[Forestlight]

I have been interested in an EV for some time. Have an opportunity to lease a 2022 ID4 Pro at a great price with both federal and state incentives (We live in Southern NJ) but need some advise. My wife and I are retired, she’s 71 and I’m 67 and we are unable to home charge. The closest Electrify America public station is only 5 minutes from our home. My wife is really against getting an EV due to charging times, etc. we only have one vehicle so this would be our primary car. Does it make sense to move forward with getting the ID4 or is my wife right that it’s not practical for us? Thanks for any advice as I’m really struggling with this decision.

I am in your wife’s age. In my situation my husband is open to an EV though.
I wonder if your wife considers some of the underlying values connected with having an EV. Climate is the first one I think of, but ease of long term maintenance, the pleasure of driving, making positive contributions to the culture and greater good are also in there. These are all things that motivated me. Plus it’s true that I am a gearhead of sorts since way back🤔
I chose to lease a Leaf a year ago as a learning car. I have learned so much!,,, I was initially intimidated to use public charging, but after the first time, SO EASY. Especially getting it for free. Choose a place where you can do errands or have dinner, and you care for the car at the same time.
It is necessary to adjust your life if you choose an EV, but I have found it immensely satisfying. You need to mindfully plan ahead and be responsible in a different way. There is also a way in which the car is so quiet and responsive to you that the relationship you develop with it is different. My husband agrees.
Fear is an obstacle at first, but the sense of accomplishment in meeting the challenge is so worth it. I have looked at many EVs in the past year in this price range. I find the ID4 is the nicest, most comfortable, best equipped.
Good luck to you both.

 

[CentralMaineBob]

One more thought to consider. If you get the ID.4 and decide that it isn't for you, the resale value these days is quite high. The only issue to consider if you might decide to sell the car is what you could get to replace it. Even if you lease, I suspect the leasing company/Volkswagen would make you a reasonable offer to buy out the lease.

This said, I suspect that you both will fall in love with the car, just as my wife and I have. We are 69 and 70 respectively. I will reiterate what others have mentioned in this thread. I suspect you can find many level 2 charges around you that you might find convenient charging locations. Owning an EV does get you thinking differently about how to "fill your tank".

 

[Mrau]

Normally folks that can not charge at home or at work are not good candidates for an EV. However, since you drive less than 200 miles a week I think you will be just fine. You will develop a charging routine that works for you and will enjoy driving an EV.

As an added benefit you will be able to turn on the climate control a few minutes before you leave out the door on those cold mornings and hot afternoons, especially with the car parked outside.

 

[Manybees]

I agree with the general sentiment already stated in this thread that after a period of adjustment, it would probably work out fine for both of you, and you’ll end up loving it. I believe that one of the best things to do to convince someone about going EV is to actually have them drive one. Once you own one, it may take some time to change your thinking and get out of the ICE mindset, but eventually you learn what the car can do, how often you need to charge it, and you adjust your behaviors around charging, maintenance, etc.

One other thing to keep in mind is that the current number of both Level 2 and DC fast chargers in your area is not likely to remain static in the coming years, but should only continue to grow. More DCFC stations are being built all the time, esp in the Northeast where EV ownership is being incentivized by state grants on top of federal tax credits. So making a decision based solely on the “charger anxiety” she has based on what’s there today might be skewing the decision toward the negative.

 

[daverp]

I think you've gotten a lot of great advice so far, just want to make sure you don't get your hopes up based on your statement of a August arrival, and you have to make a decision soon. Are you basing plans off an agreement with a dealer and not just what you're seeing on their website? It would be unusual for one to be arriving in August that isn't spoken for, it's also unusual that you have time to make a decision. These cars are largely spoken for many, many, months ago, they only come up on the lot when someone backs out of a reservation, when that occurs they are usually sold quickly, like the first person to answer the phone gets it.

