Anyone that’s more than just idly curious can find out the new cost easily.
People unfamiliar with the car will stop and ask questions. When I’ve been charging in areas where the car is unusual, people have pulled in just to see the car and ask questions. Most people who ask about price just want an idea of the cost, they don’t specifically ask what I paid.
If they ask, I tell them it is an expensive car. If they persist, and they usually don’t, I tell them that new they start in the $80’s. Used are less. They seem more interested in range, performance, where the batteries are, and lack of need for oil changes/maintenance than anything else. I mention what a delight they are to drive, the instant torque, the low center of gravity, the simplicity of the drive chain, etc. I also mention that the car company isn’t perfect and that there are real problems with parts if the car is damaged and needs repair. I mention the car has its own Internet connection, that the car plays any music I can think of, and that it will do some limited self driving. I tell them it is all wheel drive. People are interested in the charging, whether it is fully electric or a hybrid. I tell them the car is great as a second car but maybe not perfect as an only car. They are interested in the superchargers. Maybe I’m lucky but I have never had to wait at a supercharger. I tell them the gas milage equivalent is about 100 mpg when compared to a gasoline car. I have unlimited supercharging so I tell them I can drive to California and back and not spend a penny for fuel. They are interested in charging time on trips and I tell them charging does make travel slower but for me the 20-30 minute break every 2-3 hours makes travel less tiring. I mention the A/C is completely separate from the drive chain so in the summer I can cool the car remotely using my cell phone so there is no getting into a very hot car and waiting for the car to cool inside. I mention the car will automatically cool itself inside when parked in the summer sun so it doesn’t get that hot inside anyway.
I moved to Michigan. Here I mention the car is fully U.S. built. People seem less interested in that than I’d thought they’d be. They ask about performance in ice and snow, it isn’t very good without snow tires.
With all the questions, the price isn’t usually the main concern so I wouldn’t worry about it. People know it is an expensive car. You can mention the tax credit if you want but usually the price question isn’t the main subject, they are more interested in what makes the car different from other cars.
So overall I wouldn’t worry about the price aspect of it. That isn’t why they’re asking. They are interested in the technology so those are the questions you should expect. People aren’t stopping to be critical of you for buying an expensive car, they are much more interested in the car itself.
