JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Today's topic came from two different sources. First, I was listening to a fascinating two-part story from the Search Engine podcast on the development and implementation of Waymo driverless vehicles, which are always electric cars.
Secondly, I bought gas. Ouch! I'm filling up at the half-way mark, and in eight days, the super-discount cash-only station I go to went up by fifteen cents per gallon. I wonder if this will get buyers more interested in electric vehicles? I thought, as $26 disappeared into my tank in less than two minutes.
I've been intrigued for a long time, but before even considering going electric, I'd have to do some major upgrades to my 200+ year-old home. Currently, I have ONE electric outlet outside, and that's on the porch ceiling (I theorize the then-owners were thinking about Christmas lights, because that's about its only use.) In addition, Maine is one of the top five states in electricity rates; the financially sensible way to 'fuel' an electric vehicle would be to get solar panels on my house and barn roofs.
To be honest, I've never actually driven a car that doesn't have a combustion engine. I had the opportunity a few years ago when we went to Norfolk to celebrate my darling Veronique's graduation. The Enterprise at National Airport offered me a GM Blazer EV, but the thought of driving a relatively unfamiliar route AND having to figure out how to recharge the thing was just too intimidating.
How about you, Reds? Do you have an electric vehicle, or have you driven one? What do you think about them, and do you have obstacles like mine when thinking about buying one?
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I have NO idea. I was (gently) pushing to get a new car recently, and we looked at them, but everything the salesperson started to explain things, it seemed to open up a whole new world of difficult horribleness. We kept our old car. I still think we need a new one, but if we get one, I think hybrid is the way to do. However they work...
DEBORAH CROMBIE: I did think about this when buying a new car last year--after seventeen years of driving my Honda. But we weren't sure we were ready for all-electric, especially as things are so spread out in Texas. And the price tag on hybrids was just too high. Also, I was in love with the Mazda, and they are not yet making a hybrid. This may put them in a better position financially considering the current state of affairs and the damage done to the EV industry. Probably for the next car we will look at EVs.
LUCY BURDETTE: I am due for a new car and we will start shopping once back in Connecticut. I adore my Subaru Outback though it isn't flashy. It gets great mileage, drives well, is comfortable, and fits all of our stuff. (A lot!)
However, John thinks that we should buy a hybrid and Subaru doesn't make an Outback version. He has a small electric vehicle, which he loves, though I'm not convinced. We will start the conversation this spring...
JENN McKINLAY: Youngest Hooligan just bought a used Tesla. I know there's a ban but as H2 pointed out it's used, so no billionaire made a profit off him. I was dubious but OMG! He has a long commute to the hospital and school and he was paying $70/week before the gas spike. Now he goes to a charging station where it takes 10-15 minutes and costs $8-12/week. And, real talk, it's one of the most comfortable cars I've ever ridden in--enough so that I'm considering an e-car for myself but my truck would have to die first. I love my Chevy Silverado. Not letting it go anytime soon.
RHYS BOWEN: For years now I've changed my car when the warranty expires. Driving 800 miles between CA and AZ means I want no bad surprises. So an electric car has not been in consideration as I'd have to stop and charge it. But a hybrid... definitely my next car. I drive a Mercedes SUV and I love it, but it is horrible on gas. $100 fillup every time. So I'm looking at the Lexus NX SUV next time. I like being high up with good vision in my current car and easy access too.
I've never had the opportunity to drive an electric car, so this is all new territory for me, but if I were considering purchasing a new car, I would definitely look into getting a hybrid vehicle . . . .
ReplyDeleteI’ve had a Prius hybrid for 12 years (2 in that time) and the mileage is fantastic. It is time to get a newish car and my son says I should get an EV - but it will just take so much research!
ReplyDeleteWe had Priuses at work and we had a hybrid for a two-week drive around France and they were great. A few years ago we rented a car in Chicago and they wanted to give us an electric and we said no, we are driving to Indiana and don’t expect to find EV infrastructure there.
ReplyDeleteWe have lots of friends with EVs - if you are using Tesla Supercharging stations, it’s great. If you are using other charging systems, there doesn’t seem to be enough reliable infrastructure.
