Great Electric Cars At A Low Cost? Yes! – Los Alamos Reporter

BY TYLER TAYLOR
Los Alamos

There has been a bit of recent heartburn because electric vehicles that sell for $5,000 – $10,000
in China will soon face a 100% U.S. tariff. The unhappiness seems to come from a belief that a
high-quality EV can only be had in America today for $35,000 – $100,000. But I’ve got great
news: that assumption is completely wrong!

I want to share my recent experience with getting a very nice EV for a net price of $14,000.
Realizing that a) 98% of my trips are less than 125 miles and b) buying used EVs older than
2023 can produce a $4000 tax credit, I bought online a 2022 Nissan Leaf SV. It had been
leased for 2 years and driven only 2,300 miles. (Really!) Cost: $17,500 plus $550 for transport
from Phoenix. Ones with 15,000-20,000 miles were available for even less.

My car has heated seats, mirrors, and steering wheel, plus many new safety features, a quiet
ride, good power and road-hugging, and a quality sound system. The only drawback is storage
space, since the back seats don’t fold flat. Importantly, the motor’s batteries have an 8-year
warranty from Nissan, leaving me 6 years of security.

So, this is no clunker! The reason these are pretty cheap is the 160-mile range (vs. 225-350 in
new EVs), but that’s plenty for me to do all-day outings in and around Santa Fe. Charging low
batteries at a 220 V outlet takes 5–6 hours, a piece of cake to do overnight for almost anyone
who owns their home. I charge up about once a week. And consider these: electric power costs
a small fraction of gas, EVs require no oil or spark plug changes, and there’s no catalytic
converter to steal. I like being freed of so many of the car hassles I’ve long known. (I have,
though, kept my gas-powered 2016 AWD sedan for long trips, back road adventures, and
snow.)

While researching what EV or plug-in hybrid made sense for me, one comment on a website
stuck with me. “This isn’t about buying a new car, it’s about switching to a new lifestyle.” After 4
months, I see that as true, AND that the shift is getting very easy for Americans now, with just
minimal day-to-day planning. My range anxiety is almost gone!

So, it might be time to rethink the EV equation. The cost of a great electric car isn’t the hurdle
you probably have thought. And buying a 2-3 year old one allows you to:

 Cut your carbon footprint dramatically this year;
 Take advantage of a $4000 federal tax credit (if you buy a car for under $25K from a
dealer);
 Encourage US companies to lower costs for new EVs;
 Be a role model for others.

Autotrader.com or Cars.com can help you quickly learn what’s available, within whatever
mileage radius suits you. But be careful about prices advertised on Colorado EVs; they may
include whopping rebates only available to state residents.

Why wait? In my mind, being EV-skeptical 3 years ago was totally understandable. Not so much today,