Ask Us Anything about "Living with an Electric Vehicle"

[GBO Possum]

@Furious and I posted about our EV experiences in another thread.

Thinking about your first EV? Ask EV owners anything here.

If you’re replacing a vehicle and don’t have first-hand EV experience, this is a friendly place to get real-world answers from people who drive them every day.

I was nervous about switching at first—honestly, very nervous. Fifteen months in, I can say I’m not going back.

That said, EVs aren’t a perfect fit for everyone. Apartment/condo living without reliable charging can be a challenge, and some driving patterns (heavy towing, ultra-long rural trips) may favor other options.

For me, the big win is convenience:
• Home charging: I leave with a “full tank” most mornings.
• Trip planning: On the rare times I need to fast-charge, the car finds a convenient stop, routes me there, and tells me how long to stay—so no “range anxiety.”
• Low maintenance: No oil changes, and regenerative braking means brake pads last a very long time.
• Driving feel: 99% of my driving is one-pedal—smooth with instant torque for both acceleration and strong regen for deceleration.
• Comfort: It’s quiet, and I can pre-heat/cool the cabin in a closed garage with no exhaust fumes.

On costs: where I live, electricity is well above the U.S. average, so my “fuel” savings are only about 10–15%. For me, convenience is the deciding factor.

Over to you—what are you curious or concerned about? Charging at home or on the road, winter range, battery longevity, road trips, incentives, maintenance… ask away and owners will chime in.

[Danoff]

Ok, I'll bite.

My '08 FX35 is getting long in the tooth. I'll probably need something newer in the next year or two. I have a bring-a-trailer alert for any FX45s coming in to auction. I'd want an 08 or older. But I'd consider an EV for this vehicle. Here's what the vehicle needs:

- Decent handling.
- Ease of use
- Some ground clearance (similar to FX35) for getting over snow.
- AWD
- Well over 180 miles of range (I have a specific trip in mind for this and it's 180 miles). The excess is my comfort level + any degradation.
- Seats 5

So what should I be considering? What I'm considering now (FX45 of the same year) costs roughly $12-14k with about 50k mi on it. I can already hear you saying Model Y, but I have issues with its overall muskiness.

[Furious]

For that price, I’m not sure there are any good EV options right now. Anything that would have towing and range capability that you want would be made in the last 2-3 years. The closest non-Musk vehicle that I can think of right now would be a Lyriq, which has 7” clearance, AWD, and can tow. The range is well over 180 miles, but that is not when towing.

People got around 120 miles towing a 2000lb trailer with it driving 65 mph on the highway, for reference.

Prices are going to be somewhere in the high 30k to low 40k for it, I think. So quite a bit more than what you’re looking for.

There may be some other options out there, but I’m not sure what. I guess Kia EV9 is a bit bigger, with more towing and similarly priced to Lyriq, but range is shorter.

[Danoff]

For that price, I’m not sure there are any good EV options right now. Anything that would have towing and range capability that you want would be made in the last 2-3 years. The closest non-Musk vehicle that I can think of right now would be a Lyriq, which has 7” clearance, AWD, and can tow. The range is well over 180 miles, but that is not when towing.

People got around 120 miles towing a 2000lb trailer with it driving 65 mph on the highway, for reference.

Prices are going to be somewhere in the high 30k to low 40k for it, I think. So quite a bit more than what you’re looking for.

There may be some other options out there, but I’m not sure what. I guess Kia EV9 is a bit bigger, with more towing and similarly priced to Lyriq, but range is shorter.

Probably a Macan EV.

[GBO Possum]

Agreed. At that price point one might be looking at a ~10 year old EV. Possibly. And even Teslas back then were early on the learning curve. Like they might not have had a heat pump. Heat pumps make for far more efficient cabin heating.

What you might want to consider is leasing since I think leasing companies still get the Federal incentives which they pass on and there have been some incredible deals. Check out articles on elektrek.com for example

I like the idea of leasing since technology is moving fast and leasing provides a predictable cost of ownership with no worries about depreciation rate variances

If you are with Excel Energy, you might qualify for financial assistance with wiring/charger https://ev.xcelenergy.com/home-wiring-rebate

Part of the financial picture is of course cost of fueling. I get 4.2 miles per kWh on an AWD Tesla Model Y. That's an average over 18,000 miles, all seasons. Your energy supplier is probably cheaper than ours and may offer off-peak rates as well. I leave you to do the math.

Then factor in zero oil change costs. Pretty much zero brake pad/disk costs if your chosen EV relies heavily on regeneration. Insurance premiums may be higher.

There is a temptation to use the incredible off-the-mark acceleration of AWD EVs and if you do, your tire costs will rise. I chose the "Chill" setting in our Tesla which limits the oomph and I drive gently. Most of the time

I hope this helps

PS I have soft spot for the Ioniq 5 and they were doing amazing lease deals

[Furious]

For that price, I’m not sure there are any good EV options right now. Anything that would have towing and range capability that you want would be made in the last 2-3 years. The closest non-Musk vehicle that I can think of right now would be a Lyriq, which has 7” clearance, AWD, and can tow. The range is well over 180 miles, but that is not when towing.

People got around 120 miles towing a 2000lb trailer with it driving 65 mph on the highway, for reference.

Prices are going to be somewhere in the high 30k to low 40k for it, I think. So quite a bit more than what you’re looking for.

There may be some other options out there, but I’m not sure what. I guess Kia EV9 is a bit bigger, with more towing and similarly priced to Lyriq, but range is shorter.

Probably a Macan EV.

That’s an option, but even more expensive. If you’re flexible on that 12-14k price, then there might be some options that work for you, but I think Lyriq might be cheapest one (used), if you don’t want to support Musk.

[GBO Possum]

..., but I think Lyriq might be cheapest one (used), if you don’t want to support Musk.

If we decide that it's time to part with our Corvette, I'd vote for a second hand Tesla Model 3, and I think Mrs Possum agrees.

I don't see buying a used Tesla as benefiting that a**hole. And because he is such an a**hole, used Tesla prices are way down. And people around here understand that driving a Tesla is not a statement of Nazi support.

Mind you, this is all theoretical since the missus enjoys the Corvette too much at this stage. I love jumping into the Corvette too. (It's getting back out that's the big problem.)

[Furious]

Yeah, used Tesla works I guess, unless you buy FSD subscription or charge at Superchargers, which are both not required.

[GBO Possum]

Yeah, used Tesla works I guess, unless you buy FSD subscription or charge at Superchargers, which are both not required.

I don't subscribe to FSD but I do use Superchargers. I like their convenience and reliability. In the last 12 months I have bought 56 kWh from Tesla, which would be about $22 in my area. I doubt there's enough profit in this to buy an election

[Joey D]

So what should I be considering? What I'm considering now (FX45 of the same year) costs roughly $12-14k with about 50k mi on it. I can already hear you saying Model Y, but I have issues with its overall muskiness.

I'm not sure I'd look at an older EV. Battery technology has changed so much that something even 10 years old is going to be inferior to pretty much anything on the market today.

If you want something around 2008 for less than $15k, I'll throw an oddball suggestion out there of the Saab 9-7X. A coworker had one, and I got to drive it; it's surprisingly fun with the AWD system, and I joke that it's the one vehicle from the 00s that GM accidentally got right. They're cheap and easy to repair too since it's just a Trailblazer wearing a Viking suit.

Another odd-ish suggestion would be a Volvo XC70. It's a Volvo wagon and if there's one thing Volvo always got right it's wagons. Plus you can get them with a T6 in it and those engines are stout with 300hp. You can Polestar tune it and get it up to 325hp too. I had the engine in my S60 and it hauled. Plus, it's going to be really safe for your family. The same can be said for an XC90 from that time frame too.

[Danoff]

I forgot about Rivian. The R2 that comes out next year looks pretty sweet.

[Furious]

I forgot about Rivian. The R2 that comes out next year looks pretty sweet.

We’ll see what the specs and the price will be. If they can get 300 mile range and 5k towing for 45k that will be good, but I think the cheapest model will not be able to achieve that. I’m not even sure if it will start at 45k, maybe closer to 50k after taxes and fees.

[35mm]

Ok, I'll bite.

