Electric Vehicles, Tools, & Other Once Fossil Fuel Things

[RichTBikkies]

May 26, 2021 21:05:34 GMT LFC said:

Electric vehicle startups have raised an absurd amount of money in the last year by merging with special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs. 

I suppose one might describe the mobs as "special purpose acquisition companies". Another of their activities might be described as "assisted dying".

[LFC]

Zero to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds. (The original article is from 2010, updated in 2019.)

John Wayland runs a political machine on 12 lithium polymer batteries.

It's a 1972 Datsun called "White Zombie," and it's one of the fastest street legal electric cars in the world. It's been clocked doing zero to 60 mph in 2.95 seconds. It's walloped Corvettes, Camaros and 600-horsepower Vipers in quarter-mile drag races using lead-acid batteries.

This weekend, White Zombie returns to Portland International Raceway for what Wayland hopes is another round of record-breaking electrical hot-rodding. The car also is Wayland's vehicle to champion a host of causes important to him, from promoting clean air and water to fighting against dependence on foreign oil.

"I run on American-generated electrons," Wayland says outside his Northeast Portland home. In his garage, a crew of three mechanics were putting the finishing touches on the Datsun's new batteries, which they spent six months making by hand.

The cells originally were designed for the rotor crank on military helicopters. They'll be half the weight and twice the power of White Zombie's old batteries.

This thing looks nuts.

[LFC]

The Tesla Model S Plaid. If these conjectured specs are remotely accurate then this thing is insane.

On Thursday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to a stage in Fremont, California, to debut the production Model S Plaid. The Model S redefined our expectations of an electric car when it was first introduced. But it has remained little changed since 2016 as Tesla has focused on the cheaper but much higher volume Models 3 and Y. Five years is a long time in the car world, and others in the industry—notably Lucid and Mercedes-Benz—have the potential to change what was once the default answer to the question "what's the best, fanciest electric car I can buy?"

The Model S Plaid is Tesla's response to all the upstarts, and the first 25 vehicles will meet their new owners on Friday. "Then [Tesla] basically should be at several hundred cars per week soon and a thousand cars per week next quarter," Musk told attendees.

Unfortunately, we're light on technical specs—Tesla got rid of those kinds of resources when it decided to do away with a press office. Its three-motor powertrain provides a peak power of 1,020 hp (760 kW). That's sufficient for a sub-2 second time in the 0-60 mph (0-98 km/h) dash (with a rollout) and a 9.23-second 1/4-mile time, which really is quick. Top speed will be 200 mph (321 km/h), but if you plan to drive that fast, you'll have to wait until the fall, when the right tires and wheels are available.

Drive it a little slower and Tesla says you can go 390 miles (657 km). The car can DC fast-charge at 250 kW, which will add 187 miles (300 km) of range in 15 minutes. Musk did not share details about the battery pack beyond the fact that it's new; he was more effusive about the drive motor, which can run at 20,000 rpm. And there's also a more efficient heat pump that should significantly improve cold-weather range.

[LFC]

Some interesting stats on EV battery degradation.

Geotab created its so-called EV Battery Degradation Tool by pulling data directly from the 6,300 EVs from its fleets. What’s super-cool is the interactive nature of the tool, allowing users to drill down to 21 specific electric models.

You can use the tool to slice and dice the data for yourself.

In June 2018, Geotab acquired FleetCarma, a forerunner in providing technology support the use of EVs in fleets.

Here’s a quick rundown of what the data revealed:

• If current degradation rates are maintained, the vast majority of batteries will outlast the usable life of the vehicle.
• The average decline in energy storage is 2.3% per year. For a 150-mile EV, you’re likely to lose 17 miles of accessible range after five years.
• EV batteries decline in a non-linear fashion. There’s an early drop, but the rate of decline slows down in subsequent years.
• Liquid-cooled batteries decline slower than air-cooled packs. Geotab saw that a 2015 Tesla Model S with liquid cooling had an average annual degradation rate of 2.3%, compared to an air-cooled 2015 Nissan Leaf’s rate of 4.2%.
• Battery-powered vehicles that have bigger state-of-charge buffers fare better. In other words, some carmakers use a smaller percentage of the battery’s capacity, which reduces usable range. But the conservative approach slows down the degradation rate, most notably in early versions of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid.
• Higher vehicle use does not necessarily equal higher battery degradation.
• Vehicles driven in hot temperatures show a faster decline in battery health.
• The use of DC fast-chargers speeds up the process of degradation, but there’s not much difference in battery health based on frequent use of Level 1 versus Level 2 charging. Losses that happen with frequent DC charging are made worse in hot climates.

