interesting, I had to look this up, this model is not offered in the US (apparently CEO said it's too small for the US market).
Good luck and share pics and impressions when you get it
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Who has or is planning to get an electric car / EV Talk
- Thread starter PracticalMac
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Good luck and share pics and impressions when you get it
My wife and I have two trucks (2001 Silverado, and 2013 Toyota Tundra), 2010 Toyota RAV4 V6, and a 2012 Toyota Corolla. The last new of these vehicles "purchased new" is the RAV4. The Corolla and the Silverado were used when we bought them, and the Tundra we inherited from our oldest so who passed away in March this year. We have other ICE vehicles too (side-by-side UTV, and an ATV, jet boat).
1. Silverado: purchased used and paid $5,000 perhaps 7 years ago. The odometer showed 184,000 miles back then, and around 217,000 now. The only major maintenance performed not too long after I purchased it was a power steering pump hose, and a water pump. If I well remember it costs around $500.00 for the work. During the winter months when taking photos of the Auroras while the ambient temperatures are below cero (-10 to perhaps -20 degrees F.) I keep the engine idling for several hours at a time to keep the cab warm.
2. RAV4 V6: the odometer shows nearly 79,000 miles. So far the only major maintenance was a "brake job" done by a local mechanic. New rotors and pads for a cost of $1,100 for parts and labor, and warranted for 2-years/24,000 miles. But the way my wife drives it the new brakes should last over 15 years
3. Corolla: The odometer shows around 65,000 miles (maybe 66,000). The only maintenance required was the replacement of the oil pressure sending unit, a $35.00 part purchased at the local NAPA store. I friend of mine replaced in about 5 minutes, since the sending unit is right buy the top edge of the block (easy access).
5. Tundra: I don't expect any major maintenance, but since my son loved driving this truck (5.7L engine), I plan to take it to a Toyota shop to perform any checks and maintenance it may need, including checking/replacing the timing chain, and so on. My son towed his 4,500-pound (dry) travel trailer, and the reason why the big engine. My wife and I want to keep it, even if we don't drive it very much.
The "ICE vehicle moving parts requiring a lot more maintenance than EV's" makes no difference to my wife and I. Major maintenance, if any, is done by the mechanic, and light maintenance (wiper blades, oil/filter, engine air filter, cabin air filter, etc.) is done by "mí".
We don’t have the types of vehicles here that you guys have and for good reason. They would cost a fortune to run, especially that 5 litre, as petrol and diesel here is around £1.50 ($1.91) a litre at the moment. We also have congestion charges in some cities. I’m popping to Bristol today for a friends birthday and if I take my Audi A4, it would cost £9 for 24 hours. The Q4 is free and it’s a way of getting people to dump more polluting cars which I partly agree with, although it targets the poor more than anything. I agree with the environmental aspect of course.
The other thing to consider is the annual vehicle tax and some of your vehicles would cost perhaps £635 a year to register for the road and this system is based partly on emissions and partly on the original cost of the car. Our Q4 is free, but from 2025 even EV’s over £40K in value will be hit with a £575 annual premium for the first 5 years.
There’s a lot to consider for motorists going forward, but one thing is for certain ICE vehicles are going to get more and more expensive to run. EV’s are the future, maybe the distant future, but it’ll be the most affordable option for all motorists at some point. I get that EV’s are practical for everybody yet and there is not enough affordable options on the market for mass adoption, but it’s slowly improving as the months and years pass.
Got my i3 back yesterday with its shinny new bumper. First time there just tried to repair it, but I said no chance.
So glad to not have to drive the ice car anymore. The biggest pain was putting petrol in it. Because it came with 1/4 tank, you have to return it with the same. So I had to keep putting in small amounts. Overall it cost my £60 for a couple of weeks driving. Same time would have cost me nothing in the EV.
So glad to not have to drive the ice car anymore. The biggest pain was putting petrol in it. Because it came with 1/4 tank, you have to return it with the same. So I had to keep putting in small amounts. Overall it cost my £60 for a couple of weeks driving. Same time would have cost me nothing in the EV.
You’re right that congestion charges really only affect those on lower incomes. But I suppose the flip side is the improved air quality benefits us all. Probably more the poorest who can’t afford any car at all and have to walk place to place.
From the other week if anyone is interested. So far so good.
Nice. Enjoy (if you can get the keys off your wife!).
From the other week if anyone is interested. So far so good.
If i keep owning cars, its inevitable, everything will get there eventually.
But I’m still hoping to move to a place where I don’t have to own a car anymore.
But I’m still hoping to move to a place where I don’t have to own a car anymore.
Unless you live in a big city with good transportation car’s are essential. I’ve had times in my life when I didn’t own a car, and it was tough. That was before things were able to be delivered quite as easily as they can today. But still I wouldn’t want to be without a car. Especially in the small village I live in.
I bought two Tesla Model 3 LR’s in 2021 and have never looked back. I ran a 60A 240Vac dedicated circuit and installed the Tesla Wall Charger. It charges at 48A so 11.5kw per hour. I keep both charged up over night to 90% and never worry about it.
The one my wife drives daily has 52k on it and mine, which we use for across country trips has 47k. Never have a concern of running out of juice while on a trip. The trip planner is very good on the car. I also have adapters in case I have to use a css charger.
I look for hotels that offer charging stations.
I did not buy these cars for the environment, I bought them because I like the technology and no need for routine maintenance except for tires. I have FSD Beta on both and find it really takes a lot of stress off of long distance driving. The standard Auto Pilot would do the same on Interstate. I use FSD Beta every time I leave the house. It has a lot of bugs, but has gotten much better then when I first got into the Beta program. I am very pleased with it.
