why donโ€™t you drive an EV?

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the disclaimer is pretty clear that it's back of the envelope, and nothing more than back of the envelope can be said in response to a vague question about whether to replace an existing ICE car.

but fwiw the abstract of that paper says:

"The lifecycle EV carbon emissions for a vehicle powered by the 2016 US grid is 30.82 metric tons... An average internal combustion engine vehicle (25.4 miles per gallon) is responsible for 68.38 metric tons of carbon dioxide over its lifetime"

which is almost exactly consistent with the back of the envelope calculation which says an ICE car produces about twice as much CO2 as an EV if you amortize manufacturing costs. and it's a whizzy infographic that doesn't cost $5 too.

๐” ๐”ž๐”ข๐”จ (caek), Wednesday, 31 March 2021 18:13 (five years ago)

Is buying a new electric car every few years better for the environment than maintaining an old car? I may have a bias as my car was built in 1973.

โ€• Peter Greenaway's Fleetwood Mac (S-), Tuesday, March 30, 2021 8:44 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

old cars - basically anything pre-90s iirc - are significantly worse for the environment in terms of emissions than regular ICE cars

ใ€ŠMyst1kOblivi0nใ€‹ (jim in vancouver), Wednesday, 31 March 2021 18:16 (five years ago)

No doubt. I barely ever drive anyway so I guess it's a moot point.

Actually I'm not even sure why I felt the need to reply to this thread, but hey, ILX right?

Peter Greenaway's Fleetwood Mac (S-), Sunday, 4 April 2021 05:52 (five years ago)

otm

Canon in Deez (silby), Sunday, 4 April 2021 05:53 (five years ago)

three weeks pass...

This is a statistic Iโ€™ve not seen before and I would guess most others have not either. https://t.co/pMwC01eQEl

— Norman Levine (@levinepmc) May 1, 2021

lagโˆžn, Saturday, 1 May 2021 14:40 (five years ago)

If the U.S. commercial aviation became completely carbon-free it would be equivalent, in terms of CO2 reduction, to reducing passenger vehicle emissions by about 11 percent. (Source: https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=P100ZK4P.pdf via Aaron Gordonโ€™s newsletter)

๐” ๐”ž๐”ข๐”จ (caek), Saturday, 1 May 2021 14:57 (five years ago)

two weeks pass...

Price point on the electric F-150 is damn impressive. If I was still commuting around LA, hauling computer/server gear, all that - I'd be on the preorder right now.

Elvis Telecom, Friday, 21 May 2021 03:44 (five years ago)

I want this minivan

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1132297_canoo-prices-its-evs-starting-at-34-750-for-lifestyle-vehicle-due-in-2022

๐” ๐”ž๐”ข๐”จ (caek), Friday, 21 May 2021 04:01 (five years ago)

Well, Electro Voice is a good mid-budget option for casual live venues. Perhaps for wedge monitors in a rehearsal space.

https://c1.zzounds.com/media/productmedia/fit,2018by3200/quality,85/sx100_1-dff3a90196b807449d3436d46c45d47e.jpg

But if I were looking for reference speakers in a professional studio, I might look more toward Genelec, or the new Neumanns.

balsamic panic (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 21 May 2021 04:14 (five years ago)

no wheels on those speakers.

one of the appealing things about the F-150 (which I will not be getting, but i hope this shows up on other vehicles) is AC outlets. if every other car can charge a phone (or a fridge or an oxygen concentrator) then that's a big deal in a natural disaster.

๐” ๐”ž๐”ข๐”จ (caek), Monday, 24 May 2021 16:42 (five years ago)

real giggers put everything on a wagon afaict

Linda and Jodie Rocco (map), Monday, 24 May 2021 16:47 (five years ago)

Canoo's first modelโ€”a minivan now dubbed the "Lifestyle Vehicle"

this is deviant shit i can tell

lagโˆžn, Tuesday, 25 May 2021 21:24 (five years ago)

they all look so much like "The Howard"

bogo jumbo junbi boba (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 25 May 2021 21:50 (five years ago)

one of the appealing things about the F-150 (which I will not be getting, but i hope this shows up on other vehicles) is AC outlets. if every other car can charge a phone (or a fridge or an oxygen concentrator) then that's a big deal in a natural disaster.

