Should an EV ever be considered a “future classic”?
Auto buying expert Tom McParland joins to explore the intersection of automotive enthusiasm and electric vehicles.
We’re still in our infancy here at Hybridiot. Shit, we’re not even a “we” yet. Just me. Anyhow, to this point, the most viral post I’ve made under the Hybridiot banner was this one on Threads:
In the replies, for the most part, I got many, many Spinal Tap references, and many more figures that were massive multiples of 10. But basically, almost no one believed a 1st edition of VW’s retrotastic electric van will be worth something someday, unless you count sarcasm as currency. Some prevailing sentiments:
“A guy on commission told you stuff? That's crazy.” — @aaronandrusko
“12.3/10 💩🌋” — @bbison724 [A shit volcano, for those who can’t make out the second emoji. Brilliant/vile!]
“It’s going to age like a smartphone…” — @elvistrobinsky
But then there were folks who landed in this ballpark:
“They’re full of shit. But it’s still a very pleasing car. We love ours.” — @toshi.clark
“I live next to a VW dealership and the ID Buzz makes my heart flutter.” — @thethemeagan
I began to wonder if I should have phrased my post a bit differently. Whether a car feels like a future classic and whether it actually holds its value — those are two very different metrics. The vast majority of us aren’t frame-off, bolt-by-bolt restorers and preservationists. We’re hobbyists who love cars, but are smart enough not to bank on them. And did I really dig driving that quirky Buzz around Queens one afternoon? I certainly did.
Now, many owners will tell you they love their EVs. But it's a different kind of love, more “daily companion” than the “poster on the wall” love I feel for a Volvo 1800S or an R-129 Mercedes. Most EVs and hybrids are beloved for their practicality, their technology, and, occasionally, for their blistering acceleration, but with the exception of some super premium offerings — like the Neptune Blue Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo that tantalizingly scoots around my neighborhood — I don’t think they’re enthralling to car enthusiasts in a meaningful way. Maybe modern cars, in general, aren’t up to snuff in this regard.
As an experienced writer but one new to the automotive space, I thought this would be an excellent moment to reach out to some folks that I admire and get their take about what types of EVs could potentially be “future classics,” and what else the industry could do to make EVs more appealing to people who just love cars. And wouldn’t ya know it, some of them actually got back to me! I was delighted.
First up: Tom McParland, a freelance writer featured in numerous automotive outlets who runs AutomatchConsulting.com. He takes the hassle out of buying or leasing a car. I’ve been reading Tom for years — you’ve probably caught his iconic, long-running car buying advice column on Jalopnik — and I even went so far as to namecheck him in a cover letter once, where I described my 8-year-old self recommending cars to my relatives as a “tiny Tom McParland.”
Are there any EVs currently on sale or that have been on sale that you'd peg as future classics?
Tom McParland: Currently, no, because I think most EV buyers are purchasing a piece of technology that happens to transport them around. When was the last time a smartphone was a “future classic”? As tech progresses, people move on to the latest and greatest. In the example of the ID Buzz, I'm willing to bet within two years these will follow the same depreciation curves as most other EVs and shoppers will find lightly used ones at almost half-off. The more interesting question: Is it possible to make an EV that's a “future classic”? I'm not sure buyers in the future are going to look back with nostalgia on any EV like they would a 997 generation [Porsche] 911 or a [Toyota] GR Corolla. I think the analog-ness (is that even a word?) of some cars keeps them timeless because you aren't just a user in a piece of tech, you are connected to the machine.
Should automakers try to develop mainstream EVs that get buyers more excited? If so, what should they build?
TM: Getting buyers excited is always a good strategy, but what does that look like and for what buyer? The reality is that the enthusiast market is small, and while something like the [Hyundai] Ioniq 5 N is a great machine with performance that is well above its price point, it's hard for me to get “excited” about something that costs almost $70,000 regardless of how good a value it is. Going back to the ID Buzz, that is an “exciting” car in a different way, though I doubt that the nostalgia is going to result in strong sales in the long term for that car. If it was priced around $45,000, it would be a different story. Again, most people are buying these cars based on tech. If an automaker were to come out with a $25,000 EV that seats four comfortably, has about 300 miles of range, and can charge to 80% in under 15 minutes, that is a car that would get people excited. Whether or not that combination of things is profitable is hard to say, but it seems like the Chinese automakers are close to achieving that.
If you could wave a magic wand, what type of car would you love to see electrified?
TM: There isn't a specific model that I think would be better if it were an EV and in most cases I think EVs should carry their own unique nomenclature and not “electrify” an existing ICE car. Just look at the initial reactions on the Mustang Mach E and the Charger EV. Customers hear “Mustang” and “Charger” and that evokes a certain expectation, so consumers often already may have some bias against that model. That being said, I would love to see EV platforms transfer over into the disability conversion space. My wife uses an Odyssey van with a wheelchair ramp conversion, and an EV platform could be great for mobility impaired folks as it may offer more flexible seating and logistics, and the possibility of assisted driving would make for a great combo if costs could come down.
Thanks, Tom, for the time and the insightful answers! I hadn’t considered the mobility space, and I too would love to see manufacturers consider that vertical for future development.
More voices from the trenches coming soon. In the meantime, drop your own future EV classic picks in the comments, if you think such a thing exists — or forward this to that friend who swears their Mach-E is collectible.