In 3 years, Renault Zoe 2x electric power with same battaery size

[ChewChewTrain]

Total Cost of Ownership and performance are NOT mutually exclusive. You can have BOTH!

There are different definitions of performance: 0-60mph, top speed, and handling. I weigh handling as most important, because I rarely need to go 0-60 in 2.1 seconds nor go faster than the 65mph speed limit. But a good handling car is appreciated from the moment to turn the key.

BTW, if you've never done so, give a Miata a test drive. It handles like a go-kart.

[R.I.D.E.]

Bought a 96 Miata (in 1996) at a salvage auction with 325 miles on the odometer for $3500. Never sold, wrecked by the salesman, his drugs still under the floor mat.

LOL, today I tried the Mirage at 60 mph FLOORED, 19.6 mpg.

[ChewChewTrain]

What became of the Miata?

Gee. Just noticed you're pulling some pretty good MPGs with your Mirage. What's the secret to your success, Gary?

[BlueRover]

Originally Posted by R.I.D.E.

My TCO should get to about 20 cents a mile at 100k.
Your's? Not even close.

My insurance cost run about that as well

[R.I.D.E.]

Originally Posted by ChewChewTrain

What became of the Miata?

Gee. Just noticed you're pulling some pretty good MPGs with your Mirage. What's the secret to your success, Gary?

The Miata, like every other salvage rebuild was sold (close to 200 from 1973 to current). Bought a 1977 280z the same way but it had been sold and totaled before it ever had the gas tank filled but one time.

Secrets to mileage:

Block heater

I'm an inertia addict.

Pulse drafting, when traffic is so heavy, preferably behind a big rig in the right lane. It's a tailgater repellant (and they are a huge percentage of traffic here, 60 mph with two lengths (30 feet) separation.

EOC at lower speeds utilizing every downhill opportunity, without disturbing the flow of traffic as long as other drivers act decently. MAX coast here is about .6 mile.

Ultragauge for instant FE readings as well as others.

Short shifting, even starting out in 2nd when I am the only occupant.

Local knowledge. I was born about 30 miles east of where I live now.

[ChewChewTrain]

So, Gary, you "flip" cars? Do you only flip auto auction, salvage cars or used cars off Craig's List, too?

[trollbait]

Originally Posted by R.I.D.E.

2004 Prius battery new was $6K.

The 2004 Prius was the first year of the generation that took the model out of niche status, and before Toyota consolidated their control over the battery supply line from mine to car.

Today, large NiMH packs cost around $500 per kilowatt hour. Today pays somewhere under that. The NiMH pack in the Prius is 1.3kWh.

While BASF has made some statements about NiMH having performance potential, it is a pretty mature technology. The battery costs won't be dropping much more because nickel is expensive.

Lithium is a lot cheaper than nickel. The large pack cost is down near $200 per kWh, and still dropping.

EV packs are generally considered 'bad' and ready for replacement when the the pack capacity has dropped to 80%. That means a bad pack could still meet the needs for some owners. If not, they are still good enough to be repurposed into things like cell tower power back ups.