Who has or is planning to get an electric car / EV Talk

[Apple fanboy]

It really baffles me that in my suburban condominium apartment complex, where the apartments are fairly small, that there are so many people who live here who drive pickup trucks, jeeps and large SUVs. WHY??

This is a development where the majority of residents/owners are singles or couples -- it's not a place built for or meant for families (although now thanks to continuously rising single family dwelling costs there are a few here with one or even two children). This is also a site where landscaping and maintenance tasks are handled by others, so no need for any resident to be making frequent trips to the garden center or the super-economy-sized Home Depot hardware store or wherever to purchase and haul home heavy, large loads.... We aren't living out in the country -- this is a very close-in suburb of our Nation's Capitol. We also are not homesteading on one or more acres of land, we are living in multifamily buildings, each positioned on very small lots.

It truly is a mystery to me why these people feel they need such huge vehicles.....

Absolutely. I live in the countryside. I travel to the tip more often than I’d like. I get by fine without a large pickup. They aren’t all that common over here. Probably because we pay so much more for petrol and diesel than you guys.
SUV’s are most popular these days. But these are huge as well.
One of the reasons I chose the i3 was the size. I don’t need a tank to drive around in that weighs a ton. Small, light and efficient. If only I could say the same for the driver!

 

[MmkLucario]

There are edge cases where EV’s will struggle for sure at the moment.
But they are the edge cases. What % of the US live in Alaska?
But sadly everyone focuses on the edge cases rather than the majority who would do just fine with an EV.
Meanwhile we all have to breathe in the crap that petrol and diesel chug out.

That is true, though I made that remark because I live in Alaska.

 

[Tagbert]

That is true, though I made that remark because I live in Alaska.

I suspect that Alaska and similar areas will be the last to fully transition to EVs.

 

[MmkLucario]

I suspect that Alaska and similar areas will be the last to fully transition to EVs.

Yeah. It doesn’t that even older used cars are more expensive here, and Anchorage is one of the most expensive places to buy a car, new or used, in the US.

 

[jz0309]

this is a new direction, for North America. seems like automakers finally understand what Tesla has been doing for many years already. Should have happened a fw years ago actually ...

7 auto giants unite to build universal network of 30K+ clean-energy-powered fast chargers to North America

And yes, it’ll have NACS accessibility. In a shocking but exciting announcement this morning, a group of some of the...

electrek.co

 

[4sallypat]

That is true, though I made that remark because I live in Alaska.

EVs are becoming more common.

Even in remote areas like Dead Horse, AK.

TFL made a trip last year to the furthest part of AK:

 

[jerryk]

That was last September - why does it not apply now? Has California upgraded their infrastructure in the past 10 months?

In several ways. And one way we participate is with Teslas Virtual Power Plant (VPP). Through this program CalISO the electricity provider to the utilities buys power from alternative sources. One of these is the Tesla VPP. Mine and 7000 other homes with Powerwalls, sell our power in our Powerwall batteries at $2/kWh or more during these times of high demand. Last fall was the first time this program existed and it, and other like it,helped mitigate any shortfalls. And it also generated a $400 check for us.

 

[4sallypat]

In several ways. And one way we participate is with Teslas Virtual Power Plant (VPP). Through this program CalISO the electricity provider to the utilities buys power from alternative sources. One of these is the Tesla VPP. Mine and 7000 other homes with Powerwalls, sell our power in our Powerwall batteries at $2/kWh or more during these times of high demand. Last fall was the first time this program existed and it, and other like it,helped mitigate any shortfalls. And it also generated a $400 check for us.

That is so cool !

I thought the Tesla Powerwalls could only generate 120V to power a home overnight but if it can do 240V, I can see the usefulness.

 

[jerryk]

That is so cool !

I thought the Tesla Powerwalls could only generate 120V to power a home overnight but if it can do 240V, I can see the usefulness.

The voltage depends how it is wired. In the US it is usually, its 240v for circuits that are for Level 2 car charging, dryers, ranges, and ovens when the grid is down. And then 120v for the rest of the "normal" loads like lights, wall outlets, etc. Of course, in many countries it is 240V for all circuits.

The bottom line is the Powerwall is a very reliable, super-fast (lights do not flicker when it takes over in an outage) system. You can also scale their capacity up by adding additional Powerwalls to the system with each on one adding an addition 13 kWhs of usable power.

 

[icanhazmac]

For those of you with EVs, how much did your insurance go up? (especially the Tesla folks).

 

[jz0309]

For those of you with EVs, how much did your insurance go up? (especially the Tesla folks).

that is somewhat off a tricky question as insurance typically goes up with any brand new car ...
replacing my Prius Prime with the Bolt EUV I think added like $250/year, but again, comparing a brand-new to a 5 1/2 yr old car ...
if you are seriously looking to get an EV/Tesla, call your insurance and ask for a quote, and don't forget to compare quotes

 

[Ameer_1]

In my opinion its somewhat stupid unless you can find a cheap lease I know some people say it helps the environment but when I ask them how you make electricity they don't have much to say.

 

[Apple fanboy]

In my opinion its somewhat stupid unless you can find a cheap lease I know some people say it helps the environment but when I ask them how you make electricity they don't have much to say.

Solar, wind, wave.
But even gas power stations are better for the environment than individual ICE cars.