Honda has an e-car that has gas backup if you run out of electric charge.
Delete^ It is a Honda Clarity - no worries if we are driving a long distance it automatically switches to gas power. It's a nice car, very roomy inside, and very quiet.
DeleteHow apropos! My daughter Lucy has been driving our old 2011 Honda CRV and fifteen years of salted roads have eaten holes in the rocker panels. It probably will not pass inspection in Maine (though it would in New York and Vermont, and New Hampshire doesn't even have car inspections. Live free AND die!). So she has been looking at cars, mostly used. She is a climate activist and is ONLY looking at EVs. I was urging a hybrid, as a number of my friends have hybrids, but she wants to live by her ideals. She is doing hours of research. When I get anxious for her I remember that nothing is irrevocable except having a child.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I bought a new-to us used car last year and went two hours downstate to the Miller's Kill area (far less road salt) to buy a gas Subaru Forester. I am in charge of all repairs in my household, from changing lightbulbs to minor engine repairs to large building projects, and I am currently at my limit for learning to manage new responsibilities.
Rhys, I also like being high up. Not only is it more comfortable for me at my height, but I have forty years of experience seeing what a pickup truck does to a small car in an accident. I live in pickup land. So when I am in a small low car, I feel as if I'm driving a Diet Coke can that could be fed into the crusher at any moment. (Selden)
Selden, my husband's car is a Subaru Forester with about 120,000 miles on it and we have been so happy with that car! We are beginning to acknowledge we probably need to replace it at some point, and currently the leading contender is to just buy a newer Forester, as that one has been so good.
DeleteSusan, yes, once my eye was alerted to Subaru Foresters I notice they are almost a third of the cars in every parking lot up here, another third being pickup trucks. I saw a snide comment on a NO KINGS protest saying, "I bet they all drove there in Subarus!" so they must have some liberal reputation of which I am unaware! (Selden)
DeleteSubarus do seem to appeal to dems more. But I think they also appeal to the outdoorsy type as well - campers, sports (biking, water activities, etc). I rented a Subaru once and loved, loved, loved driving it. Sadly, I ended up getting a hybrid when I needed a new car instead. Ahh!
DeleteSelden, my daughter is an energy consultant, with an emphasis on electric vehicles. During the pandemic supply chain debacle she ordered a VW ID.4 EV, but it was never delivered, so she looked at the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which she could find locally. She leased one, and is now on her second, she loved it so much. And driving it while we visited last year is why I ended up with a Hyundai hybrid Sonata. Excellent, reliable cars, with great features.
DeleteAnd the car she was driving before she bought an Ioniq 5 was a Subaru Forester!
Maybe Irwin would consider a hybrid, but safety concerns about electrical fires have kept us from considering an ev. He is an engineer and has been waiting for the battery technology to become more reliable. Our garage is attached to our house and he considers them to be dangerous.
ReplyDeleteI'll come back this afternoon and share my matzo ball recipe.
Interesting! I've had a Prius hybrid since I bought one new in 2009. I LOVED that car, which is still going strong (mostly). When Hugh's truck rusted out too much to pass inspection AND he wasn't hanging dry wall any more, he proposed taking over the 2009 as his "truck" since he can fit a six-foot ladder in it, and he found me a pre-owned Prius C, a little hybrid Toyota doesn't make any more.
ReplyDeleteAfter I started regularly driving the 250 miles round trip to take care of Ida Rose, I needed a more comfortable and reliable car. At the same time, a local Afghan refugee family needed a second car. I found a nearly new Prius plug-in Prime hybrid and sold the C to the family for a pittance. We've had solar panels for a decade, so the charging is free and I have a much nicer ride. If I ever need another car, I'd probably go all-electric, but I imagine the public infrastructure for charging hasn't made much progress with this administration.
Don't have one, will not get one. Period.
ReplyDeleteThese days I really hate driving, especially having to deal with crazy drivers these days. I've not driven an electric car yet, though my 2015 car, which was bought new, has a lot of computer stuff in the car. Just remembered that we have rented a Prius, which is hybrid. I have driven a Prius several times and it is never cleaned before I rent it. I stopped renting the Prius.