[LFC]

More upstarts are trying to start up. Polestar is in partnership with Volvo and Chines auto maker Geely.

On Wednesday morning, the electric carmaker Polestar revealed that it will build its forthcoming SUV in the United States. Polestar is a joint venture between Volvo and Geely, and so it therefore makes sense that US Polestar production will take place at Volvo's plant in Ridgeville, South Carolina.

"Polestar 3 will be built in America, for our American customers. I remember the great response when I first shared Polestar's vision here in the USA and I am proud that our first SUV will be manufactured in South Carolina. From now on, the USA is no longer an export market but a home market," said Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath.

"Production in the USA reduces delivery times as well as the environmental impact associated with shipping vehicles around the world. It will even have a positive impact on the price of Polestar 3," said Polestar COO Dennis Nobelius.

In addition to local production, Polestar will expand its "Spaces"—Polestar-speak for the place where you can look at cars, arrange test drives, and so on—to about 25 locations around the US.

Lordstown Motors has been struggling but says it will start manufacturing later this year.

Lordstown Motors has been having a tough time recently. The Ohio-based electric truck startup was accused of misleading investors about the extent of its order books, leading to an investigation by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. This in turn led the company to issue a "going concern" warning, followed by the departure of its CEO and CFO.

But on Tuesday, a day after the executive resignations, the company stated that limited production of its Endurance work truck will begin later this year. Lordstown's president Rich Schmidt told journalists at a press event that there were enough "binding orders" to fund this limited production until May 2022, according to TechCrunch.

Schmidt said that Lordstown has more than $400 million in the bank, but it will need extra investment to produce more than 20,000 EVs or continue operations beyond next May. The company raised $675 million in October 2020 after merging with a special-purpose acquisition company.

"It's a new day at Lordstown, and there are no disruptions and will be no disruptions to our day-to-day operations," said executive chairwoman Angela Stroud. But Lordstown is shelving some other projects to focus on the Endurance, including an electric van that would have involved a collaboration with RV-maker Camping World.

[LFC]

California is leading the way again.

The popularity of ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft has contributed to California’s increase in emissions from vehicles, but state regulators are intervening to hold the companies to their zero-emissions goals.

On Thursday, state air-pollution regulators approved rules requiring ride-hailing services to phase out their use of gas-powered cars over the next decade. By 2030, the companies must use zero-emissions vehicles for 90% of the miles their drivers travel.

The mandate is similar to pledges that Uber and Lyft have already made to switch their fleets to 100% electric vehicles by 2030. Now, the companies are legally bound to reach the state’s slightly lower target.

[LFC]

Jun 16, 2021 18:07:43 GMT LFC said:

Lordstown Motors has been struggling but says it will start manufacturing later this year.

Or not.

On Wednesday, we wrote about how Lordstown Motors said that the company's Endurance electric pickup truck would enter limited production later this year. The statement was made at a Tuesday press conference, where Lordstown President Rich Schmidt told journalists that the company had "binding orders" that would fund production until May 2022.

This happened just days after the company issued a going concern warning and a day after Lordstown then parted company with its CEO and CFO. But on Thursday morning, Lordstown sent the US Securities and Exchange Commission a new Form 8-K, revealing that, actually, those binding orders are nothing of the sort.

