Since we are on the topic of alternate forms of energy, this picture of my 'stang was taken as I was driving past the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant on the way to Carlsbad Raceway, circa 1993.
~doug~
Confession of a TESLA Owner
- Thread starter DesertIguana
- Start date
~doug~
I've been a bureaucrat for about a year now. Local planning kommission. Let's just say Joe Manchin didn't do us any favors by changing his mind.
If you live in a little piece of heaven out in the country enjoy it while you can. The Feds are harder to fight than city hall doggone.
Do a little research as to what kountry the majority of the parts and materials for solar are coming from.
My advice: if you aren't a yes man be extremely careful with your answer if you are ever asked to be on a planning kommission.
The electric cars are here to stay. All of the issues mentioned re: chargers, the source of that electricity and what we need to do to get the materials you need for the batteries and systems are all true. When we're talking about a sea change about how we move ourselves around and the entire infrastructure to make the vehicles move, it ain't gonna be pretty (and it's not!). Unlike transition from horse and buggy to gas powered cars, we don't have John D. Rockefeller to build out the system from decomposed dinosaurs to gas tank. We'll get there, not fast enough, but we'll get there someday (hopefully in my lifetime). Lay that on top of better batteries, software and materials, and it's going to be a tough row to hoe.
My biggest pet peeve, though, is the literal gouging at the dealership for the new electrics (let alone the hybrids). I have a 16 year old Subaru and 9 year old VW hybrid, so we're kind of in the market for a new car. When the choice is $60-80K for an electric, well, I ain't gonna do it. The materials in the car just don't cost that much. Sorry. I would be willing to pay a premium, but when the price of the car costs more than 4 years of my kid's college tuition, forget it.
I talked to my mechanic the other week, and we both agreed that if we were to get a new car, sell my current hybrid, buy another hybrid, and nurse the Subaru along. I'm fully remote now, so I don't need the efficient car, and can make due with the Subaru for driving around (it will also be easiest (though expensive) to repair and support). Then, when the industry gets sane and a lot of the issues that have been so elegantly articulated in this thread get addressed or improved, we could be in the market for the electric.
My biggest pet peeve, though, is the literal gouging at the dealership for the new electrics (let alone the hybrids). I have a 16 year old Subaru and 9 year old VW hybrid, so we're kind of in the market for a new car. When the choice is $60-80K for an electric, well, I ain't gonna do it. The materials in the car just don't cost that much. Sorry. I would be willing to pay a premium, but when the price of the car costs more than 4 years of my kid's college tuition, forget it.
I talked to my mechanic the other week, and we both agreed that if we were to get a new car, sell my current hybrid, buy another hybrid, and nurse the Subaru along. I'm fully remote now, so I don't need the efficient car, and can make due with the Subaru for driving around (it will also be easiest (though expensive) to repair and support). Then, when the industry gets sane and a lot of the issues that have been so elegantly articulated in this thread get addressed or improved, we could be in the market for the electric.
Well, if you lot could just figure out that the right side of the road is also the correct side of the road ...
I fixed it to carefully re-insert the word "better".
Old woman, what knight lives in yonder castle?
The battery is a huge pain with EV’s. There has got to be a better way. How about renting the battery. A battery subscription if you will. Standardized the batteries, produce maybe three or four styles. Then turn the gas stations into battery stations. When your battery is depleted, you go to a battery station and swap out the battery for a fully charged one. I imagine a battery station would need lots of power. It would probably look like a small power plant. A whole new industry with new jobs that would be needed.
The Borscht Belt of B&B we have here?
Old woman, in yonder Castle, upon the Majestic Catskills, once dwelt the King of Une Doublure, who as the mist descended upon the carefully assembled nobility, before the Dukes and Duchesses of Orlon, of Dacron, of Banlon and of Rayon, each knightly, was right to correctly proclaim,
”I take my wife everywhere. But she keeps finding her way home.”
Henny, we hardly knew ye.
GM will no longer make ICE cars after 2034 (10 years from now). Nobody knows what new technology we'll have 5 years from now, let alone 10. I expect a lot more renewable energy, of course the batteries will get better. Part of the reason EV's are so expensive is supply and demand - try buying a Toyota Rav4 Prime, the wait is close to a year.
There are realities that make them less attractive right now, but things are bound to change. Who could have predicted the number of people in the USA driving solo in 7 passenger SUV's and the devastation we're starting to depreciate from climate change?
