Paying for Your New EV . . . Even if You Don’t Own One

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For now, they’re only requiring that electric cars be manufactured. How long will it be before they require people to buy them?

Actually, you’re already paying for them.

Several ways.

New ways.

The obvious way is in the form of the taxes you pay that subsidize their manufacture. But that’s old hat, old man. And it was just for openers.

Last week, Nevada β€œadopted” (in the euphemistic political language of government, which loves to use the verbiage of kumbaya voluntaryism to hide the collectivist coercion it imposes) electric vehicle quotas similar to those already in place in California. These force a car company that wants to sell any cars in the state to also sellΒ a certain number of electric cars, too.

Even if they have to be given away at a loss.

The costs of that being shifted over to the non-electric cars, which hides the costs of the EV mandate very much in the same way that obnoxiously high gas taxes are hidden by folding them into the cost-per-gallon rather than added on like a sales tax. If people actually had to pony up 50 cents (one average) additional per gallon – at the register – they’d likely object. But when the gas and taxes cost the same, they don’t notice the taxes part.

That’s how you already pay for the EV you don’t drive.

You pay for EVs in other ways, too.

John Bozzella, front man for something innocuously styled the Center for Automotive Research – actually a new umbrella organization for several major car companies eager to show just how very proactive they can be when it comes to hewing to all the stylish orthodoxies – says they β€œare committed to working with (Nevada) Governor Sisolak and state regulators toward a smoother transition (italics added) to ZEV adoption that includes expanded consumer awareness, infrastructure, incentives, fleet requirements, building codes . . . and more.”

Bet your bippie it’ll be more.

Bozzella says the industry’s “investment” will reach $200 billion by 2025.

But let’s start with your “investment.”

How about “infrastructure”?

This is euphemism-speak for taxpayer-financed electric car charging hubs – but it’s also much more than just that. The charge hubs are useless without power and EVs suck a lot of it. A 1,000 pound 400 volt (typical; some of the new ones have 800 volt) battery pack needs more than a trickle charger. And to “fast” charge takes even more power – as well as very heavy cabling and transmission apparatus, plus of course the actual power itself – which has to be generated . . . somewhere, somehow.

As well as paid for.

By guess who?

You will pay for it – in the form of higher utility taxes and possibly also brownouts/power rationing – at least until the country can be thickly planted with wind turbine farms and solar arrays, nuclear power being the one thing that “proactive” EV “adopters” won’t adopt.

The next way you’ll pay will be for your next new home – or the ones being built around yours, which you’ll help pay for, too, via increased property taxes caused by the increased cost – and thus, assessed value – of those homes, which will be made more expensive via building codes that require them to be EV-ready.

Right now, in most places, those who buy EVs must pay extra – a la carte – for the ability to “fast” charge their EV at home as most existing homes aren’t wired for this. Adding the wiring (and the rest) adds about $1,000 to the cost of EV ownership but because that cost is directly applied to the EV owner it’s a disincentive to buy an EV. Ergo, every house must be wired for an EV – per the building codes – to hide the costs of the wiring – and to make you pay for it even if you don’t own an EV.

These building codes will also likely translate into car-free zones, if your car isn’t an electric car. The idea being to get you to “adopt” one. Like a face diaper.

Note also the fleet requirements warbled about by Bozzella. Deconstructed, this euphemism means that government fleets – the ones paid for by you, via the taxes you’re forced to pay – will be electric fleets. City/county vehicles, city busses, too.

All paid for by . .Β  you!

Of course, you already pay for these things but because electric versions of these things cost twice as much, you’ll be paying more.

It won’t be just the fleets, either. Keep in mind the infrastructure needed to support these fleets. Also the more frequent turnover as EVs don’t last as long as non-EVs, because they are EVs. The half-story you hear about the EV having fewer parts (true) and not needing oil changes and tuneups (true) is of a piece with the half-story about WuFlu “cases” increasing in number . . . which is true. The part about fatality rate decreasing (also true) not being mentioned.

Similarly, the EV’s battery not being mentioned.

Specifically, the part about the cost of replacing it when it can no longer retain a charge.

Another item you’ll get the bill for.

Also, to increase your “awareness” of the virtues of EVs. Or rather, to force you to finance shaming campaigns intended to signal the virtue of EVs contra the non. Like the hideous hair-shirting TV spot VW was forced to pay for – which means you paid for it – in which the company flagellated itself (and you) for not appreciating the meeerakuhl that is the EV fulsomely enough.