[LFC]

These are the 9 worst states to buy an electric car in

William Gibson's quote about the future being here, just not very evenly distributed, is a cliché at this point. But I was reminded of it this morning when I saw a new report on electric vehicle accessibility. Compiled by the Consumer Choice Center (CCC), the report scores all 50 states based on how hard they make it to buy an EV, whether that's banning direct-to-consumer sales or requiring extra registration fees or road charges. Unsurprisingly, the United States is a bit of a patchwork in this regard. But it's not quite as simple as red states making it hard and blue states making it easy to buy an EV.

The top 10

Ten states score top marks with the CCC: Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. All these states will allow direct sales of cars to individuals, and none will make you pay more to register your new EV than you'd pay for a new car with an internal combustion engine (ICE). (The District of Columbia would also go in this group if DC-based CCC had included it.)

California is conspicuous by its absence in that top 10. The state is the leading market for EVs within the US, with the highest adoption rate and the most public chargers. Nearly half of all US-registered EVs are on its roads. But California also has an escalating EV license fee that's currently $100 but is now linked to the consumer price index.

Finally, there are the inaccessible states: Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Each of these place plenty of roadblocks between their citizens and a new EV, banning any direct sales within their borders as well as making it more expensive to register an EV than an ICE vehicle.

[goldenvalley]

Well yeah CA needed to increase the EV license fee. The raised gas tax is fine and has been working to help with road repair. EVs also drive on the roads but otherwise don't contribute to road maintenance.

[pnwguy]

Jun 22, 2021 20:14:54 GMT goldenvalley said:

Well yeah CA needed to increase the EV license fee. The raised gas tax is fine and has been working to help with road repair. EVs also drive on the roads but otherwise don't contribute to road maintenance.

Indeed.  And I'm particularly irked that Bernie and his wing are insisting they will not support any infrastructure bill that raises fuel taxes or EV mileage fees.  As a country we've tried to make road users pay their way, and fuel taxes need to be indexed to inflation.  Heavy trucks especially underpay their share of road damage.  Why should all taxpayers underwrite usage that can be easily attributed and charged to those who use the highway system?

[goldenvalley]

Jun 22, 2021 21:16:54 GMT pnwguy said:

Jun 22, 2021 20:14:54 GMT goldenvalley said:

Well yeah CA needed to increase the EV license fee. The raised gas tax is fine and has been working to help with road repair. EVs also drive on the roads but otherwise don't contribute to road maintenance.

Indeed.  And I'm particularly irked that Bernie and his wing are insisting they will not support any infrastructure bill that raises fuel taxes or EV mileage fees.  As a country we've tried to make road users pay their way, and fuel taxes need to be indexed to inflation.  Heavy trucks especially underpay their share of road damage.  Why should all taxpayers underwrite usage that can be easily attributed and charged to those who use the highway system?

I've debated the heavy truck road usage issue with a friend who is usually pretty green in her outlook.  She is willing to subsidized the trucking industry to keep food costs down, but is not okay with the abuse of seasonal farm workers and wants to make sure they are paid well.  Choices have to be made.  

[LFC]

Other than Georgia I didn't find anything about this map particularly surprising. Of course the Atlanta area is likely the overwhelming driver of EV adoption. GA is becoming two states in one, much like PA and so many other states. One might even separate the sections into "the makers and the takers."

This map is for 2016. I'll have to see if I can track down a map for 2020.

[LFC]

It's interesting to see the auto market share of hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and pure EVs has changed in Europe. I can't find similar stats on the U.S. but my guess is that we're way behind ... as usual.

Norway is way ahead.

Germany and the U.K. are closer to 40%. France is just under 35%.

Sweden has an odd sales map. There are some real short-term swings.

[LFC]

Flying electric taxis could be coming to a city near you.

Uber, but it flies.

That’s the elevator pitch behind a new start-up craze. A growing number of companies all over the world are taking an old concept—tiny airplanes—and pairing it with the much newer concepts of electric propulsion and the app-based rideshare.

If the combo works, you might soon have another way of getting around the city—one that soars right over traffic and buildings and bridges. Sure, it’d cost more than a car does. But if everything goes perfectly, it’d be affordable enough for you, even you, to take a plane to work sometimes.

