same boat with older car, more miles. Definitely want to know the outcome of this. My car is pristine and the plan was to drive it for 300K+ miles.

I don’t particularly care for that approach either, as it penalizes you for taking trips out of state (which makes sense from a gov. POV, why give other states your residents’ revenue?). I’d prefer that they issue a surtax on electric vehicles. Take the average amount of miles driven for a given area, calculate by…

Illinois is talking about switching from taxing gas to taxing you for miles driven. It makes sense to me, but people are up in arms about it.

Fistfights? This is America, son.

1st: I feel like a buyback is penalty enough, to be honest, at least in terms of government penalties. What VW did was wrong, but do the thousands of employees and stakeholders who had no knowledge or responsibility really need to pay for what was done?

I think Iran is the “weak link” here. They’re pumping out oil as fast as they can now that embargoes have been lifted. Much to OPEC’s chagrin. Yay Iran!! [i mean that in a very one dimensional way]

Most likely depends on the state, but I doubt any state would fail one as of yet, as the owner isn’t at fault and the owner has no reasonable course of action for a fix. Once VW purposes a fix, I’m guessing things will change.

Correct. There’s not really much added complexity. Electric motor plus batter plus a computer to say when to use them. The regenerative braking components are pretty simple as well, if you understand how current is created. The parts themselves are not complex. The result is the wife’s full-size Avalon that she drives…

1st Gear: I still see the TDi veedubs on the road but I’m wondering if state inspections are allowing these to pass? In short, are they still street legal? I may have missed a Jalopnik article on this topic so fire a link my way if it's easier. Thanks peeps!

it also depends on how you time the purchase. if you are buying a new car anyway, then the price premium for hybrid/PHEV/EV factors into it almost insignificantly.

They just don’t have the money and R&D capability for EV development even if they wanted to. They can make muscle cars and a good V8 so that’s what they’re doing trying to keep the boat from sinking until someone, anyone, buys them up.

If you look at OE job postings you’ll have noticed GM has been trying to hire hordes…

This was the pinnacle year for the Impala, imho. I prefer the fastback version myself.

I work for an aircraft OEM, and our analysis guys watch this closely as one of our business sectors has been hit hard by this. Right now the thinking is 2018; the price is expected to rebound gradually.

Everyone will, those 2025 CAFE figures haven't started budging (yet)

Neutral: Duel of The Fates will begin playing ominously in the background, then the double doors will slide apart to reveal not a Sith Lord, but a BP sign illuminated with REG UNL $4.009/gal. People will run and scream in pants crapping terror, and there won't be an Obi-wan to save us.

I’ve heard up to 3 years, but you are correct.

When I can buy one of these for 1600 bucks drive it into the ground for 5 years and then sell it for 1500 bucks. Yeah a little. Its the perfect disposable DD. If ya wad it up just get another.

4th gear: They are a premium. And if you’re cross shopping a Chevy Volt and Cruze you’d have to drive 500,000 miles to make up for the difference in price (assuming every mile was electric and gas at $1.80/gal holding steady).

Reverse: 100 Million

Fingers crossed that at least a few automakers can see past the end of their noses and keep developing hybrids, EVs, hydrogen, whatever. Those that do it best will be kings when gas goes up again, which it will. It’s only a question of when.