Electric cars

[Grey Fox]

Ioniq also looks nice, but is also in the 50k range rather than the 40k range.

https://alltomelbil.se/jamfor-elbilar/ are the available cars in Sweden. Sorting by "Pris/Räckvidd" sorts by price/range, how many SEK you have to spend for every km of range. 10 SEK is almost exactly 1€. The competition seems to be between Kona, E-soul and ZS EV.

Here, in Quebec, the cheaper all electric cars are the VW e-golf followed by the Chevy Bolt. Both sell for around 26k$ after 13k in governments rebates.

You forgot that 14,975% sales tax.
GM's site gives me 770$/month with taxes and interests for 5 years.  You're in the range of a luxury car, for something very cheaply built.

Got my figured from www.roulonselectrique.ca They are low, since they don't include anything like taxes, fees or options. Annoying.

Financing is around 5-7% these days.  That's a lot compared to the 0%-2% rates of a few years ago.

I think, maybe, the GM site does not factor in the govt help in their monthly price, it seems quite high.  In any case, it's still a lot of money for a small car.

GM financing rates are crazy, as usual.

[HVC]

Gm financing is crazy because  Canadians have too much vehicle debt. Somethings gonna give and they know that.

[The Minsky Moment]

I've had a Tesla 3 for about 2 years now.  Never had any issues with it.  Only problem was positioning right in the driveway to get good wifi reception for software updates. The driving experience is definitely superior to a gasoline car.  Quiet, great acceleration, responsive.

[Jacob]

Our next car is 99% likely going to be electric, but I'm not sure when it's going to be. Subaru is meant to come out with an electric car this year (or is it out already), and we have a bit of brand loyalty there, but we'll do proper research and test drives when the time comes so who knows.

[grumbler]

I've had a Tesla 3 for about 2 years now.  Never had any issues with it.  Only problem was positioning right in the driveway to get good wifi reception for software updates. The driving experience is definitely superior to a gasoline car.  Quiet, great acceleration, responsive.

But you are enabling a monster!  Should have bought Chinese so as not to support a man with occasionally obnoxious opinions.

[Barrister]

I'd really like to buy a truck next year, and an electric truck would I think meet our needs perfectly.  F150 Lightning, Cybertruck and some company called Rivian are supposed to come out with electric trucks next year.  However it looks like they'll be seriously supply-constrained for years so it seems like we'll probably need to get a gas-powered truck.

[Jacob]

But you are enabling a monster!  Should have bought Chinese so as not to support a man with occasionally obnoxious opinions.

Tesla does a lot of manufacturing in China, I believe, so if you want to do both you can.

[Jacob]

I planned to get one last year but they were impossible to get. Came close again in summer but job switching interrupted this.
They're... OK. I can't help but feel a bit cheated that in the UK they can't go fully automated - when I test rode one I purposefully stopped on a steep hill and tried to get going again. It was just as much a disaster as doing this on a normal bike.
I definitely felt a difference on reasonably flat terrain but it's subtle. The price is high, £2000 even for the cheapest.

When you say fully automated, do you mean a throttle to help get you going when you start? Or do you mean the ability to do the whole trip, using the motor (essentially an electric scooter with pedals, I guess)?

I have two electric bikes at this point. One is a Raleigh (with the classic Raleigh form factor and everything) which I got years ago. It still has the usual struggle to get started when going up a hill or with a heavy load, since it's purely pedal assist, but it's still really nice once you get going.

The other is a Rad Power Bike which we just got to haul the kids around. It's quite a bit bigger and heavier (and has fat tires), but the motor is more powerful as well. It has the throttle to get you started which is super nice. I don't think the battery has the capacity to support riding it around at a scooter for any length of time, and I don't know if the throttle is sensitive enough for that either. That said, it's a lot of fun to ride. The only caveat for me is this specific brand seems a little weak on the build quality. Nothing super egregious, but it feels like it needs more regular tuning and tightening than any other bike I've ever owned - and not on the electrical components but purely the bike mechanical ones.

[mongers]

When you say fully automated, do you mean a throttle to help get you going when you start? Or do you mean the ability to do the whole trip, using the motor (essentially an electric scooter with pedals, I guess)?

I have two electric bikes at this point. One is a Raleigh (with the classic Raleigh form factor and everything) which I got years ago. It still has the usual struggle to get started when going up a hill or with a heavy load, since it's purely pedal assist, but it's still really nice once you get going.

The other is a Rad Power Bike which we just got to haul the kids around. It's quite a bit bigger and heavier (and has fat tires), but the motor is more powerful as well. It has the throttle to get you started which is super nice. I don't think the battery has the capacity to support riding it around at a scooter for any length of time, and I don't know if the throttle is sensitive enough for that either. That said, it's a lot of fun to ride. The only caveat for me is this specific brand seems a little weak on the build quality. Nothing super egregious, but it feels like it needs more regular tuning and tightening than any other bike I've ever owned - and not on the electrical components but purely the bike mechanical ones.

In the UK we aligned with EU regulations a while back, so the only allowable electric bicycles are now of the pedelec variety; you must pedal to get the motor assist, which ceases above 15.3 mph.

Any bike that can be propelled solely by an electric motor and controlled by a throttle, would now be classed as an electric motorbike and so would need 'road tax', insurance and rider license provision. 

[Jacob]

I can see the reasoning I think - presumably they want to avoid people riding electric scooters claiming it's a bike. But the little extra boost to get started (esp. uphill or with a heavy load) is really useful. Safer too, IMO, at intersections with cars - you can get in and out of the intersection much quicker.

[Admiral Yi]

Why the hell shouldn't electric bike riders have to pay road tax and buy insurance?

For that matter, why shouldn't regular bike riders?

[viper37]

Any bike that can be propelled solely by an electric motor and controlled by a throttle, would now be classed as an electric motorbike and so would need 'road tax', insurance and rider license provision. 

it kinda seems to be logical, though...
But hey, what's the point of Brexit if you're going to align your laws to EU laws?

[viper37]

Why the hell shouldn't electric bike riders have to pay road tax and buy insurance?

Because by then, what's the difference with this and a scooter/small motorcycle?

For that matter, why shouldn't regular bike riders?

Because... Ah, I don't know, really.

It's been decided a while ago that only vehicles with an engine would pay for the roads, since they were the primary beneficiary.

[Tamas]

Why the hell shouldn't electric bike riders have to pay road tax and buy insurance?

For that matter, why shouldn't regular bike riders?

It's harder to feel ike a member of the superior cycling master race if you have to pay taxes or have a licence plate like a peon.

Proper hardcore cyclists don't even use the cycle lane, let alone pay tax on their ride.

[mongers]

Hey look a thread hijacked to talk about bikes.