Who wants to join me in a "Model 3 Trade-Up Pact"?

[docBliny]

I've heard, or read, a smug-faced FUDster say so many times that, "you're not really taking an ICE car off the road by getting an EV; someone is driving your trade-in".

Well, how about we turn this around and make a pact to trade in our Model 3 after one year, every year, for one, two, or three years in a row, thus putting a new EV on the secondhand market once a year?

If you're financing, this effectively means that:
a) you'll be out of pocket for the monthly cost for an additional year (or two, or three, based on your "pledge"),
b) you'll get the latest and greatest version of the car (and be rid of "first model year syndrome", get to try new options/colors),
c) someone with less financial means will be able to enjoy an EV.

Who's with me?

//Tomi B.

 

[BluestarE3]

I've heard, or read, a smug-faced FUDster say so many times that, "you're not really taking an ICE car off the road by getting an EV; someone is driving your trade-in".

If you trade-in your ICE car for another ICE car, then there are two ICE cars on the road. If you trade-in your ICE car for a BEV, then there's only one ICE car on the road. So, yes, you'd be taking one ICE car off the roads by buying a BEV instead of another ICE car.

It would be extremely wasteful to keep getting a new car every year. I wouldn't lose any sleep over what FUDsters say. They're going to think and say what they want and there's nothing you can say or do that will convince them otherwise because they have ulterior motives.

 

[Red Sage]

I'd more likely just buy a Model ☰ for each of my Nephews and both of my Nieces than ever trade in or sell my own car.

 

[Chuq]

A new Model 3 after a year? Unfortunately my finances limit my actions to calling the smug-faced FUDster an idiot (for reasons @BluestarE3 explained)

 

[MikeDog77]

I have had a similar daydream about this with flipping houses. Why not pick houses with good southern exposed houses, add solar panels, do all the other fixing up and then sell the house. Even if you only made a little $$ on the flip you would be adding solar panels to the grid. I think you could save the world better with this idea since there are plenty of houses for sale and you could strategically pick the right one with the right roof.

 

[garsh]

Nah, don't do this.

All you need to do is take the long-term view. If you (and many others) stop buying new combustion vehicles, then manufacturers will stop making so many. We'll eventually get to the point where very few new combustion vehicles are being built. And all you really have to do is not buy any more combustion vehicles.

Used vehicles eventually become too expensive to fix, and will be taken off the road. So all of those used combustion vehicles will disappear in time.

 

[JeffK]

I'd more likely just buy a Model ☰ for each of my Nephews and both of my Nieces than ever trade in or sell my own car.

Jeez! Wish I was related to you haha.

 

[dsvick]

I wish I had the income to be able to afford to do this. I'm not saying that I would if I could ... I just want that income

Besides, as someone mentioned above, I'm trading in my ICE for a BEV, so there will be one of each on the road, which is still one less that if I'd trading an ICE for an ICE.

 

[N5329K]

Looking at it from mine/well-to-wheel, very often the "greenest" automobile you can drive is the one you already own. Not building an additional car to add to the global fleet- no matter what kind- can be the better choice.
Robin

 

[ecarfan]

Looking at it from mine/well-to-wheel, very often the "greenest" automobile you can drive is the one you already own. Not building an additional car to add to the global fleet- no matter what kind- can be the better choice.
Robin

Taking the long view (which is the only rational approach), the "greenest" solution is to stop burning fossil fuels, stop buying ICE vehicles, and start buying EVs now.

My wife and I plan to trade in our Model S for a Model 3. Whoever buys our S will likely be replacing an ICE. Their old ICE will likely go to someone who uses it to replace an ICE, which might be junked or passed on to someone else.

The bottom line is that buying an EV ultimately results in an ICE being junked, and that is a desirable outcome.

 

[Max*]

a) you'll be out of pocket for the monthly cost for an additional year (or two, or three, based on your "pledge"),

No. You'll be out the depreciation on the car for the first year, which is also the biggest depreciation the car will take in any 1 given year.

c) someone with less financial means will be able to enjoy an EV.

I'm not a charity.

