Comment by toomuchtodo | Hacker News Reader

Comment by toomuchtodo | Hacker News Reader

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We don’t know because the batteries last so long [1]. All data points to batteries lasting longer than 10 years, even accounting for degradation.

It’s a great deal for the rich because that’s what drives the market, the poor don’t have purchasing power. That’s why margins on tiny econoboxes is garbage compared to other, higher margin vehicles (and why Ford mostly makes trucks and SUVs now). Hand out incentives to those of lesser means to afford lower cost EVs when they arrive in the marketplace.

> My first car cost $2k and was a clunker but it was all I could afford to get to school.

These days are long gone and aren't coming back, regardless of EV or combustion vehicle. Average price of a used car in the US is ~$29k [2].

[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2022/08/01/electric...

[2] https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/16/business/used-car-prices/inde...

> These days are long gone and aren't coming back.

No they aren't. I live relatively near a major metropolitan area (not an inexpensive one), and there are dozens of sub-$2000 cars for sale at this very instant.

You're fearmongering.

Not fearmongering, just not suggesting broad policy based on local craigslist or Facebook Marketplace listings. I'm sure you can find an example based on the number of economic transactions that happen every day in a country, I'm suggesting it isn't scalable and that there simply aren’t that many $2k-$5k used cars in reasonable condition. Most of those vehicles get shipped to developing countries when they hit someone like Carmax or another volume dealer (happens in Europe too with these vehicles going to Africa).

It feels like we're off track though from any meaningful discussion considering the TAM for sub $5k vehicles.

> These days are long gone and aren't coming back, regardless of EV or combustion vehicle.

A quick look on my local craigslist proves otherwise.

I love when people point to metrics on barely used "used" cars.

The average for used car is no where fucking enar $29k. That is complete and utter batshit lunacy unless your idea of "used" is "5 yers old or newer" or something insane like that.

I can still go buy a clunker for $1000 tomorrow.

I do often run into people who think 100k miles is "super high mileage" and couldn't change a tire if a gun was held to their head. So I guess I can see those people being utterly out of the $2k clunker market.

...

Wow. Sorry for all the typos. I was juggling two kids when I typed that and apparently I am blind to autocorrect and autocomplete fails when my attention is so divided :)

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