Aw, come on, don’t let facts get in the way…
2 Likes
Yeah, my mind is made up, don’t confuse me with the facts.
2 Likes
Do you have a link to what she said? As far as I can tell from a quick google, she’s primarily advocating for cleaner air by having fewer icu vehicles and more zero emissions vehicles on the road.
2 Likes
I can show you an article that declares that she said that but not a direct quote. They aren’t sources that I would normally go to. The specific source for the quote is the Washington Free Beacon. You can Google it if you like.
1 Like
I found the “quote” on the Free Beacon, and there was a link in that to Twitter where that statement was attributed to her. No idea if she actually said it, or it was just made by somebody else to look like she said it. It could have been out of context as well, but I couldn’t see the entire thread for some reason, maybe something to do with the Twitter rebrand as “X”. So at this point, I have no idea if “all cars are evil” is an accurate portrayal of her sentiment.
1 Like
If you go a little farther on the transportation press release you can take a look at the folks on the committee and their backgrounds. One of them is Veronica Davis. You can read her article on her further thoughts in “when it comes to transportation problems, all roads lead back to cars”.
If one of thos folks is advocating that the USA should totally eliminate cars, just not practical. I could do it b/c I had to do it early in the Covid problem, didn’t have a single car I was allowed to drive, but most people just couldn’t accomplish their basic needs without access to a car.
Or maybe they are advocating for eliminating private cars? Keeping cars, but only for public transport?
This book gives some perspective on what it was like traveling by ICE vehicle in 1902:
My grandfather said they scared the horses, especially when they backfired. People complained about the steam engine too I suppose, and those Danged trains. They thought no human being could sustain a speed of 25 mph and live. I’m looking for any indication that farmers complained about the invention of the steel plow though. Usually people were pretty quick to adopt new labor saving devices like the cotton gin and washing machines. But battery cars never caught on for some reason.
1 Like
I bought a house around 15 yrs ago and needed garden tools. Being a gearhead and liking the smell of gasoline was one thing, but electric lawnmower, weedwhacker and blower is what I got. And since our property is really small, I got corded tools as didn’t want to deal with battery charging and replacement. In reality, it wasn’t a political statement or because I wanted to save the planet, just a matter of convenience, not wanting to store gas, maintain another engine, etc.
Right now we have 3 ICE cars and one hybrid. Gas is 5.5 per gallon here in SCA. So, as we are shopping for a replacement car, I am going to test drive a few used EV’s like the Kona/Niro EV and the Bolt EUV. The Tesla is too expensive and don’t like the screen. The rest of the decision making is just based on comfort and $. It would cost half of what it would to fill up a Corolla. This would be driven locally so fast charging, etc is really not a big deal.
I don’t know why we tend to be so polarized on our opinions. I get what works for me. Not going to save the planet by myself, so not doing any math on the CO production. I am generally not a wasteful person, so I guess that counts. But also not following any department memo’s on what I should drive. I know a bicycle would be better for the environment, but I will be dead in a day on the 5 fwy.
2 Likes
I poo-pooed the center screen in the Tesla before I bought my Model 3 but I’ve gotten used to it. The most important data, your speed, is in large numerals in the upper left of the screen. I got used to that while I test drove one. I think the wall full of air coming out of the dash where the gauges used to be is a good trade. Not for everyone, it it works for me.
1 Like
I 100% agree with your comment on “I get what works for me.”
I think, in general, we all need to just stay out of each others business more often. If what I do/choose doesn’t directly affect you, then why do you care or think you can tell me how to live my life?
Seems like that’s how Americans used to treat each other.
5 Likes
+1
What “works” for one person isn’t necessarily appropriate for someone else.
Regarding EVs, I am still not quite ready for one, and that is why I bought a plug-in hybrid about 10 months ago. EV owners will undoubtedly consider its battery-only range of 56 miles to be paltry, but that takes care of all of my usual day-to-day errands, with enough range left so that I don’t need to charge it every night.
For longer excusions, I place it in HV mode, and–like a “regular” hybrid–the car’s algorithms choose whether to run it via the gas engine or on the battery–depending on current road conditions. Obviously, the gas mileage will vary, depending on how often those algorithms run the gas engine. On my drive yesterday to visit relatives in PA, I got 79.1 mpg on the way there, and 58.7 mpg on the way home–and I find that type of performance to be more than acceptable.
Just before that trip, I “filled” the tank with 4.2 gallons, and when I calculated my mileage for that tankful, because of using EV mode for most of my driving, I managed to achieve 154 mpg.
Maybe this wouldn’t work for everyone, but because the vehicle has a total range of over 550 total miles on a tank of gas (~495 in HV mode + 56 in EV mode), I can essentially drive anywhere that I want.
2 Likes
Most of the newer plugin hybrids have decent EV range for daily commute and I like the part that it takes “range anxiety” out of the equation. My other factor is the still present ICE engine and the regular maintenance issues and more parts that can break part. Might be unwarranted as our Prius, knock on wood has been pretty solid at close to 140K miles.
1 Like
That’s true, but–along with not having range anxiety–I don’t have anxiety about the 12 month/10k mile oil change schedule. By the time that I get to 12 mo/10k miles in a month or so, the ICE engine will actually have run for no more than 3k miles.
Yup, absolutely agree. My problem with this whole issue is when the one vote majority legislature and the governor pass laws to force me and dealers to convert to a certain product when it is not practical. Pretending that it is just resistance to change is ignoring the facts. I’m old enough to evaluate what will work for me and what won’t. I worked for a woman once who tried to change systems that worked fine to disasters. She always accused people of being resistance to change unless it was her change. It took a couple years but she was finally fired, and that was a good change. I can still see her crying about how she was going to pay for her new house? A bad change for her.
1 Like
Actually, its the complete opposite. If you drive a little, you SHOULD get an EV.
But this is somewhat in “principle”. The way they make EVs, they want to push the range, but this isn’t what EV’s do well. Cutting the range and making the battery smaller makes EVs more ideal because you arn’t carrying the extra weight of the batteries. With a very small battery pack, you have only the miles that you need for the day, without having to carry the weight of the engine and the form factor.
Right now, the “best” cars are probably hybrids, not PHEVs or EVs.
1 Like
I actually like the minimalist design of Teslas with just the screen, in looks.
While driving home from the dealership today, I kinda wished I had the dial/buttons to control the fan speed because I did not want to be fiddling with the screen while driving on I-270 on the way home. I’m sure once I get used to everything I’ll be able to change things on the fly, but not when I don’t know the car that well, and am driving at 80mph on a freeway.
I just set the AC on automatic, just as I did with my other cars. I use the auto headlights and wipers too. They work fine.
1 Like
There is so much passion because the govt is threatening to ramrod all these EV’s down “everyones” throat with no choice and the majority want nothing to do with them . If you want to drive one have at it just leave the ICE vehicles alone . Most people dont have $60000 for aN EV and the govt knows this and that is what they want . . If this comes to fruition then everything comes along with it , no 4 wheelers, no snowmobiles , no boats , no jetskis , no anything gas which is clean and efficient . Dont believe for a second that CO2 is the bogeyman but that is another issue .