Is 2017 the Year of the Electric Car Price Drop?

[vanillagorilla]

So here's what I'm wondering - 200 mile Chevy Bolt for $37k, 200 mile Tesla Model 3 ~$35, a $34k 93 mile Kia Soul EV doesn't make much sense in the market does it? Short of a huge battery upgrade is the solution a big price drop for ~100mi EVs like the Leaf, Soul, and Ioniq?

 

[inphoenix]

So here's what I'm wondering - 200 mile Chevy Bolt for $37k, 200 mile Tesla Model 3 ~$35, a $34k 93 mile Kia Soul EV doesn't make much sense in the market does it? Short of a huge battery upgrade is the solution a big price drop for ~100mi EVs like the Leaf, Soul, and Ioniq?

The rumor has it that most of the EV manufacturers are planning to have a minimum range of 135-150 miles on one charge for their MY 2017 vehicles.

Yes, if there are still some EVs left with 80-90 mile range they'd need to cut the price drastically. There will still be market for those as there are consumers with very short commute and they might grab them given the price advantage.

 

[vanillagorilla]

2017 Ioniq is slated for 110 mi. I've seen rumors about a 2017 Leaf with 130mi range. Both fall far short of 200 miles - so one can assume fairly they'll have to be priced accordingly.

I'm of course totally curious what we'll see with the 2017 Soul both for range and price.

 

[mikec]

The current prices seem pretty high, but that's the same with all other EVs currently on the market.

I have gone through the 2016 Soul EV pricing and inspite of a high price, the Soul offers a lot of "content"...

Pricing: http://www.kia-world.net/2016-soul-electric-vehicle-price/


But, how about the 2017 Soul EV model? Will it change a lot?

According to the article below, it will receive a facelift + it may get some boost in the driving range.

http://www.kia-world.net/2017-kia-soul/

The K-W states there won't be many changes, thpugh...

 

[cmiller82]

Like all technology, buy what you can afford, when you want it. If you keep waiting for what is to come, you will never buy it.

I've read about the battery capacity increases for the 2017 model year, but that will be October at the earliest.

Screw it! I want one now!

 

[JejuSoul]

The Model Year 2017 update is also discussed here - Any hints about 2017 release date?
From my last post in that thread

The original mention of the 2017 Soul EV upgrade was from January 10th 2016 - http://www.kia-world.net/2017-kia-soul/
But that site has a different mention just 5 days later - January 15th 2016 - http://www.kia-world.net/upcoming-kia-models-2018/

 

[jbrad4]

I don't see any of the car manufacturers going down in price. You will just get
more for your money. In the case of EV's, larger batteries (longer range on a charge).
Battery chemistry keeps improving, giving the battery the ability to store more
energy in the same weight battery. In 2017 you should see a longer range for all
the EV's due to better battery technology. I read that the batteries in the Kia Soul EV
are made by LG Chem, the same company making the batteries for the new Chevy Bolt.

The price drop you are talking about will happen in the re-sale market - older EV's.
Because of the constant improvements in batteries, I chose to lease my current car
rather than buy. When my lease runs out in Jan 18, I plan on getting a Soul EV+
and will probably lease it.

 

[iletric]

Lease is the only way to go with these early tech models, considering some day "soon" we will be driving 400-600 mile EVs. That will be time to start considering buying again and then upgrading batteries every 4-6 years.

At least that's my plan. I got burned buying '11 Leaf. Get this: I almost put 1000-dollar leather in it! I'm glad I hesitated. To this day I feel like I found 1000 bucks on the street by waiting the urge out.

Bolt is my next lease, hopefully in November. Spark is going back in 3 weeks, Soul in October 2017. By then I'm hoping to be considering Leaf 2.0, see if it's any good. Honda is the wild card.

I'm staying away from Mod 3 for now.

 

[jetsurgn]

This is a good topic and something I've been trying to figure out myself.

I use to drive a 2012 Prius Plug-in, however recently my wife has taken over that car leaving me with a 2003 Tundra. I've been waiting to pull the trigger for sometime now, but have resisted due to all the changes in range.

First was the Nissan Leaf, to extend its battery pack up to 30 Kwh and now that they've done that the pricing seams high to me.

Second was the BMW i3, I was going to pull the trigger on the 80 mile BEV, but I heard rumors of the increased battery, so I waited and passed up amazing lease deals. The 2017 i3 has a lease price out of this world currently.

So now I'm looking at an amazing Soul EV + with sunroof for a good deal, but I'm afraid once I complete purchase I'll come home to read they announced a range increase to 136 miles.

So the question is when do you pull the trigger? My new thought is maybe I'll take over someones lease for a while and wait for the shake out to the next generation of longer range ev's.


Model 3 on order

 

[SoulEV2016]

Lease.

The good choice for me because range is a problem for my consumption (in Electric Sport use).

And when a little electric sport is ready, i buy it.
(210kW boost-45kW continiously, 80-90kWh, 1T200kg max)

Electric will be like turbo car (electric controller do this already with current multiplication and high voltage DC battery).

For now, the cooling system is too big and it's not use like a turbo boost capacity.
Perhaps, they have already point the "boost" usage.

Only need sensor probe on wiring motor and connector to introduce restriction after xx minutes.

Like i say, "like the turbo car" ...

 

[vanillagorilla]

It's happened - Ioniq is $30,335!

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1108866_2017-hyundai-ioniq-prices-hybrid-starts-at-23035-electric-at-30335

 

[fsp]

In Germay Ioniq starts at 34.000€. Thats about 36.000$. :roll:

 

[SmoothJ]

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1108916_all-electric-kia-niro-ev-to-come-in-2018-says-kia-exec

Michael Cole, chief operating officer of Kia Motors Europe, confirmed to Dutch outlet AutoRAI that a Kia Niro EV will launch next year as a 2018 model.

It will use exactly the same powertrain as the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric, he said, but won't be released until after the Kia Niro Plug-In hybrid version coming shortly.

Is the Kia Soul EV being replaced by the Niro EV?

 

[SoulEV2016]

Is the Kia Soul EV being replaced by the Niro EV?

 

[JejuSoul]

Is the Kia Soul EV being replaced by the Niro EV?

To paraphrase SoulEV2016 - "Ha,Ha,Ha .... No".

I shall reply with a longer comment in the Kia Niro thread. Kia Niro EV to launch later this year