Last spring it was time to buy a new car and we all know that the car buying experience can range from a whole lot of fun to a whole lot of stress. I can only hope that in my 30+ years in the auto sales business that I kept the needle for customers closer to the former than the latter!
Since we are retired and with 4 wonderful grand children 28 kms from home we wanted function over sport, quiet over noise, economy over luxury and above all to send them a message that we are listening...to them.
Our 2013 Volkswagen Golf, Wolfsburg edition, was really a wonderful car so we looked there first. They had a new electric version last spring that teased us but failed to meet the distance test with a maximum range then of 200 kms in ideal conditions. Great for commuters but I have to drive to Belleville at least once a month. I would have to stop and charge 3-4 times in warm weather and 6 times in cold times like last week!
In doing research last winter I had to find the cars that had better range. Tesla, too expensive, leads the way with range but fails my need for function. The lower priced Tesla 3 is a sedan...where do I put my bike? ...and don't say on a rack...don't even go there!
The Nissan Leaf is interesting and the new Kia Soul e-version kind of cool but both somewhat limited in range. There are many others that may meet your wants or needs but did not check our boxes.
One of the serious challenges in shopping for an electric vehicle is availability. Try to find one on a dealer's lot! Supply is an issue but dealers who make their livelihood selling pickups aren't yet interested....yet...! There are exceptions as some dealers and some salespeople are more progressive than others. Mary and I found Jim Faragalli of Wills Chev Olds in Grimsby to be the best. He found us a car when others sang the blues! Jim has sold many Volts and Bolts and knew his product well. John McHugh, the General Manager, is committed to the electric vehicles and told me he would be grabbing as many as he could. They have managed to finally acquire inventory as this link shows!
Jim, John, Ashley and the service team have all treated us well so drop in and say Ian sent me! ...yes I did spend 30+ years in sales...and proud of it too! I was referred to Wills by my Poker buddy John Klassen. Thank you John!
Fortunately there is also a place where you can see most electric vehicles and learn about charging etc., in a completely unbiased way (not that I was shown any bias or pressure by Jim) Through a partnership between manufacturers, power companies and government, a "showroom" for electric vehicles, the Electric Vehicle Discovery Centre near York University, is the perfect place to visit.
If you have any thoughts about buying an electric car, do yourself a favour, visit the website but more importantly visit the Discovery Centre and compare makes and models....or just ask for Jim at Wills...
Our JuiceBox Home Charger
This is one of the prime motivators in owning an Electric car. Charging a car in your garage (or driveway) while you sleep! In Ontario we have surplus electricity between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. and this is reflected in the rates we pay. Currently we pay about 11.5 cents per Kw delivered ($.065 plus del.). Our battery capacity is 60 Kw so about $7.00 for a "fill up". Follow this link to more info on the JuiceBox
In the summer we got close to 500 kms on some full charges! General Motors suggests 383 kms as the range with driving conditions including terrain, speed, and temperature being the key variables. Last week in the extreme cold the car's computer screen predicted a range of only 235 kms !!! We are keeping a close watch on the weather forecasts for departure day.
BTW the charger cost of $839 plus tax, plus installation, came to just over $1400, less a government rebate (now cancelled) of $750, for a net cost to us of $650. For a fuel cost comparison we use our previous car, the VW Golf which coincidentally was almost the exact specifications in size. In 15,000 kms of driving the charger has already paid for itself.
Stay tuned tomorrow for the trip route!
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