Goodbye Nissan Leaf, hello Kia Soul EV

[nosuchthing]

Okay. Here she is... My real 100-mile EV.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

For my personal set of circumstances the volt is quite literally one of the most expensive options available.

10 year Real cost is roughly $98,000 NOT counting repairs after the warranty expires 3 years in (100,000 miles) and not counting the 2 very expensive batteries i would have to buy in that 10 year span. It is as expensive as a tesla over a 10 year span.

I could buy 3 new leafs 1 every 3 years for that much cash and still have money left over.

The volt is quite literally a non starter. It is not even an option in the equation.

The prius is not far behind it at $78,000 over 10 years.

The leaf is $42,000 including 2 batteries plus any maintenance it will need after 3 years.

It is not even a vaguely close comparison.

Hell. When you include maintenance the leaf is comparable in ownership cost to a freaking geo metro. A used one. Which would require $36,000 in fuel alone in that 10 year span.

So yeah. I am willing to goto great lengths to surpass its limitatikns and make it work for my commute needs.

Can't even begin to emphasize how important any extra range is, no matter how little it is! My 2013 has 4-5 miles more than my 2011 did and it helps a lot. More would be even better! and why? I have done over 20 commutes this past Summer of greater than 94.3 miles (Which is round trip distance to SouthCenter Mall in Tukwila, a common destination) and sometimes, I simply cruise along and everything is fine but other times due to bad driving in the morning or whatever reason, I have to hyper mile it home so I don't have to stop somewhere for a microboost. A few more miles in this case means not driving 55, its 62ish (my normal speed) So I look forward to checking out options late fall of 2016 and am pretty sure I will be in the market to buy, not lease for the first time in 6 years.

and

on the note of TCO, I agree, the LEAF stands alone and I have proof!!

http://daveinolywa.blogspot.com/2014/11/tco-equals-zero.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[nosuchthing]

So I look forward to checking out options late fall of 2016 and am pretty sure I will be in the market to buy, not lease for the first time in 6 years...

That would be a mistake. Lease is the way to go. I have never ever leased before. Now I'm leasing Spark and Soul EVs and the math is undeniable. You lose more money on purchased EV via depreciation and obsolence (newer cars with more range) than paying for the lease. That besides the headache of unloading the old car for a decent price.

Be aware of the fact that even in the lease you do get the benefit of the $7,500 Federal money. It's embedded in the lease price. I have posted a simple formula how to calculate a killer lease deal on the MyKiaSoulEV site. I can paste it here if interested.

 

[dhanson865]

So I look forward to checking out options late fall of 2016 and am pretty sure I will be in the market to buy, not lease for the first time in 6 years...

That would be a mistake. Lease is the way to go. I have never ever leased before. Now I'm leasing Spark and Soul EVs and the math is undeniable. You lose more money on purchased EV via depreciation and obsolence (newer cars with more range) than paying for the lease. That besides the headache of unloading the old car for a decent price.

Be aware of the fact that even in the lease you do get the benefit of the $7,500 Federal money. It's embedded in the lease price. I have posted a simple formula how to calculate a killer lease deal on the MyKiaSoulEV site. I can paste it here if interested.

No need, he doesn't live in one of the 5 lucky states

"Kia tells us that the Soul EV will only be available in California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey and Maryland."

Oh, maybe he can drive down to Oregon, get one there and drive back to Oly, WA?

 

[nosuchthing]

I think SO. I would, for sure. There is nothing else out there as far as I can see. Range-wise at least.

I am ecstatic to finally be able to commute to work on the days car is available, and stop burning 2.6 gallons of gas on each trip.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

So I look forward to checking out options late fall of 2016 and am pretty sure I will be in the market to buy, not lease for the first time in 6 years...

That would be a mistake. Lease is the way to go. I have never ever leased before. Now I'm leasing Spark and Soul EVs and the math is undeniable. You lose more money on purchased EV via depreciation and obsolence (newer cars with more range) than paying for the lease. That besides the headache of unloading the old car for a decent price.

Be aware of the fact that even in the lease you do get the benefit of the $7,500 Federal money. It's embedded in the lease price. I have posted a simple formula how to calculate a killer lease deal on the MyKiaSoulEV site. I can paste it here if interested.

ah, you could have put together an identical response by cutting and pasting my statements from the past but there is a break point where it will be "better" to buy and that is when the range and infrastructure is enough to support a car that has been driven more than a few years. I think my next EV will cover those needs for me.

another reason I think i will be buying is because 2016 is also the same year i predict a big breakout of aftermarket battery options. The ability to pull the OEM battery out for something better will actually be a viable option... at least that is my prediction but the best part of all that is that even if it doesnt happen within the 2 years I predict, it will most certainly happen before I need to look at that option in a car I am still 2 years away from buying

 

[nosuchthing]

Buying an EV has become a big IF for me. I lost 9 grand on Leaf. I am loath repeating that again. EVs are a work in progress for a few years forward, so buying one is not going to be cut and dry for a while.

