Phatcat73
Well-known member
Picked up 115xx plates yesterday.
Bzzzzz said:Hi Red,
Are you still driving your Leaf? If I recall, you and I got ours within a day or two of each other back in 2011. Almost to year 7 here!
I've only lost 2 bars on the gauge. How is yours holding up?
Phatcat73 said:Picked up 115xx plates yesterday.
semjaza said:Hi all - new(ish) owner here. Picked up a sort of mid-life crisis car. Started out researching a used $10k Leaf and ended up coming home with a brand new Plus SL. Well, I can afford one impulse buy, and I will.
My energy bills have definitely shot up, despite not using my car much, $30/mo for the last three months higher than last year's bills for the same month. That adds color to the idea paying an ETF to break my current contract.
So we're on an "alternative" energy supplier locked in for 3 years at 7.49c/kWh flat rate.
I see on ComEd's hourly realtime pricing page that they quote live hourly rates (11pm) at 2.5c, and fixed "next day" at 6.723.
Am I really reading this right?
Fair to say, we do use a "wind power only" energy provider (so they say) so I expect it would cost a little bit more here in the midwest. No idea where they get their power from actually.
Sounds like I'd be better off breaking the alternative supplier contract (and paying the $50 ETF) and setting up with ComEd for supply again, then getting enrolled in the RRTP (hourly) program.
Am I thinking clearly or missing something?
Thanks!
DougWantsALeaf said:One curiosity I have here in IL is whether the EVs that mistakenly received normal plates will be allowed to keep them and pay the lower rate or be forced into EV plates.
Vice versa, will the few Volts that somehow received EV plates now be forced back into normal plates.
Agreed on the extra $100 a year for EVs, though nationally that seems to be where things are going. Guess I just need to drive my Leaf more to make the extra fee feel worth it.
redLEAF said:DougWantsALeaf said:One curiosity I have here in IL is whether the EVs that mistakenly received normal plates will be allowed to keep them and pay the lower rate or be forced into EV plates.
Vice versa, will the few Volts that somehow received EV plates now be forced back into normal plates.
Agreed on the extra $100 a year for EVs, though nationally that seems to be where things are going. Guess I just need to drive my Leaf more to make the extra fee feel worth it.
Yes -- but 'mistakenly' in many cases is the dealer (like Audi and Jaguar with their newly minted 100% EV's) not even being aware of the IL EL plate program in the first place -- of the very few Audi e-tron's (have seen about a half-dozen) and even fewer Jaguar's (saw just two) NONE had EL plates on them, but have seen a BMW i8 (PHEV) and Kia Niro (the PHEV version not full-electric) with EL plates assigned just like a Chevy Volt, go figure? We have heard that although the EL plates will be more expensive than the current $35/two year renewal, the actual cost per year should be less than the equivalent regular plates for an ICE -- we'll see soon enough as all existing EL plates will renew this coming December so am waiting for my renewal notice from IL SOS to see if we get one more under the existing rules or they charge the new rates (technically we'll renew in 2019 and the new rates go into effect in January 2020). As far as those who have regular, vanity or special plates (Environmental, Route 66, etc.) who knows if they get an EV surcharge on top or simply be charged the going rate for the plate they have -- we'll all see soon enough (and actually that goes as well for our smart EV that has an Environmental plate on it -- I transferred that plate from the ICE smart we traded in -- renews in December)
DougWantsALeaf said:I haven’t seen any Ys yet in Chicago. I am seeing a “few” more Leafs on the North side of Chicago, but certainly fewer than M3s. Old Orchard mall is littered with them. It’s all the new free charging stations that draw them in.
redLEAF said:DougWantsALeaf said:I haven’t seen any Ys yet in Chicago. I am seeing a “few” more Leafs on the North side of Chicago, but certainly fewer than M3s. Old Orchard mall is littered with them. It’s all the new free charging stations that draw them in.
It's been a few months since the last post, now that IL has started to ease COVID-19 restrictions more cars on the roads as well as EV's - highest recent sighting of an EL plate was 2225x EL on a Model 3 so even though most have hunkered down, WFH, etc. over 2K more registrations during the pandemic -- not bad. Have started to see Model Y's out there; does look quite similar to the 3 in traffic, although taller with a hatch, etc. and does have distinctive wheels that do set it apart from a 3 - still not many new Jaguar's or LEAF's; even less Kia's and Niro's.
One other interesting point is that the IL SOS was also just recently reopened and had added 90 days on for people's temp tags as they didn't have staff on hand to process so the actual count is most likely much higher. Later throughout the year when non-EL plate IL residents go to renew their tags we'll see even higher numbers and most likely a better indicator of how many EV's are registered in the state -- state also gave a 90 day extension on plate renewals so may take well into next year to see the impact.
Enter your email address to join: