For anyone wanting to get a clearer view of the “us vs. them” environment dividing electric-vehicle advocates and everyone else, Plug In Cars’ take on Car and Driver’s recent review of the Honda Fit EV is instructive.
The innocuous-looking Honda triggered some “anti-EV vitriol” Car and Driver readers. It’s not a huge surprise that C&D bashed the model for its high price, tight quarters, limited (compared to the gas model) range and, of course, sub-par road performance. It’s one writer’s opinion, and that’s that. What’s more illuminating, though, are the comments from Car and Driver readers, which get into politics, elitism and, yes, Leonardo De Caprio. Oh, what fun. It’s a bit of a rabbit hole, but here are a few examples:
“[EVs] are for self-hating RICH people who the liberals have made ASHAMED to flaunt their wealth. If I had that kind of money, I’d drive around in a Lamborghini or Veyron. Even now, when people hear my engine and ask how many miles do I get per gallon, I proudly say “10.1”.”
“EVs are NOT improvements over gas powere vehicles. You have a very short leash on the car and have an extremely long recharge time. You can quick charge the batteries but at the cost of killing their longevity. You may not be spewing fumes outside a tail pipe but you are adding to the energy consumed by power plants. Don’t even start with the ridiculous solar panel chargers since it would literally take you a week to get a full charge from the solar panels on tops of an average family home. God help you if you are in an apartment.”
When we heard Fiat announce the $199 lease price for the all-electric 500e, we figured it would have a big effect on the electric vehicle market. After all, $200 a month for an EV makes a lot of sense for a lot of commuters. The next EV to get a price tag was the 2014 Chevy Spark EV, which ended up with most of the same numbers ($199/month, $999 down, 36 months, 12,000 annual mile limit) but you have to pay $0.25 a mile for each one over 12,000 a year. Now we have the latest reaction: the Honda Fit EV, and it stacks up well. Finally.
The all-electric Honda Fit originally had a three-year lease for $389 a month with $389 due up front, and was limited to 12,000 miles a year. Today, that number drops way down with the announcement that the new cost is just $259 with no down payment. That’s more per month than the competition’s $199, you might be saying, but the Fit EV comes with a free Leviton 240-volt charger (you still have to pay for installation) and unlimited mileage. Also, $259 a month gets you scheduled maintenance and collision coverage with your Fit EV, too. Honda’s Jessica Fini told AutoblogGreen, “All these new additions effectively make the Fit EV one of the most affordable EVs on the market,” and it’s hard to argue against that. You can see the math yourself here.
If you already have a Fit EV and have been paying $389 a month, you’ll be happy to know the new lease payment will apply to current customers going forward. The Fit EV is rated at 118 MPGe and has an 82-mile range. You can read our review of the car here. Honda will be increasing the number of Fit EV dealers in the states where the car is available – California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island and Connecticut – from 36 to more than 200 by the end of June. This is a good sign that the company may one day stop treating the Fit EV like a California compliance car, but for now we still have 42 states to go.