 

[CyberKnife]

The ultimate goal is sustainable society. Buying a new tesla model 3 every year and selling the 'old' one isn't sustainable. Even though Tesla would be happy that people would buy a new car every year it isn't aligned with their mission really, they mentioned cars can join a sharing fleet to make better reuse of existing cars as they are idle sitting in the parking lot high percentage of the time.

IMHO, it would be more sustainable that more companies focus innovation in sustainable technologies. Auto companies should focus on EVs rather than rolling out next year model with refresh of same ICE cars and drive cost down on EVs. This would enable more people with average income to purchase EVs and cut off ICE.

 

[gigglehertz]

I have had a similar daydream about this with flipping houses. Why not pick houses with good southern exposed houses, add solar panels, do all the other fixing up and then sell the house. Even if you only made a little $$ on the flip you would be adding solar panels to the grid. I think you could save the world better with this idea since there are plenty of houses for sale and you could strategically pick the right one with the right roof.

I had a similar daydream, but also involved installing a J-1772 in the garage.

 

[SageBrush]

I've heard, or read, a smug-faced FUDster say so many times that, "you're not really taking an ICE car off the road by getting an EV; someone is driving your trade-in".

My glib answer might be "true, but we are getting someone's gas guzzler off the road."

It is the last car in the chain of replacements that matters.

 

[WileyTheMan]

If you really wanted to accelerate the removal of ICE cars on the road, you'd go crush yours instead of using it as a trade-in when you go pick up your EV. If you're going to lose money over this effort, might as well do it quickly. And it'll probably be cheaper overall, compared to your proposal.

 

[Reeler]

Having bought 4 Leafs, 4 Teslas, and a Think City over the last 5 years, I would say that I am on the OP's plan already. I have sold 5 of those into the secondary market. Buying EVs can be addictive.

 

[N5329K]

Taking the long view (which is the only rational approach), the "greenest" solution is to stop burning fossil fuels, stop buying ICE vehicles, and start buying EVs now.

My wife and I plan to trade in our Model S for a Model 3. Whoever buys our S will likely be replacing an ICE. Their old ICE will likely go to someone who uses it to replace an ICE, which might be junked or passed on to someone else.

The bottom line is that buying an EV ultimately results in an ICE being junked, and that is a desirable outcome.

"Sustainability" is a very slippery term. It all depends on where you draw the boundaries. At the product? Then plainly, buying a new EV and discarding your current ICE car makes great sense. At your garage door? The same. How about at the factory walls? Turns out it's relatively easy to "show" sustainability when you don't take raw material production or waste disposal into account. Lots of companies do exactly that. The proper term for this is greenwash.
When measuring the impact of a new "green" product, you've got to take all the embedded costs into account. Producing a new vehicle of any description creates a huge sustainability tail. Much of those embedded global costs (when all costs are honestly accounted for) are baked into the actual production of the materials that go into the vehicle and building the vehicle itself...not in its lifetime operation.
You could gradually reduce that tail by buying an EV and sending your ICE car downstream, where eventually it would get junked. That's actually preferable to having the downstream user go out and buy a new ICE car. But it's a way shallower slope to the right conclusion, which is transforming the global vehicle fleet to electric drive, than it might seem.
Now, junking, one-for-one, new EV to old ICE, can steepen that slope and arrive at the right place sooner.
Robin

 

[alseTrick]

You should end the conversation IMMEDIATELY with any idiot that tries to tell you going from an ICE to an EV doesn't take an ICE off the road. That isn't even the worst logic I've ever heard, because there's NO logic to it.

As for trading in my 3 year after year? Uh, no. Not just no but hecccccccck no. Ain't nobody got time for that.

 

[ReddyLeaf]

What if you don't trade in your ICE? That's what I've done. I'm keeping the first (and only) ICE car that I purchased back in 1991. It still runs just fine and I decided to keep it "just in case." The extra cost for tabs and insurance is probably less than one week of rental cost. I put less than 5000 mi on it since getting the Leaf in 2011.

 

[Jbailey]

Wow like an Iphone...I would love to be able to do that but can't afford the medical care, divorce and alimony that would inevitably follow from my wife's retribution.