This is why an electric car is better that people don't seem to talk about much.

[zpaul]

Very true. I always get sad/a bit disgusted when I keep seeing so many trucks on the highways around here.
90% of them don't haul anything and there's just the driver (100% of them doing something on their phone while driving). What can I say, texas in general leaves a very sour taste with me... it's like they love living in past.

On a happier note, in 2 years since I got my Model S, I've been charging it only at home and my provider says I have 100% solar energy so at least I'm doing a tiny part...

Wait a bit more til oil hits $80-100 a barrel and gas becomes $4.00 at least here in MD.
You will see all these ladies that drive 12mpg SUVs and guys on trucks for no reason to sell those at discounted rate.
I saw it in 2007 when gas hit $4.00 here suddenly Priuses became in huge demand and trucks with 10,000 miles were selling at 50% discount.
When it hurts your wallet with fill ups $70 a week you become very quickly big fan of sedans and fuel efficient vehicles.

 

[Super Dave]

I would sure like to know how you know 90 percent of the trucks are empty ?

 

[cucubits]

I would sure like to know how you know 90 percent of the trucks are empty ?

During a short drive around here, I see 10 trucks. 1 of them is legit and has things in the back, the others are joyriding/compensating )

This pattern repeats enough times so that I am confident in that number.

 

[mark95476]

Regular here in Cali is >$4 and getting close to $5.

I remember when gas was cheaper and budgeting $160/month. Last time I checked I was spending <25% of that charging my Tesla and I'm doing a lot of "fun" drives where my old gasser would be getting <10mpg.

Wait a bit more til oil hits $80-100 a barrel and gas becomes $4.00 at least here in MD.
You will see all these ladies that drive 12mpg SUVs and guys on trucks for no reason to sell those at discounted rate.
I saw it in 2007 when gas hit $4.00 here suddenly Priuses became in huge demand and trucks with 10,000 miles were selling at 50% discount.
When it hurts your wallet with fill ups $70 a week you become very quickly big fan of sedans and fuel efficient vehicles.

 

[drtimhill]

You all know the typical arguments back and forth about ICE vs electric.
As a retired consultant (environmental scientist) for over 30 years. Can I add a thing to the discussion? Or at least stress something?
Let's say you accept the whole argument with someone that electric cars pollute the same (they don't) because the pollution has just moved from the car to the power plant. One of the biggest advantages that goes unsaid is that instead of the emissions occurring at millions of exhaust pipes (non-point source) the emissions are now at one point source (the power plant). It is much, much easier to regulate the power plant than to make sure every car out there is up to date and isn't being modified by the owner. Or classic cars that are exempt. I didn't even buy a Tesla to save the environment (I just like it) but I wish this would come up more in the discussion. The comparison is not even close. Not remotely. Thanks for letting me vent.

Exactly .. this is the point I have been making for years now. It takes decades to replace the car fleet, but we can shift to sustainable and/or lower polluting technologies much more effectively. There is also the issue that when there is pollution from the EV power chain, it can happen away from densely populated urban areas .. goodbye smog! And imagine how much quieter roads will be as the % of EVs on the roads climbs.

 

[Pianewman]

Redirect Notice

 

[redalf]

Being a Tesla fan from back in the early Model S days, I've kind of had my fill of these discussions with anti-EVers and mainly more just spread EV-joy by focusing on what excites me with current and upcoming EVs, BUT I do still get drawn in by the occasional comment and this is a point I've been making for awhile as well, I even went to the trouble of tracking down a youtube exchange from last year just to reminiscence:

Mei Car
So I rented out a 2020 Tesla to gain some experience. My life was totally bogged down with charging. I did not get to work until 9:15 on Monday. Everyone acts like this has no carbon footprint, it does. The energy cost trying to keep that thing charged was more expensive than my Prius. You break down the energy sources in my state it goes as follows: ~2/3 fossil fuels, 28% nuclear, and only 3.2% renewable. There is also energy losses going from source to vehicle. I’ve actually taught this subject in college. I honestly think at the moment, plug-in hybrids may be the best choice. Again, at the moment. Five years, this may change. Don’t believe me, look where Toyota is investing their money. They are smart and know better.
Show less

@Mei Car And on the other end people act like because the vehicles aren't carbon free its a complete waste, which is a weak either/or argument. Even when pulling electricity from a carbon grid, the vehicles are still using that power more efficiently than ICE vehicles, and even hybrids, use fuel. If you were to make the argument that making an ICE vehicle more efficient in MPG figures is a waste of time because it still uses fuel, you'd recognize that immediately as a dumb argument. But that's exactly the argument you make when you try to say EVs are bad because the electric grid still has carbon output. EVs are a more efficient use of power, even if the grid outputs carbon, having that output done in a controlled, central manner is better than having thousands of little engines kicking it out all over the city, no, its not a carbon neutral solution, but it is an improvement, and that's how progress works. Its not just all or nothing. And complaining that your EV made you late to work is like complaining that its not your fault you ran out of gas. Unless you're driving more than 200 miles a day there's no reason EV charging should "bog" down your life.

