It’s RIP for Fenix IMO. They have gone radio silent. I just got my Visa card refund on my pre-paid battery with Fenix -- $2500. A word about them: I do not think it was a scam or crooked or illegal. It was just a failure resulting from factors beyond their control, such as the pandemic, and from fundamental mistakes they made in their business model and customer relations – all of which made them look bad and which fueled the grievances of the trolls who always look for the worst in people. So I’m looking at options.
EVRides in Portland sounds like they have their act together and they get rave reviews, but the distance (I am in So CA) creates cost and logistics issues. They sell salvaged healthy batteries only, no refurbished ones. The 30 kWh at $7K-plus might be worth the extra 35 mile range, but barely, and the 40 kWh, at 10 grand, would just not make economic sense – for that much plus trading in my current car, I could go out and get a later model Leaf or a used Bolt or Kia/Hyndai.
AceHybrid Group in Orange County is a closer option for me, although they get mixed reviews. They refurbish salvaged batteries they have in stock which they install to replace your current battery (they do not refurbish your battery). Their prices range ballpark from $5500-plus for a 24 to $7500-plus for a 30, but they have nothing in stock and are back-ordered for at least 2 months – they wouldn’t even put me on a waiting list because it’s already too long.
So I guess I take the $2500 I put down and just got returned, and stash it away in savings for a while, and revisit replacing my traction battery at the end of the summer. Maybe by then there will be other options. Or maybe just get another car.