I am 63 and would not go back to a gas car nor would my wife.
The one my wife drives daily has 52k on it and mine, which we use for across country trips has 47k. Never have a concern of running out of juice while on a trip. The trip planner is very good on the car. I also have adapters in case I have to use a css charger.
I look for hotels that offer charging stations.
I did not buy these cars for the environment, I bought them because I like the technology and no need for routine maintenance except for tires. I have FSD Beta on both and find it really takes a lot of stress off of long distance driving. The standard Auto Pilot would do the same on Interstate. I use FSD Beta every time I leave the house. It has a lot of bugs, but has gotten much better then when I first got into the Beta program. I am very pleased with it.
I am 63 and would not go back to a gas car nor would my wife.
I’d not go back to an ICE car either for many reasons. Charging at work
or home is so easy. Going to fund petrol stations the last two weeks was a real pain.
Yeah I’ve gone years with and without, and as you say it usually corresponds to whether living rural or urban at the time. But when I loosely add up the money I’ve pissed away on car or another, its years and years of my salary. I could have paid for a kids college education, started another business, or just never stressed about expenditures. Instead I have to show for those years of labor today, nothing. I should have ridden a bike everywhere, gotten the exercise, and rented one the few times I really needed one. Looking down the barrel at the last few years of my life, the question now becomes “how many years of work do I want to devote entirely to another shiny object that mostly sits in my garage until it needs even more of my time and money, vs spending that time with the people I care about? Guess I’m headed back to the city life eventually.
I’m done with City living. It’s rural for me until I die. I like my neighbours to be sheep and wildlife.
Without a car I’d not get to see my parents who live hundreds of miles away. Or my friends who live a similar distance away.
Cars cost money. Either maintenance or depreciation or both. At least with an EV there is less of the maintenance BS.
It will be interesting to see how long the batteries in your cars last and the cost of replacing them. Hopefully the longevity and repairability and value of EVs will be on par or better that gas vehicles but it is too soon to know.
We got our 2018 Model 3 LR (used from Tesla) in February 2022. It had a max range of 281 miles on it when we drove it off the lot (if I remember right) with 32,000 miles on the ODO. Dropped pretty quickly to 273 miles initially but then held there for most of last year.
August 2023 and 75,000 miles on the ODO we have a max range of 271 miles when fully charged.
We're very impressed/happy with what we're seeing.
But agreed, I wish there was more observations on stuff like this - there's a FEW YouTube videos but not many.
Looks like a Q3 body ?
From the other week if anyone is interested. So far so good.
Is it more affordable than their Q8 EV or eTrons ??
Is it? EV’s still on the road from 2014 with very little loss of range.
I think it’s a bit of a non issue personally. Remember for every (much publicised) battery failure, thousands of ICE cars have engine failures.
It’s bigger than a Q3 and this is the Sportback model with the sloped boot lid, which strangely has a bigger boot than the standard Q4. It’s more affordable than the Q8 yes, this is about £8k cheaper in this spec at £60k.
Rural for my wife and I, too. But we have done this for a long time already. The nearest city (Fairbanks, Alaska) is much like a spread-out neighborhood with a few taller buildings (somewhere around 6-8 floors high) in the city center. We drive approximately 20 miles to buy groceries and other things, including fuel, then return home to a quiet neighborhood. To visit our nearest relatives, other than one son, we can't do it by driving unless we can drive through Canada, and it takes several days of driving/resting along the way. EV's for us are out of the question, but there may be a few EV's in Anchorage, and Juneau. I don't know if there are any EV's in Fairbanks, but it is possible. An EV for us would be much like one of the other ICE toys we already have, something my wife and I would drive for an hour or two on a sunny summer day. But living in the interior of Alaska riding ATV's on one of the numerous trails in the wilderness is a lot more fun, even with all the mosquitos, moose, and other animals one may encounter along the way
Last edited:
The new Acura hearse SUV looks worthy, assuming I can get enough skull artwork on that ugly back roof thingy 
My village isn't quite as rural as all that! The local town is only a few miles away. But far away enough that we get very little traffic as we aren't on any main roads. Just little country lanes.Rural for my wife and I, too. But we have done this for a long time already. The nearest city (Fairbanks, Alaska) is much like a spread-out neighborhood with a few taller buildings (somewhere around 6-8 floors high) in the city center. We drive approximately 20 miles to buy groceries and other things, including fuel, then return home to a quiet neighborhood. To visit our nearest relatives, other than one son, we can't do it by driving unless we can drive through Canada, and it takes several days of driving/resting along the way. EV's for us are out of the question, but there may be a few EV's in Anchorage, and Juneau. I don't know if there are any EV's in Fairbanks, but it is possible. An EV for us would be much like one of the other ICE toys we already have, something my wife and I would drive for an hour or two on a sunny summer day. But living in the interior of Alaska riding ATV's on one of the numerous trails in the wilderness is a lot more fun, even with all the mosquitos, moose, and other animals one may encounter along the way
We like it. Best place we have ever lived for sure.
Yeah it’s smaller than the Renegade. We have several EVs here in Europe that are not available in the US from Stellansis. This has more a more efficient motor and it also comes with a heat pump as standard. We’re having a charger installed on August 31st then we’re off on holiday for 26 days so I’m not fussed that it’s coming mid October. I think it’ll be a bit later.
I may put an order in for the Rolls Royce Spectre which will be released later this year. Just kidding… if I had in excess of 400,000 € to spend on a car I would choose something else.
Picked it up yesterday. It’s a long range. Interestingly there was a performance model in the same color for $1k more than what I paid. It was tempting but the performance model comes with its own set of driving and maintenance issues plus higher insurance costs.
Loving it so far.
Loving it so far.
