That is pretty much the extent of the “dealerships.” One needs to be able to see the car IRL before buying it. Hence, showrooms.
They have plenty. Because they are not franchises (as required by law for other car brands) they are “showrooms” but same difference. You show up, they have hovering people to answer your questions, you can test drive, you can get your car serviced there, etc.
I did show up to a show room in Honolulu, but I don’t think they are the same as a dealership. No finance people to pester me. This is why you have to read the specs.
Hmmmm…in my experience every hybrid car owner is aware that their battery will have to be recharged/reconditioned if they keep long enough. That service has been around for at least 10 years.
The warranty kicks in if the car’s diagnostic computer starts throwing the “time to replace the battery” code. I have no idea at what level of efficiency the cars are programmed to send that code.
A new battery currently runs $13,000-$20,000 depending on the model. That’s pretty expensive imo and I wonder how many people will have the money to replace it. Or do they just buy a new car? So what happens to the cars? How are all the batteries recycled? And where? The mining for the battery components is horrible for the planet. Batteries should have to last way longer for the damage they do on the front end and at end of life.
I’ve had my current minivan for 17 years (235,000 miles). How long will the electric cars keep running for? What else goes bad besides the battery? The electronics/computers? Engine?
Trying to wrap my head around this because I know I’ll need a new car at some point.
Correction:
I’m not buying ANY electric car.
Exactly.
Our gas-powered Hondas that we drive everywhere last to about 250,000 miles before they die. Don’t have to spend a boatload of money on a new battery.
The battery replacement cost on hybrids is high enough that I’d much rather just stick with a regular gas powered car for now.
You can lease or finance a Tesla. Or you can buy a different car brand online, from a dealership or one of the major third party sites (that source from dealers). Some haggle, some don’t. Especially right now where so many cars are on back order, there can be very little difference. Why is trying to make a distinction important to you?
Here’s another issue to think about. Faster charging further reduces rechargeable battery capacity (despite all the disclaimers you may have heard). Faster chargers do have circuitries to decrease charging rate as batteries become more charged, but faster charging still means faster chemical reaction, at least most of the time during the charging process. Chemical reaction is almost always less complete (it’s never 100%) when it is sped up by external forces.
I just looked at the US charging maps for some of our off the beaten path, long, car trips. It would have meant a long detour to find a charging station in some places and we would not have been able to take some of the scenic routes.
What US charging map did you look at? Plugshare is the one I prefer, but a lot of people like A Better Route Planner. There are others also.
The thing is, you would probably save money to have an EV as your everyday driver and just rent a car for your out of the way road trips. My daughter is going to the mountains this week with some friends. It’s going to cost them $60 in gas to get there and back. Cost me $1.91 to do the exact same trip. If you think about all the cost of your gas vehicle, the fill ups, but also the oil changes, brake jobs, and other maintenance — you just don’t have that with an EV. Plus many of the new EVs come with 2 or 3 years of free charging.
ETA…thought I was replying to @sbinaz
I’ve owned a hybrid car since 2008. Duri ng that time I spent $2200 on a battery. Thats it. No other maintenence other than oil changes and tires.
That figure doesn’t even come close to how much weve spent on new transmissions, alternators and other engine repairs on our gas vehicles during that 14 same years. Not.even. close.
Because of something you wrote, salespeople spread misinformation, there are no salesperson for Tesla.
We have a 2014 Tesla with just under 100,000 miles. Back when we bought it, Tesla would come to our house, switch it out with a loaner Tesla, and return it when service was complete. Now it takes a month just to get an appointment at the local service center if it’s not something the mobile repair can handle, and they give an Uber credit. We did buy the extended warranty (something we never do) because repairs are pricy. Three of the four door handles have broken which I believe is about $1500 a pop to fix.
That being said, there’s a lot we like about the car. Really everything but the occasional service issues. And the downside of regenerative braking is that is does go through tires quicker than our other car.
The other car is a 2010 big Lexus sedan well north of 100,000 miles. Has been a great car and never needed much work, but is it worth it to get a new transmission or other things that will eventually wear out?
We wouldn’t get another electric car as long as we keep the Tesla, but hybrids are interesting. Hoping the Lexus will keep on rolling for another year or two (or three).
Hybrids don’t need to be plugged in….unless you get a plug in hybrid.
Salespeople don’t have a monopoly on misinformation – anyone can spread it. This is the internet – it’s full of it. I absolutely have had the Tesla showroom staff say incorrect things. Whether you are shopping for a Toyota or a Tesla, your may get incorrect info at the dealer/showroom and need to do your own research. So, again, another difference without distinction.
Tesla’s showroom employee titles are Sales Advisors. The job description indicates the SA will lead the customer through the whole sales cycle. The lengthy job description includes “proficient in sales” and Tesla promises that individual performance will be rewarded. Since SA total compensation is significantly above their base pay, one might conclude that there is some form of financial incentive. Based on all that I would conclude that the showroom employees are in fact salespeople.
Chevy Blazer EV ads all over the MLB All-Star game tonight.
You order from a website so there’s no direct way to compensate for specific sale advisor, that’s the difference.
I don’t know much about the laws of physics, don’t know much about chemical reactions, but everything @1NJParent says about batteries and their lifespan is . Having been a car aficionado all my life.
Yes, there are not paid on commission, but they are still sales people.