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Thread: New (to me) Electric Vehicle

  1. #1
    Senior Member bae's Avatar
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    New (to me) Electric Vehicle

    My timing, as usual, is spot-on.

    Two weeks ago I bought an electic vehicle to use as my mostly-island car. Right before the market crashed, gas prices plummeted (elsewhere, it's still > $4.50/gallon here), and the world fell apart from the virus.

    Some fellow here is buying up just-off-lease EVs in California, and shipping them up here to the island and selling them for a teeny markup.

    I got a 2017 Fiat 500E, a cute little clown car, with about a 90 mile range. With ~20,000 miles on it, and several years of warranty left, and looking brand-new, it cost me, well about as much as I paid for my last (quite nice, but not insane) bicycle.

    It's reasonably zippy and sporty - the 0-30 times are ~2 seconds, and it handles great with the low center of gravity. Top speed here is 35mph, so that's good enough.

    As a "California Compliance" car, Fiat lost about $15k on each one of these they provided in California. And with California tax policies, nobody buys these when they come off lease, they just lease a new one again, so there is no market for the used ones. It is however absolutely packed with technology - good brake regen, battery pack heating/cooling, etc. etc.

    If I go to the village once a day, basically once a week I have to plug it into a regular wall outlet in my garage overnight. It recharges a fair bit just going *down* the mountain to the village.

    Anyways, even with recent events, I'm pretty happy - I couldn't have got this rate of tax free return on any other sensible investment before the Great Financial Kablooie, and now it is even better.

    It is essentially zero maintenance, and we have free public chargers around the island.

  2. #2
    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    My Fiat is neither electric nor anywhere near the cost of a bicycle.

    But it IS small. And cute. And very red.
    FC4979A3-D781-4EAD-87E1-7EAA4966F995.jpg

  3. #3
    Senior Member bae's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by iris lilies View Post
    My Fiat is neither electric nor anywhere near the cost of a bicycle.

    But it IS small. And cute. And very red.
    FC4979A3-D781-4EAD-87E1-7EAA4966F995.jpg
    My other Fiat has 800hp, and is very red too :-)

  4. #4
    Senior Member iris lilies's Avatar
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    Bae, does yours have an ABARTH badge in front?

    https://www.fiatusa.com/abarth.html

  5. #5
    Senior Member bae's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by iris lilies View Post
    Bae, does yours have an ABARTH badge in front?

    https://www.fiatusa.com/abarth.html
    e8cfef645446eeb3b9eda19e79ebbe16.jpg

  6. #6
    Senior Member SteveinMN's Avatar
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    Congratulations, bae! Sounds like a fun vehicle to stomp around in.
    Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington

  7. #7
    Senior Member Anne Lee's Avatar
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    Great cars!

    Not a Fiat and it's a hybrid but in March I purchased a 2020 Prius. It's the first new off the lot car I've ever owned. I ran the numbers and if I make it to 175,000 miles (and I have every expectation I will) I pay less per mile than a used Prius. Apparently, I am a "highly qualified" buyer so my interest rate is extremely low which was the deal maker. I know you aren't supposed to love things that can't love you back so let's just say I'm really enjoying this car. I especially like not having to futz with an ignition key and now feel annoyed when I drive DH's car and have to handle the key.
    Formerly known as Blithe Morning II

  8. #8
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Congrats, bae! That sounds like a fantastic car, and a great deal!

    Anne Lee, I know how you feel. In 2007, I was driving home from seeing my DH play with his pipe band in the Memorial Day parade. We were going to Scotland the next day for a big, big family trip (I had saved almost 300,000 frequent flier miles to get everyone there).

    On the way home I was passing a Toyota dealership, and I just swerved in on an impulse. My DD had just graduated college, and so she was going to get the VW Beetle we had shared for her 4 years in college. I needed a car, and I always wanted a Prius. I had just been promoted to VP of Research. A Prius would be my "made it" car.

    So I parked the Beetle, told my two kids to wait a sec, walked around the lot, saw a loaded white Prius, walked into the showroom before the salesman even had a chance to accost me, gave him a check and told him I'd be back to pick it up when I got back from Scotland in 10 days.

    I am sure I am the easiest sell he ever had. And I KNOW, between a brand new car and a trip for 7 to Scotland, it was the most expensive month I ever had.

    That was 13 years ago. I'm still driving it. It has 134,000 miles on it and it has been GREAT. I still love it, even though the GPS is pretty outdated by now. I figure if I keep my mileage low, there's no reason it can't be the last car I ever own. If it's not, I'll go for an electric Fiat like bae's

    I hope your Prius and you enjoy a long time together!
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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  9. #9
    Senior Member razz's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bae View Post
    My timing, as usual, is spot-on.

    Two weeks ago I bought an electic vehicle to use as my mostly-island car. Right before the market crashed, gas prices plummeted (elsewhere, it's still > $4.50/gallon here), and the world fell apart from the virus.

    Some fellow here is buying up just-off-lease EVs in California, and shipping them up here to the island and selling them for a teeny markup.

    I got a 2017 Fiat 500E, a cute little clown car, with about a 90 mile range. With ~20,000 miles on it, and several years of warranty left, and looking brand-new, it cost me, well about as much as I paid for my last (quite nice, but not insane) bicycle.

    It's reasonably zippy and sporty - the 0-30 times are ~2 seconds, and it handles great with the low center of gravity. Top speed here is 35mph, so that's good enough.

    As a "California Compliance" car, Fiat lost about $15k on each one of these they provided in California. And with California tax policies, nobody buys these when they come off lease, they just lease a new one again, so there is no market for the used ones. It is however absolutely packed with technology - good brake regen, battery pack heating/cooling, etc. etc.

    If I go to the village once a day, basically once a week I have to plug it into a regular wall outlet in my garage overnight. It recharges a fair bit just going *down* the mountain to the village.

    Anyways, even with recent events, I'm pretty happy - I couldn't have got this rate of tax free return on any other sensible investment before the Great Financial Kablooie, and now it is even better.

    It is essentially zero maintenance, and we have free public chargers around the island.
    Sounds like the perfect runabout for you! Enjoy it!
    As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

  10. #10
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    Oh how lovely! I love those little Fiats!

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