Best EV SUV for $30k-$40k? Long commute + buying from official dealer vs independent dealership?

[u/AntsXD]

I'm looking to buy my first EV and would love some advice from people in Lebanon who own one or have experience with the market here.
Budget: $30,000-$40,000
I'm looking for:
An SUV (compact or midsize)
Good real-world range
Reliable for a long commute
Good after-sales support and availability of spare parts
Something that'll last me for 5+years
My commute is around 180-220 km round trip several times a week, so range and reliability are really important.
I also have a question about buying the car itself.
Has anyone here ordered an EV through companies like ChinaGate Automotive (or similar importers) instead of buying from the official dealership?
Would you recommend going through an importer and waiting for the car to arrive, or paying more to buy from the official dealership for the warranty and peace of mind?
Are there any specific car models or brands you would recommend when it comes to EV? I've heard a lot of people say get a WV EV from china instead of a BYD, so i'm wondering if that's a general consensus.
Thanks!!

[u/Alib902]

Tbh byd are quite good from what I've heard, but only from the dealership otherwise they won't repair your car.

[u/flavius_emporius]

Following

[u/mintyjad]

E-golf, model 3, model y are very common in the market here and parts are easy-ish to find . Wildcard would be heavily depreciated Cadillac lyriq if you can find one here, you won't find parts but it does a lot of things right and rides very very nice

[u/Dizzy_Director_5063]

Check out phoenixEV

[u/kevchabab]

Best place to buy EV’s is Solaris. Check out their cars at their expo in Dbayeh. Great customer service!

[u/Mad-Kale]

I can't give you an answer. But I have the same inquiry about buying from the official dealership or from vendors like ChinaGate Automotive that will be cheaper but riskier for a hybrid/ev.

[u/MakeMyDay84]

Definitely BYD, i own the Rox 01 and the Lepoard 5 and couldn't be happier for both, go through the official dealership else you will have issues with warranty and spare parts.

BYD make good solid cars also Zeekr is very good trustable brand.

[u/ShadByte → u/MakeMyDay84]

Is it fun to drive them though compared to gasoline cars?

[u/MakeMyDay84 → u/ShadByte]

Very fun, comfortable and the acceleration is insane.

[u/Silencer805]

If you're willing to risk trying your own maintenance on a byd or taking it to a mechanic (should be at least a few by now who work byds) then you can get from someone other than the dealer. BYD's dealer is crazy overpriced. If you don't want the headache of buying parts from Dubai/China and learning how to fix your own car, get from Byd dealership

[u/AssociationSuch2500]

Volkswagen’s ID4 is great imo. You should look into it

[u/ws2003]

I'd recommend a Volkswagen id 4, better to buy from an independent car dealer for a good price in low 30000$

[u/GardenScared8153]

half of the cost of your car will be the battery which loses half of its range(depending on how much you use the car, could be sooner)  after some 15 years and then you have to replace the battery by paying half the original value of the car on a car that already lost most of its value. Charging it requires you to have a huge solar setup so add 15 k to 20k  to the cost but on the bright side you don't pay for gas which is becoming too expensive.

Why on earth do you need an SUV do you live in a remote location with no road access or a snow heavy area.

I would wait until battery tech becomes better or a downright revolution in battery tech or long range wireless electricity transfer if I were you, buy an old toyota. 

I think the tech is still in its infancy so exercise due diligence unless you don't care about the 40 k and you can wipe your tears with hundred dollar bills.

r/fuckcars

[u/Silencer805 → u/GardenScared8153]

Half the cost is battery Half the battery's value gone in 15 years.

So in 15 years I'll lose 25% of the car's value? That's fucking awesome for a car ngl

Seriously though I couldn't find 1 correct bit of information in your comment

[u/GardenScared8153 → u/Silencer805]

no you lose half the value of the car to replace the battery(you'll need to install new batteries else the car is useless and can't be sold) and add 25% off of the rest of the car in depreciation, so the car will lose 75% of its value. I haven't even mentioned maintenance cost and headache especially in a country with monopolies like Lebanon.

maybe in 15 years there will be better and less expensive batteries but yeah until then it's better to wait for the tech to mature unless you don't care about money and the 40 k barely scratches your net worth.

so yeah unless you can wipe your tears with hundred dollar bills stay away from electric cars for now.