Biggest fear….battery obsolescence?

[dtbaker61]

So true!
Admittedly the battery management systems are going to continue to improve. And even the chemistry-recipe will be tweaked. But the vast majority of EV's being manufactured today are using similar batteries to those of the Nissan Leaf more than a dozen years ago.

Nothing gets hyped more than "coming battery tech"

How about "new solar panel tech" ? I hear that all the time as a common fear among buyers.....

My answer is basically the same for both Solar, batteries in cars, and batteries for Energy Storage Systems (ESS). " yes, technology will improve, and prices (may) come down... but if the current tech satisfies your requirements, has a good warranty and is available NOW at a cost which provides financial payback within the warranty period compared to alternatives available now... then, don't hesitate!"

I see some people suffer from 'paralysis by analysis', or buyer's regret when something new and shinier comes on the market... but once put in perspective as an investment that pays for itself, the only way you can lose is if you sell to a subjective market that doesn't recognize objective or future value.

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[21st Century Pony]

I find the original post's thread a bit silly. Cars are bought to be used as transportation tools, not for "investments"... I hope we can agree on this fact.

As long as we use the tool that we had chosen to buy, and the tool continues to effectively work for the purpose bought, there is no loss and no question of having been suckered... right?

 

[ToOldForThis]

I see some people suffer from 'paralysis by analysis', or buyer's regret when something new and shinier comes on the market...

This is so true... and I will admit to falling in to this trap myself, several times.

 

[ChasingCoral]

With battery technology advancing every day with new, better, improved faster longer ….. will my Mach E be worth anything in say 8 years when power train/ battery warranty expires? I read here an other reliable sources about a slow down in the EV world. Did we all get suckered in????

If this is your biggest concern, just lease the vehicle and place the worries about resale value on Ford.

 

[ToOldForThis]

If this is your biggest concern, just lease the vehicle and place the worries about resale value on Ford.

Excellent point!

 

[MacherAWD]

How about "new solar panel tech" ? I hear that all the time as a common fear among buyers.....

My answer is basically the same for both Solar, batteries in cars, and batteries for Energy Storage Systems (ESS). " yes, technology will improve, and prices (may) come down... but if the current tech satisfies your requirements, has a good warranty and is available NOW at a cost which provides financial payback within the warranty period compared to alternatives available now... then, don't hesitate!"

I see some people suffer from 'paralysis by analysis', or buyer's regret when something new and shinier comes on the market... but once put in perspective as an investment that pays for itself, the only way you can lose is if you sell to a subjective market that doesn't recognize objective or future value.

Yup, my 255 watt panels are so outdated, 8 years old, I think basic solar is now 450 watts. But my panels have fully paid for themselves, and when they hit the end of usable life for me I will upgrade to what is available at the time. So right now I have 32 panels and my friend who just got solar only needed 14 panels. Similar to the car, my mach-e will still be better than the car it replaced in 8 years, and we will evaluate other cars then.

 

[phil]

"Biggest fear….battery obsolescence?"

My biggest fear is nuclear world war leading to global economic collapse.

But battery obsolescence is a close second.

 

[Blue highway]

The future will look a lot like today.... sorry. (A 2016 Model S is very much like a 2024 Model S in terms of being a car)

Magic batteries are not coming anytime soon. Instead, there will be lots of small improvements. The biggest change in terms of being a car is that batteries will be less expensive in the future as raw material costs continue to decline and manufacturing efficiencies improve.

 

[areacode413]

Engine swaps are expensive too but people don’t fear buying ice cars due to engine failure? For any car out of warranty there is a non zero chance of engine or transmission failure where you have to decide repair or replace on your dime. No different with a battery car. Buy new or lease if you worry about the odds of expensive repairs.

 

[zvez]

With battery technology advancing every day with new, better, improved faster longer ….. will my Mach E be worth anything in say 8 years when power train/ battery warranty expires? I read here an other reliable sources about a slow down in the EV world. Did we all get suckered in????

so how much is any car with in eight years?

 

[dtbaker61]

The future will look a lot like today.... sorry. (A 2016 Model S is very much like a 2024 Model S in terms of being a car)

Magic batteries are not coming anytime soon. Instead, there will be lots of small improvements. The biggest change in terms of being a car is that batteries will be less expensive in the future as raw material costs continue to decline and manufacturing efficiencies improve.

I do think we will see solid state LFP within 8 years... which will be a great improvement, but fit in the same form factor, and made available as an upgrade/replacement when the time comes.

 

[smcnair]

I will only be keeping mine until the options plan runs out. That said, I had fully planned on buying out the options until we decided that another SUV would be in order at that time to replace both our Explorer and the Mach-E. Definitely don't see the value declining any more than a comparable ICE vehicle. I would bet on a market reaction to used BEV's coming along and offering a protection plan. At scale, that could do very well for the industry.

 

[Geep]

If this is your biggest concern, just lease the vehicle and place the worries about resale value on Ford.

It is leased, of course with the option of buying out right after 3 years….

 

[ChasingCoral]

It is leased, of course with the option of buying out right after 3 years….

Then it sounds like a good question to ask at the end of the lease.

 

[Scooby24]

The new technology is talked about a LOT, but it takes a long time for it to come to market.

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