ReplyDeleteWe looked into the logistics of driving from Cincinnati to Arlington, VA where our daughters live, in an EV. Five Hundred miles, the halfway point for charging in the middle of nowhere West Virginia and Maryland mountains. Hybrid for our next car, yes.
ReplyDeleteOhio has seven utility-grade coal-power plants, so I'm not sure how much we're protecting the envioroment by going all-electric.
Good point about the increase in coal power plants Margaret, but the big advantage of EV is you don't pay the high price of gas!
DeleteOne of the reasons we need more solar power.
DeleteHaving not been able to drive for so long, all I see of gas prices is the rapid rise in Uber fares. Lucy, I feel your Subaru Outback “devotion”, the last 5 years of my driving days were spent in Subaru Outback Sports (the Outback was too big and too expensive for me). Loved each and every one and had a great dealership to take care of the maintenance. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteIn 2024 I needed to buy a new car because my Ford Focus was 10 years old. I wanted my new car to be environmentally friendly so after doing lots of research, I ordered a red plug-in hybrid Ford Escape from the factory. I had to wait six months for it but it definitely was worth the wait! I absolutely love it! It plugs in to the regular outlet in my garage so there didn’t have to be any electrical changes in my garage. It charges overnight. I have saved on gas which yesterday was $1.74/litre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. When driving it silently switches to gas automatically when the electric charge is depleted! I haven’t noticed any change in my electric bill either. I highly recommend a plug-in hybrid Ford Escape ❤️🚗
ReplyDeleteI think hybrid e-cars are the next gen of e-cars. You have electricity but gas back up.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know Ford Escape had that - good to know.
Both our current vehicles are paid off, and I anticipate my Honda Civic will be my primary car for the rest of my days. (I use it only for local driving and put so few miles on it I think it will last as long as I do.) When we decide we must bite the bullet and replace hubby's Forester, we will consider a hybrid if one is available that meets our other requirements. I was a fan of hybrids from the day they came out, but unfortunately the difference in price put them out of my reach in my younger years. I think EVs can be a great choice for certain situations, particularly as a commuting to and from work vehicle. But I don't think they make sense as a primary vehicle for someone who lives in the Midwest, where we realistically HAVE to drive distances on a pretty regualr basis.
ReplyDeleteWe just bought a new vehicle – for 2 of us. We didn’t know we needed it. We were driving a perfectly good 2016 Dodge Caravan. Used the front seats only. Until we became a go-to-hospital Uber, there were no seats up in the back, as we used it as if it was a truck – a fancy one. While I was having my eyes checked, Jack went across the street and looked at vans – just cruising. He said there was a really nice red one – used, over there (ours was a white one with a red stripe – for coolness). We didn’t need it and it sold – of course it was RED!. It did trigger in him the perpetual need-to-look-at-cars-‘cus-I-am-bored response. We presently have the problem of a spare car that is a part of the dispersal of the estate – did we want it? Nope a 2020Ford Something SUV – a dime a dozen. Besides it is a car, and I don’t like cars.
ReplyDeleteSo, it festered, and last week, we went in to ‘look’ and came back with a brand-new second hand 2025 Chrysler Pacifica (white with no stripe – yet) – really a Caravan with a new name. Oh, and a lot of bells and whistles and a sliding glass ceiling roof. And it knows things, and it spooks you and both of us are afraid of it! But it does have fold-in-the-floor seats and heated front seats. It is gas. I don’t know if vans come in electric, but should we drive anywhere except to town, it is at least 450 kms, which is borderline for not having to refill the electrity to get there. (a tank of gas for us when not being an Uber usually last 6 weeks at about $100 (Cdn). The second consideration, is that we would have to rewire to get a charger in and locally there are few charger stations with the exception of Federal Parks, so in tourist season that is good.
(As an aside, did you know that in Canada: ‘4905 – Section 714 was amended on October 29, 2018, to require all new construction, including single-family residences and MURBs, to have a minimum of one energized outlet capable of Level 2 charging or higher for every dwelling unit. Parking spaces designated for visitors are exempt.’ Whether you have an EV or not.
