2020 500 all electric

JimD

Waiting for Godot...
Moderator
Youtube offered this video to me this morning. I had heard that the 500 was discontinued in the US, but hadn't heard it was electric only going forward. I think electric cars make a lot of sense as city cars.


The video is heavy on marketing.
 
From what I've been seeing, electric vehicles are really becoming popular in some parts of Europe. Particularly with the extremely high cost of petrol making it actually less expensive to run electric (unlike here in America), and with many European regions having very strict emissions standards, plus expensive fees to drive petrol vehicles in heavily populated areas. Similarly LP power has been quite popular for the same reasons. But until those factors change the balance of operating cost in America I think it will continue to be a very limited market for electric vehicles here. Eventually it will get there, we often follow European trends.
 
I have been driving my home built EV for 20 years now and really like the feel.
I average about 3000 miles a year and figuring on the high side it cost $123 in electricity.
In my state and several others the powers that be have decided they are losing fuel tax revenue so here there is now a, $200 for all electric and $100 for hybrid cars, registration fee added on.
I am now paying a higher tax than if I had left the car running on gas.
Still like the electric though.
 
$200 for all electric and $100 for hybrid cars, registration fee added on
That's the first I've heard of that. Sure seems counterproductive toward saving the environment, if that was the government's true interest. But I'm sure money will always win over intentions. Sad indeed.
 
I have been driving my home built EV for 20 years now and really like the feel.
I average about 3000 miles a year and figuring on the high side it cost $123 in electricity.
In my state and several others the powers that be have decided they are losing fuel tax revenue so here there is now a, $200 for all electric and $100 for hybrid cars, registration fee added on.
I am now paying a higher tax than if I had left the car running on gas.
Still like the electric though.
That's pretty brilliant the federal gov't gives you a tax credit for a new ev, for the time being, and then the state takes it back. Palm forcefully applied to forehead.
 
The government giveth and the government taketh away. Minnesota keeps floating the idea of congestion pricing and tracking cars. I would rather pay a fixed fee and not have congestion pricing and tracking.
 
Actually it is about road maintenance. Most states use gas tax money to pay for the roads our vehicles travel on. This is actually trying to level the playing field so we all pay our share of the burden.

Electric vehicles use the road and create wear and tear. Particularly the new electric trucks.

It all has to be paid for somehow.
 
Nature doesn't need us to save it. It will shrug us off, like it did the dinosaurs. Whatever comes next will wonder what happened to all those funny looking, two legged, creatures that were so enamored of themselves. :)
 
Actually it is about road maintenance. Most states use gas tax money to pay for the roads our vehicles travel on. This is actually trying to level the playing field so we all pay our share of the burden.
Good point. If I had any faith in the government to actually spend funds where they are intended to be spent, in an efficient manner, and with any sort of intelligent consideration of how/when/where/why to spend it, then I wouldn't mind paying taxes or fees for things that were appropriate.
 
I tend to be a bit more trusting.

You pay gas taxes today and in many places it is actually used to properly maintain the roads. In Michigan the legislature changed the manner in which the they used them and have failed to further arrange to pay for the roads, as a result the roads here suck.
 
It's really too bad. My 2015 500e won't last forever. It would have been nice to get the Gen 2 version of it. Triple the range of the original. The higher power is also welcome. Mine just launches off the line, then tapers off at about 40 mph. Then it's done. The torque is addictive.
 
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