 

[jz0309]

In my opinion its somewhat stupid unless you can find a cheap lease I know some people say it helps the environment but when I ask them how you make electricity they don't have much to say.

What IS stupid imho is when I’m going the speed limit on my 50 mile commute to work and get passed by dozens and dozens of single occupancy full size trucks with people going to office work doing 80+ mph…

 

[Apple fanboy]

What IS stupid imho is when I’m going the speed limit on my 50 mile commute to work and get passed by dozens and dozens of single occupancy full size trucks with people going to office work doing 80+ mph…

That sadly happens everywhere I’m afraid!

 

[cyb3rdud3]

In my opinion its somewhat stupid unless you can find a cheap lease I know some people say it helps the environment but when I ask them how you make electricity they don't have much to say.

What is stupid about it? And why does the way someone “purchases” an EV not make it stupid?

Nobody, regardless of the type of engine, helps the environment by supporting the manufacturing of new goods.

 

[mvdrl]

For those of you with EVs, how much did your insurance go up? (especially the Tesla folks).

If you're a Costco member, the "Connect by AmFam" insurance program has excellent rates for Teslas (and gassers too!)

 

[JT2002TJ]

For those of you with EVs, how much did your insurance go up? (especially the Tesla folks).

I went from no EVs to only EVs (Both Tesla's). Unfortunately, I didn't go from vehicles in the same year, so these EVs are newer than my ICE were. Also, there was a change in my policy. I went from 100k/300k to 250k/500k Personal Injury Protection (PIP), so that does equate to a little over $100 per vehicle per 6 months. I carry high coverages because I live in an area where I see a TON of high-end vehicles...

My 6-month premiums

Was
2003 BMW 325i - $784.32
2008 Audi A4 - $904.67
2015 Ram 1500 - $841.35

Now
2019 TM3 - $1,293.00
2021 TMY - $1,295.00

It is hard to compare your rates to mine, but you can see how much of a difference it was under my own policy, taking into account that I also upped my PIP.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I went from no EVs to only EVs (Both Tesla's). Unfortunately, I didn't go from vehicles in the same year, so these EVs are newer than my ICE were. Also, there was a change in my policy. I went from 100k/300k to 250k/500k Personal Injury Protection (PIP), so that does equate to a little over $100 per vehicle per 6 months. I carry high coverages because I live in an area where I see a TON of high-end vehicles...

My 6-month premiums

Was
2003 BMW 325i - $784.32
2008 Audi A4 - $904.67
2015 Ram 1500 - $841.35

Now
2019 TM3 - $1,293.00
2021 TMY - $1,295.00

It is hard to compare your rates to mine, but you can see how much of a difference it was under my own policy, taking into account that I also upped my PIP.

Are you young? That seems an awful lot for insurance. I pay about £300 in the UK.

 

[JT2002TJ]

Are you young? That seems an awful lot for insurance. I pay about £300 in the UK.

My wife and I are 45/44 years old, I live in Long Island NY... These are the prices for the NJ/NY/CT area.

We have home owners, personal article policy and vehicles. We have been with our company for 10+ years.

What are your coverage limits?

 

[Jamie's_Tech]

The Volvo EX30 looks like a bit of me. Quite a lot of car for around £34k which in the UK is the lower end of the EV market. Especially from these brands.

I'm not sure whether to go EV next year or get something like a Kia ProCeed (completely different than the EX30 I know) but it's a steal at their RRP.

 

[Apple fanboy]

My wife and I are 45/44 years old, I live in Long Island NY... These are the prices for the NJ/NY/CT area.

We have home owners, personal article policy and vehicles. We have been with our company for 10+ years.

What are your coverage limits?

Personal injury is free here. So we don't have to worry about that.
£20,000,000 Third party property damage
£100,000 legal protection per claim
New vehicle replacement.
I have to pay the first £250 of any claim (if at fault) and the policy cost me £282.41.

I'm a bit older than you.

 

[JT2002TJ]

Personal injury is free here. So we don't have to worry about that.
£20,000,000 Third party property damage
£100,000 legal protection per claim
New vehicle replacement.
I have to pay the first £250 of any claim (if at fault) and the policy cost me £282.41.

I'm a bit older than you.

Per month or per 6-months (£282.41)?

You live out in the country, right?

I'm in the suburbs of the largest city in the US (about 10 miles from the Queens NY border)... I pay $13k per year in property taxes (and only have a 77'x100' lot), so my insurance is in line with all the other costs around here.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Per month or per 6-months (£282.41)?

You live out in the country, right?

I'm in the suburbs of the largest city in the US (about 10 miles from the Queens NY border)... I pay $13k per year in property taxes (and only have a 77'x100' lot), so my insurance is in line with all the other costs around here.

Per year. When I lived in the suburbs it was pretty similar. But it’s hard to compare one country to the next.
We might get cheaper insurance here, but we pay for it at the pump or electric usage.
I passed a garage today to see it’s £1.44 a litre. Fortunately I’ll be getting a free charge tomorrow as I’m at work.

 

[4sallypat]

For those of you with EVs, how much did your insurance go up? (especially the Tesla folks).

My insurance went way down with a new EV - 2 times.

When I exchanged out my 2014 BMW 5 series gasser with a 2022 $75,000 Ford Lightning EV, it went down $250 per year.

Then when I got the 2023 $53,000 Ford Mustang Mach E, my insurance went down another $1250.

So for me, it was cheaper getting an EV instead of ICE.