Any GTAM'ers own an electric vehicle?

[Mad Mike]

Yep, unless you pay extra for non-depreciated/replacement cost coverage....which most people don't, because they want the cheapest possible insurance they can get instead of insurance that actually covers their butts if there's a loss.
This is why I pay literally an extra hundred dollars a month or so on our monthly 2 cars and 2 bikes insurnace bill - I have all of our accident benefits and coverages cranked to the max. All that same stuff that we used to get that the government removed a number of years ago to "save consumers money" (Which it didn't really do) are now available again as an upcharge item, which sure seems to me to be way more than any "savings" we ever received from them being removed to begin with.

Anyhoo......another government boondoggle from 2016 that's still just costing us money instead of saving us anything.

And everyone might want to read up on the latest "cost savings" scheme the government allowed to come into effect this January 1st which may actualy hose you rather than save you money. This one seems to have snuck past most peoples radars.

You only going to find this option if you ask. For me, it would save 65/mo on my car. Considering I’ve been clipped 3 times by bad drivers in the last 10 years, so I’ll keep it.

On the other hand, a young guy at the office drives a 2004 Camry, pays $3000 a year in insurance, but saves 550/mo with the waiver. For him it’s a no brainer.

 

[Dirty Frank]

Cybertruck teardown and evaluation. In this truck, one rear door was installed with front door hinges so it could open to 90 degrees.

Google News

Comprehensive up-to-date news coverage, aggregated from sources all over the world by Google News.

news.google.com

Cant help but think if delorean made a truck.
Yea i know.

 

[PrivatePilot]

Anyone here with a RWD EV? Looking at some of the options, it's RWD or AWD. I've always avoided RWD as a four-season vehicle, but maybe it's less of a factor with the more even weight distribution in an EV? It's definitely a preference in dry/warm conditions, but I've spent enough time in RWD vehicles in the winter (pickups and a Dodge Charger rental) to know it's not worth the trade-off when grip is limited...

No experience with a RWD EV, but my wife's last car before we went EV was a Chryslier 300 which was RWD. Honestly, with all the electronics now RWD isn't the exercise in futility in the snow that it used to be - the 300 was amazing in anything slippery, the traction control did an awesome job and the stability control made it all but basically impossible for it to swap ends even if you tried.

I would expect a modern EV to be every bit as good, if not better.

No thanks. It could make me breakfast and give my dog a bath and I still wouldn't buy one. Where I direct what little discretionary spending I have left is the last scrap of power available to a peon in our increasingly hyper-capitalist and anti-democratic world, and I'm definitely not giving a penny of that to a blowhard egomaniac. I prefer my evils old-school and banal, not bloated grandstanding oligarchs confusing their revolting wealth with broader intellectual capacity.

Slow clap!

I have a couple sparky neighbours, so would get them to do the install. I assume the car itself can handle most of the details around utilising ULO rates, but it would be good to have a way to double check.

Just get them to do the 40A circuit with a NEMA 14-50 plug then so you're sure it's to code, and you're golden. Then boom, you plug in the EVSE yourself, and you're off to the races.

If by some chance you get word that you don't have enough service overhead (do you have a 100a panel, or a 200a panel?) then don't fret, there are other solutions out there like buying a 15A EVSE instead of a 30A, or just software limiting the EVSE to draw less power. You get a little bit slower charge of course, but still more than enough to charge just about any EV from flat dead to full in an overnight sleep. And reality is, most people don't fully deplete their batery every day.

 

[Evoex]

Anyone here with a RWD EV? Looking at some of the options, it's RWD or AWD. I've always avoided RWD as a four-season vehicle, but maybe it's less of a factor with the more even weight distribution in an EV? It's definitely a preference in dry/warm conditions, but I've spent enough time in RWD vehicles in the winter (pickups and a Dodge Charger rental) to know it's not worth the trade-off when grip is limited...

Just a friendly reminder that AWD is a performance feature, not a safety one.

Decent set of tires and i don't think it matters these days what setup you have for getting enough traction to get going.

 

[GreyGhost]

No experience with a RWD EV, but my wife's last car before we went EV was a Chryslier 300 which was RWD. Honestly, with all the electronics now RWD isn't the exercise in futility in the snow that it used to be - the 300 was amazing in anything slippery, the traction control did an awesome job and the stability control made it all but basically impossible for it to swap ends even if you tried.

I would expect a modern EV to be every bit as good, if not better.