This is what “adoption” means. And now you have a peak at what it’s going to cost you.

There is some good news. Governor Sisolak says the “new regulations will not require anyone to give up their current vehicle or choose one that does not work for their lifestyle or business needs.”Β 

For now.

. . .

Got a question about cars, Libertarian politics – or anything else? Click on the “ask Eric” link and send ’em in!

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70 COMMENTS

  1. There are multiple ways the manipulators at the top keep people poor.
    There is the social aspect that keeps people buying crap they don’t need. There’s the use of cheap debt to bid up prices of things they do need. There is the regulation of making the stuff people need ever more expensive. And then there are taxes. Those I think are the big hitters unless I’ve missed one or two.

    It’s all really to forever keep us on a treadmill even though the free market makes living ever cheaper they more than counteract it with government. It not only aggravates me personally because I can’t stop working for money but it aggravates me on a human level. All the problems that would be solved if we could just be allowed to make things cheaper and better year over year. That’s a big part of what I do for a living, better and cheaper, better and cheaper. There’s no issue with political plunder if poor people can buy what they need because it’s been made affordable to them. Making it so poor people can stand on their own two feet by walking into a store and just buying what they need. Going to a doctor and paying cash. Whatever. No instead government gets involved, makes everything expensive and then ‘helps’ the people who can no longer afford it.

    I am tired of these people. Well I’m just plain tired too. But what do these dependents do? Do they get angry at the government? No. They want the government to take more from other people and give it to them. Often the very people who kept making stuff better and cheaper.

    Where’s my cabin in the woods? Oh that’s right with $20,000 annual property tax or some other nonsense.

    • Hi Brent,

      I’m tired, too.

      By rights – by what I’ve worked for these past 30 years-plus – I ought to not have to work anymore. I’d still write – but not because I needed to earn a living. I’ve already earned it. The problem – as you’ve neatly put it – is that I have to earn a living for others; that these others want us on the treadmill forever.

      No working hard until your 40s, say – as Franklin did – and then spending the maybe 40 remaining to you pursuing your interests because you no longer need to pursue das geld.

      Which you do have to purse … but not because of greed or irresponsibility but rather because of the got-damned government. Or rather, because of your got-damned fellow men, who use the government to mulct you for their benefit.

      I think about this a lot as I think about my chronically aching left shoulder and the fact that I could have easily afforded the $10,000 surgery… were it not for being mulcted for $30,000-plus via “property taxes” on my house over the past 17 years. “The schools” – which I never used – take precedence over my health.

      Were it not for these taxes – and all the other taxes – I could afford to live on $10,000 a year, which would cover food and general needs. Which income I would have without having to work now because of the work I already did over the past 30-plus years. If I had the money that was stolen from me over the past 30-plus years. It amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Which would more than cover $10k or so in living expenses per year for the rest of my life . . .were it not for the got-damned government and its lampreys, the grifting-grasping herd that lives on theft by proxy and cannot abide the notion of anyone being free – of them especially.

      • Hi Yolanda,

        They may… however, they will if we let them. If we allow them to create and maintain what could be a fiction – not only as regards WuFlu and Diapering but also as regards the general public’s agreement with that and with them. Keep in mind that the media and the urban hives are not America… yet. They depend on pressure – social pressure, chiefly – to dominate the narrative. If enough of us simply refuse to be pressured, it’s over.

        For them.

  2. Elon Musk has said many noteworthy things while feeding voraciously at the taxpayer-subsidized trough. This article affirms why I have dismissed every one of his thoughts out of hand. I will not take seriously anyone who greedily seeks to have things both ways. Particularly at my expense.

    • Hi Marcus,

      The reverential attitude toward Musk has to do with his being useful to the cause. In the same way, Stalin would sing the praises of Gorky.

      If Musk had developed – on his own dime – a $15,000 electric car that made more functional and economic sense than a $15,000 Corolla or Civic – and thus people would buy it instead of the Corolla or Civic, without subsidies or mandates – then I’d consider him the “genius” we’re supposed to pretend he is.

      Rather, he is cunning – in the way of the grifter.

  3. I once saw a Nissan Leaf sitting on the lot of a dealership on the southeast side of the KC Metro area. I live on the western end of the metro. A moment’s thought made me realize that if I were to buy this little battery powered toy, it would likely take two days to drive it home, assuming I could find a recharging post somewhere along the route. To the best of my knowledge there is exactly one public access electric car recharger in Kansas City, Kansas. It is next to a Walgreen store. I have never seen it in use. There are perhaps two in Leavenworth, on the parking lot for the former train station where now cancelled events used to be held. Add in a few more in the parking garage of the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum (open to penguins from the Zoo, but not to people), and the availability of volts is still below optimum.

