Opinion Article on EV's

This is probably the best down to Earth recent article I've read:

https://www.theepochtimes.com/opini...ofgof3c3o/rYPuWRXRbd1xlYTCJ2hn7Ajy3CnINHavrI=

 

Useful context on The Epoch Times and helpful when evaluating their content and perspective.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Epoch_Times

 

There is no real truth anymore. Even if you see someone screwing the neighbor's cat it might be your imagination.

 

Useful content on Wikipedia and helpful when evaluating their content and perspective.

https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.102.3.343

 

I must say within the first and 2nd paragraph, it’s pretty easy to see the bias.


irrational chasing of utopia

edited to add more wtf are they trying to say.

Refueling is not easy and missteps here can have nightmarish consequences.

I thought the article is about EVs?

and I’ll add, the CEO should have been booted for making such a large dive into EVs. They should have data to show how many they rent out and slowly make a transition as rentals showed the need. It’s clear, they didn’t have the need.

 

Of course Wikipedia is fallible like all man-made things, etc. but it doesn't mean it is a completely useless resource to discard. I pulled it for the 10,000 feet view and available citations, it's not necessarily a page full of falsehoods and that The Epoch Time actually has Antarctic connections and is funded by Big Coffee. You can find other media outlets discussing The Epoch Times but that's another can of worms when we get into the potential/varying degree of bias from say, NBC, NYT, etc.

That the study summary simplifies the alleged bias into "leaning Democrat" is odd to me as it means the study is very US-centric and time-sensitive. It flattens a party much less unified than the opposing party that today contains both AOC and Joe Manchin and I bet they don't agree on much.

I would have expected a little more detail in that summary such as going into more specific ideologies that may have permeated the Democratic Party in 2012 that Wikipedia supposedly promotes - but this one feels like it's meant to be a quick drive-by "they're the enemy, ignore!" to me.

 

Luckily Toyota seems to be moving away from EV's and towards alternative fuels like Hydrogen



Edit: To be clear I'd accept a hydrogen engine well before a electric motor..

 

We love our TOYOTA RAV4 prime, it’s amazing torque when you get into the throttle a little, and that’s due to those electric motors.

 

Hydrogen is (has been) in trouble here in the US. It's crazy expensive (so that's why you get those free fuel benefits) and there's been zero (actually negative) improvement in terms of infrastructure.

Maybe it's more feasible in Japan, that would explain things like the CR-V plug-in/hydrogen hybrid showing up just as Shell closed all their hydrogen stations in CA a month ago.

If anyone's curious what it looks like now, here's a map: https://h2fcp.org/stationmap

The only one in Sacramento has this note attached:


Wait times between fillups and partial fills each 15 min?

Of course it's just that this one is malfunctioning so it's not necessarily representative of the experience as a whole like public EV charging today. I've filled up a hydrogen vehicle before (Nexo) and it was certainly speedy.

But sure sucks for Sacramento fuel-cell drivers.

Not that it can't improve, but hydrogen logistics and station building is much pricier rather than running a big enough extension cord to a charger bank and having folks on trips wait a little longer (with current technology).

 

My company has used Hertz while I've been there since 2004. My personal experience w Hertz was compounded by many of their clientele not wanting an EV on my travel day last year.
Long lines that day at an airport Hertz resulting in a 50 minute wait just to see an agent, because they're already a poorly run company as it is. Once getting my contract, I discovered the line was the same 50+ minutes in the parking garage w 7 EVs having less than half a charge. Long before EVs they had these wait time issues, so that cannot be blamed on EVs.

I could not use an EV as my hotel and remote job location were not equipped. So with a lack of time, I tore up the contract and grabbed an uber. I was not hanging out in that garage for another hour. Had to make carpool arrangements for that week. Inconvenient, bu not the end of the world.

I have not read any of the press or wiki because I know both publications and how they lean, but I will say it was a poor business move by Hertz.
They should have fixed the core problems and then worry about image.

 

TFL did a Cybertruck Vs. Ram 2500 towing test in a recent video. On 86 miles, the good old Ram used $25 diesel and Cybertruck used $37 of electricity

 

Not to mention the cybertruck is 100% fugly!! There are a few of them around here, and they look bad enough in daylight... but at night? The clown lighting on the front of the Rivian is nothing compared to the cybertruck.

 

Other than Hertz's usual stream of shenanigans, I would say (opinion alert!) the biggest issue about their electric push was that customers already pay for fuel used and Hertz continued to require returning at a full charge.

Since customers pay for fuel, the efficiency gain savings aren't seen on Hertz's end and since customers have to fill up (or of course pay a fee) prior to returning that just complicates it between finding a charger, needing an account/app, paying public charging rates, etc. eats up the efficiency gains too.

The drop-off in maintenance is great, but repairs for Teslas (I want to say their fleet was Tesla heavy but I don't know for sure) are a PITA for everyone who has one. I would have expected a fleet of Bolts to be comparable to a GM economy car in body repair costs but as above I don't know the ratio.

You might see it as a net negative but it's a big exercise in YMMV. Towing's been established as mostly the worst use case for BEVs but on the flip side, it'll be superior if someone idles a lot. (hence the wonders of hybrids?) Garbage for hotshot trucking, great for field "office" duty and varying degrees all in between. (and then we get to the cost and different networks of public fast charging, yuck!)

Interestingly enough, despite typically driving 20-50% farther on a gallon of gas over a 4Runner, my Sorento while towing netted about the same numbers, maybe 5-10% more, people have written here towing with their 4Runners. (and with less maximum weight since the rating tops out at 2,000 lbs.)

 

That joker will also pinch yer fingers based off of recent
Videos posted.

 

The Rivian looks decent though. It comes in an SUV version too. Rivian is not a bad looking vehicle.

 

There are plenty of both of them around here. Plus, we have a ton of the Am a zon trucks made by Rivian.

I agree, the Rivians look decent, except for the headlights in my opinion.

 

Other than that it looks just like any other truck out there, unless you try to look for a diff pumpkin

 

Rivian lights look toyish lol

 

Yes, you did. I was typing my reply when yours posted first.