Is my shiny new(ish) focus EV about to become worthless?

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douglas685

Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
14
Hello everyone, its been a while since I've been on here.

I came across an article which I found to be intriguing yet quite concerning at the same time. Rumors are reporting that the 2016 Nissan Leaf will have 186 miles range.

Given this, my guess is Ford's reply shall be... nothing. Ford has already seemingly pulled the plug on the Focus EV, offering very few updates or much support for the Focus EV and almost no long term strategy for BEV's but rather an all-or-nothing PHEV approach.

Given this, my concern is that my Focus EV which I paid $16,500 for (a bargain, but definitely not "cheap") will be rendered worthless by a $22,000ish (after tax credit) brand new Nissan Leaf with 186 miles range, quickcharging capability, and much much larger support base.

Am I off base here? Why would anyone pay more than say $10,000 or so for a used car that has 76 miles range when for just over $20,000 they can buy a shiny new car that is actually practical for more than just commuting and grocery runs?

Just my thoughts; I bought the Focus EV hoping for aftermarket battery upgradability in the future, otherwise I fear the Focus EV will become nothing more than a very shiny leather-trimmed golf cart.

Thoughts?
 
rumors are funny. 1. I still don't know if I would want a LEAF - it still will be butt ugly. 2. I find it hard to believe there will be a 186 mile range Leaf in the next couple of years. 3. If there is 186 mile car, I am sure Ford and other manufacturers will reply with a similar car as they did with the FFE. 4. When and if these extended range batteries become available, we will probably be able to retrofit them in our cars.

Rumors are rumors - I will believe it when I see it. Remember the 35, 000 Tesla 3? It will be 50k now and wont be out until at least 2017.

Meanwhile I will happily enjoy driving my awesome car with its 78 mile range 95% of the time and use the other car for trips when I need to.
 
douglas685 said:
Am I off base here? Why would anyone pay more than say $10,000 or so for a used car that has 76 miles range when for just over $20,000 they can buy a shiny new car that is actually practical for more than just commuting and grocery runs?

Thoughts?
Well, someone who wants a car for commuting and grocery runs might. That is about 95% of what our FFE is used for, the other 5% being shopping on the weekends, visiting family nearby, etc. In our household, the FFE fills its intended purpose very well. When we need a car for another purpose, we use another car. If I am traveling that far, I want to drive a bigger car, even if it does use gas.
 
Keep in mind what the rumors are: The main rumor I have heard is that the next gen Leaf will be available with multiple battery sizes which implies that the one with the large range will also have a larger battery and a larger price tag.

All of the rumors started with a customer survey that Nissan did. They had asked current Leaf owners if they were willing to pay extra $$ for a Leaf with a larger battery--market testing.
 
You didn't mention if you liked the car or if it was working out for you. If it is, I wouldn't concern myself with rumors.
 
I don't really care what other cars come out, the price tag, or the depreciation. People come up with their price comparisons and reasons for justifying any purchase, but I bought my FFE because I liked it. The value for the money to me made sense. Sure, I save on gas and maintenance, but the bottom line is, I wanted an EV. My car has depreciated and the price has dropped, and cars are soon to come out with further range...again, don't care because my decision points were good ones. I commute 30mi/day. I can charge at work. I love driving the car every time I get in it. There was no upgrade in the plan nor was one ever implied.

New cars will come out that are cheaper or better, but I still like mine and will keep it till as long as it still runs reliably....a different discussion.

So is my car worthless?....well, to others, it may be worth-less, but to me, it is still totally worth-it.
 
davideos said:
I don't really care what other cars come out, the price tag, or the depreciation. People come up with their price comparisons and reasons for justifying any purchase, but I bought my FFE because I liked it. The value for the money to me made sense. Sure, I save on gas and maintenance, but the bottom line is, I wanted an EV. My car has depreciated and the price has dropped, and cars are soon to come out with further range...again, don't care because my decision points were good ones.

Nonsense! It doesn't matter if the car meets all of your needs, the point is that you could have something even better. This is why you should never buy anything.

Inevitably, something better will come out. Think about your phone or laptop... within a few years of buying it, it will lose 90% of its value. The same will happen with this new leaf, in 2020 a new model will come out with 250 miles of range and a more powerful motor. Imagine how much a fool those who purchased the 2015 model will be!

The only sure way to stop this is never spending your money.
 
Hvatum said:
Nonsense! It doesn't matter if the car meets all of your needs, the point is that you could have something even better. This is why you should never buy anything.
:lol: Materialism back-firing on itself! Never buy anything, because nothing is worth buying, because there is always something better to buy.
 
All good points. I've gone back and forth on my FFE purchase decision for three months running. Now, I'm desperate to get one because I need the FFE's utility NOW (my 11-year-old, ICE-powered V8 is falling apart). The FFE's range should cover my 62-mile, round-trip commute without issue (plus, I have 120V available at work if I need it).
 
Gigi said:
douglas685 said:
Am I off base here? Why would anyone pay more than say $10,000 or so for a used car that has 76 miles range when for just over $20,000 they can buy a shiny new car that is actually practical for more than just commuting and grocery runs?

Thoughts?
Well, someone who wants a car for commuting and grocery runs might. That is about 95% of what our FFE is used for, the other 5% being shopping on the weekends, visiting family nearby, etc. In our household, the FFE fills its intended purpose very well. When we need a car for another purpose, we use another car. If I am traveling that far, I want to drive a bigger car, even if it does use gas.
I completely agree and that's what we do in our household. Gigi looking at your list on your profile, you must be a dealer or really like Fords. Lol :D
 
twscrap said:
This is why I leased.

Yup. I figure the electric car industry is really barely out of diapers, if it even is. In 3 years, I don't know where we'll be with battery life and drivable distance, but probably better than we have now. And, as relatively new as the FFE is, we really don't have a good idea of what the life expectancy is of the car as a whole. Leasing was the only thing that made sense to me.
 
This is also why I leased but with the snails pace that Ford is going at in improving the FFE by the time my lease is up all I'll get for it is a few more colors in the next FFE...!
 
I'm hoping for an affordable Tesla in 3 years, actually. But there's a lot to happen between here and there. If nothing else, I'll probably still be happy with another FFE.
 
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