What will it take to make you seriously consider an EV?

https://energyminute.ca/news/toyota...crunched the numbers like,non-plug-in hybrids.

 

I'm more cynical and think Toyota is just FUDing with EVs because they invested so much into hydrogen FCEVs.

Maybe a hot take, but I think PHEVs should have been more of a thing 10-15 years ago (i.e., when I jumped in ). But manufacturers and even consumers kinda rejected that. At this point, I'd rather just go pure EV (though again, manufacturers could do better there, as I've alluded to).

 

The single most important feature in Florida in the summer is to be able to pre-cool the car e.g. when you are in a restaurant or store and parked outside. Not sure what is supposed to be hellish about being able to do that. It's actually hellish NOT to be able to do that...

Annoyingly, all the remote features are greyed out in my Porsche app and customer service is not responding. Maybe I'll go to a dealership and see if they can help.

 

This was a joke from the very start that I never took seriously.

 

My mom's 2021 Expedition has that, she hits a button on her keyfob from 50 yards (.04573 km for the Euros in the audience) away and miracles happen, no phone needed.

 

I believe one of the most underappreciated designs of Tesla is the Tesla OS. Autopilot and FSD and even Sentry mode are the star of the show.

George Hotz talks a bit about his project, Comma Ai and Apple as one of the biggest competitors to Tesla. Comma AI wants to offer a stand alone hardware device to do the navigation and not get involved in the hardware side of making and developing the vehicle. He has since admitted Comma AI is not a serious competitor but an alternative product to put in ICE vehicles.

He discusses how Apple's Titan has a similar approach, looking to provide the software, or OS for vehicles. Much like how Samsung builds the phone and plops Android on top of it. Apple Carplay has been trying to encroach on legacy vehicles for years however the lackluster hardware in legacy vehicles has made Carplay a 'decent' bandaid at best. The hope is that manufactures will beef up the hardware and allow the likes of Apple to provide the software since legacy can't afford massive software armies. Legacy has thrown in the towel to be serious EV competitors in the near future

It seems Apple is finally doing what Tesla has been saying for years .... the future is in AI and energy, not hardware. BYD and Tesla has a strong footing in the 4 wheeled mass transport industry and the industry has proven to be largely low profit. There is a huge money grab in robotics and AI.

Im starting to believe there are cracks forming around the Apple moat. Mobile phones are no longer a status thing. Nobody cares who has Android or iOS. The app store is extremely profitable and its what keeps Apple valued so high. The Apple Vision Pro was a flop. Nothing exciting is coming out of Apple.

 

I wonder how many Tesla engineer face palmed when Musk announced the <1 second 0-60 spec on twitter.

Cold thruster doesn't make much sense. You'd have to carry hundreds of pounds of propellant to even do a single launch. It would be a safety nightmare as well, carry around so much compressed gas.

Using suction fans to increase downforce like the McMurtry Speirling seems more reasonable. The Speirling can reach 0-60mph in 1.3 second with a 60kwh battery and 1000bhp.

 

What's the point? The only need for acceleration most people ever have in their lives is when you get on a short on-ramp to a freeway and 0-60 mph in 5-8 seconds is perfectly fine for that, especially since you almost always have a rollout. Even if you're an armed robber, the cop radio will always be faster than anything you can drive. Maybe there's a one in 5 million chance you might need to accelerate really fast to avoid an accident. Maybe.

 

In the short term, for me to get an EV it would need to cost less than a reasonably cheap ICE. As Jay Leno is fond of saying in his Youtube car videos: new technology has to be better than old technology at the same price point, not equivalent.

And I would use it as a commuter / to haul the bikes / dogs / etc. So basically it would be a tool, whereas I have 2 door ICE cars for enjoyment and style.

Certainly no Teslas or Rivians or the like meet these two criteria above. Honestly a Chevy Volt or hatchback may be the closest thing. But I'd probably grab a cheap EV pickup.

I haven't paid enough attention to what the old manufacturers price points look like as they pander to the faux-EV craze.

 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in 2020 that he previously "reached out” to Cook to discuss the possibility of Apple’s acquiring Tesla. The discussions occurred during Tesla’s Model 3 development — its "darkest days."

According to the Wall Street Journal, Cook also pitched Musk on the idea of Apple acquiring Tesla in 2016. Talks fell apart after Musk demanded that he be named CEO of the combined entity.

"I'm CEO," Musk said.

"F*** You," Cook reportedly answered before hanging up the phone.

Cook and Musk have denied the phone call and the ultimatum happened. Musk said that he did request a meeting with Cook to discuss a potential buyout, but Cook refused to meet.

 

Ford EVs can now charge on select non-magic dock Tesla superchargers. Mach-E, Lightning, and E-Transit owners can request a free adapter from Ford.

Huge news for American EV drivers. Tesla opening up their chargers and the industry moving NACS/J3400 is great for the industry as a whole.

https://electrek.co/2024/02/29/ford-tesla-supercharger-adapter-now-available/

 

@Xerobull

https://electrek.co/2024/03/01/toyota-says-it-would-rather-buy-credits-than-waste-money-on-evs/

 

Thank you!

That's an interesting article. I'm a Toyota fanboy but by no means does it give me a myopic view of the market, outside of the credibility that Toyota has...but that can always be tarnished by capitalistic goals.

One takeaway I got was the implied 'Chinese Wave' of incoming EVs. Yeah, if I can get a cheap EV to tool around town in for $11k that I expect to last 8 years, it's sort of a no-brainer for my use.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/27/opinion/gm-ford-electric-vehicles.html

However, I tend to wait on new car models to mature and work the bugs out so we'll see how it shakes out. Until then, I'll continue to drive my 07 FJ with 33' mud tires that gets 12mpg my paltry 15-30 miles a week.

 

I'm about to turn in my coolness card and get a Sienna Hybrid.

I hate the fact that the 2nd row seats don't come out, but what are you gonna do.

 

They lay down, right? That was the only thing I liked about my wife's old minivan. It was a Chrysler Town and Country, biggest piece of **** I've ever owned. I took over car shopping duties after that fiasco.

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/vide...-ceo-musk-mocked-chinese-competitor-byd-video

• In 2011, Elon Musk laughed out loudwhen a Bloomberg reporter asked him to share his thoughts on the company, responding, “Have you seen their car?”
• Fast forward 13 years and Musk is no longer giggling: BYD surpassed Tesla in the final quarter of 2023 as the world’s largest EV seller.
• Musk recently warned Tesla investors that Chinese carmakers will “demolish” their foreign competitors unless countries establish trade barriers.

 

Bought my sister one few months ago. SE trim.
Spacious.

one thing I noticed driving it is there’s some wind noise at highway noise from the a-pillar area. Seems to be a common thing.

 

In china a gas car costs 15K just to register while an EV doesn't. Probably where Cali will be in a few years when the 2030 initiative dies.