I be waiting to see how this california thing with the electrishikal cars works out

[Racer X]

Want to bet that states will up raise the cost of Antique Vehicles license plates AND registration? Then insurance companies will raise their rates on antique vehicles…

Washington State classic plates are a one and done. Never need to license my 3 Buick again. Can't use them regularly, but the restrictions allow for lots of approved playtime.

 

[LVSteve]

Until Kirk beams down with the dilithium crystals electric cars will continue to be nothing more than toys. Their limitations are too overwhelming for 98% of drivers needs.

I'm going to take a guess here and say that the limitations are too overwhelming for 98% of your needs and most of the folk you know because of where you live. That is likely true for all those who live in the rural far reaches of California, but those folks are a small minority of the voting public so...

For the great majority who live in urban or semi-urban environments, electric cars actually do meet the need 98% of the time. If you need to go on a road trip, you can rent a gas vehicle. Now, that last statement has been dented a bit due to the post COVID costs of rentals, but it is still largely true IMHO.

It's the same as the pickup argument. There are many people on here who will tell you they have to own a pickup in the same way they need lungs to breathe. I disagree. 99% of the time a rental pickup is sufficient, especially in states where the standing costs of registration and insurance are high. Southern Nevada falls into that category, I can assure you. A number of my car enthusiast buddies have come to this conclusion after doing the math. I am quite envious at those on here who have a stable of 5/6 vehicles, because it means you either make a lot more than me or live in a state where the standing costs are far lower than we have here.

 

[LVSteve]

Here is another one I don't believe they have thought about.
The Truth About Electric Cars Biggest Problem - YouTube

An excellent video. Mind you, I cannot foresee him being on youtube much longer. Bothering people with facts gets the hammer dropped on you from all angles these days.

I think the key statement is at the end.

So ultimately my point isn't that we should give up on EVs, it's that it's going to take some time before they're viable in a lot of situations.

Seems fair.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I for one would love to see good public transportation/rail service. New Orleans back in the 60's/70's has a fantastic mass transit system with buses running all over the place. No more. It is sad. the only public transit worth a squat is the limited streetcars which are more for the tourists than anyone else. I remember traveling across town on buses to go to college. Buses ran on schedule and it worked out well. Have no idea what happened. (actually I do have a hypothesis but I'm keeping that to myself)

 

[biku324]

Agreed. All over big cities of wealthy SE Asia and in China there are clean, pollution-free buses and light rail systems that get you close enough to walk to your destination; they have just plain cheap fares.

Eurorail is a good, long-distance system, but not really cheap.

 

[deadin]

My youngest son lives in an area of Seattle where they are starting to build "low-income, high density" housing. These are 6 or 7 story buildings with small apartments and no allowance for parking. (Tenements??)
The logic is that anyone living there couldn't afford a car and, besides, there is a brand-new transit station in the area.
He's considering moving.........

 

[ladder13]

Before attempting to discredit others with your "facts" please post sources, just don't throw out numbers.

The way things are done in the real world.

 

[johngalt]

Washington State classic plates are a one and done. Never need to license my 3 Buick again. Can't use them regularly, but the restrictions allow for lots of approved playtime.

Finally got collector plates for my Tahoe. Never need to renew again!

 

[Jessie]

Maybe I don't see the obvious sometimes but how are these cars heated and airconditioned? And if they are, how does that affect mileage?
Maybe only good in Cali?

 

[ladder13]

Clearly, some tweaks are required.


Amazon took solar rooftops offline last year after fires, explosions

 

[IAM Rand]

The articles shown here ignore the fact that 98% of charging is at home in the middle of the night with PLENTIFUL, CHEAP electricity.

Trying to stay within the bounds of the website here. Problem is, there is no cheap and plentiful electricity here or anywhere. It used to be cheap and plentiful with clean coal and scrubbers on the electric plants. It is cheap and plentiful with nuclear powerplants. Both the people behind the green movement hate. Nat gas is a better alternative but, it doesn't produce as well as coal. We are not at the point where we can rely on wind and solar. Also, the batteries are not good enough to store what is needed for a community. Plus, the amount of metals that are needed to make the batteries makes it untenable in the near future to capture excess energy and store it for times when there is no wind or the sun is being obscured.

Why is it so bad to be an all of the above person where we support technology but, use the best current resources available?

 

[pawngal]

If you make even a modest attempt to verify this you'll find it's false.

Maybe so, but the basic idea is true.

 

[Racer X]

That has been an agenda in many states, but CA for sure. The state and federal government have done many things to discourage living in the far flung parts of the desert SW.

Yes, lets all live together, in a region with no local food or water.

 

[LVSteve]

Yes, lets all live together, in a region with no local food or water.

I was obviously unclear. CA will actively dezone any abandoned residential property in many parts of the desert. There may be a viable well there, but the state doesn't want you being independent. The Feds have been as bad. Read up on how they turfed out the guy set up in Zzyzz.

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

A month or so ago I flew out to San Diego for horses running at Del Mar. The Indian gentlemen that was our Uber Driver had an early model Toyota EV. When I changed from my sunglasses to my regular glasses, I noticed the vehicle had almost 500,000 miles on the electric odometer read out. I was impressed and started quizzing him about the vehicle.

He drove it 250,000 miles without a hitch or repair other than changing tires. He then had to replace the battery pack—I believe he said it was about $7 to $10K and he has driven off into the sunset rolling up to nearly 500,000 miles. He said the replacement battery pack he bought is a big upgrade and improvement in quality over his original battery pack and should last a lot longer.

He said that he thought the biggest impediment to EV's will be no/few Americans want to put 500k miles on a car and keep it for years! We want a new vehicle about each model year! He confided his wife and son had traded multiple times over the course of his EV's ownership.

I was impressed with his story and the vehicle. Interestingly enough, every Uber we had during a week in San Diego was an EV. My first time riding in them. Mostly Tesla's. I think EV's are much more common in Cali than here in F-150, flyover land.

John, I am jealous, not about electric cars but about going to
Del Mar for the races. Did I understand you had horses running
at Del Mar? I've been there twice, the 1st time when my older
brother lived in Carlsbad. My opinion it is one of the most
beautiful tracks in the country. The times I went they were
still running on dirt and not coated sand.

 

[GypsmJim]

I have been in an electric car and its nice. I liked it. The only issue was that the battery drained so quick that it wasn't practical to own unless your only goal was to drive to WalMart.

My house is nice, but when it was built there was no consideration for future expansion. Last year we added AC and that consumed all available circuits. I would have no way to add an EV car charger.

I think we all understand that solar and wind power are truly needed for the future. Oil and gas may last hundreds of more years, but the supply is not limitless. Yet, when anyone suggests a wind farm or solar farm they are shot down by the citizens. We have no hope for the future unless we direct our own destiny. Do birds truly fly into windmills and die?

 

[glenwolde]

Maybe so, but the basic idea is true.

No, because the entire premise is false. John Deere has no plans for any large electric equipment. So yes, something they are not working on because it is not practical is true.

 

[V1 Rotate]

Friend was about to pick up new e-Mustang, ordered in January. Deal was killed when they told him towing a trailer will invalidate the new car warranty.
Bill S

 

[arjay]

Most of us who live in or near areas with large populations are very aware of how congested and exasperating traffic is now and most of us get the climate change problem we've ignored for too long.Self driving cars and mass transit using non fossil fuels are really the only practical solution to the problem. We'll get there because we have to.

 

[Kanewpadle]

I work for the Department of Defense. I was recently informed that many of our government vehicles will be replaced with electric vehicles.

And we don't have the infrastructure for it.

The dummies are everywhere!