One of our two cars is going to have to leave the family soon, and we’ve made a decision to go EV for the primary commuter car. Shrinking to one car is not an option given work and family logistics.
We’re mainly looking at the I3 (~2014/2015), the Leaf (~2014 up to new), and sort of the Bolt.
The Leaf probably needs to be certified pre-owned or new to ensure the new desert-friendly battery is installed (old Leaf battery has a prohibitively high failure rate in the desert), raising the used cost to within ~$3-4k of a used I3.
The Bolt is only available new, making it substantially more expensive, but it has a ~250 mile range, relative to ~80 mile for used Leaf and I3, and ~150 for new Leaf. The I3 takes off like a bat out of hell. The Leaf, not so much.
Most of our commuter range can be handled by the 80-mile limit, but it will be snug at least 2 days a week. 150 miles would easily handle it all. 250 is overkill, but how neat!
I get this is a personal finance/lifestyle forum, but I’ve seen the Leaf discussed somewhat regularly here, and imagine there are folks with some great insights. Any thoughts are appreciated.