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Thread: Electric Car Rant

  1. #31
    Moderator Eggman's Avatar
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    For my household, the majority of our driving is within a ten mile radius. An EV like the i-Miev would work perfectly fine even if the battery pack was not at it's peak capacity. For the occasional road trip out of town (out of EV range) a rental would be a good way to go. Renting would give a lot of benefits - no worries about service, getting a newer model, the ability to choose what size vehicle to go with...


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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


  2. #32
    Senior Member Wallythacker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eggman View Post
    For my household, the majority of our driving is within a ten mile radius. An EV like the i-Miev would work perfectly fine even if the battery pack was not at it's peak capacity. For the occasional road trip out of town (out of EV range) a rental would be a good way to go. Renting would give a lot of benefits - no worries about service, getting a newer model, the ability to choose what size vehicle to go with...
    When Enterprise had their $30 unlimited Km weekend for a compact car buying didn't make any sense. For $140/month you got to drive a nearly new car for 12/30 days. If you plans things right like shopping and so on you could really avoid driving the remaining days of the month save for unexpected contingencies. In my case I had my Suzuki Burgmans to toot around.

    For two years renting was my game. Many times I was the first renter of the car, getting them with 100 miles or less on them. I had exposure to almost every small car going. I instantly hated the Focus with the d*nm dual clutch automatic. I instantly loved the Mirage, a gutsy little bomb with all the creature comforts and motorcycle level gas mileage. Everything else went from really nice, Honda Fit, to are you kidding? POS, Fiat 500. Renting was so nice, no worries about service, insurance (my CC covered it), depreciation, cleaning/washing. Nothing to do but drive the car and enjoy it.

    Enterprise stopped the weekend special but I had already made up my mind the Mirage was the car for me. So I bought my 1st one and now I'm on my third . (it may been 4th if the Halton Hills SE didn't sell. )
    Zero, 2014 ES Plus 5MT, written off but not forgotten.
    Zero II, 2014 SE, 5MT, climate She's HOME now!
    Shelby AKA "Cute", 2017 ES 5MT, A/C.

    Mirage owners look at the world differently than everyone else, but in a better way
    We're driving the Beetle of the 21st century, the greatest small car now available!

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2017 Mirage ES PLus 1.2 manual: 39.0 mpg (US) ... 16.6 km/L ... 6.0 L/100 km ... 46.8 mpg (Imp)


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  4. #33
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    Oh golly I could make a whole new rant thread on car rental companies. Last time I went to rent a car I was told online $6/day for unlimited mileage (yea too good to be true). When I got there they made me buy their stupid $26/day car insurance. Tried selling me an ezpass for $15 a day (had to sign away my life I would not blow through a toll as each one was a $15 fee). And had to sign away I didn't want the extra insurance they try selling you. Then I was told you can't leave the state. For about $32 I got at least 500 miles out of it in one day. But then they put a $250 hold on my credit card it took two weeks to get back.... the u-save representatives are practically used car salesmen and lie all day long. I witnessed them intimidating others to pay all the fees. They typically even have someone who speaks Spanish to pressure them too and they tried convincing my friend in Spanish to make me buy extra coverage.
    Last edited by Mirageman38; 10-23-2019 at 09:20 PM.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2019 Mirage ES 1.2 automatic: 38.8 mpg (US) ... 16.5 km/L ... 6.1 L/100 km ... 46.5 mpg (Imp)


  5. #34
    Quote Originally Posted by Wallythacker View Post
    When Enterprise had their $30 unlimited Km weekend for a compact car buying didn't make any sense. For $140/month you got to drive a nearly new car for 12/30 days. ...
    For two years renting was my game.
    Wow! Way to run the numbers.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


  6. #35
    Quote Originally Posted by Mirageman38 View Post
    Oh golly I could make a whole new rant thread on car rental companies. Last time I went to rent a car I was told online $6/day for unlimited mileage (yea too good to be true). When I got there they made me buy their stupid $26/day car insurance. Tried selling me an ezpass for $15 a day (had to sign away my life I would not blow through a toll as each one was a $15 fee). And had to sign away I didn't want the extra insurance they try selling you. Then I was told you can't leave the state. For about $32 I got at least 500 miles out of it in one day. But then they put a $250 hold on my credit card it took two weeks to get back.... the u-save representatives are practically used car salesmen and lie all day long. I witnessed them intimidating others to pay all the fees. They typically even have someone who speaks Spanish to pressure them too and they tried convincing my friend in Spanish to make me buy extra.
    When I hear extra rental car insurance : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lciHCXQFkNk
    Last edited by Fummins; 10-23-2019 at 06:43 PM. Reason: Not sure why there are frenchy subtitles?
    Mirage videos:

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


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  8. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mirageman38 View Post
    Oh golly I could make a whole new rant thread on car rental companies. Last time I went to rent a car I was told online $6/day for unlimited mileage (yea too good to be true). When I got there they made me buy their stupid $26/day car insurance. Tried selling me an ezpass for $15 a day (had to sign away my life I would not blow through a toll as each one was a $15 fee). And had to sign away I didn't want the extra insurance they try selling you. Then I was told you can't leave the state. For about $32 I got at least 500 miles out of it in one day. But then they put a $250 hold on my credit card it took two weeks to get back.... the u-save representatives are practically used car salesmen and lie all day long. I witnessed them intimidating others to pay all the fees. They typically even have someone who speaks Spanish to pressure them too and they tried convincing my friend in Spanish to make me buy extra coverage.
    Just say no...
    Resident Tire Engineer

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 44.4 mpg (US) ... 18.9 km/L ... 5.3 L/100 km ... 53.3 mpg (Imp)


  9. #37
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    In researching the Outlander PHEV, I stumbled upon this thread. I've been EV/PHEV shopping since January. I've done so much online research and watched more YouTube videos than I care to count. I've test driven the Model 3, Model X, Kona EV, Niro EV, 500e, Leaf Plus, Bolt, i3...etc. Here's a few things I have learned:

    1. When you own a Mirage/G4, and get the MPG you do, the fuel savings is not that great compared to other ICE cars. The savings is there, but just not as good as if you are compare from any other lower MPG. I drive about 500-800 miles a week. If I bought a $40k EV, it would pay for itself in gas/oil/brakes in about 10 years, give or take. I also love the idea of way less maintenance on an EV.

    2. Search YouTube for "(insert EV name here) road trip" and the notion of not being able to road trip is easily and quickly debunked. This also ties in with number 3. If I were to road trip in my G4, because of the small gas tank, I would need to make more frequent stops anyhow, so with an EV, it wouldn't be that different for me at least.

    3. Charging times are not always 1-2 hours. Watching road trip videos will show this. Most people on a road trip stop and charge for 30-60 minutes. During this time they get dinner, shop, use the rest room, etc. Or just entertain themselves on their phone. Also, charge times get faster and faster. As for lines at the Tesla chargers-they CAN use non Tesla chargers, but at nowhere near they same charge rate, so it's to their advantage to stick with the Tesla network. I also believe they have some pretty convenient locations as well.

    4. Even in the relatively short time of this post, the non-Tesla charging network grows quickly. In fact, a shopping center within a 5 minute drive of me put in 6 or 8 Electrify America stations. As someone else mentioned, as the adoption of EV's grows, so will the charging stations. At home options are growing also, and getting less expensive, that don't require an electrician. A vehicle like the Nissan Leaf, for example, can plug into a dryer outlet (with included plug) if you happen to have one in your garage.

    5. YouTube channel "New Coloumb" has made a video specifically addressing the issue of living in an apartment and not having charging capability there or at work. It can be done, and many people do it. Going to an EV isn't just getting a vehicle with a different propulsion system, and along with that requires a change in the way we do things. And sometimes that does involve losing some convenience (ie 5 minute fuel ups), and for many, that's a change worth making.

    We are in for a huge EV explosion over the next few years, and it IS going to become mainstream enough that these issues will be resolved (I'd love to see charging stations at all public waysides...for example).

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2018 Mirage G4 ES 1.2 automatic: 32.5 mpg (US) ... 13.8 km/L ... 7.2 L/100 km ... 39.0 mpg (Imp)


  10. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by Go4th View Post
    In researching the Outlander PHEV, I stumbled upon this thread. I've been EV/PHEV shopping since January. I've done so much online research and watched more YouTube videos than I care to count. I've test driven the Model 3, Model X, Kona EV, Niro EV, 500e, Leaf Plus, Bolt, i3...etc. Here's a few things I have learned:

    1. When you own a Mirage/G4, and get the MPG you do, the fuel savings is not that great compared to other ICE cars. The savings is there, but just not as good as if you are compare from any other lower MPG. I drive about 500-800 miles a week. If I bought a $40k EV, it would pay for itself in gas/oil/brakes in about 10 years, give or take. I also love the idea of way less maintenance on an EV.