“This is not just an industry attempt at improvement, this is a global cultural shift that is leading this,” Roei Ganzarski, the CEO of Washington State battery firm MagniX, told The Daily Beast. “Electric aviation is significantly lower cost, lower noise, zero emissions. The tech is better and cheaper. Combine that with a better business model and now it can all work.”

Google co-founder Larry Page’s air-taxi firm Kittyhawk is pushing a vertical-takeoff electric plane it calls Heaviside. Intel, Toyota, and JetBlue have invested tens of millions of dollars in Joby, another electric air-taxi venture. Traditional planemakers including Airbus, Boeing and Bell have their own air-taxi efforts. Even Uber is trying to take to the sky, on-demand.

After years of mostly secret development, some of the new air taxis are beginning to break cover. The more ambitious companies hope to start selling rides in the next few years. A few are also hoping to fly their air taxis without pilots. Drone air taxis, if you will.

But don’t get too excited, at least not yet. The flying rideshare firms, many of which are developing their own airplanes, are counting on super-efficient batteries—oh, and generous air-traffic regulators—to make their on-demand air-travel ambitions realistic.

There’s an awful lot that could go wrong. Every generation or so since the invention of the airplane, some entrepreneur has tried to sell “air taxis” to the public. There were air taxis in the 1930s but they were expensive because, well, all air travel was expensive in those early years.

[LFC]

May 17, 2021 21:47:02 GMT pg said:

No, I don't drive a Tesla-yet. I rock the ugliest car you've ever seen- a BMW i3-EXT.

It looks like that model is being dropped, at least in the U.S. where we like our vehicles BIIIIIIGGGGGG. It's also likely just a bit of an old model in an industry that's changing quickly. I suspect BWM learned a heck of a lot from its creation and maintenance, much of which will go into making better future models.

BMW will stop selling the i3 electric hatchback in the US starting next month. It’s the latest pint-sized vehicle to fall victim to American car buyers’ insatiable appetite for huge, towering, climate-killing trucks and SUVs.

First released in 2013, the i3 was BMW’s first real electric vehicle. Always intended to be more of a city car than anything intended for long trips, the i3 maxed out at 80 miles of range from a 22kWh battery, with a modest 170 horsepower. The battery capacity grew 50 percent — to 33kWh — after a 2017 update, increasing the range to 113 miles. Thanks to its kooky, futuristic, and polarizing design, it was never a sales juggernaut, but it certainly developed a cult following over time. The i3 was able to carve out a niche in the nascent EV market and, all told, BMW has sold about 100,000 of them globally since it launched.

But its relevance was certainly on the wane. According to BMW Blog, the i3’s inventory for the US was at its lowest point over the last 12 months, with customers often experiencing difficulties securing a production slot. Last year, only 1,052 i3s were sold.

In an email, a spokesperson for BMW confirmed that US production of the i3 will end July 2021. “At the time of its launch in 2013, the BMW i3 represented a pioneering moment in electric vehicles and lightweight construction,” the spokesperson said. “Not only was the BMW i3 of the world’s first purpose-built electric vehicles, but the use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic and aluminum in the vehicle’s construction, made it truly unique.”

The “success” of the i3 has helped lay the groundwork for the imminent release of the BMW iX SUV and i4 sedan, which together represent the tip of the spear in the automaker’s belated effort to recapture its early sales momentum for EVs.

[LFC]

There may be an electric Mazda Miata in the relatively near future.

The Mazda Miata generations average about eight to 10 years, which means the current fourth-generation ND Miata, in production since 2015, is starting to get a little long in the tooth. It’s hard to imagine the Miata being anything other than a rear-wheel-drive gas roadster, but Mazda is reportedly in the midst of trying to electrify it.

That’s according to Motor1, which obtained the following statement from Mazda this week:

Mazda is seeking to electrify the MX-5 Miata in an effort to have all models feature a form of electrification by 2030. We will work hard to make it a lightweight, affordable, open two-seater sports car in order to meet the needs of customers.