In Nova Scotia where we live, power is still generated by coal (getting less), oil, and some renewables (wind). When considering how the power is generated and when considering that Nova Scotia has some of the highest rates for electricity in the country, it still has not become a question in our house. Friends of ours have 2 of their 3 cars as electric. They sneak in and scare the cats, as they as so quiet, and we have to be really careful that Prue (the deaf one) is not under the car as they depart. She has come close to being squished.
A query for another day's possible post... have any of the Reds ever received disquieting mail from fans (or non-fans)? I ask because my married name is very googleable (only 6 people with it in the country, 5 in my family) and due to my daughter's activism on behalf of clean energy I received an unsettling letter on Saturday. No threat was specified but I was unnerved by the animus that prompted this man to clip a newspaper, search for our name, find my address and a stamp, scribble a semi-literate note, and put it in the mail. Obviously, if it does not pertain to anyone among the Reds, forget it! (Selden)
ReplyDeleteYikes is right, Selden! I second the advice to report the mail to your local police. Crazy times call for extra caution.
DeleteYikes Selden! "Disquieting" ? I'd be a bit worried. Can you call your local PD or sheriff and file a report so that if it escalates further or if others have had a similar experience you have it noted.
ReplyDeleteI switched to a Prius in 2010. Loved it. When it came time to buy a new car, although the 2010 Prius only had 80,000 (barely broken in for a Toyota), I bought a 2018 Prius Prime, the plug-in hybrid, and gave the 2010 Prius to The Girl (someone promptly smashed into it, bent the frame, and totaled it - she was heartbroken). My Prius Prime gets has about a 35-mile range on all electric, which is perfect for running around town. When we did some electric work on the Cottage, we put in an outlet so I can charge pretty conveniently (not a 220v, just a 110, so it does take a long time). On long trips, we switch to the gas-electric hybrid and get about 54mpg on the highway. All this combines to a 70mpg lifetime mileage and I only put gas in the car every other month. We do have solar panels; I estimate keeping the car charged costs me $2-3 a week. Eight years later there are less than 50,000 miles on the car. As my mechanic said, I'll get sick of driving it before it dies.
ReplyDeleteMy husband's 2014 RAV4 finally gave up the ghost - well the A/C did. He needed to replace it with something that can pull his trailer. I said another RAV4 was fine, but it had to be the hybrid model. I don't think Toyota offered a plug-in hybrid RAV4, but they either do now or will soon.
My brother drives a Ford Mustang MACH-E and loves it. I don't think I'll ever drive another non-hybrid vehicle and when the time eventually comes for me to get a new car, I'll be sorely tempted to go all electric (depending on cost and developments in technology).
My 2022 Prime gets about 33 miles of charge in the summer but more like 27 when it's cold out. The car's lifetime mpg is currently 67 - I love it! I also do slow overnight charging, which works for my lifestyle.
DeleteOur neighbor has one of the green MACH-Es. You can't miss him driving down the road, he's the only one I've ever seen.
DeleteHappy EV owner since 2014! I bought a Prius in 2002, one of the first hybrids. In 2014, I passed the Prius to my son and bought a 2012 all electric Nissan Leaf with 40K on it. It was a great car for running around town and I just plugged it into my porch outlet overnight. Over time, the range gradually decreased from 70 miles to about 48. I had a lot of range anxiety. In 2021 my sister and brother-in=law bought a 2017 Chevy Bolt. I went on a road trip with them in May to the California redwoods. We were able to find the fast chargers and charge, although we had a couple of hiccups. California has lots of chargers available. In Arcadia, we found one that was free??!!. In December 2024, I donated my Leaf and bought a 2020 Bolt for myself. A few weeks after I bought mine, my son's father bought a 2018 Bolt. We love our cars. I haven't taken mine on the road, but I could. It's estimated that EV owners save $12-15K over the life of the vehicle in maintenance costs. There are just fewer moving parts. I'm so happy to NOT go to the gas station! In my progressive Portland bubble, EVs are everywhere. The EV technology is moving forward quickly in other parts of the world, despite the roadblocks the US government has set up.. Soon a 15 minute recharge and 500 mile range will be a reality for EV owners.