    2. Search YouTube for "(insert EV name here) road trip" and the notion of not being able to road trip is easily and quickly debunked. This also ties in with number 3. If I were to road trip in my G4, because of the small gas tank, I would need to make more frequent stops anyhow, so with an EV, it wouldn't be that different for me at least.

    3. Charging times are not always 1-2 hours. Watching road trip videos will show this. Most people on a road trip stop and charge for 30-60 minutes. During this time they get dinner, shop, use the rest room, etc. Or just entertain themselves on their phone. Also, charge times get faster and faster. As for lines at the Tesla chargers-they CAN use non Tesla chargers, but at nowhere near they same charge rate, so it's to their advantage to stick with the Tesla network. I also believe they have some pretty convenient locations as well.

    4. Even in the relatively short time of this post, the non-Tesla charging network grows quickly. In fact, a shopping center within a 5 minute drive of me put in 6 or 8 Electrify America stations. As someone else mentioned, as the adoption of EV's grows, so will the charging stations. At home options are growing also, and getting less expensive, that don't require an electrician. A vehicle like the Nissan Leaf, for example, can plug into a dryer outlet (with included plug) if you happen to have one in your garage.

    5. YouTube channel "New Coloumb" has made a video specifically addressing the issue of living in an apartment and not having charging capability there or at work. It can be done, and many people do it. Going to an EV isn't just getting a vehicle with a different propulsion system, and along with that requires a change in the way we do things. And sometimes that does involve losing some convenience (ie 5 minute fuel ups), and for many, that's a change worth making.

    We are in for a huge EV explosion over the next few years, and it IS going to become mainstream enough that these issues will be resolved (I'd love to see charging stations at all public waysides...for example).
    I would have already had one if I had a place to plug it in (Mitsu had a leftover I-MiEV).... I rent an apartment and the parkade doesn't allow me to plug in even if I measured the power consumption and payed them the amount consumed.

    So, Mirage gets to say (for now!)

    Once my warranty is up though, yeah probably EV time... there is a network of fast chargers no more than 200 km stationed around the entire province and all the way across the country now thanks to Petro-Canada (Owned by Suncor, a major Oil company).

    If Suncor, one of the major companies who are involved the oil sands in Alberta built a electric charging network, I think that pretty much tells you where the ball is headed.
    Last edited by javensbukan; 05-20-2020 at 07:41 PM.

  11. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by Go4th View Post
    1. When you own a Mirage/G4, and get the MPG you do, the fuel savings is not that great compared to other ICE cars. The savings is there, but just not as good as if you are compare from any other lower MPG. I drive about 500-800 miles a week. If I bought a $40k EV, it would pay for itself in gas/oil/brakes in about 10 years, give or take. I also love the idea of way less maintenance on an EV.
    You aren't taking everything into consideration. If you have $40k laying around and buy a 10k car you can put 30k in the stock market or any other investment. Average return is 10% APY and now seems to be a nice low point to stick it in. 10% on 30k is 3k a year you would gain and it compounds. Not only does it cover the gas the mirage uses but you would be making money. Never mind the thousands a year lower on insurance not getting full coverage and the car being cheaper.

    Oil Changes on this are every 7500 miles and this car uses very little oil. Between costco and Walmart it's only around $12 for an oil change. This works out to $320 or so over 200k miles.

    Anything beyond 20 minutes of charging is much longer than a gas station period. Even if you have to fill up twice. In my town there are only two electric chargers within 5 miles of dense city. One is literally at the Nissan dealer.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2019 Mirage ES 1.2 automatic: 38.8 mpg (US) ... 16.5 km/L ... 6.1 L/100 km ... 46.5 mpg (Imp)


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  13. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by javensbukan View Post
    If Suncor, one of the major companies who are involved the oil sands in Alberta built a electric charging network, I think that pretty much tells you where the ball is headed.
    You are correct in the ball headed in a certain direction as it appears Shell oil is also jumping into charging stations with Shell Recharge.


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2018 Mirage G4 ES 1.2 automatic: 32.5 mpg (US) ... 13.8 km/L ... 7.2 L/100 km ... 39.0 mpg (Imp)


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