Motor1 deduces from this (or perhaps confirmed on background with Mazda) that this means that the next-generation Miata, the NE, will be electrified, and perhaps that is right but it also seems possible that Mazda might wait for the NF, since 2030 is a good long time from now. It’s also possible that Mazda means all “models” of the Miata will have some sort of electric drive, but it’s more likely that some kind of hybrid or electric version of the Miata will be an option.

I absolutely loved my old Miata. It wasn't all that fast but I could leave almost anything in the dust on a tight curve. It was so cute when a guy in a Mustang tailgated me on a straight section of 2-lane where I was already doing 15 over the speed limit. I hit a near 90 degree blind curve and ripped around it at close to 50mph, staying completely in my lane. He tried to follow with his boat and almost ran off the opposite side, fish-tailing all over the place to stay on the pavement. Good thing there wasn't a car coming the other way.

[LFC]

Up in Canada Translink (officially the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority) continues to electrify its bus fleet. I'd love to know more about the 5 minute recharge time. That sounds insanely fast for a bus. My guess is that they are setting up to do smaller, partial recharges along the route so that a bus only needs to be "topped off" when it comes in for the night.

TransLink has awarded a contract to Nova Bus to bring 15 more battery-electric buses to our fleet. This order will more than quadruple our current battery-electric bus fleet, increasing our fleet total from 4 to 19.

This acquisition is a critical step towards achieving TransLink’s aggressive approach to its Low Carbon Fleet Strategy, which includes:

• Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent by 2030.
• Fully electrifying route 100 (22nd Street / Marpole Loop).
• Replacing all retiring conventional diesel buses with battery-electric buses.
• Transitioning to a fleet operating entirely on renewable energy by 2050.

The 15 new battery-electric buses are expected to arrive and begin rolling into service on Route 100 in 2022. The $16 million contract is funded through the Federal Gas Tax Fund, with funding allotted through the Metro Vancouver Gas Tax Fund.

To pursue the further electrification of Metro Vancouver’s bus fleet in the coming years, TransLink has applied for funding from senior levels of government for 57 more battery-electric buses and for the supporting charging station infrastructure.

Quick facts:

• Each bus is expected to reduce 100 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and save $40,000 in fuel costs per year compared to a conventional diesel bus.
• The buses can be charged in approximately five minutes at charging stations while picking up passengers.
• More than half of TransLink’s fleet uses cleaner technology, including compressed natural gas, hybrid diesel-electric fuel, and fully electric vehicles.

[LFC]

Electrification of vehicles marches ahead. And then there's NYC.

New York’s taxi regulator voted Tuesday to stop issuing new for-hire licenses for electric vehicles, snubbing a ride-share company that wanted to launch an all-Tesla ride-sharing rival to Uber and Lyft.

The five-to-one vote by the Taxi and Limousine Commission blocks electric transit startup Revel from launching its fleet of 50 Model Y Tesla taxis without breaking city rules. The TLC argued that Revel can still operate if it buys 50 gas cars and swaps their licenses out for electric vehicles — a requirement that Revel called “the very definition of limiting market competition.”

“It is not sustainable to allow an unlimited number of new vehicles to the road in a city that is all too familiar with the choke of traffic congestion,” TLC Chair Aloysee Heredia Jarmoszuk said at Tuesday’s meeting. “What we will not allow is the opportunity for another corporation — venture capitalists or otherwise — to flood our streets with additional cars.”

The TLC’s ruling came a day after it posted a bizarre notice saying that it had already voted to stop issuing electric vehicle licenses. The TLC said Monday that the notice was posted in accordance with city rules, but legal and transit experts told the Post that such notices don’t typically use past-tense language, adding that it may have discouraged New Yorkers from weighing in at Tuesday’s hearing.

Revel CEO Frank Reig slammed the TLC’s ban in a three-minute speech at the meeting, saying that in addition to its plan for environmentally friendly taxis, Revel offered its drivers fairer treatment than Uber and Lyft because it hired them as full-time employees.

“We’re offering exactly what this commission has been asking for for years: fair treatment and stable pay for drivers — who are all W-2 employees with benefits — and a plan to drive EV adoption in the city,” Reig said.