EV batteries are costly to replace out of pocket, and the prices can generally be between $4,000 to $20,000, with your vehicle's year, make, and model directly influencing the final sum. The rate off battery failure is 1.5%, so I don't know how much of a concern replacement costs are for the average consumer. And those prices are for a new battery from the dealer. There is a volt battery on Ebay for less than half the Volt's $4,000 replacement cost. As more and more EV's are purchased we're going to have cars totaled in accidents that don't affect the battery. Years ago my Toyota had lots of good parts when my maple tree decided to land on the roof and total the car.
It's a tough decision now, but I suspect it will get easier as time goes on.
There are realities that make them less attractive right now, but things are bound to change. Who could have predicted the number of people in the USA driving solo in 7 passenger SUV's and the devastation we're starting to depreciate from climate change?
EV batteries are costly to replace out of pocket, and the prices can generally be between $4,000 to $20,000, with your vehicle's year, make, and model directly influencing the final sum. The rate off battery failure is 1.5%, so I don't know how much of a concern replacement costs are for the average consumer. And those prices are for a new battery from the dealer. There is a volt battery on Ebay for less than half the Volt's $4,000 replacement cost. As more and more EV's are purchased we're going to have cars totaled in accidents that don't affect the battery. Years ago my Toyota had lots of good parts when my maple tree decided to land on the roof and total the car.
It's a tough decision now, but I suspect it will get easier as time goes on.
My round trip commute to work 4x a week is 24 miles. 96 miles a week to/from work. An electric car would be ideal for that. But IDK if I’d buy a 70-100k electric just for that. And when I travel out of town I want more than a 300-400 mile range. I routinely make trips to IL and MO. I’m not willing to add an extra 4-6 hours on my journey to wait for a car to charge.
Yep very cool. A company is traying to do it. One concern I have is the battery connections. They need to be very robust if you are going to do many disconnect and reconnects. I wonder how the pricing works and how the battery is insured? Those batteries are not cheap.
I'm excited about EVs since their battery production is going to raise my electric rates and keep a coal fired power plant online longer. Win-win.
You forgot the part about also handing Panasonic $8 Billion in taxpayer support.
Win-win-win.
Same thing w my Honda Clarity. Trips of 50 miles or less use no gas at all. 50 to 150 about 100 mpg. Long trips about 60 mpg. And no range anxiety. Recent trip to New England 770 miles at 75 mph, silent air conditioned comfort, 60 mpg average. The Volt and Clarity among the best cars ever made.
I remember pulling 60 mpg on an ‘80 Rabbit diesel. A fun car to drive. A crank open sunroof, and enough room in the back for three sets of clubs. I replaced the factory Becker radio with a $120 cassette deck from Radio Shack for better road tunes.
I think the tank range was almost 700 miles, and diesel was around 80 cents a gallon.
That was over 40 years ago.
I think the tank range was almost 700 miles, and diesel was around 80 cents a gallon.
That was over 40 years ago.
I had a Peugeot 504 diesel in those days. 54 mpg on the highway and oh so comfortable.
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This article from the UK Guardian newspaper highlights some emerging issues with insuring EVs. Some major car insurers stopped insuring EVs entirely, including policy renewals, and premiums have risen dramatically. It seems that car insurers are pausing to reassess the risks and costs of EV claims, and re-pricing significantly higher when they do re-enter the market.
The example covered at the start of the article is a guy whose insurance company (one of the biggest in the UK) declined to renew his policy for a Tesla Model Y, and the cheapest annual quote he could find from any insurer after weeks of searching comparison sites was £4,500 (from £1,200 previously). He tried to terminate his car lease but there was an £8,000 penalty if he did this. As of the article date (two days ago) the guy’s previous insurer had restarted insuring some EV models but not Teslas.
www.theguardian.com
I think the EV car insurance market is worth watching if you are considering an EV either now or in the future.
The example covered at the start of the article is a guy whose insurance company (one of the biggest in the UK) declined to renew his policy for a Tesla Model Y, and the cheapest annual quote he could find from any insurer after weeks of searching comparison sites was £4,500 (from £1,200 previously). He tried to terminate his car lease but there was an £8,000 penalty if he did this. As of the article date (two days ago) the guy’s previous insurer had restarted insuring some EV models but not Teslas.
‘The quotes were £5,000 or more’: electric vehicle owners face soaring insurance costs
Drivers who ditched petrol and diesel to help save the planet face huge price rises in premiums
I think the EV car insurance market is worth watching if you are considering an EV either now or in the future.
We almost bought a 504 turbo diesel estate once. The build on it was as good as any German or Swede. Tremendous suspension travel. They were built for French farm roads.
It was used, local dealer support was nil, and Mrs. C had serious concerns about the upkeep.
Looking back, I should have bought it.
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