    Last month’s peaceful protest over the death of a drug addicted home invader in Minneapolis resulted in a number of stores in the Country Club Plaza being robbed of jewelry and over-priced tennis shoes. There is a Tesla dealer showroom on the Plaza. I did not hear of any Teslas being stolen. Even virtue signaling has its limits.

    I may have reported this a couple years ago, but I’m reminded of the time a thief stole a key from a gym locker while its owner was working out. When the crook found out the car was a Tesla, he left it and rode off on the bicycle he arrived on.

  4. I have been saying this for a while the only wat to stop the communists PANTIFA BLM who want to destroy the white race is to kill them

    • The reason you have been saying this for a while, Spittle Queerie, is that you are a hate-mongering aryan warrior/white supremacist moron, worse in every way than the people you hate. The lot of you are liars and cowards worthy only of contempt.

      Every once in a while you maggots crawl out from under your rocks to give decent folk a few laughs. I am laughing at you right now, white boy.

      • Yet, here you are practicing the irony. What is the difference between anger and hate? While often misplaced, the former often leads to the latter. You must love your frustrations and not let them pilot your fate. People can say some contemptable things, here you have doubled down.

  5. I think I stopped being a progressive some years ago when chatting with a friend about peak oil and pollution. “We need to cut down on our use of fossil fuels, especially the oil that goes into making gasoline and diesel.” The way to do that, he said, was to hike the price of gas to $5/gallon. This was when five bucks could buy something.

    “But that would hit Joe and Jane Sixpack the hardest,” I said, “who need to drive to work and do their shopping on the weekends.”

    He gave me a blank look as if to say, “Yes, and…”

  6. What the political terrorists don’t steal in taxes, they will steal with inflation. You’re owned…Get use to it. Give a gang of psychopaths a counterfeit money racket they call “Central Bank”, and they will end up owning everything and everyone.

  7. The PRC has indeed declared that truck manufacturers commence selling “zero emissions” (at the tailpipe) trucks by 2024. However, not all manufacturers are going to battery power. Hydrogen fuel cells are the alternative:
    https://www.truckinginfo.com/10119529/cummins-agrees-to-joint-venture-hydrogen-storage-manufacturer
    There is also a “new kid” on the block:
    https://nikolamotor.com
    I believe I’ve read that AB Inbev (Budweiser beer) has committed to 800 hydrogen powered semi trucks, and will build its own hydrogen fueling station next to its SoCal brewery.

    • Nikola Motors plans to build a network of hydrogen charging stations which will use solar power to generate electricity, which will then split water into hydrogen and oxygen (electrolysis).
      The potential exists to adapt this technology for the average auto/light truck owner.
      Generate your own clean, renewable motor fuel your own self using electricity from whatever source you have.
      Zero pollution at the tailpipe, thus satisfying the EPA/AQMD.
      These vehicles will be much lighter than battery powered ones, with far superior range.
      My hunch is they will be cheaper to buy and less expensive to maintain, as well.

      • Trouble is: Hydrogen takes more electricity/other energy to produce than what it delivers…… Another boondoggle- and for what? Because of a political war(mental illness) against truly efficient capable vehicles which burn gasoline or diesel directly.

        • It doesn’t matter. They said they plan generate their own electricity from solar collectors not pay for local electrical access.

          • That’s another pipe dream, Arnieus- as absurd as powering EVs via solar panels on the car’s roof. The amount of electricity needed to produce hydrogen is greater than the energy in the hydrogen produced- You’d need acres of solar panels just to produce enough hydrogen to power one car for a short trip.

            Over 40 years of endless Buck Rogers schemes and promises of “efficient renewable green energy” now…..from ethanol to solar….but they seem to confuse Buck Rogers for Rube Goldberg….

            And what do we have? Cars that are twice as heavy as the cars of 40 years ago, and literally 20x more expensive. Hey, don’t forget, in less than 2 years, E-loon Musk[rat] will be sending people to Mars…or bust. (I’ll bet on bust!)

      • You know,,, I see many lighting up cigarettes while pumping gasoline. Boy,,, when one of them hydrogen thingies goes up….. kaboom!! Hindenburg all over again.

        • Yeah, but Ken, at least it’ll be FUN screaming “Oh, the humanity!” every time ya see one ‘splode or get in an accident!

