Need Help with Lease Anxiety

[likegadgets]

Given the current state of Lucid service delays, long time service holds on to the cars, inability to reasonably reach Lucid support, reported defects in brand new cars, my personal experience of multiple service (minor) issues in just 3 months of my lease, the unfulfilled features "any moment" that do not and will not arrive, the reported cash burn rate and lower stock price that hints at financial issues, I am glad I leased for only 24 months (21 to go). Not all Lucid's have issues, the Gravity is generally a fun car to drive, but I greatly miss my experience with the reliability and feature set of my iX BMW and superb service experience.

 

[TahoeMichael]

EVs are disposable cars, yes.

The technology continues to evolve, so those who want the latest and greatest will need to regularly upgrade. But EVs have proven to be much more durable than the doubters thought would be the case, and are definitely not disposable.

 

[donfenn]

Do you even have to disclose the miles if you are negotiating a lower buyout?

My car had 26,000 miles, although they never asked about mileage. I had to push to get a negotiated buyout price. I mentioned this in another thread, but if you simply call and ask for the payoff, you’ll likely be quoted the residual. In my experience, you need to persist and specifically ask for a negotiated buyout. I was told the quotes vary based on their “market pricing.” When I called back two weeks after my first quote, the price had gone up by $300. Fortunately, my original quote was valid for 30 days, so they honored it.

That was my experience, but I don’t know whether the same pricing or programs will remain available.

 

[socktucker]

The technology continues to evolve, so those who want the latest and greatest will need to regularly upgrade. But EVs have proven to be much more durable than the doubters thought would be the case, and are definitely not disposable.

Right but you’re not going to see a 20 year old EVs at the high schools

 

[coupedncal]

Right but you’re not going to see a 20 year old EVs at the high schools

It is a matter of when not if when the prices of replacement batteries come down that we will see 20 year old cars on the streets.

 

[socktucker]

It is a matter of when not if when the prices of replacement batteries come down that we will see 20 year old cars on the streets.

I guess you can do that with a Prius now. Wonder how long.

 

[illopp00]

The issue is after 20 years the battery will be down 20% range anyways, at least an ICE car I can replace all the components easily and tune it to get MPG and power back, though not brand new. Making battery packs with modular replacements would be more sustainable. Which is why I'd rather have a NIO with battery swap, the software and rest of the car will always be up to date along with a battery pack that is swapped out. I think my iphone is at least tuned to have the battery life meet the needs of the software and chips' on board power demands. Its most definitely functioning but obsolete after 4-5 years anyways. My PC I can change out the cards at anytime and have fast stuff.

 

[donfenn]

I’m not sure that I—or many other owners—plan to keep an EV forever. For very long-term ownership, and collectability an ICE vehicle may have the advantage in serviceability. But for the few years I expect to own mine, driving without gasoline, oil changes, and the usual engine maintenance seems like a reasonable trade-off.

 

[Northpointe]

The depreciation curve of EV's is a bit steeper but there are several reasons for that. The early EV's were typically priced at a premium above equivalent gas models. That price differential was somewhat mitigated with tax credits. The price disparity has now moderated and the cost differential isn't as meaningful as it once was. The EV market has also evolved at a level that outpaces ICE vehicles. Cars have become more efficient and range has continually improved. It creates a scenario where EV's of a few years ago are more dated than their newer counterparts. Cars with range barely exceeding 200 miles have been surpassed by vehicles that routinely now exceed 300. You don't really see this phenomenon occurring with ICE vehicles where MPG has largely plateaued (save for hybrids). The notion of EV's being obsolete after a period of time is largely a myth. Catastrophic battery failures have been nowhere near what was predicted and have become far less of an issue over time. There are Tesla's that have been on the road for over a decade and have racked up hundred of thousands of miles. While the batteries may have some degradation the cars, when properly cared for, have held up quite well and it's not inconceivable that some may make it to 20 years.