I particularly would like to see Magnesium-based and/or Lithium-Sulfur chemistry before anything else. I will consider buying again once we reach at least 400-mile, real-life range mark. By then the infrastructure will also be denser and more operable.

 

[pkulak]

Buying an EV has become a big IF for me. I lost 9 grand on Leaf. I am loath repeating that again. EVs are a work in progress for a few years forward, so buying one is not going to be cut and dry for a while.

I particularly would like to see Magnesium-based and/or Lithium-Sulfur chemistry before anything else. I will consider buying again once we reach at least 400-mile, real-life range mark. By then the infrastructure will also be denser and more operable.

You'd have lost 9 grand on a lease too...

 

[asimba2]

^^Exactly, I think 9 grand is what I will spend on my 3 year lease by the time I'm done. For that matter, in 3 years and 45,000 miles of driving, you would likely loose 9 grand on ANY car you bought, much less one the highest technology cars on the road.

 

[nerys]

Leasing only makes sense if you don't really need the car and have the money to spend if you don't drive very many miles ie compatible with lease then you don't really need an electric car either if you drive a lot of miles It will actually save more than the car costs then buying is the only viable choice

buying used of course as buying new still does not make sense yet I very much like how rapidly the car depreciates its rapid depreciation allowed me to buy it very cheap. Cheap enough that my payments are quite a bit less than my savings in fuel.

my car might lose a lot of value in 3 years but I will still have the car with a lease I would spend more not equal to my fuel savings and at the end of three years I would have nothing.

my plan is to upgrade the car in a few years with something with more range and keep this car as a family runabout. Ie for anybody to use to go grocery shopping go to the mall or whatever liability only insurance.

short of a major system failure I don't see why I can't get Half a million miles on it

even if I lose 50 percent of its range it will still work for grocery shopping the mall etc

now if money is not the major issue if you're not looking to save the cost of the car in gas. then leasing might make sense but it's never cheaper because you're paying for nothing in the end

but if money is not the issue and you cannot have more than one car then leasing might make sense especially if you get the right deal

 

[TomT]

Exactly! I will be leasing my next EV...

Buying an EV has become a big IF for me. I lost 9 grand on Leaf. I am loath repeating that again. EVs are a work in progress for a few years forward, so buying one is not going to be cut and dry for a while.

 

[TomT]

No, with the ludicrously high lease residuals that Nissan used on the Leaf, it is a win for the consumer, unlike a purchase where the subsequent resale value is mediocre...

You'd have lost 9 grand on a lease too...

 

[CMYK4Life]

Okay. Here she is... My real 100-mile EV.

*Rolls eyes* Seriously? Will your head fit in there?

 

[Valdemar]

No, with the ludicrously high lease residuals that Nissan used on the Leaf, it is a win for the consumer, unlike a purchase where the subsequent resale value is mediocre...

You'd have lost 9 grand on a lease too...

Unless you need to drive 20000 miles or more per year.

 

[pkulak]

No, with the ludicrously high lease residuals that Nissan used on the Leaf, it is a win for the consumer, unlike a purchase where the subsequent resale value is mediocre...

You'd have lost 9 grand on a lease too...

Unless you need to drive 20000 miles or more per year.

Or even just 15. I'm gonna owe about $1000 in mileage penalties, $300 turn-in fee, plus probably $500 of so in cosmetic damage, pushing my true residual down to about $15,000 on a 2-year-old Leaf. I'd be in about the same financial position if I bought.

 

[nerys]

Same my ass. If you boought it then no penalties and you still get to keep the car.

I wanred to lease the honda fit ev. Unlimited miles. Alas its a comiance car and i got my leaf for less per month.

Well about the same really since the fit includes comp collidsion insurance.

If you drive few miles and have the money to spend then leasing can make sense especially for such young tech.

If you drive a lot of miles leasing it not even an option.

I just with the warranty was better. Not even just the battery warranty but the whole car warranty.

 

[nosuchthing]

*Rolls eyes* Seriously? Will your head fit in there?

Seriously. It fits.

 

[derkraut]

Each to his own; but that Soul is one FUGLY looking car.

 

[nosuchthing]

You should look inside. It's a real car. But ultimately for me it's all about range, nothing else.

 

[EVDRIVER]

You should look inside. It's a real car. But ultimately for me it's all about range, nothing else.

The shifter looks like it is from a real Geo Metro)