Any GTAM'ers own an electric vehicle?

[PrivatePilot]

Hey all...sorry, it's been insane at work. Company is squeezing on the "do more with less" mantra.

Although I do always wish, they really made a proper hatch, like Cruz or something like that ... the space in the back of Volt is just really small.

Fold down the rear seats and it's actually surprisingly large. We had a brand new dishwasher (still in packaging) in the back of ours with room to spare.

I wish there were some tax incentives for buying used!! Haha. Wishful thinking.

You do get the Level 2 (fast) home charger rebate on purchase and installation now (50% of actual cost for both) buying used now - this was just recently changed - before only the original buyer was eligible for that. So, there's that at least. But if Ford gets elected I would expect to see many of the EV related specifics go out the window fast, so it might be wise to make a decision soon....

Buy one in the states maybe???

This one is only two hours from me. KMs are a bit higher but the price is very appealing.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for...searchRadius=0&makeCode1=CHEV&modelCode1=VOLT

I considered buying from the USA, for sure. The issue was that after all the expenses (actually going to get it, driving it home, taxes, USD exchange, and import fees (RIV)...I often figured out that I might save $1000 at most on many of them.

That one you listed comes out to about $11K by the time you're done, and the small print says that it shows some discounts you may not even be eligible for, so it could be misleading there.

My concern there would be the mileage - at nearly 200,000KM the Voltec warranty is long gone. Not that I'm necessarily against buying an out of warranty car...but when it comes to anything EV it's my opinion that having at least 6/12 months of warranty left is advisable, especially buying from the USA...as you will not have the ability to really know absolutely positively that everything is perfect on the EV side of things until you've actually owned it for a few months. A 30 minute test drive at the dealer only goes so far, and any warranty they may offer you (some will offer a 90 day bumper to bumper, for example) may not even apply when you export it...not to mention the distance involved in actually getting it there to get the work done, especially if it's immobile for some reason.

If I come across a super high mileage one private sale for $6-$7K USD and I was in the market, would I do it? Absolutely...at that price it's a risk (and hassle) worth taking, but at $8K USD things change a little IMHO.

 

[caboose56]

Thanks for the reply.

There are a few on Kijiji in Ontario and Quebec in the $12K range. That’s quite reasonable. And from what I’ve read there’s nothing really special to check on a Volt vs any other used car I’d go look at.... so that definitely simplifies things.

I did find the info on the Level 2 charger rebate. Good stuff!!

Sadly I’ve nearly got my truck how I want it but with no need to tow anything it’s really silly to be driving a 7800lb truck as a daily driver.

 

[PrivatePilot]

And from what I’ve read there’s nothing really special to check on a Volt vs any other used car I’d go look at.

To the contrary, in my opinion - on any EV (and the Volt) there's a few specific things to check. First, the electric side of things on any EV is important to due a lot of due dilligence on - checking for excessive battery degredation (IE, make sure it gets at least it's rated range under acceptable driving conditions), ensuring that the car charges properly and all included charging hardware (IE, the EVSE) works properly, checking heating and cooling systems (which can be different on EV's vs a traditional ICE), etc.

On the Volt specifically there's a few common failure points specific to them that you'd want to check additionally - there's a three-way valve that separates the engine coolant loop from the cabin coolant loop when running electric heating (vs using waste ICE heat) for cabin heating that occasionally goes bad. The aux coolant pump that moves said coolant during electric heating (again, when the ICE isn't running) is occasionally problematic, and it would also be prudent to check that applicable software updates have been flashed to the car as well - most are bug-fix ones but most dealers will charge you an hour or two of labour to apply them all if the previous owner never had them done as part of any warranty work, customer satisfaction returns, or whatnot.

Doing your homework is certainly important. This is where my concern about buying a used one without any warranty (especially from the USA) is rooted - someone who is extremely knowledgable about all these potential issues (most being minor, battery issues aside) could suss this all out inside a 30 minute test drive, but others may miss things and only discover them a week or four down the road - at which point, no warranty, bigger deal.

Anyone interested in buying used I'd be happy to make a check list of things like this to check, however, and the exact procedures to do so.

