Hacker News Reader

Comment by ksylvest | Hacker News Reader

Shouldn't one also factor in the cost of purchasing comparably classed vehicles? For example - the base Nissan Leaf costs 29k versus a comparable Nissan Versa costing 14k. 15k difference in vehicle is equivalent to just over 6000 gallons of gas (or around 186 thousand miles).

View on HN

> Shouldn't one also factor in the cost of purchasing comparably classed vehicles?

Certainly, but in the US, the gov't is offering a $7,500 tax rebate. Additionally, many states are offering rebates, as well.

Here is one such illustration of cost breakdowns in the state of Colorado:

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2016/10/04/so-i-bought-an-ele...

Depending on your income, at least in the US, it's closer to 21.5k with the federal 7500 tax rebate. In addition, a few states offer rebates on top of that.

This is a great point, and indeed the article is overly simplistic.

I think though that what really matters beyond the base cost in this point is the depreciation cost over time. This is of course much harder to estimate.

Can we factor in used vehicle sales as well?

A certified used 2012 or 2013 Nissan Leaf can be had for about $9K - $14k. A used 2012 or 2013 Nissan Versa seem to sell for about $8K to $13K. (Both numbers pulled from current autotrader.com listings in the Midwest US).

If your willing to buy a certified used vehicle, the price difference drops down to only about $1k-$2k.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com