 

[MARKS]

I have been lurking here for months. I am in the same boat as Nick. Waiting for the 2023 models to come out. But also worried about the interest rates. Bought a Subaru 2 years ago with 0 interest rate. If I trade it in, will be paying near 6%

 

[DoubleNicks]

Going by my model, you will be charging once every 3 weeks!

That’s less than my current gas fill ups. Thanks.

Those kinds of hypotheticals are complicated only because there are multiple hospitals out there, and "extended period" is kind of open-ended. But it still comes down to a question of how many miles/day one might drive in this scenario, and you still have a nearby EA that would let you top up in 15-20 minutes any time you need it.

Very true. We are no more that 25 miles from at least 4 hospitals and some are even closer. I was just giving everyone my wife's argument against getting an EV as our only car. I agree that it's really not an issue and may not even happen.

 

[DoubleNicks]

I think you've gotten a lot of great advice so far, just want to make sure you don't get your hopes up based on your statement of a August arrival, and you have to make a decision soon. Are you basing plans off an agreement with a dealer and not just what you're seeing on their website? It would be unusual for one to be arriving in August that isn't spoken for, it's also unusual that you have time to make a decision. These cars are largely spoken for many, many, months ago, they only come up on the lot when someone backs out of a reservation, when that occurs they are usually sold quickly, like the first person to answer the phone gets it.

I completely understand. This is a salesperson that I've been working with for a while. He called me on Friday and said he has an ID4 Pro coming in sometime in August and said he would reserve it for me. I've worked with him before and he has always been straight forward with me. He emailed me a PDF of the car's sticker so I assume it is coming it. I do, however, know someone who's been waiting 10 months for an order he placed on an ID4 so this certainly could happen. I'll let everyone know how it goes assuming I can get the wife on-board.

I sincerely want to thank everyone for all of your knowledge and advice. It has helped me with making my decision.

 

[daverp]

I completely understand. This is a salesperson that I've been working with for a while. He called me on Friday and said he has an ID4 Pro coming in sometime in August and said he would reserve it for me. I've worked with him before and he has always been straight forward with me. He emailed me a PDF of the car's sticker so I assume it is coming it. I do, however, know someone who's been waiting 10 months for an order he placed on an ID4 so this certainly could happen. I'll let everyone know how it goes assuming I can get the wife on-board.

I sincerely want to thank everyone for all of your knowledge and advice. It has helped me with making my decision.

Sounds like you got a good sales person. He must of had someone cancel on a confirmed reservation and he's going to sell you that car. Having a good, long, relationship with a dealer is a good thing.

 

[DoubleNicks]

Sounds like you got a good sales person. He must of had someone cancel on a confirmed reservation and he's going to sell you that car. Having a good, long, relationship with a dealer is a good thing.

Thanks.

 

[daverp]

That’s less than my current gas fill ups. Thanks.

What are you driving now? Trying to guess an ICE car with less than 275 mile range.

 

[DoubleNicks]

One more thought to consider. If you get the ID.4 and decide that it isn't for you, the resale value these days is quite high. The only issue to consider if you might decide to sell the car is what you could get to replace it. Even if you lease, I suspect the leasing company/Volkswagen would make you a reasonable offer to buy out the lease.

This said, I suspect that you both will fall in love with the car, just as my wife and I have. We are 69 and 70 respectively. I will reiterate what others have mentioned in this thread. I suspect you can find many level 2 charges around you that you might find convenient charging locations. Owning an EV does get you thinking differently about how to "fill your tank".

Glad to know that you are at the same stage of life as my wife and I which helps immensely in the decision process. Thank you very much.

 

[DoubleNicks]

What are you driving now? Trying to guess an ICE car with less than 275 mile range.

Driving a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Sport. It can get up to 33 mpg on highway driving but for the kind of driving my wife and I do, I'm averaging about 23mpg. It's not that I dislike the car at all, but $160 monthly gas bills are becoming common but besides that, I've been looking at moving to an EV for over a year now.

