2nd would be a lexus isf/is500 type car thats all electric.  I think toyota would be a step above the germans when it comes to long term reliability, which is why the i4, taycan and similar don't really interest me.  
 

May I suggest you try a Tesla Model 3 performance before you condemn all EV's ?   I was shocked at how fast it was.   Using the same throttle position I use on my V8 F150  to get up the hill I was doing 40+ mph where the truck would barely reach 25. 
  As far as reliability. Our past preconceptions just don't seem to apply.  At this point the Japanese car companies only have .0o3 % of new cars as EV's   And the best selling EV is the Tesla Model Y  followed by BYD  and then Tesla model 3 

BYD  is mostly sold in China.  And in Europe they  haven't taken well to them.   In Europe Tesla is #1&2  same with here in America. 
        As far as reliability there is already a early Tesla  with a million miles on it.  The Tesla forum has plenty with 300,000+ miles on them already. 
   Read what Kieth Tanner's experience  with his Tesla is.  Come to my neighborhood and chat with Tesla owners. 

Where, anywhere, in my post about eagerly anticipating a hot hatch EV, did I, "condemn all EV's"?  Please work on your reading comprehension.

And while you're at it, stop evangelizing a lifestyle you don't yourself subscribe to.  (You ignorant troll). 

I enjoyed the first page and a half, I'm out now that the thread has been frenchy'd.  And on the off chance that frenchy is just a GRM staff members troll account, rather than a real person, ala Phil Hendrie from KFI 640AM getting into arguments with himself:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/southern-california-area/248896-iroc-camaro-talks-about.html

Please consider the atmosphere it is creating for the forum.  

That's a pretty serious accusation, and one I have to refute. But the fact I have to argue about this at midnight is providing some clarity to the question all of us on staff have been pondering for some time--when is the time right to ban somebody who's killing the party? 

preach said:

They also have some other retro cool concepts based on the same chassis.

The Alpha Superace is the first EV to really get me excited. Hopefully it comes to fruition:

I'm more excited than is entirely reasonable about the ID.Buzz, especially after a friend's ID.4 fiasco (like doors can't be shut or expected to stay that way, but apparently it's sorted now).

i dig the Ioniq 5 a lot, and am scared to search for news of its demise, though i also like the Ioniq 6.

A plug-in Pacifica may be the best answer for my short errand loop and aging dog who would like a lower jump-in height.

It wouldn't be a car.

In reply to Tom Suddard :

I've moderated on a New England 4x4 forum for about 20 years. We do not ban, we give time outs first. 7-30 days, E36 M3 I got a 7 dayer just to show everyone that it will happen. I thought it was hilarious.

The ID.GTI (Based on the ID.2 ) that just got announced would be interesting...

Although that Alpine looks goooooood.

(Kinda moot since they are both future models, and don't even know if the ID.2 and sportier brother are coming here.)

Tom Suddard said:

That's a pretty serious accusation, and one I have to refute. But the fact I have to argue about this at midnight is providing some clarity to the question all of us on staff have been pondering for some time--when is the time right to ban somebody who's killing the party? 

Apologies for that.  It was less an accusation, and more an attempt to find a reasonable explanation other than, "No one is that dense, are they?".  Fully understanding that intent is tough to convey across a message board, I get angry when someone deliberately misinterprets things in order to hammer their chosen 2-3 viewpoints (I consider a thread frenchy'd when 1/3 of the responses are him talking AT various posters, like page 2 here).  For instance:

"I'm looking forward to these upcoming sporty EV cars."

"Why do you hate all EVs?"

"I think Elon Musk is kind of evil, so I won't support him or his company, but I don't want to clutter up the thread, so I'll leave it at that."

"You should totally go buy a Tesla, they're the best."

It's not a conversation, it's talking past one another.  So I self-moderated and left the thread, rather than get angry.  Which is slightly disappointing, because this is a really cool topic, and I am enjoying reading about the electric Mini, Alphas, etc. that are coming.  But even if your drunk uncle is kind of an shiny happy person, he deserves a spot at the dinner table...I'm not in favor of banning anyone.  

Back on topic, in addition to the electric-LFA that was already mentioned (DAMN it looks good, some nice 2000GT elements, the LFA was a masterpiece of engineering, but I also thought it looked more purposeful than pretty):

The side profile really does it for me.  I hope it gets released looking just like that, it's a call back to ride heights and aesthetics you just don't see anymore. 

I am also really excited to see if the caterham V becomes a thing in the US.  I would be over the moon if it drove a trend towards lighter, sportier EVs rather than letting CUVs rule the market, but that's unlikely:

https://caterhamcars.com/us/models/projectv

In reply to Tom Suddard :

I believe you'll find the answer as "a few years ago under another account". 

On topic though, what kind of expense would one be staring at if they considered a cheap leaf in this day and age?

Clearly time has had its chance to work them over, but if 50-60 miles of range could be realistic, it might solve my need for a cheap new(to me) different car that happens to plug in. 

Back off topic, could we maybe a strike through font option some day?

Towing makes it a bit difficult for me because at this stage, I really can't afford to drop the kind of money they want for a Lightning and even if I did, my towing is typically 150+ miles to an empty field and then another 150+ miles back home.  If I can get my poop grouped and finally sell the motorhome and get a travel trailer, then the towing requirements might be as much as 500 miles in a day, with time left to set up camp before it gets dark.  Since I don't have to drive in to the office at this point, it doesn't make sense for me to have a car for towing and a car for commuting.

My wife, on the other hand, is starting to think about replacing the three-pedal minivan.  It's a pretty low-key thought for her because she really likes the Mazda 5 and she says it does absolutely everything she needs or wants it to do.  But we looked over a few of the options out there and if I had to go buy one today (and let's assume there were some on the lot, of course), we would probably be shopping the Bolt EUV and the Mach E.  I know they're in different classes, but it would be a question of if the nice-ness of the Mach E was worth the extra money.  I really like the Kia/Hyundai offerings, but she isn't enamored with the styling.  Which is weird, because I'm funny-looking and she likes me.  There was one of the Subaru EVs on the nearby dealer's lot for a while that I thought looked pretty neat, but it was extremely, uh, orange, and she couldn't get past the color to look at the lines on it.