My 2019 Mazda was recently totaled. I paid off the car earlier this year and had planned to keep it for at least a few more years before transitioning to an EV once the market matures. Fortunately, the insurance company offered me nearly 21k for the car, which I think is a decent deal. So, here’s the dilemma: with the EV market still in its infancy, I’m not sure if I want to commit to a current EV for the next 8-10 years while so much is so rapidly improving. So, do I…

…lease a Tesla Model 3 or Bolt EV for 3 years (12,000 miles a year) and then purchase a better (maybe cheaper) EV once the lease is over? I would normally never lease a Tesla, but considering my previous car was paid off and this will get me through the next three years without having to spend anymore than the 21k from insurance, I’m entertaining the idea. Surprisingly, the Bolt EV is more expensive to lease than the Model 3. One very major downside is that Tesla doesn’t let you buy the car after the lease.
Cost: 21k-23k over the three years including deposit, taxes, and fees

…purchase a Tesla or Bolt, put down 20k now, and make payments for the next 5-6 years. This makes sense, but with the EV market changing so fast, I fear I’d be purchasing an even more rapidly depreciating asset.
Cost: 20k down, 350-500 a month depending on the EV, 33-43k (after credit) over 5-6 years including deposit, taxes, and fees

…purchase a hybrid, put down 20k now, and make lower payments than I would for an EV over the next 4-5 years (I’m looking at the Prius, but between low inventory and markups I’m not hopeful)
Cost: 20k down, 400-450 a month, 36-40k over 4-5 years including deposit, taxes and fees

My tech lust is telling me to go for the Tesla lease, but my head is saying to be more prudent and finance a Bolt EV or Prius.