 

[mk677]

Very true. I always get sad/a bit disgusted when I keep seeing so many trucks on the highways around here.

do you like eating? that food you consume was delivered via a truck

do you like the clothes that you wear, the shoes that you wear? delivered via truck

do you like that huge TV that you watch? that grill that you bought? that's right, delivered via truck.

nonsensical anti truck ranting is so out of touch with reality

PS, if you depsise TX so much why are you there?

 

[byeLT4]

Allow me to jump in on @cucubits behalf- I think he is referring to pickup trucks. The typical Ford, Dodge and Chevy. No question here in Texas those are a huge portion of vehicles on the road. Around here they are lifted all silly like a bigger truck means a bigger... wallet... They constantly 'roll coal' like that is some kind of 'wallet' measuring contest as well. And cucubits if I misinterpreted wrong please correct me!

 

[SO16]

Another huge positive for people living in hilly/mountainous areas is the EV driving experience in those locations. One pedal driving and regen without using your brakes going downhill is so satisfying.

 

[SO16]

Wait a bit more til oil hits $80-100 a barrel and gas becomes $4.00 at least here in MD.
You will see all these ladies that drive 12mpg SUVs and guys on trucks for no reason to sell those at discounted rate.
I saw it in 2007 when gas hit $4.00 here suddenly Priuses became in huge demand and trucks with 10,000 miles were selling at 50% discount.
When it hurts your wallet with fill ups $70 a week you become very quickly big fan of sedans and fuel efficient vehicles.

We need a carbon tax for real change.

 

[SO16]

Exactly .. this is the point I have been making for years now. It takes decades to replace the car fleet, but we can shift to sustainable and/or lower polluting technologies much more effectively. There is also the issue that when there is pollution from the EV power chain, it can happen away from densely populated urban areas .. goodbye smog! And imagine how much quieter roads will be as the % of EVs on the roads climbs.

Exactly. Once people see and “don’t hear” the advantages of electric semis with no engine braking, that will be another huge positive.

I have been watching old episodes of Columbo on Amazon Prime. Filmed in the 70’s in LA. One thing I noticed was the insane amount of smog in the background. Lookup the air quality from back then and it is horrendous. Definitely improved since then but once EVs are the majority, air quality will increase even more.

 

[SO16]

I would sure like to know how you know 90 percent of the trucks are empty ?

At least I won’t feel quite as “douchey” if I drive an empty CT around town.

 

[mk677]

We need a carbon tax for real change.

great idea. inflate the costs of everything

 

[SO16]

great idea. inflate the costs of everything

More to life than just dollars. The poorer people would need to be subsidized though.

And in time things would actually be cheaper. Many people are fooled thinking gas is cheap. Not even close. It is extremely expensive but just well hidden. And a lot of other things are hard to quantify like health related issues.

 

[zpaul]

More to life than just dollars.

the problem is most Americans live on $40-50K a year.
So when politicians without any understanding how stuff works increase their cost of living through taxes or high gas prices it becomes life not just dollars.

 

[SO16]

the problem is most Americans live on $40-50K a year.
So when politicians without any understanding how stuff works increase their cost of living through taxes or high gas prices it becomes life not just dollars.

True. Which is why I amended my post.

 

[traxila]

I have been screaming about this for years. Even if you accept the ridiculous argument that BEVs are just as polluting, the fact that you and everyone you know are no longer immersed in the center of the pollution on a daily basis alone is enough of a reason to move to an all BEV world.

I think this has been steadfastly ignored as a topic of conversation by the FUDsters because the only effective argument against this would be that BEVs are WORSE than ICE cars for pollution, so much worse that even moving the source of pollution 100 miles away still does not help. A ridiculous argument that simply no one would buy.

Better not to mention it....

 

[J1mbo]

Going back to the OP ...

Every time someone adds a renewable power source to the grid, the whole EV fleet connected to that grid will benefit.

If it was possible to do the same thing with an ICE fleet, they wouldn't have needed to install emissions cheat software in their cars...

 

[Needsdecaf]

I tell people this all the time...I don't think the auto industry (and oil) want anyone to know all of the good things electric cars actually do.

Right. Because the auto industry isn't investing in Electric cars, and hasn't seen that EV's are the future. Yeah, clearly they don't want anyone to know that EV's are good.

Oh wait, Ford just made a dedicated EV Mustang platform and is going to sell an all-EV F-150.

Nope, they don't want anyone to know.