Already was a big deal in Texas back in February:
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/18/some-texans-use-2021-ford-f-150-hybrids-to-power-homes-amid-winter-storm.html

Elvis Telecom, Wednesday, 26 May 2021 01:46 (five years ago)

Electro Voice a proud Minnesota company

Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 26 May 2021 01:55 (five years ago)

xp oh nice. the new hyundai has ac outlets too https://arstechnica.com/cars/2021/05/hyundai-reveals-us-specs-for-ioniq-5-electric-crossover/

๐” ๐”ž๐”ข๐”จ (caek), Wednesday, 26 May 2021 02:33 (five years ago)

xp i still have some old EV sentry monitors in storage. pretty good and cheap first set.

bogo jumbo junbi boba (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 26 May 2021 02:48 (five years ago)

https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Screen-Shot-2021-06-08-at-8.14.59-AM-1440x710.png

not an ev and not for me, but 40mpg and under $20k is a big deal

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2021/06/fords-new-maverick-is-a-cheap-and-cheerful-hybrid-pickup-truck/

๐” ๐”ž๐”ข๐”จ (caek), Tuesday, 8 June 2021 17:08 (five years ago)

https://www.vice.com/en/article/k78zjz/is-it-good-for-the-environment-to-replace-my-used-car-with-an-electric-vehicle

By now, it is common knowledge electric vehicles (EVs) are better for the environment than gas cars, because they are more efficient and don't directly emit harmful gases that warm the planet. However, I am occasionally asked a slightly different question which is harder to answer. Say you have a perfectly good gas-powered car that may last several more years. Is it still environmentally friendly to replace it with an EV?

tldr yes

๐” ๐”ž๐”ข๐”จ (caek), Wednesday, 9 June 2021 20:26 (five years ago)

i would drive the electric f150.

i won't be able to afford to, but i would

ใ€ŠMyst1kOblivi0nใ€‹ (jim in vancouver), Wednesday, 9 June 2021 21:54 (five years ago)

not an ev and not for me, but 40mpg and under $20k is a big deal

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2021/06/fords-new-maverick-is-a-cheap-and-cheerful-hybrid-pickup-truck/

โ€• ๐” ๐”ž๐”ข๐”จ (caek), Tuesday, June 8, 2021 1:08 PM (one week ago) bookmarkflaglink

that is ridiculously cheap

lagโˆžn, Wednesday, 16 June 2021 14:48 (five years ago)

We came really close to pulling the trigger on a Chevy Bolt, which is a great car, except for the fact that it's a slow charger, even at its fastest. So basically any longer trip we might take that took advantage of the good range for a cheaper EV (260+) would need an added couple of hours on each end to charge, which kind of sucks. Normal charge is like 4 miles an hour, level 2 more like 20. That was still too slow for us.

Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 16 June 2021 15:17 (five years ago)

What makes a truck "cheerful," I wonder.

Champagne Heathernova (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 16 June 2021 15:51 (five years ago)

"cheap and cheerful" is a british phrase that i used for years before realizing everyone here thought i was talking about things being cheerful.

๐” ๐”ž๐”ข๐”จ (caek), Wednesday, 16 June 2021 17:26 (five years ago)

just happy to see pickup that's a reasonable size

Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 16 June 2021 17:30 (five years ago)

https://i.imgur.com/OZR9fSv.jpg

Replace that video screen on the inside with this and I'll think about it.

pplains, Wednesday, 16 June 2021 17:52 (five years ago)

"cheap and cheerful" is a british phrase that i used for years before realizing everyone here thought i was talking about things being cheerful.

โ€• ๐” ๐”ž๐”ข๐”จ (caek), Wednesday, June 16, 2021 10:26 AM (five hours ago)

well what does it mean?

Clara Lemlich stan account (silby), Wednesday, 16 June 2021 23:21 (five years ago)

cheap but ok

ใ€ŠMyst1kOblivi0nใ€‹ (jim in vancouver), Wednesday, 16 June 2021 23:31 (five years ago)

rather than cheap and bad or cheap and of a very high quality

ใ€ŠMyst1kOblivi0nใ€‹ (jim in vancouver), Wednesday, 16 June 2021 23:32 (five years ago)

its similar to jacked and jaunty

lagโˆžn, Thursday, 17 June 2021 00:00 (five years ago)

basically "cheap and shitty" but, crucially, not so shitty that it doesn't work, so let's move on and never consider it again until it breaks, at which point we will gaffa tape it up and resume not thinking about it

if you only need to use it for a shorter period of time than "until it breaks," bonus

bobo honkin' slobo babe (sic), Thursday, 17 June 2021 00:16 (five years ago)

two months pass...

lol https://arstechnica.com/cars/2021/08/gm-recalls-every-chevy-bolt-ever-made-blames-lg-for-faulty-batteries/

๐” ๐”ž๐”ข๐”จ (caek), Tuesday, 24 August 2021 19:32 (four years ago)

two weeks pass...

gonna need some major government intervention to get people to buy all these electric cars

The scale of battery production coming online in the next decade from auto firms is mind boggling pic.twitter.com/ZMTiiqyrCa

