real world EVs review

El Dobro

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Location
NJ
TDI
2017 Bolt EV Premier, 2023 Bolt EUV Premier
Doesn't matter if tesla decided it was made to fix or not, matters if the body shops and insurance company says it is worth fixing. Time amd time again we see the electric vehicles just arnt worth the cost of repair let alone the risk taken on by the repair shop for doing the repair. Can't hardly even get them to fix a dent without replacing a complete panel.
Watching the video you'll see it's not just EVs. ICE cars are also involved with repairability or being totaled.
 

gulfcoastguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2012
Location
MS Gulfcoast
TDI
TDI sold, Mazda 3 purchased
oh for sure. I mostly meant bringing it inhouse which brings the processes inhouse.

Which means in theory if the design teams worked together. They could make affordable parts, at high quality, that work really well together, and thus mechanics aren't cursing their names either.

Its amazing to me that their current model is to go, Yo Bosch give me X part where bosch then goes "Chinese manufacturer make this part for .02" and well hey car manufacturer wholesale on this part is $15, and then the car manufacturer marks it up to $30 to the consumer. Obviously not real numbers but the scale is still there. If the Car manufacturer could make it here for $7 and sell it for $22 then they still make the same margin and the consumer pockets some of the difference. Obviously in the current economy they'd still make it abroad, but it holds the same general concept... why deal with the middle man at all? Many of the cars are parts bin cars from different suppliers so scale isn't the issue.

idk maybe i don't understand enough about supply logistics, but the basics that i DO know about business is that middlemen = higher for the consumer, and often less profit for the manufacturer. Example my pellet stove had the door switch go out, to get it from quadrafire $45, finding the generic US version from a furnace $20, finding the part supplier, and buying it direct? $4 -- I bought 4 of these switches, current one has been working since last season no issue - Just saying.
Your pellet pooper pooped out? One of those ovoid green ceramic users here. And yes, just assembling a vehicle from what's available and comes in at the lowest bid is asking for trouble.
 

Abacus

That helpful B4 guy
Joined
Nov 10, 2007
Location
Relocated from Maine to Dewey, AZ
TDI
Only the B4V left
One member here has made multiple cross country trips in their Tesla Model 3. It actually sounds pretty easy: stop every 150-175 miles and charge from 10-80%, takes about 30 min. Not my preference but it can be done.
One of my staff has a Tesla and has driven it a few times from Arizona to New Hampshire. After the last trip he said he'd rent a gas car next time. He hated having to plan the entire trip around charging stations and said he fueled up 30 times.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Much of my "fleet", as well as countless resurrections, are results of the "it's not worth it" mentality. Amazing how many more years and hundreds of thousands of miles these cars still had left in them.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
I agree that a lot of people give up on their cars too soon. ALH drivers, however, are the opposite, it seems. They won't part with their cars. I'm right there with them. My son just dropped his 500K mile Golf off for rocker repair and some other fixes. I believe he can drive it for at least another 100K miles.
 

gearheadgrrrl

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2002
Location
Buffalo Ridge (southwest Minnesota)
TDI
'15 Golf DSG, '13 JSW DSG surrendered to VW, '03 Golf 2 door manual
To make their new engine cost comparisons look favorable to EVs the EV advocates quote the dealer installed price of a new IC engine. But in the real world engines are rebuilt or remanufactured for considerably less cost, but the automakers still pretty well control the market for replacement EV batteries and the costs usually run into 5 digit $$$.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Lots and lots of ALH owners have parted ways with their cars.... I have two of them right now. But often times they regret doing so. The guy I got my BEW Golf from has wanted to buy it back from me. Not gonna happen.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
A couple years ago I was at my guru's and a former ALH owner was there and said, "Everyone who has sold a MKIV TDI regrets it."
 

El Dobro

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Location
NJ
TDI
2017 Bolt EV Premier, 2023 Bolt EUV Premier
Recycle yards have Bolt batteries in the $2000-5000 range. If my Bolt ever needed a battery, I would look into it, but it seems batteries are living as long as the cars are.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
Wonder what LG did that Hitachi failed to? Because dead Nissan Leafs abound in auction lots. I think one member here has one that has its range down to about the end of the driveway to get the mail and back. For a car that's 12 years old and cost $30k new, that's pretty abysmal.
 

El Dobro

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Location
NJ
TDI
2017 Bolt EV Premier, 2023 Bolt EUV Premier
Wonder what LG did that Hitachi failed to? Because dead Nissan Leafs abound in auction lots. I think one member here has one that has its range down to about the end of the driveway to get the mail and back. For a car that's 12 years old and cost $30k new, that's pretty abysmal.
The Leafs didn't have a battery management system.
 

gulfcoastguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2012
Location
MS Gulfcoast
TDI
TDI sold, Mazda 3 purchased
No thermal management for Leaf batteries. That meant that they do well in a narrow swath of the US but not Minnesota or Arizona for instance. finding working Chademo plugs on road trips is an adventure also from what I hear.
 

ZippyNH

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2015
Location
Southern NH
TDI
2015 JETTA TDI SE
Recycle yards have Bolt batteries in the $2000-5000 range. If my Bolt ever needed a battery, I would look into it, but it seems batteries are living as long as the cars are.
How many times have the bolt been recalled for battery replacement and possibly fires?
Always seemed like a neat car but issues keep popping up... saying park them outside, don't drive them, etc
Guessing depending on the recall status if the battery pack, they might be either recent or possibly a ticking time bomb....buyer be ware....
 

El Dobro

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Location
NJ
TDI
2017 Bolt EV Premier, 2023 Bolt EUV Premier
How many times have the bolt been recalled for battery replacement and possibly fires?
Always seemed like a neat car but issues keep popping up... saying park them outside, don't drive them, etc
Guessing depending on the recall status if the battery pack, they might be either recent or possibly a ticking time bomb....buyer be ware....
I haven't had any issues with mine. There was a manufacturing issue with the battery, so to play it safe, the batteries were swapped out with new packs and the battery warranty started over. Works for me.
 

ZippyNH

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2015
Location
Southern NH
TDI
2015 JETTA TDI SE
Thanks Google
The Chevrolet Bolt has been recalled multiple times for battery issues, including:
November 2020: The first recall, which included instructions to limit charging capacity and bring some models to a dealer for diagnostics
July 2021: A recall for 2017–2019 models, which included a consumer alert from the NHTSA about ongoing fires
August 2021: A recall for 2020–2022 models, which was added after a dozen cars caught fire
Software update: A final software update was released in December 2021
Diagnostic software recall: A recall for 2020–2022 models due to issues with diagnostic software
The recalls were issued due to a combination of factors, including:
Two rare manufacturing defects in the same battery cell
Cells produced at LG's U.S. plant in Holland, Michigan, were also affected
The defects could create conditions that could lead to a short in affected cells
GM advised owners to:
Take their vehicle to a dealership to install the advanced diagnostic software
Park their Bolts outside away from buildings
Not leave vehicles plugged in to charge overnight
 
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