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Comment by mrits | Hacker News Reader

Driving an old pickup truck is an ostentatious display of wealth at current petro prices.

How? Buying a new car is far more expensive than an extra couple thousand on fuel per year. And that is if you drive 20k miles per year.

Financially, I would be further ahead if I just spend a little extra on the fuel and invest the amount I would have used to buy a new car.

Starting price for EVs is around $50k. Driving one of those seems more ostentatious to me.

Anyone buying a car should look at TCO. The average new car price of any type is ~$40,000 in the US, so you're better off long-term with an EV based on fuel costs alone. Add in the really low maintenance needed for an EV and you're even further ahead.

A good petrol car can be bought used for $15-20k. Comparing the price of a new one to an EV is a false equivalency because you can't buy used EVs for anywhere near that.

TCO only favors EVs if you drive enough to offset fuel, oil changes, and maintenance. All bets are off if you replace the battery.

> A good petrol car can be bought used for $15-20k. Comparing the price of a new one to an EV is a false equivalency because you can't buy used EVs for anywhere near that.

You can definitely find a used EV for under 20k.

https://www.carvana.com/cars/nissan-leaf-under-15k

The presence of low-range EVs—many of which need battery or tire replacements—doesn't really change the point. A similarly priced Honda Fit from the same model year is a better value due to its low maintenance costs, fuel economy, and infinite range.

Heck, for a third of that.

You probably won't get something with all the features one would want, but it'll be a safe and reliable ride

> Anyone buying a car should look at TCO. The average new car price of any type is ~$40,000 in the US, so you're better off long-term with an EV based on fuel costs alone. Add in the really low maintenance needed for an EV and you're even further ahead.

If TCO matters, buy a cheap used car for ~$5K and nothing can beat the TCO.

How about a 1k ebike for everything you can use it for and the car for everything else?

I am shopping for one right now. You may be underestimating the price though.

Good ebikes (this is a car replacement, after all) are closer to $5k. $8-10k for a high end cargo ebike.

And old pickup truck prices.

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