Going Zero Carbon --Sharing information on how we can start moving this way in our personal lives.

I noticed this article listing 2021 electric car prices in August. Except for Testla and GM, many  makes qualify for $7500 rebate with individual states offering further reductions.  In MA they offer an additional $1500 reduction.  Buying a new car is not going to be an option for many, however there are likely used EV's out there, with much lower prices.  Keeping in mind the superior repair records of EVs, used might not be a bad option.  

  https://www.businessinsider.com/best-cheap-affordable-evs-electric-vehicles-tesla-nissan-ford-mustang-2021-2

Posted by: @jeanne-mayell

Guys: There is no machismo loss with EV's:  No one can tell from the way it looks and drives that it's an EV.   

Almost~ the only "tell" is that there is no tailpipe! On fully electric vehicles, that is! 

And did you read that Cadillac's pre-production sale of its new 2023 electric vehicle the Lyriq sold out in 19 minutes? It's disheartening that the demand is there but automakers can't meet it.

https://electrek.co/2021/09/18/cadillac-lyriq-sells-out-in-19-minutes-automakers-still-underestimating-ev-demand/

Just expanding on the above after re-reading the Electrek article--I bet a major reason the manufacturers are so lukewarm is that it would cause thousands of dealerships to close! No service bays. No mechanics. No parts to sell. 

Posted by: @snowbird

And did you read that Cadillac's pre-production sale of its new 2023 electric vehicle the Lyriq sold out in 19 minutes? It's disheartening that the demand is there but automakers can't meet it.

https://electrek.co/2021/09/18/cadillac-lyriq-sells-out-in-19-minutes-automakers-still-underestimating-ev-demand/

Actually, it's quite exciting!  If the demand is that great, then they will make more. 

@jeanne-mayell

Posted by: @snowbird

 

Actually, it's quite exciting!  If the demand is that great, then they will make more

☝?☝?☝?☝?  This right here.

I'm not a Twitter subscriber, but I have to share this one, reported today on Google News: In September, 15% of all new car purchasers bought BEVs (battery electric vehicles), with the Tesla Model 3 leading the way. I'd bet it would be twice that percent if the vehicles were available.

https://twitter.com/EmilyBeament/status/1445309011335778310?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Enews%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

@snowbird  The lack of EV/hybrid choices is really disappointing.

I bought my current car in 2006. It is a conventional gas car (Subaru Outback). I would have liked a hybrid, but there weren't any available at the time except very small cars, and also the Prius, which I test-drove and hated because I could hardly see out of the narrow back window.  The Subaru is still running well but eventually I will need to replace it.   I prefer a car with decent cargo space for all my renovation and reclamation projects and with reasonable ground clearance for certain places I have to navigate.  There is **still** nothing currently on the hybrid/EV market like that.  Subaru is supposed to come out with an electric vehicle ("Solterra") next year sometime and it's the best thing I've seen, but who knows when it will actually come out and how good it will be.  (I wouldn't buy a new model in its first year anyway, not until they get the bugs worked out.)  

  One dilemma I have for the future:  If my old car is still running well when (finally) an acceptable hybrid or electric vehicle comes on the market, what is the most environmentally responsible choice?  An electric car has no emissions but the energy and materials used to make a new car are a hit to resources and the environment.  Is it better to drive the old vehicle 'til it drops, thus conserving resources on the manufacturing end of things?  The old gas car would still be on the road with a new owner, presumably, and still spewing CO2.   I would like to hear some opinions.

Iridium (@ana), good question. If not you, then someone else will drive the car till it's not useful any more, so the karma is the same. Our vehicle is a 2013 Nissan Murano which we'll keep until we find the right EV. The real problem is that manufacturers are still marketing gasoline powered vehicles, stating falsely that there is no demand for EVs. Maybe the chip shortage that is affecting production is a blessing in disguise.

Here is a helpful informational sheet for anyone thinking of buying an electric car,  provided by a woman in my town. 

WEBSITES

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/
Vehicle comparisons, performance data, and environmental impacts; information on federal tax credits, U.S. Dept. of Energy.

https://afdc.energy.gov/calc/
Vehicle cost calculator, Alternative Fuels Data Center, US Dept. of Energy.

https://insideevs.com/reviews/344001/compare-evs/
Compare Electric Cars: EV Range, Specs, Pricing & More, Inside EVs.

https://mor-ev.org/
Massachusetts offers rebates for electric vehicles (MOR-EV) program, state of Massachusetts.

VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7ZCZ3OTsHI
Benefits of Electric Vehicles (EVs), Duke Energy, February 17, 2019.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkWUgXSvZXE
Electric Vehicle Benefits Explained, Union of Concerned Scientists, February 10, 2021.

ARTICLES

https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g36278968/best-selling-evs-of-2021
12 Best-Selling Electric Vehicles of 2021 (So Far), Car and Driver, July 19, 2021.

https://www.edmunds.com/electric-car/
Best Electric Cars of 2021 and 2022, Edmunds.

https://www.caranddriver.com/shopping-advice/a32494027/ev-vs-gas-cheaper-to-own/
EV vs. Gas: Which Cars Are Cheaper to Own?, Car and Driver, May 22, 2020.

CHARGING APPs, LOCATING CHARGERS

PlugShare,  https://www.plugshare.com/

Chargepoint,  https://www.chargepoint.com/

ElectrifyAmerica,  https://www.electrifyamerica.com/

Tesla, https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tesla/id582007913 , https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslamotors.tesla

@jeanne-mayell Thank you for this.  After reading your previous post, I was inspired to think about an EV as my next car, but I didn't know where to begin to do the research.  Now I do. :-)

Here are some ideas for saving money to stretch our dollars as prices keep rising.  They help reduce energy consumption.

*I did not know there is a dishwasher filter that can be cleaned every 6 months, did anyone else?

https://www.azcentral.com/story/tech/reviewed/2022/03/18/4-easy-things-you-can-do-at-home-that-will-save-you-money/49955605/