[indy]

Jul 1, 2021 14:08:49 GMT LFC said:

Up in Canada Translink (officially the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority) continues to electrify its bus fleet. I'd love to know more about the 5 minute recharge time. That sounds insanely fast for a bus. My guess is that they are setting up to do smaller, partial recharges along the route so that a bus only needs to be "topped off" when it comes in for the night.

TransLink has awarded a contract to Nova Bus to bring 15 more battery-electric buses to our fleet. This order will more than quadruple our current battery-electric bus fleet, increasing our fleet total from 4 to 19.

This acquisition is a critical step towards achieving TransLink’s aggressive approach to its Low Carbon Fleet Strategy, which includes:

• Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent by 2030.
• Fully electrifying route 100 (22nd Street / Marpole Loop).
• Replacing all retiring conventional diesel buses with battery-electric buses.
• Transitioning to a fleet operating entirely on renewable energy by 2050.

The 15 new battery-electric buses are expected to arrive and begin rolling into service on Route 100 in 2022. The $16 million contract is funded through the Federal Gas Tax Fund, with funding allotted through the Metro Vancouver Gas Tax Fund.

To pursue the further electrification of Metro Vancouver’s bus fleet in the coming years, TransLink has applied for funding from senior levels of government for 57 more battery-electric buses and for the supporting charging station infrastructure.

Quick facts:

• Each bus is expected to reduce 100 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and save $40,000 in fuel costs per year compared to a conventional diesel bus.
• The buses can be charged in approximately five minutes at charging stations while picking up passengers.
• More than half of TransLink’s fleet uses cleaner technology, including compressed natural gas, hybrid diesel-electric fuel, and fully electric vehicles.

Well, take this with a big grain of salt with current technology. Lithium Ion has limits and one of those limits is that the battery life significantly degrades with fast charging times due to all the heat.

Aluminum ion batteries with graphene electrodes looks really promising though. They charge about 60 times faster without any heat.

I also saw that Apple has patented a charging mechanism that plugs itself into the car when you park the car within a window. Combine these two and I think you might really have something. Pull in, charge your car up in a few minutes without even needing to get out.

[pg]

Jul 1, 2021 13:54:06 GMT LFC said:

May 17, 2021 21:47:02 GMT pg said:

No, I don't drive a Tesla-yet. I rock the ugliest car you've ever seen- a BMW i3-EXT.

It looks like that model is being dropped, at least in the U.S. where we like our vehicles BIIIIIIGGGGGG. It's also likely just a bit of an old model in an industry that's changing quickly. I suspect BWM learned a heck of a lot from its creation and maintenance, much of which will go into making better future models.

BMW will stop selling the i3 electric hatchback in the US starting next month. It’s the latest pint-sized vehicle to fall victim to American car buyers’ insatiable appetite for huge, towering, climate-killing trucks and SUVs.

First released in 2013, the i3 was BMW’s first real electric vehicle. Always intended to be more of a city car than anything intended for long trips, the i3 maxed out at 80 miles of range from a 22kWh battery, with a modest 170 horsepower. The battery capacity grew 50 percent — to 33kWh — after a 2017 update, increasing the range to 113 miles. Thanks to its kooky, futuristic, and polarizing design, it was never a sales juggernaut, but it certainly developed a cult following over time. The i3 was able to carve out a niche in the nascent EV market and, all told, BMW has sold about 100,000 of them globally since it launched.

But its relevance was certainly on the wane. According to BMW Blog, the i3’s inventory for the US was at its lowest point over the last 12 months, with customers often experiencing difficulties securing a production slot. Last year, only 1,052 i3s were sold.

In an email, a spokesperson for BMW confirmed that US production of the i3 will end July 2021. “At the time of its launch in 2013, the BMW i3 represented a pioneering moment in electric vehicles and lightweight construction,” the spokesperson said. “Not only was the BMW i3 of the world’s first purpose-built electric vehicles, but the use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic and aluminum in the vehicle’s construction, made it truly unique.”

The “success” of the i3 has helped lay the groundwork for the imminent release of the BMW iX SUV and i4 sedan, which together represent the tip of the spear in the automaker’s belated effort to recapture its early sales momentum for EVs.

