New Vehicle Six Month Report Card
To the day, an ownership account since my June 3 purchase. With a filled gas tank to replicate the one that the dealership provided me, I’m ready to share my details. In sum, I love the technology and I love the car. It has been a total pleasure to drive. General thoughts:
INTERIOR
• I do not like the dashboard surface (tacky, rubber like), in contrast to the Gen1 surface which is smooth and easy to keep looking nice. I’ve used a damp chamois but even that leaves tiny particles. Any suggestions of cleaning method or surface prep products would be appreciated.
• Am disappointed that WeatherTech has not yet come to post with their front floor liners. They were great in my last car and it seems there should be enough Gen 2 volume for them to tool and produce the new product (???).
HVAC With a MI winter coming on I’m wondering how toasty I’ll be in the new wheels. The controls are not all that intuitive to me, and in the early going I’ve found that warmth is not a design priority (an EV drawback I suppose). But hey, maybe I should read the manual. I currently use the heated seat and the ECO setting with an occasional need to push the MAX button.
PREMIER W/ SAFETY 1 & 2 Love the back-up camera and the surround sensors, plus the front collision alert. Recommended to all future buyers.
AVERAGE ELECTRIC COST During the two-plus years with Ms. Kingfish’ vehicle, our electric bill increased by $31/month. Just before the new rolled in, the garage was outfitted with a 220V/100A sub panel and two chargers -- we also switched to off-peak pricing offered by the benevolent utility company (DTE). And while I drive double the miles of our Gen1, our bill increased by just another $31/month.
ELECTRIC DRIVING EFFICIENCY Love the re-gen paddle. And have found through experience that 45 mph is about the speed that coincides with the electric-mile gauge (one to one). Have also found that I can (almost) drive forever in city traffic at 35 mph and below. For the record, OnStar says I’m using electric 66% of the time.
GASOLINE For 7082 miles driven, I have put $108 in the car. I visit the fossil fuel station every 3.25 weeks on average and find the daily home plug-in routine far preferable and less onerous than my old regimen.
THE GEEKY MATH SUMMARY So when you do the total mash-up, it shakes out to $49/month to energize my car. If you figure gasoline (conservatively) at $2.50/gal over the life of my former ride, the cost was $111/month. That’s a 56% operational savings.
So, just a stake in the ground here; documenting my brief experience as pay-it-forward info for those who would come after me in their own brave new ownership adventure. Please feel free to share your thoughts on mine as it is very likely there are discoveries about this automobile I have not made.
Thanks,
TheKingfish
2014 Brownstone Metallic / Pebble Beige Leather-Suede / purchased April 2014
2017 Citron Green Metallic / Jet Black Leather / purchased June 2016
INTERIOR
• I do not like the dashboard surface (tacky, rubber like), in contrast to the Gen1 surface which is smooth and easy to keep looking nice. I’ve used a damp chamois but even that leaves tiny particles. Any suggestions of cleaning method or surface prep products would be appreciated.
• Am disappointed that WeatherTech has not yet come to post with their front floor liners. They were great in my last car and it seems there should be enough Gen 2 volume for them to tool and produce the new product (???).
HVAC With a MI winter coming on I’m wondering how toasty I’ll be in the new wheels. The controls are not all that intuitive to me, and in the early going I’ve found that warmth is not a design priority (an EV drawback I suppose). But hey, maybe I should read the manual. I currently use the heated seat and the ECO setting with an occasional need to push the MAX button.
PREMIER W/ SAFETY 1 & 2 Love the back-up camera and the surround sensors, plus the front collision alert. Recommended to all future buyers.
AVERAGE ELECTRIC COST During the two-plus years with Ms. Kingfish’ vehicle, our electric bill increased by $31/month. Just before the new rolled in, the garage was outfitted with a 220V/100A sub panel and two chargers -- we also switched to off-peak pricing offered by the benevolent utility company (DTE). And while I drive double the miles of our Gen1, our bill increased by just another $31/month.
ELECTRIC DRIVING EFFICIENCY Love the re-gen paddle. And have found through experience that 45 mph is about the speed that coincides with the electric-mile gauge (one to one). Have also found that I can (almost) drive forever in city traffic at 35 mph and below. For the record, OnStar says I’m using electric 66% of the time.
GASOLINE For 7082 miles driven, I have put $108 in the car. I visit the fossil fuel station every 3.25 weeks on average and find the daily home plug-in routine far preferable and less onerous than my old regimen.
THE GEEKY MATH SUMMARY So when you do the total mash-up, it shakes out to $49/month to energize my car. If you figure gasoline (conservatively) at $2.50/gal over the life of my former ride, the cost was $111/month. That’s a 56% operational savings.
So, just a stake in the ground here; documenting my brief experience as pay-it-forward info for those who would come after me in their own brave new ownership adventure. Please feel free to share your thoughts on mine as it is very likely there are discoveries about this automobile I have not made.
Thanks,
TheKingfish
2014 Brownstone Metallic / Pebble Beige Leather-Suede / purchased April 2014
2017 Citron Green Metallic / Jet Black Leather / purchased June 2016
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