My beloved Niro EV, Carmen Electric, was totaled last week. There are none to be found anywhere nearby. I’m faced with getting another model. I’m looking for EV recommendations under $50k, and I’ll take a plug-in hybrid if I can’t find a full electric. The Niro was a terrific car, I’m so sad.
Try going to a site like cars.com, do an ‘advanced search’ for EVs and PHEVs near you, in your price range. Most all under $50k near me are Chevy Bolts.
With the supply of vehicles still a problem all you can do is the same thing the rest of us do . Look at every dealer near you within a distance radius you can live with . If you see something that appeals to you then go look at it . You might find a used vehicle for a low price to drive while you search for a replacement .
Do a nationwide search for a new or used Niro at a dealer. It can be shipped to your area for not a ton of money OR you could grab a friend and road-trip, or fly out and drive back.
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I hope you get to keep the battery from your totaled EV. A nearly new 70kW-hr battery would should be worth over $10,000. How many miles do you have on it?
Where do you get these stupid ideas ? The insurance is going to take the entire vehicle .
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They usually offer the owner to buy it back. Since EV batteries are not available for sale like other parts, the true cost has been hidden from the public, and the huge value may not be realized by the insurance or salvage industry. It might be a good idea to buy some battery packs from salvage yards now as an investment, if they can be properly stored a low temperature environment.
And what are they supposed to do with this vehicle specific battery ?
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Of course they are for sale like other parts. Head to the dealer and order one for, say, a Chevy Bolt. See below… for $13,564.11 plus shipping
Where do you get this crap. These battery’s can and do get replaced. Every dealer with an EV in their line up will sell you just the battery if that’s what you want.
I guess hope that one of the other 50 or so Niro owners need a spare.
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They want to replace their EV with an identical one.
If you can buy back a $5000 battery from insurance for the $800 buy back price or whatever it is why not go for it? The battery just needs to kept cool in storage and between about 10% and 30% charge so it doesn’t degrade.
I thought with the Nissan Leafs you couldn’t get a replacement battery. It’s a special item with a special procedure that a dealer has to go though, if they can get it at all. Similar with Tesla. It’s available to an authorized repair center only and only they can install it in the vehicle. At least in the past, it was always a warranty repair and the price was concealed from the customer.
I’m glad to hear that GM is making the battery a regular part that can be ordered.
Salvage value will be a lot more than that, those parts have value. Minimum bid on this Niro is $18,500.
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Just like a Volt battery…
I still haven’t seen a ‘Tesla replacement battery costs $XX,000’ source, other than what folks think they cost. Battery costs are going up now, not down, because lithium and other battery raw materials are going up (WAY up).
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So you want them to hang on to this battery for 10+ years in the hope they MIGHT need it.
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Well they call this any port in the storm. Gotta have a car, limited availability. Maybe gotta change requirements for a little while.
I considered changing cars for five years but couldn’t decide on anything I liked. Then it developed a problem and in four days was driving a new car. When push comes to shove. . .
I think the 90s comment was a little tongue in cheek to salvage a part for the potential $10-20,000 potential battery replacement, but from a practical standpoint, even if you have a place to properly store it, how are you going to keep it charged?
Yep, come back in a couple of years to a VERY expensive brick.
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Not tongue in check . Just another of his goofy ideas posted without any thought behind it.
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The Hyundai Ioniq EV might not be easier to find but it’s what a friend of mine’s getting next. He’s also been really happy with his Niro EV but has fallen for the Hyundai.
It won’t discharge quickly like it does when it’s in the EV. Various devices with lithium ion batteries can be stored for years without charging. When the battery is in good condition 5 years shouldn’t be a problem if stored in a cool place. Then they’ll have to put a lithium ion charger on it. But that’s a once every several year chore.