 

[caboose56]

To the contrary, in my opinion - on any EV (and the Volt) there's a few specific things to check. First, the electric side of things on any EV is important to due a lot of due dilligence on - checking for excessive battery degredation (IE, make sure it gets at least it's rated range under acceptable driving conditions), ensuring that the car charges properly and all included charging hardware (IE, the EVSE) works properly, checking heating and cooling systems (which can be different on EV's vs a traditional ICE), etc.

On the Volt specifically there's a few common failure points specific to them that you'd want to check additionally - there's a three-way valve that separates the engine coolant loop from the cabin coolant loop when running electric heating (vs using waste ICE heat) for cabin heating that occasionally goes bad. The aux coolant pump that moves said coolant during electric heating (again, when the ICE isn't running) is occasionally problematic, and it would also be prudent to check that applicable software updates have been flashed to the car as well - most are bug-fix ones but most dealers will charge you an hour or two of labour to apply them all if the previous owner never had them done as part of any warranty work, customer satisfaction returns, or whatnot.

Doing your homework is certainly important. This is where my concern about buying a used one without any warranty (especially from the USA) is rooted - someone who is extremely knowledgable about all these potential issues (most being minor, battery issues aside) could suss this all out inside a 30 minute test drive, but others may miss things and only discover them a week or four down the road - at which point, no warranty, bigger deal.

Anyone interested in buying used I'd be happy to make a check list of things like this to check, however, and the exact procedures to do so.

I would definitely like to see such a checklist. That would be very helpful.

 

[PrivatePilot]

I would definitely like to see such a checklist. That would be very helpful.

I'll put that together in a day or three.

On a different note, there's been lots of discussion about parts availability (and right to repair) for Teslas. Here's what happens when Tesla's iron grip on parts and service bites the consumer in the ***.

Backstory - this is a guy who rebuilt a Tesla from a write off so it's an adventure to begin with, but not being able to buy basic parts (and have Tesla refuse to work on the car anymore) doesn't help.

[video=youtube;UVVUVvRXhbk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVVUVvRXhbk[/video]

This is only going to get worse and worse as Teslas age and need more repairs.

 

[Brian P]

^ And yet, that is a situation that Tesla could fix in a flash. Release the parts list and allow anyone to be able to buy any part, release service procedures and specifications to the public, and stop tying the hands of the service centers - stop blacklisting vehicles, let them work on anything that comes in the door.

If you bring a Chevy in to the dealer for a new set of shocks or brakes or whatnot, the dealer doesn't care if it's a salvage-title vehicle or not. It might affect whether the warranty applies, but it doesn't stop the dealer from doing the job for the customer.

If Tesla doesn't do this, word will quickly spread about how expensive these cars are to keep on the road after the warranty, and resale value will crater. Most Teslas on the road as of today, are still under factory warranty, but they are in a position where this will soon start ending, and out-of-warranty Teslas will increase rapidly in number.

 

[Brian P]

I just watched the video. Those main power terminals are a dumb design. Compare to how GM did it with the Bolt in a video linked to earlier on this page.

 

[Brian P]

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2018-tesla-model-3-test-review

 

[caboose56]

I'll put that together in a day or three.

Awesome, thank you.

It’ll probably be a few months before I’d be buying anything. Once I sell my race bike I’ll have cash that should be enough to buy a Volt. Then I can sell my truck.

 

[PrivatePilot]

Price of gas is forecasted to climb fairly aggressively this spring through early summer - in a lot of areas we've already reached the prices (in March) that they've forecasted for June and July, so it's only going to get more painful. I suspect the market for large gas guzzlers will take a dump much like it did in 2008 when gas prices last reached the levels forecasted for this summer.

If it were me, I'd be moving now vs later if you want to get maximum value for the truck.

 

[caboose56]

Price of gas is forecasted to climb fairly aggressively this spring through early summer - in a lot of areas we've already reached the prices (in March) that they've forecasted for June and July, so it's only going to get more painful. I suspect the market for large gas guzzlers will take a dump much like it did in 2008 when gas prices last reached the levels forecasted for this summer.

