You want a cheap electric vehicle? I can tell you where to get one. Would $809 be too much? Go to aliexpress.us/item/3256804913775345.html? and pick your little monster. You won't know what you're buying, though. What's the brand name? They don't say. How many miles/years are left on the battery? They don't say. Does it come in a wooden box and you have to construct it?
So, you say no to AliExpress and decide to move on to a brand new electric from China. The Chinese make the cheapest car in the world, and over there Hongguang is the best-selling car of all cars on the road. The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV has a price starting at about $4,500 in U.S. dollars. But how much would it cost in America? Double that?
Well, they say the Wuling Hongguang is the cheapest car in China, but at $4,500, is it? China is also home to the ChangLi Electrek. Over there, you can get it for about $900. But here in America, it costs $6,500 -- plus maybe $800 for shipping.
But -- wait -- that is if you buy the Electrek through Electric Import Motors (EIM). What if you were to sidestep EIM and buy it through the Alibaba website? Well, that would put you back in the game. I've read that fees, taxes and shipping might perhaps total only $3,000. Stacked on top of the $900 sticker price, that still leaves you only paying about $4,000. Finally, we have an affordable car.
Or do we?
Alas, ChangLi vehicles are said to be not street legal in most areas of the U.S. And, with parts and windows and all needing to be made by a DOT-approved manufacturer, that isn't going to happen.
Here is another option for those of you desperate to find an EV you can afford: buy a Chevrolet Spark EV. It might be out of budget for most of us, but it might just make it for some. I am not finding figures on the 2022 model (and they probably all sold out), but the sticker price on a 2016 Spark EV 1LT was $25,995. Too much, you say? Well, you could rip the price down by about $11,000 by taking advantage of federal and state tax credits -- leaving you to pay less than $15,000.
While Chevrolet ceased production of the Spark EV in 2022, there are still used models on the market. Unfortunately, though, the battery life is only 3-5 years, so a used model might not be much of a deal. (At 3-5 years, even a new Spark becomes expensive.)
Have we exhausted all our options? Let's try a few more: First, march down to your nearest Polaris dealership -- yes, the folks who make the snowmobiles, and ask if they have any cars (carts might be the more appropriate term) from their Global Electric Motors (GEM) division. The little GEMs might be as cheap as $15,000 or less. On the plus side, they are American-made, being produced in Anaheim, California.
Then, how about the Smart car from Mercedes-Benz? They've quit making them in the U.S., but some used ones might still be available. Myself, I've quit seeing them.
Or is this affiliated with Smart (probably not)? I find a "Smart For Two" being advertised at BodyKits.com for a mere $1,499! It says it is made by Vertical Doors, Inc. So, I call the number the ad provides. Alas, you don't get a whole car. You are buying but a Lamborghini door kit.
(Index -- Climate change info)
Note: the following was not part of the original blog, but is some pricing I found on the cheapest models:
10. Honda e $30,000
9. Nobe GT100 $29,000
8. Volkawagen E-Up $27,000
7. Smart EQ For Two $23,900
6. ElectraMeccanica $18,000
5. Toyota C-Plus Pod $16,000
4. Microlino $12,000
3. Renault Twizy $9,700
2. Citreon Ami $6,000
1, Wuling Mini EV $4,500
No comments:
Post a Comment