I think electric cars are just the thing for people like me.

I've only put 2200 miles on my car in 2 1/2 years.

Those of us who are getting pretty old have lost some situational awareness and attention span and like me try to avoid driving long distances on highways with posted speed limits of 70 and 80 miles an hour.

I only use my car to go to market and to medical appointments.  It can sit idle in my carport for over a week sometimes.

An electric car with an at home charger is ideal.  We don't need range and most of all we don't need gasoline although I only fill up two or three times a year now.

That Chevrolet Bolt looks like just what a person like myself needs.  The price might be coming down in a couple of years.  And when it gets into my price range I'll trade in my hybrid for an electric car.

https://www.kbb.com/best-cars/electric-cars-that-are-coming-in-2022/

Noel

Edited March 9, 20224 yr by birdguy

50 minutes ago, birdguy said:

I think electric cars are just the thing for people like me.

 

Yep, absolutely agree Noel.

I would say just the thing for most people now, given the range increases recently. Still a bit pricey but they are getting there on cost too.

And there's already a solid state battery version available. Its range is a bit limited presently but as the solid state tech evolves it will be a no brainier for everybody.

I was watching a video by Chris Lehto, the F16 pilot turned UFO investigator, earlier. He commented that he thinks once you drive an electric car it becomes a no brainer. So much better, very rapid acceleration, easy to drive. 

As much as I have grown up with ICE cars and enjoyed working on them when younger, they seem like archaic relics to me, excessively complex with hundreds of moving parts, cost a fortune to maintain, doesn't rally make a lot of sense.

The only access I have to a car is my daughters Fiat 500 Hybrid, an amazingly ecumenical car thanks to its mild hybrid design, but for sure my next car will be electric.

The cybertruck down below looks like the Batmobile! I was reading that due to its shape the body doesn't have to be formed and due to its finish it doesn't have to be painted. This saves thousands of dollars on the price and they fly through the assembly plant, one of the fastest vehicles to assemble at the factory. I like trucks, you can haul stuff around.

3 minutes ago, Fielder said:

The cybertruck down below looks like the Batmobile! I was reading that due to its shape the body doesn't have to be formed and due to its finish it doesn't have to be painted. This saves thousands of dollars on the price and they fly through the assembly plant, one of the fastest vehicles to assemble at the factory. I like trucks, you can haul stuff around.

 

Hasn't Tesla redesigned the Cybertruck? I heard it had been changed. 

I didn't know about the redesigning. $100 down. I imagine they will be hard to get for those without reservations.

1 hour ago, birdguy said:

That Chevrolet Bolt looks like just what a person like myself needs.

 

The new Bolt does look nice. Audi eTron would be my choice. I recall it doesn't have  regen breaking linked to the accelerator. I might be wrong, but I think the regen is linked to the brake pedal, that makes more sense to me. 

10 minutes ago, martin-w said:

an amazingly ecumenical car

C of E or RC?

If I was old with a sore back, I would want a vehicle that is high off the ground. So much easier on the back to get in and out of painlessly.

 

Edited March 9, 20224 yr by Fielder

3 minutes ago, dmwalker said:

C of E or RC?

 

Oh right, I see it. Curse that spell check.  😁

Edited March 9, 20224 yr by martin-w

15 minutes ago, martin-w said:

very rapid acceleration,

Electric motors have more torque than internal combustion engines.

Noel

1 minute ago, martin-w said:

Not quite sure about that reply. I get the abbreviations but...

Ecumenical:  of, relating to, or representing the whole of a body of churches.

10 minutes ago, martin-w said:

I recall it doesn't have  regen breaking linked to the accelerator. I might be wrong, but I think the regen is linked to the brake pedal, that makes more sense to me. 

Do you mean dynamic braking when braking and slowing down that recharges the battery?  My Prius has that and you can feel it as you let your foot off the accelerator.  You can also see it on the dash power graphic.  Braking and slowing down should recharge the batteries as well as saving brake wear.

Diesel-electric locomotives use it for braking but the power generated is dissipated in resistors on top of the locomotive.

Noel

11 minutes ago, Fielder said:

If I was old with a sore back, I would want a vehicle that is high off the ground. So much easier on the back to get in and out of painlessly.

I agree.  My car is a chore to get out of but I don't want a truck or a large car.  My cane helps.

Noel

15 minutes ago, dmwalker said:

C of E or RC?

10 minutes ago, birdguy said:

My car is a chore to get out of but I don't want a truck or a large car.

How about a smaller SUV? I had an Acura MDX and its driver's seat was a perfect height for sliding in and out. I used to drive a 93 year old neighbour who needed a walking frame and he could get in and out fairly easily. When I traded it in for a Honda Accord, getting in and out was awkward for him. Also, because of the lower clearance, the front bumper moulding keeps catching on the cement parking curbs. I probably should have got  Honda CRV.