Ah, that's a bummer- the end to a perfect "urban assault vehicle". I have a 2020, and YES! Inventory was at an all time low. Why? Pandemic conditions prevented real supply chains from moving. As in when the new "baby" was due, we could actually track the ship. 

Hard for me to argue with the facts presented, although I'll tell you that the range is far more than reported. i.e., I fully charged the car yesterday, and I have 156 miles to go before I do it again. I can attest to the strength of the carbon fiber. Once, on a large street (4 lanes, each way) a stupid kid decided to take a left from the far right lane. He hit my husband. Our car bounced (zero damage, and not even a bump on his body) kid's car was very damaged. 

I also wonder about "purchases vs leases". If the number is correct, then at least 500 of them exist within a 3 mile radius of me. No kidding. But a lot of us early adapters have been reluctant to purchase, based on constantly changing technology. 

Worth noting- because of Mr's unfortunate departure, I've been very busy with education- what do I actually have? A 100% service/software etc contract. That includes windshield/tire/wheel protection. Apparently, it can be a real bear to repair...

Well OK. Whatever happens, I will do everything I can to stay electric. At a small gathering with my friends, a discussion about gas prices ensued. Apparently, they're high, even here. I said nothing, only thought "what's this thing you call gasoline?: I can go anywhere in our metro  far flung included, drive smart and still end up without needing to charge.

I'll be looking!

[AnBr]

Jul 1, 2021 14:04:09 GMT LFC said:

There may be an electric Mazda Miata in the relatively near future.

This would interest me. I ha always liked the looks of the Miata, especially since so few today still look like sports cars.

[LFC]

Jul 2, 2021 3:41:22 GMT AnBr said:

Jul 1, 2021 14:04:09 GMT LFC said:

There may be an electric Mazda Miata in the relatively near future.

This would interest me. I ha always liked the looks of the Miata, especially since so few today still look like sports cars.

Years ago I read a review that called it "the ultimate British roadster." It said it was a car that came with all of the fun and none of the problems.

[andydp]

Jul 2, 2021 15:35:47 GMT LFC said:

Jul 2, 2021 3:41:22 GMT AnBr said:

This would interest me. I ha always liked the looks of the Miata, especially since so few today still look like sports cars.

Years ago I read a review that called it "the ultimate British roadster." It said it was a car that came with all of the fun and none of the problems.

In case you're interested in a sexy "Italian" sports car, the new Fiat 124 is actually a reworked Miata.  Looks very nice and like the above, none of the emotional hernia involved in maintenance.

[LFC]

Jul 2, 2021 15:59:02 GMT andydp said:

Jul 2, 2021 15:35:47 GMT LFC said:

Years ago I read a review that called it "the ultimate British roadster." It said it was a car that came with all of the fun and none of the problems.

In case you're interested in a sexy "Italian" sports car, the new Fiat 124 is actually a reworked Miata.  Looks very nice and like the above, none of the emotional hernia involved in maintenance.

FIAT - Fix It Again, Tony. Interestingly despite coming from the same factory the Fiat has a lower reliability rating. To be honest I can't think of a European car I'd remotely consider buying including VW. After my last experience many years ago with VW I wouldn't touch one. I had a Golf in the 90s and it was a complete and total piece of garbage. I traded it in with less than 50K on it (unheard of for me) and it was ready for a clutch job and a second set of brakes. This after it had to be fully repainted, the body side molding fell off, plastic parts broke, and other annoying glitches.

[AnBr]

Jul 2, 2021 15:59:02 GMT andydp said:

Jul 2, 2021 15:35:47 GMT LFC said:

Years ago I read a review that called it "the ultimate British roadster." It said it was a car that came with all of the fun and none of the problems.

In case you're interested in a sexy "Italian" sports car, the new Fiat 124 is actually a reworked Miata.  Looks very nice and like the above, none of the emotional hernia involved in maintenance.

I had a 124. Damned fun car to drive. However, it was a nightmare in terms of maintenance. You have never heard the old saying: "Fix It Again Tony"?