ReplyDeleteOn Saturday, I was talking to my friends who are asylum seekers from Central America. They work as contractors for Amazon, delivering packages. The increased gas prices have hit them hard. She told me that they would like to buy a used hybrid (an all-electric vehicle doesn't make sense for them). As with everything, the poor and marginalized are suffering the most by our overseas adventures.
I've been driving a Chevy Bolt EUV for about two years now and love it around the city; haven't yet made a long trip in it but am appreciating the NO NEED FOR GAS reality of this car. It's zippy, quiet and no-emissions, which is three big points in its favour. We installed a Level 2 charger in our garage when we bought the car and have no need to use other chargers in the city. It's true that a longer trip means charging en route, but that is a change of habit rather than anything else. Here in Manitoba, we have mega hydro-powered electricity so rates are very affordable.
ReplyDeleteWe considered a hybrid, but that just means hauling around a combustion engine AND an electric battery, and I just couldn't make sense of that double-trouble approach. We went all in and I am not sorry. Especially these days.
On our first visit to Athens we noticed SO many Bolts, and the Chinese version of small electric cars, too. I think Europe is way ahead of us in that technology, and the ability to buy Chinese cars. Their gas prices are also insanely higher than ours, because, at least in the US, the government subsidizes gas prices. My stepsister in the UK just paid $9.46/gal (they pay by the litre, and in pounds, so this is the USD equivalent). She is on a fixed income, and does not drive much, so she only has to fill her little car every couple of weeks, but that is still extremely pricey.
DeleteI am all in for saving the environment and reducing our carbon footprint and our reliance on oil. Yet there is a nagging voice lurking in my curmudgeon brain, wondering what's the catch? I'm old enough to believe that nothing that seems easy really is. Are there hidden costs and dangers here that we don't know about or have just not been told? Are there better and more efficient ways to solve the problem? I really don't know but the paranoid part of me says that the simple way may not be the very best way. I sincerely hope that the suspicious part of me is wrong, but I have seen too many commercials and have listened to too many politicians in my time to take anything at face value. Color me paranoid. I was not born there, nor have I ever visited there, but I am basically from Missouri, and it is not the most pleasant way to live.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely consider an EV for my next vehicle if my current Mazda CR5 doesn't outlive me. We have a surprising number of charging stations in our small-town rural area--probably in part for the tourist traffic we get here near Lake Erie. My younger brothers could both do the electrical upgrades necessary so I could charge at home. As for batteries catching fire, I have read about a number of advances in battery technology which seems to eliminate the fire hazard.
ReplyDeleteJerry, there are catches to everything!
ReplyDeleteI had been driving Hondas for 40 years, until youngest daughter was preparing for her first overseas assignment to Nairobi. Diplomats can take their cars with them, except Kenya was a British protectorate, so they drive on the left, and her 2015 BMW sports car had lefthand drive. So she begged me to buy it from her, and made me the proverbial deal I couldn't refuse. I had a love/hate relationship with it, not the least of which--the hate part--came from the spoiled thing only using premium gas.
Last summer I stopped at a gas station I had never used before and ended up filling the tank with adulterated fuel, which stopped the car cold and turned it into a brick for a couple weeks. The mechanic had to let the fuel drip out, because BMW, and the car was never the same. I decided to look for a new car. We had visited the energy consultant daughter in May (her first new car in 2005 had been a Honda Civic Hybrid that we all drove!), and she let me drive her Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric car. I loved all the bells and whistles, best of all, the right and left sideview cameras that turn on when the turn signal is activated. I have reduced peripheral vision, and the BMW had terrible visibility.
I finally settled on a Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, and I really love it. It's a big enough car that I can get four adults in comfortably (the middle rear seat is pretty much unusable for an adult), and a load of plants, or my mom's walker in the roomy trunk. It has both heated and COOLED seats! And it gets an average of about 41 mpg. Which is nearly twice the BMW's gas-guzzling 22 mpg of premium. I was looking for a car with very good safety features, and I found one. It actually stops itself if another vehicle or person are in your path. The first time it happened it stopped when a truck ran a red light in front of me, and avoided a really bad collision. Do all new cars have this feature??
Steve will be due for a new SUV in a year or two, and we are thinking of getting an electric car for him.