So, with a little time on my hands, I decided to have a really close look at the current EV market (I think this could help other people if they are shopping/looking as well) .... with few non-negotiable conditions:
- car cannot be bigger than VW Golf .... specifically the length is a concern
- budget 30K OTD (not necessarily paying cash, but this is what I am willing to go to with financing ... or reasonably equivalent lease deal)
- Available for delivery in next 2-3 mths (what I mean by that is that, I am not putting deposit down without having a firm delivery day ... more on that later)
- Real world EV range 150km
So the above quickly takes Volt and Bolt out. Volt for size reasons (really need Cruze hatch with Voltec ... LOL), Bolt for price and availability reasons (no 2017 stock, 2018 can be ordered, with no certain delivery date ...)
Yesterday, I was surprised to find out that VW dealers have 2017 e-Golfs for test drive (I owned 2010 Golf TDI until last year, so I know damn well what the car can do). So, I hopped into one and basically was ready to sign a dotted line .... that's when I was delivered the bad news. We cannot tell you when in 2018 you'd receive the car. First, they indicated end of spring, beg. of summer ... which later turned into ... "I spoke to the manager and something is going on in the head-office, since they are telling us now that Aug 2018 is more likely". Needless to say, that I flat out said that I am not going to enter into binding agreement with no date, or date which is 9 months away ... a lot will happen in the marketplace in the meantime. I am not sure who runs VW, but surely this company is weird. They can produce, in my opinion flat out best budget hatchback, now available with EV drive train, yet they cannot figure out how the heck to satisfy demand, or at least provide some firm dates and numbers (they cannot even confirm what the lease/finance rates will be ..... really, and they want me to sign binding agreement??? I laughed .... to which the rep said, honestly, we already have sold 10 and people even didn't care. I believe them, perhaps I am getting really old. The fact of the matter is that it was a typical German arrogance on display, knowing damn well that they have a gem on their hands. I have not driven yet anything else than Bolt, but this Golf was just right. Quick enough, with superb handling no other EV will provide right now (I am not talking Tesla, because it's a different price world). I am pretty convinced of that and I completely understand now, why they have sold a lot of them in Europe.
Moving on, I am trying to get my hands on used i3 (I could live with the Range extender ... after all, I learned it actually works pretty well, if you know what you are doing) and brand new 2018 Kia Soul. Other cars are really not an option. Or do you think I am forgetting something?