In a reasonable shocking turn, one of the polestars (2 or 3) switched from fwd one year to rwd the next. Apparently a big improvement in driving dynamics.

 

[mimico_polak]

Buddy just told me his plan…buy a Model S and repair it himself or keep it going without a mechanic…

Said he can find a S for 20k or less…

Not sure if good pan or not.

 

[mimico_polak]

@Priller I wouldn’t worry about RWD in the GTA. Slap a good set of winter tires on it and you’re good to roll.

Actually I’d prefer it over a FWD car any day.

People had RWD for a long time without winters and they were fine. New tire tech allows for RWD to be great in the snow.

 

[GreyGhost]

Buddy just told me his plan…buy a Model S and repair it himself or keep it going without a mechanic…

Said he can find a S for 20k or less…

Not sure if good pan or not.

Since there are multiple youtube channels dedicated to the hassle of attempting to repair a Tesla yourself while Tesla actively tries to kill the car you own, that wouldn't be a path I would follow.

 

[GreyGhost]

. New tire tech allows for RWD to be great in the snow.

On that front, I pulled off my x-ice to go to Florida. Currently running Michelin CrossClimate 2's. They have a snowflake and winter was almost over so I didn't switch back. Weather tonight was blowing snow and ice. Cc2's were far worse than xice. Stable and happy with slush but not a whole lot of traction on ice.

 

[mimico_polak]

Since there are multiple youtube channels dedicated to the hassle of attempting to repair a Tesla yourself while Tesla actively tries to kill the car you own, that wouldn't be a path I would follow.

It’s what I told him. I refused to encourage that plan…and I think his wife was happy with my approach.

She wasn’t happy when I poured another whiskey for him…but that’s another thread.

 

[PrivatePilot]

Since there are multiple youtube channels dedicated to the hassle of attempting to repair a Tesla yourself while Tesla actively tries to kill the car you own, that wouldn't be a path I would follow.

Especially considering how locked down the parts streams are for Tesla. If you need a new confabulator, you can't just whisk over to the nearest PartsSource and pick one up, you need to plead and beg directly to Tesla and hope they'll sell you one, and then expect to be told no.

And Tesla is actively fighting in court against consumers to keep it that way, as well..

Tesla Wins Repair Monopoly Lawsuit, Customers Left Facing High Costs And Long Wait Times | Carscoops

Earlier this year, consumers accused Tesla of monopolizing spare parts for, and repairs of, its vehicles; now, a judge has found that the customers should have known better when they bought their EVs

www.carscoops.com

 

[MacDoc]

Fast-charging lithium-sulphur batteries on the horizon

New research shows that the next generation of lithium-sulphur (Li||S) batteries may be capable of being charged in less than five minutes, instead of several hours as is currently the case.

www.sciencedaily.com

5 minute charging but will the chargers hold up ??

 

[Priller]

No experience with a RWD EV, but my wife's last car before we went EV was a Chryslier 300 which was RWD. Honestly, with all the electronics now RWD isn't the exercise in futility in the snow that it used to be - the 300 was amazing in anything slippery, the traction control did an awesome job and the stability control made it all but basically impossible for it to swap ends even if you tried.

I would expect a modern EV to be every bit as good, if not better.

Interesting. I spent a good few months with a rented Charger V8 that shared a platform with the 300. Nearly got stuck once on a gently sloped driveway when I pulled over to make a call in a snowstorm. Most frustrating but was the TC would just cut drive when the tires spun, so as soon as they slipped, it would shut itself down. Ended up having to basically drive out sideways almost into a ditch to escape. No amount of gentle feathering would make it bite. Granted, everything about the Charger was a budget variation on the 300, so it's possible is had a much more basic TC system.

Also spent time in a rented 300C. One of the nicest Grand Tourers I've ever had. Munched miles in extreme comfort, and I've never used a CC system that was so good at just locking in a speed and keeping it there, regardless of hills or conditions. Was doing a lot of back-and-forth between Toronto and Ottawa at the time, and it was a perfect spot to make the drive. Wouldn't have wanted to maintain it, though...

Just a friendly reminder that AWD is a performance feature, not a safety one.

All depends on your circumstances. Where we lived in BC was up a sloped road, and when it snowed overnight, it didn't get plowed until the morning. In a FWD car, there were sections you needed to take a run at or you'd run out of grip, and in a pickup there was absolutely no way without 4x4. This is with modern snow tires. I could manage it in an Accord, but my wife had enough issues with her Civic that we ended up trading it in for a CR-V, or she was going to end up in the ditch.

