US car ownership costs surge to record highs

[Deleted member 4210]

A new report by AAA indicates new car ownership costs have reached its highest levels since the automobile travel firm began tracking costs in 1950.

A new car will have an annual average cost of about $9282, of $773.50 per month, based on owners driving about 15,000 miles per year.

Large sedans and pick ups average over $10,400 per year.

Exchange.AAA.com/automotive/driving-costs

I hear a lot of people considering ebikes now to not right away eliminate an entire car, but use the ebike for as many trips as possible, and experimenting with how to downsize away from dependency on the automobile. Lots of creative ideas, being put forth, so it's not an all or nothing proposition, but rather thinking of the car as the last resort depending on the trip, the purpose, and even only occasional rental of a car from a place like Enterprise that 'picks you up.'.

One such couple bought 3 ebikes this weekend, renting a large SUV to do the pickup, after they sold 2 of 3 cars they owned, and only keeping now a small Prius. 2 were regular ebikes with solid frames and one was a folding ebike. They had mapped everything out ahead of time for their daily commutes and even use of the train, which is where one of them will use the folder. Joint rides and picking up groceries will use the full size ebikes. It was Awe inspiring listening to their story and choices being made. The numbers they ran with how much they would save, were not too far off those cited by AAA their report. The cars they sold were above average vehicles, probably costing north of $40k when they were new.

 

[FlatSix911]

Thanks for sharing the AAA report... I noticed that the fuel cost used was only $2.67/gallon.

Here in California, gas prices recently reached record highs at $4.99 in parts of the Bay Area.

 

[FlatSix911]

This should help boost eBike ownership in California... https://electrek.co/2019/09/14/california-electric-bicycle-clean-cars-4-all/

Good news, Californians! Do you have an old gas car laying around that you don’t use, and would rather turn it into an electric bicycle?
Well now you can, with a trade-in program that includes e-bikes!
California’s “Clean Cars 4 All” program has already helped many people trade in old, polluting gas cars for subsidies to buy electric cars or hybrid cars. But thanks to a new bill signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom, vouchers for electric bicycles and bike-sharing programs are now included in the program. Senate Bill 400, which was authored by Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana), should now help more Californians access electric bicycles as an alternative to car travel.

As Senator Umberg described:

“Senate Bill 400 helps California reduce our state’s greenhouse gas emissions. E-bikes are proving to be a reliable mobility option for not only replacing car trips, but also more widespread access to clean transportation. As an option within Clean Cars 4 All, e-bikes would help California create a more holistic approach to tackling the issues of pollution and traffic.”​

The new law is being heralded by bicycle groups and e-bike fans alike across the Golden State.
California is home to the largest number of electric bicycle riders and e-bike shops in the United States.
As Dave Snyder, Executive Director of the California Bicycle Coalition describes:

“A good quality e-bike is better than a car for most of the local trips that people take, but it’s hard to justify spending several thousand dollars on a bike when you don’t have that kind of money. This program will help Californians make the switch to bikes if they so wish. E-Bikes provide an affordable and cleaner option for local trips that are more fun and healthy, too.”​

 

[FlatSix911]

This should help boost eBike ownership in California... https://electrek.co/2019/09/14/california-electric-bicycle-clean-cars-4-all/

Good news, Californians! Do you have an old gas car laying around that you don’t use, and would rather turn it into an electric bicycle?
Well now you can, with a trade-in program that includes e-bikes!

California’s “Clean Cars 4 All” program has already helped many people trade in old, polluting gas cars for subsidies to buy electric cars or hybrid cars. But thanks to a new bill signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom, vouchers for electric bicycles and bike-sharing programs are now included in the program. Senate Bill 400, which was authored by Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana), should now help more Californians access electric bicycles as an alternative to car travel.

As Senator Umberg described:

The new law is being heralded by bicycle groups and e-bike fans alike across the Golden State.
California is home to the largest number of electric bicycle riders and e-bike shops in the United States.
As Dave Snyder, Executive Director of the California Bicycle Coalition describes:

More details on the program from the Electrek comments section:

Jaime Escalante • 14 hours ago
I have experience with the program and would like to share some info:

- You have to have had the gas-guzzler registered for at least two years, in your name, at your current address (i.e. you can't go buy a broken old car on Craigslist for this program)
- You get different amounts depending on your income level, number of members in your household, *and* your zip code (disadvantaged zip codes get more)
- The maximum you can get is about $9,500. However, you should know that if you buy a lower-priced vehicle with your voucher (such as a fancy $4k ebike), you do *not* get to keep the difference.

 

[Alex M]

New cars can be inefficient, financially. I estimated that my 25 year old Mazda costs me $US 0.33/mile including repairs, VERY expensive Canadian gas and VERY expensive Canadian insurance. Car mechanics cost more than in the US, too. This comes to $US 4,950 a year, assuming 15,000 miles a year (though I drive less). I bought it used ~12 years ago, so hypothetically if it would die on me today, $US 2,000 that I paid for it, would add $167 a year, total $US 5,117 a year (assuming 15,000 miles a year, but my mileage is less than than). A far cry from $9,282 in the OP article, isn't it...

I very rarely pay for parking, due to my job situation. I always shop for the cheapest place to change oil, and only buy new tires on Craigs, (by "new" I mean NEW), - both tips save me about 50% of cost. I never paid for a car wash in my life, or to change bulbs or add antifreeze. When I put another dent or scratch on the body, I either do nothing or buy $5 matching color spray (they are listed in store catalog according to year and make), and cover it. Everybody's scenario is of course different.