So obviously this is just my opinion, and you should assume it's worth what you paid for it. ;-)
That said I do keep an eye on the electric vehicle market and it's possible I've noticed a few things:
Should I still consider an iMiev?
If you average less than 40 miles use per day and can find a used 2014 (there were very few 2016's sold) for $5000 or less then that could still be a reasonable deal. Make sure there is a viable Mitsubishi dealer that will work on the EV's not too far away from you. Mitsubishi isn't doing to well in the US market and the number of dealers seems to be shrinking. A fact you'll want to consider as part of your risk assessment. The oncoming 'Charge Ahead' $2500 rebate for low-moderate income Oregonians can also apply to used cars, making this potentially much cheaper if you qualify. Oregon only, sorry.
If you need a bit longer range and/or better dealer support, I'd consider a 2015 Nissan Leaf, especially if I could find a ~30K miles unit for around (or under) $10K. Yes they're out there. These are just coming off a lease deal so there's quite a few, especially in California. 2016's have a larger battery (on some models) and cost around twice as much. 2015 seems like the sweet-spot on these now.
[Edit Aug.'17: See other post about 2017 Leaf closeouts]
If you need more range and/or really want a new rig then in the $19K-21K (after incentives) area the Hyundai Ioniq (my pick) or the Kia Soul EV are worth a look.
If the Chevy Bolt really does get enough overproduction such that the dealers with stock discount them down into the $32-33K range then that would get the nod. It's a really nice car (My neighbor just got one) and if the federal+state incentives dropped the 'all-in' cost down to $23K I'd STRONGLY consider getting one. You don't have to wait two years unlike..
Yeah, yeah, but ... What About Tesla?
Tesla is almost surely the best EV ever, and the Model3 maybe even the best choice per dollar too.
I know several people who were thinking "Wow, a new Tesla for only $35K and then subtract federal and state credits and I'll have mine for only $25K total. Yay!!" and hey, I'd like that too.
If you already have an early reservation and the $1000 deposit on file with Tesla then congratulations, you're golden! If however you don't have an early reservation (first 2-300,000 or are just thinking about it now) then there's a few things to ponder:
Under current law the $7500 Federal tax credit begins phase-out after 200.000 total vehicles are sold by a manufacturer in the US. In Tesla's case that makes end of Q2 2018 or possibly Q3 as the point where the credit drops in half, given how the phase-out is structured. With around 500K reservations already in the hopper it's VERY unlikely that someone without an early-ish reservation is going to get a meaningful federal credit. Especially if you're looking for a base model, since those are not the production priority.
Note, this is current law. Who knows what will happen in Trumpville.
Hmmm, which Model3 to get? $9000 for the big (300 miles instead of 220mi.) battery. All the autopilot/self-driving hardware comes built in, but if you want it all turned on it's like $8000 more. Need 4WD? It's coming. Add another $4-5K though. I think we're up over $55K here, and we haven't even gotten into the premium packages for the interior. Note that some states (Oregon and...) kill their credit if the car is over $50K...
So lets consider the tradeoffs. The Tesla SuperCharger network is spaced out about 120-150 miles apart. So unless you're doing long drives on a regular basis that extra $9000 may not be well spent, especially since the extra range would only rarely allow you to 'skip' a charge stop. Long distance commuters (or those with lots of traffic) may find Full-Self-Driving to be well worth it. The rest of us maybe not so much considering that it's something the Service Centers can turn on later for an additional charge. Obviously folks with lots of snow and ice may want the 'D' all wheel drive version, but the wait until next summer for that feature will make the federal credit highly improbable.
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So, if a base Tesla ordered now with a two year wait and only the state credit(s) still looks like a good deal then off you go. If you need it sooner and are in that market segment, consider a Bolt. If you only do local short range stuff and money is tight an iMiev may still make pretty good sense.
Personally I'm looking at used 2014 Tesla Model S's with high miles on them
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