My '08 FX35 is getting long in the tooth. I'll probably need something newer in the next year or two. I have a bring-a-trailer alert for any FX45s coming in to auction. I'd want an 08 or older. But I'd consider an EV for this vehicle. Here's what the vehicle needs:

- Decent handling.
- Ease of use
- Some ground clearance (similar to FX35) for getting over snow.
- AWD
- Well over 180 miles of range (I have a specific trip in mind for this and it's 180 miles). The excess is my comfort level + any degradation.
- Seats 5

So what should I be considering? What I'm considering now (FX45 of the same year) costs roughly $12-14k with about 50k mi on it. I can already hear you saying Model Y, but I have issues with its overall muskiness.

What about the new BMW iX3? It should come to the US next year.

Personally, I'm liking the new "Neue Klasse" design and people are saying good things about it.

[GBO Possum]

Ok, I'll bite.

My '08 FX35 is getting long in the tooth. I'll probably need something newer in the next year or two. I have a bring-a-trailer alert for any FX45s coming in to auction. I'd want an 08 or older. But I'd consider an EV for this vehicle. Here's what the vehicle needs:

- Decent handling.
- Ease of use
- Some ground clearance (similar to FX35) for getting over snow.
- AWD
- Well over 180 miles of range (I have a specific trip in mind for this and it's 180 miles). The excess is my comfort level + any degradation.
- Seats 5

So what should I be considering? What I'm considering now (FX45 of the same year) costs roughly $12-14k with about 50k mi on it. I can already hear you saying Model Y, but I have issues with its overall muskiness.

What about the new BMW iX3? It should come to the US next year.

Personally, I'm liking the new "Neue Klasse" design and people are saying good things about it.

Interesting livery!

Image 1.jpeg (523.15 KiB) Viewed 15553 times

.

Image 2.jpeg (681.08 KiB) Viewed 15553 times

.

Image 3.jpeg (543.15 KiB) Viewed 15553 times

[Danoff]

We’ll see what the specs and the price will be. If they can get 300 mile range and 5k towing for 45k that will be good, but I think the cheapest model will not be able to achieve that. I’m not even sure if it will start at 45k, maybe closer to 50k after taxes and fees.

Looks like they came in close-ish to those numbers. I'm still kinda jazzed about the R2.

[Mikey]

[Danoff]

I spent last weekend driving a rented Hyundai Ioniq5.

The rear suspension had some kind of damage. Suspension damage is not too uncommon for rentals given that people fly over speed bumps in them without care in the world. So I don't necessarily hold the suspension damage against the car. Other than some noises when going over bumps, I didn't notice much compromise.

I thought the car was pleasant overall. It had good acceleration when you request it, and the voice activated navigation was pretty good. Adaptive cruise control was nice. Lane following was annoying (as in all cars), and once I figured out how to get it to do i-pedal driving it was a nice single-pedal experience (though dropping from cruise control to manual is always tricky without a jerk when the brakes engage). The car was very practical, with lots of room in the back.

The rental experience was not bad at all. I dropped the car off with 30% battery and they didn't even charge me to fill it up. If I hadn't needed to charge during the trip, that would have been another win over an ICE rental.

The one difficulty for having it as a rental was charging. I didn't expect to be charging because I thought the range would cover the trip. But what I didn't appreciate about electric cars, since I'd never really spent any time with one, was that you're supposed to keep it between 20% and 80% battery. Getting over 80% takes a long time (and with a rental away from your home, you're not gonna do that, they gave it to me initially with 77% charge). If you go below 20% you end up in another slow charging situation trying to dig the battery out of the lowest levels. So you really want to be playing with 60% battery (between 20% and 80%). This caused me to over-estimate how far the car would go on the trip and left me searching for a charging station. I thought I'd be getting it at 100% battery. Instead 77% was considered full. In total I ended up using 107% of the battery so I under estimated the driving anyway.

The area I was in had a number of charging stations. But as I drove to each one there were various problems. One of them didn't actually exist, another was too slow (free - but who cares when your estimated charge time is 21h), and another was for teslas only. In the end, I had to drive 12 miles to get to a charging station after having tried 4 already. This is non-trivial when you're low on battery (or time). When I finally found the right station, charging was fast and not expensive - although I know that experience can vary. I charged it from 20% to 80% in about 20 minutes and it cost $30. Not bad at all. The trouble was finding that station in the first place.

All in all, I think an EV makes a great rental if you're not driving far. If you are driving far, scout out the charging situation ahead of time, because finding one when you're ready to charge can be difficult. This experience will be very location specific.