If it were me, I'd be moving now vs later if you want to get maximum value for the truck.

It’s a rust free 2001 F250 crew cab 4x4 with the 7.3L Powerstroke. Shouldn’t have much trouble selling it.

I did hear some speculation that gas will be approaching 1.40+ this summer.

 

[mxs]

I just watched the video. Those main power terminals are a dumb design. Compare to how GM did it with the Bolt in a video linked to earlier on this page.

I would not call a power terminal though a basic part. I am not that surprised that Tesla refused to sell him that. At the end of the day, what this particular guy is doing is entertaining first, not something 99% of people would attempt whether it's Tesla or GM EV vehicle. He buys cars which basically would be written off in normal insurance world. Fire or flood involved in previous life ....

 

[mxs]

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2018-tesla-model-3-test-review

It could have been worse for petrol-head guys, generally hating most of anything Tesla or Musk. But I have to ask, what more wanting do they really expect? If you have the money, what other cars with such power specs you can buy?

They didn't disappoint listing all the negatives, yet no word about no fuss acceleration .... so much for car guys, eh?

To me it just proves how useless magazine reviews have really become.

 

[mxs]

I did hear some speculation that gas will be approaching 1.40+ this summer.

Considering where the oil was and where the price of gas been, the gas can only go up, especially this summer ..... even though US is pumping more oil than ever before.

 

[caboose56]

Considering where the oil was and where the price of gas been, the gas can only go up, especially this summer ..... even though US is pumping more oil than ever before.

Apparently there’s no direct link between the price of crude and the price of gas at the pump???

Sick of it.

No one is going to fight for us, so I’m going to take my ball and go home.

 

[PrivatePilot]

I would not call a power terminal though a basic part. I am not that surprised that Tesla refused to sell him that.

What happens in 5 years tons of Teslas are out of warranty, someone 10 or 12 hours away from the nearest service centre needs a simple part to have someone local repair their car instead...and Teslas refuses to sell it to them? Or provide any documentation on how to actually service it?

Lets use...a windshield wiper motor for example. Despite being a Tesla, an despite being an EV...this is not a complicated part to replace, nor does it require a rocket surgeon to replace it - a skilled backyard mechanic could do it in their own driveway for that matter, and any half baked mechanic in a shop environment could also do it easily. But hey, Tesla won't sell you that simple part, so the guy needs to spend (for example) two 12 hour days driving to and from a Tesla dealer (plus a hotel, plus 6 meals) to get it replaced?

This is where the **** is going to hit the fan really quick in the coming years with iron grip on parts and service. People will be ****** being forced to deal with these realities when every other car that they've owned for their entire life has been serviceable (with easily and freely available parts) at their local mom-and-pop service centre.

Going back to the actual part in question (a electrical connector), why should Tesla not sell that to a customer who wants or needs one? I'm pretty sure that any of the Big3 would sell you their equivalent part without any issue - call your local dealership with the part number, boom, it'll arrive in a day or three.

 

[caboose56]

This looks like a good candidate. I like the colour and it’s not very far away from me.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks...p_ios&utm_medium=social&utm_source=ios_social

 

[shanekingsley]

That seems like a good find for a fair price.

 

[PrivatePilot]

Good deal for sure and still 10,000K on the Voltec warranty. Ad is very light on details however - no interior photos (leather or cloth, interior colour choices, etc?), no options listed, etc.

Surprised it's still for sale after having been listed for a month, however....and it didn't sell and he's one of those people who never deletes their advert.

If it is still available however it could mean some extra negotiating leverage.

 

[caboose56]

Good deal for sure and still 10,000K on the Voltec warranty. Ad is very light on details however - no interior photos (leather or cloth, interior colour choices, etc?), no options listed, etc.

Surprised it's still for sale after having been listed for a month, however....and it didn't sell and he's one of those people who never deletes their advert.

If it is still available however it could mean some extra negotiating leverage.

People are lazy. Buyers and sellers. Poorly written ads light on details can be potential gold mines!

And it’s simple enough to request additional pics.

He also has a set of rims with snow tires for sale. Oddly enough he posted more pics of the tires/wheels than he did for the car he’s selling.