Granted, what constitutes a hill in BC is on a different level to Ontario, but there's lots of stretches in and around the escarpment between Niagara and Collingwood where the slopes are much steeper than what I was contending with there.

In a reasonable shocking turn, one of the polestars (2 or 3) switched from fwd one year to rwd the next. Apparently a big improvement in driving dynamics.

I could see RWD being much cheaper and more reliable to produce, as combining drive and steering into the same wheelset is a pain in the arse. Not to mention torque steer, which could be brutal with how torquey some of the electric motors can be.

 

[SunnY S]

Especially considering how locked down the parts streams are for Tesla. If you need a new confabulator, you can't just whisk over to the nearest PartsSource and pick one up, you need to plead and beg directly to Tesla and hope they'll sell you one, and then expect to be told no.

And Tesla is actively fighting in court against consumers to keep it that way, as well..

Tesla Wins Repair Monopoly Lawsuit, Customers Left Facing High Costs And Long Wait Times | Carscoops

Earlier this year, consumers accused Tesla of monopolizing spare parts for, and repairs of, its vehicles; now, a judge has found that the customers should have known better when they bought their EVs

www.carscoops.com

This is not unique to Tesla

John Deere is notorious for this as well

I believe, Apple too

 

[Mad Mike]

Just a friendly reminder that AWD is a performance feature, not a safety one.

Decent set of tires and i don't think it matters these days what setup you have for getting enough traction to get going.

AWD is a safety feature a few days each year in the GTA, more if you live in the snow belt.

I’ve always had both in my driveway, AWD does offer additional control on snow and icy roads.

 

[mimico_polak]

I’m liking this news…

Ford plans affordable small electric pickup and SUV, starting around $25,000

Amid a flood of new competition, Ford is shifting plans to build more affordable electric vehicles. Ford is developing a...

electrek.co

 

[Mad Mike]

I’m liking this news…

Ford plans affordable small electric pickup and SUV, starting around $25,000

Amid a flood of new competition, Ford is shifting plans to build more affordable electric vehicles. Ford is developing a...

electrek.co

I don’t believe these announcements till I see the vehicles at dealerships.

Shareholders are nervous, announcements give them hope and calm them down.

I’ll bet BYD hits Europe hard, hurts the euro car makers VW,Fiat and Renault then comes to the North America once they figure out how to make a pickup truck.

Detroit will still be fiddling.

 

[mimico_polak]

I don’t believe these announcements till I see the vehicles at dealerships.

Shareholders are nervous, announcements give them hope and calm them down.

I’ll bet BYD hits Europe hard, hurts the euro car makers VW,Fiat and Renault then comes to the North America once they figure out how to make a pickup truck.

Detroit will still be fiddling.

100% this is nothing more than to keep the hype alive.

Had a dealer tell me yesterday I should hurry if I want a Maverick as they only saw one used come in since November.

I don’t think he liked when I mentioned that I’m seeing more and more used coming into the market daily.

 

[Priller]

I’ll bet BYD hits Europe hard, hurts the euro car makers VW,Fiat and Renault then comes to the North America once they figure out how to make a pickup truck.

I recently watched a What Car? YouTube range-to-empty test of a broad selection of models sold in Europe, including BYD but no Kia or Hyundai. They finished firmly mid-pack, but what was equally surprising is the Japanese (well, Lexus) did incredibly poorly, especially when factoring for battery size. Euro brands and Tesla broadly did best, and there it made for a compelling value case. Here, we pay such a huge premium for the Euro brands that BYD would be well ahead on value.

 

[Brian P]

Interesting. I spent a good few months with a rented Charger V8 that shared a platform with the 300. Nearly got stuck once on a gently sloped driveway when I pulled over to make a call in a snowstorm.

Rental cars don't get winter tires unless forced to by law (e.g. Quebec). It's pretty likely that this car had so-called all-seasons on it.

I got caught out by an early blast of snow a few years ago and couldn't get into my gently-sloped driveway with the summer tires still on the car. Useless. Given the location ... I got out the jack and swapped over to winter tires in the spot where the car was stuck, and then parked the car where it was supposed to be with no issue. LOL

I wouldn't fret about rear-drive only on modern EVs in the Toronto area if you don't spend the extra coin for AWD.

Bolt is front-drive, and acceleration off the line is traction limited. Oh well.