— hk (@hassankhan) September 8, 2021

lagโˆžn, Wednesday, 8 September 2021 16:03 (four years ago)

three weeks pass...

do any of them have stick shifts and a cassette deck?

sarahell, Saturday, 2 October 2021 03:40 (four years ago)

as someone who spent the last 19 years driving stick before getting a PHEV, i dont miss it. i thought i would but...nothing.

p sure the tape deck could be arranged.

class project pat (m bison), Saturday, 2 October 2021 03:55 (four years ago)

the braking + downshifting ability is kinda key for me -- it's less an EV issue and more an automatic transmission issue

sarahell, Saturday, 2 October 2021 03:57 (four years ago)

I didn't realize until recently that you can't coast in some of them.... taking your foot off the gas accelerator puts the brakes in motion.

pplains, Saturday, 2 October 2021 04:27 (four years ago)

taking your foot off the gas accelerator puts the brakes in motion.

wait what??? ... no, I mean, just no.

sarahell, Saturday, 2 October 2021 19:10 (four years ago)

yeah thats the regenerative braking it converts forward momentum into power for the car, people like it because most of the time you can drive just using the "gas" pedal, you can turn it off in some cars that have it if you dont tho

lagโˆžn, Saturday, 2 October 2021 19:16 (four years ago)

almost no manuals left on the market ev or otherwise tho, rip

lagโˆžn, Saturday, 2 October 2021 19:18 (four years ago)

there are a lot of cars with a "manual mode" where you can control the shifting of the transmission without having a clutch pedal tho

lagโˆžn, Saturday, 2 October 2021 19:22 (four years ago)

I'll eventually get one and get used to it.

sarahell, Saturday, 2 October 2021 19:39 (four years ago)

yeah thats the regenerative braking it converts forward momentum into power for the car...

โ€• lagโˆžn, Saturday, October 2, 2021 2:16 PM (fifty minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

this is one of my favorite things about EVs, its fun to steal energy back

class project pat (m bison), Saturday, 2 October 2021 20:10 (four years ago)

do any of them have stick shifts

Most EVs don't even have transmissions, thanks to their high torque and full torque being available at 0 RPM instead of having to rev up the engine. The Porsche Taycan and iirc the Audi that's similar have a 2 speed automatic transmission.

almost no manuals left on the market ev or otherwise tho, rip

That's true in the US, somewhat less so in UK/Europe and elsewhere. Even Canada has a few stick-shift cars sold only with automatics in the States.

Lee626, Saturday, 2 October 2021 21:04 (four years ago)

in the UK it's about 50/50 manual and automatic

but yes as Lee says, EVs don't have gears at all (apart from very specialized models) so a shifter wouldn't be very useful! i know how pleasurable it is to downshift etc but trust me, a nice EV feels even more responsive. you can just put the car wherever you want it. the auto braking thing can be turned off for the most part and doesn't kick in above 30 mph usually i think anyway but it's true that 'coasting' doesn't really happen. you don't have a whole transmission tumbling away that can just carry the momentum of the car. you have to keep your right foot at the right place to keep the car moving at the right speed. EVs actually get WORSE efficiency on the highway than they do in start stop traffic because every time you brake you put energy back into the battery.

Tracer Hand, Saturday, 2 October 2021 22:06 (four years ago)

i dont really understand the continued popularity of manuals in europe their fuel economy isnt even better anymore, they tend to be slightly cheaper i guess

lagโˆžn, Saturday, 2 October 2021 22:17 (four years ago)

I feel the same way about tipping in the US

๐” ๐”ž๐”ข๐”จ (caek), Saturday, 2 October 2021 22:18 (four years ago)

have you tried pretending youre a mafia boss every time you leave a tip

lagโˆžn, Saturday, 2 October 2021 22:20 (four years ago)

"i'll make an offer ya cant refuse" *adds 20% to the bill so you can still have a place to live*

class project pat (m bison), Saturday, 2 October 2021 22:25 (four years ago)

โ€œyouโ€™re uh right, i canโ€™t refuse thatโ€

Tracer Hand, Saturday, 2 October 2021 22:30 (four years ago)

It's common in the US to go to a charging station only to find none of the chargers operable.

I'm going to argue this point - at least here in the southwest.

Elvis Telecom, Sunday, 3 May 2026 23:49 (one month ago)

good for you.

trm (tombotomod), Monday, 4 May 2026 01:42 (one month ago)

I mean argue against that claim. Over the last couple of years the charging infrastructure here has dramatically improved.

Elvis Telecom, Monday, 4 May 2026 10:32 (one month ago)

some figures may show that US drivers cover more distance in single journeys

the figures given in that c/p dont tho

Wichita Referee's Assistant (darraghmac), Monday, 4 May 2026 13:26 (one month ago)


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