 

[daverp]

Driving a 2021 Subaru Crosstrek Sport. It can get up to 33 mpg on highway driving but for the kind of driving my wife and I do, I'm averaging about 23mpg. It's not that I dislike the car at all, but $160 monthly gas bills are becoming common but besides that, I've been looking at moving to an EV for over a year now.

In that case so you can have the right expectation based on the rated rang of that vehicle, if you drive the ID.4 in similar fashion, you should expect to need to charge about twice as much as you gas up currently. Since you live near an EA fast charger you'll save the $160, but you'll lose some time.

 

[DoubleNicks]

In that case so you can have the right expectation based on the rated rang of that vehicle, if you drive the ID.4 in similar fashion, you should expect to need to charge about twice as much as you gas up currently. Since you live near an EA fast charger you'll save the $160, but you'll lose some time.

Understood. Thank you.

 

[Huey52]

Even my average home L2 cost is $6 per 100 miles, and I don't have anywhere near the lowest rate 'round here. And then the folks with solar cells...

'course all-EA DCFC and/or local free L2 is the optimal ROI.

Also 70/69, so we have time (although I rarely waste it driving to my not so convenient nearest EA).

In that case so you can have the right expectation based on the rated rang of that vehicle, if you drive the ID.4 in similar fashion, you should expect to need to charge about twice as much as you gas up currently. Since you live near an EA fast charger you'll save the $160, but you'll lose some time.

 

[daverp]

Even my average home L2 cost is $6 per 100 miles, and I don't have anywhere near the lowest rate 'round here. And then the folks with solar cells...

'course all-EA DCFC and/or local free L2 is the optimal ROI.

Also 70/69, so we have time (although I rarely waste it driving to my not so convenient nearest EA).

Agreed, L2 home will always be cheepiest (excluding free options), I didn't mention that as DoubleNicks mentioned home charging is not on option for him at all.

 

[LHNinME]

It's a shame your condo association made the decision not to install an EVSE for people to use. Not very forward thinking but who knows, maybe in a year they will change their minds. I think we are on a tipping point with EVs. My husband and I are similar in age to you and your wife, but we are not retired so we still need two cars. We are hoping to trade in our Tiguan when our ID.4 arrives, sometime in the far distant future the way things are going.

My son had his Leaf for about 6 weeks before he got the setup to charge at home installed. With the amount he drives, he needs to charge every day. Certainly charging at home is much more convenient, but he managed to find chargers at grocery stores and so on that made it workable for him. It sounds like you'll be charging less so I think you will be able to come up with a routine, as long as your wife is on board with the whole idea. That's really key. My sister is having to replace an ancient vehicle and wanted an EV (she drives 2 miles to work and not much more than that for errands so it would have been perfect) but her husband is dead set against them (see the "common myths" thread--that's what he sounds like) so they are getting an ICE car. Sigh...

 

[daverp]

It's a shame your condo association made the decision not to install an EVSE for people to use. ..

It's going to be an increasingly touchy situation as adoption increases. I've seen them at recently built properties but they are pretty rare at older properties. It's much easier for a developer to install them when a property is being built and using them as a selling point than convincing all the owners at an existing building to pay to add them, considering the vast majority won't have an EV.

 

[ericy]

It's going to be an increasingly touchy situation as adoption increases. I've seen them at recently built properties but they are pretty rare at older properties. It's much easier for a developer to install them when a property is being built and using them as a selling point than convincing all the owners at an existing building to pay to add them, considering the vast majority won't have an EV.

It gets real complicated real fast. Some places have reserved parking - those have the most complicated situtation. In those cases, in some cases a condo board might put chargers in the guest slots, but that limits guest parking.

My cousin lives in a building where they have reserved parking - there each owner foots the bill for installing their own EVSE, but the garage seems to be relatively well provisioned so the cost to each owner isn't prohibitive. I saw at least two the last time I was there.