Leasing vs Buying...another factor worth talking about

[Pawl]

It takes a bunch of energy to make a car, right?

I'm curious if anyone who's leasing considers the carbon cost of stepping into a new car every three years vs driving the car for 10 or more years. After all, at least for some of us, part of why we're investing in this ev is to reduce our carbon footprint, and it seems to me that this is something that's not talked about much. We talk about the great deals we get (me too), and how much we save vs ICEs, but for me, I'm REALLY pleased I'm helping lower my contribution of greenhouse gasses by driving an ev (and having bought it).

It's easy to brush this aside and say "well, someone's going to use the car after I do," but this is passing the buck in a way. In other words, if everyone drove their vehicle for 10 years before swapping it out, there would be that many fewer cars produced.

 

[tigger19687]

Good point.
I also OWN a 2002 GMC Yukon XL ( my son drives it now)
I also OWN a 2006 Ford F-350 Diesel- mo I am not going to get rid of this truck either. I will use it on Snow days here in New England.

My Electric I will BUY and keep. I have a daughter that is 13, so driving soon and she will drive the pick up till she is a better driver, then I will give her the Electric I buy this year.
By then they will have more longer range EV's out. And I will buy and keep that one too

 

[Chocula]

As long as the car is built to last 10 or more years and will be resold at the end of the lease (unlike EV1, Honda Fit EV, etc.), then leasing the vehicle puts it into circulation and encourages the manufacturer to make more. Cars don't get sent to the crusher because the are not new, they get sent there because they are worn out, no crashed, or too expensive to maintain/repair.

If everyone kept ever car until it died, there would be fewer cars on the road because an entire economic class would be eliminated from vehicle ownership. If only electric car drivers did this, there would be fewer electric cars on the road as that economic class would all buy used ICE vehicles that they could afford.

A lease return will sell, it us just a matter of for how much. If there is an abundance of used electric cars available, the price will be lower than if they are scarce. A lower price makes them available to a larger segment of the population. I see nothing wrong with leasing a vehicle every few years, or buying a new one and selling the old (self leasing). I did not buy a Fit EV because they are lease only, and my Spark EV was a purchase which I expect to keep for at least 10 years, but that is just MY preference.

Chocula

 

[ezryder]

Personally, I think the main reason to buy right now is to take advantage of the $10k off you get, (in CA, anyway). That won't last forever. Does anyone think electric cars will come down to under $20,000 - within the next 5 years? I don't think so.

Buying an electric car is part of a strategy to lower my cost of living. Throw in solar panels on a tiny house with wheels on it, so you don't pay property tax. You have just reduced your cost of living massively. Good quality house, (check this out: http://www.escapehomes.us/) for $89,000 - buy two and connect them loosely, for almost 800sf plus covered deck space - then throw solar on every inch of the roof(s). Create an outdoor space in the 90 angle you park them at. Drill a well. Get a septic system and a water recycling system or perhaps a composting toilet, (they're not as bad as you think). Connect to your electric company so they buy your power during the day at high rates and sell to you at night for low rates while you juice up your car. Your car has less maintenance than an ICE car, you have no gas bills, and you have a zero carbon footprint, after initial buy-in. You pay a DMV fee for your "RV's" with no property tax except the land you bought - and, depending on where you live, there may not BE any property tax. You have no electric bill, and you run everything on electric. You have no water bill and no sewer bill. You pay for garbage collection, food, and medical - and fun.

This is MY plan.