    • Hydrogen is the only viable alternative to hydrocarbons but not without nuclear power to create hydrogen gas…and hydrogen goes BOOM really easy.

      • Hi Yolanda,

        The mystifying thing about “alternatives” is they aren’t needed. Well, not according to the market – which decisively votes (with its dollars) in favor of gas and diesel. “Alternatives” must therefore be pushed – forced – by the government, which countermands the market.

        It does this because “alternatives” are a way to further control the populace and enhance its power; to diminish their economic liberty, which makes liberty as such less and less tenable.

        • This is part of agenda 2030 to control environment while suppressing choices. I will get an electric car (less maint.) and the other one will be gas if it’s avail. We have done all our travelling in the past, just stay in the city now. Too many activities right in town. for updates on detailed 2030 agenda keep up with: stopthecrime.net, technocracy.news

          • Hi Laura,

            Yup; I’m hip. WuFlu is part of this, too. In fact, it’s the most effective tool in their kit. They have used this sickness hysteria to achieve what environmental hysteria didn’t.

        • Well…there is that πŸ™‚ The mentally retarded Dunning-Krugers will disagree.

          Whenever a “Little Retard”(TM) uses the term “Renewable Energy”, I have to inform the uniformable runts that hydrocarbons are renewable via sunlight. Hydrocarbons are actually liquid sunshine and are created in the earth…how the frick do you think methane/crude got there?

      • Hydrogen gas production is predominantly from fossil fuels, hydrocarbons.

        You make anhydrous ammonia from natural gas.

        The Haber-Bosch process basically increases food production worldwide.

  8. Just saw on Scotty Kilmer yesterday: Subaru has come out with a hybrid Forester. Not only does it not perform as well as the normal Forester…but the gas savings are so minimal, it would take 24 years just to break even and recoup the extra money that the hybrid costs- and that’s not even taking into account the costs of battery replacement and more expensive repairs inherent with the hybrid!

    So what is the point of buying one- much less paying more for one, when you get LESS performance and no savings? That a company could manufacture such a thing….and that people will actually buy them, is indicative of just how insane this world has become!

    Scotty On The Forester Hybrid:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skjSko70–c&list=TLPQMDcwNzIwMjB92SZeK6jmWw&index=3

    Eric, “ZEV”? Isn’t that the PC-pronoun for a transgender lesbo? πŸ˜‰

    • Also in that vid: It sounds like the “car subscription” services aren’t working out very well- surprise, surprise!

    • I’m sure a “Save The Lesbian Whales” sticker will look great on the back…along with all the other PC/SJW claptrap.

      Why do so many Subarus end up stickered beyond belief? And ALWAYS leftist causes.

    • HaHa! I only recommend the Corolla Hybrid to those who are too stupid for physics and chemistry. At least that one is durable and worthwhile.

      • Hi Yolanda,

        Yup. Hybrids made a degree of economic sense when gas cost $3-4 per gallon; if one did a lot of driving, the 10 or so MPG increase could eventually work off the appx. $2-3k higher purchase price. But even then, the problem which inevitably arises is that by the time you reach the break-even point, you are not far from the point at which the battery’s capacity to hold charge will begin to decline, necessitating its replacement if you wish to continue getting the advertised mileage.

        The upside is that, unlike an EV, you can still put gas in a hybrid and the car will still work even with a weak battery.

          • Hi Yolanda,

            It might. In a hybrid, the battery is worked not as hard so it might just last longer than in an EV. Regardless, even if it lasts “about” 15 years, it will cost thousands to replace. Meanwhile, a non-hybrid Corolla will never need that expensive battery and 15 years is nothing for a Corolla. These are known for being 20-plus year daily drivers. I regularly see ’90s-era examples on the road.

            The whole thing is computationally impaired. My old truck (2002 Frontier) makes far more economic sense than a new hybrid – even though it only averages about 22 MPG. Bought used in 2008 for $7,500. It’s still worth about $4,000 today, trucks being among the slowest depreciating vehicles extant.

            But even leaving aside what I could sell it for, it only cost me about a third what a new Corolla hybrid would cost me – so I start out with about a $15,000 “headwind” in terms of money not spent on the vehicle itself. But I also didn’t spend the money the hybrid buyer did on new car taxes and new car insurance, which add up to a lot. Rough estimate at least twice what I pay for the basic liability policy on the truck and probably at least four times what I pay each year in property taxes because my truck is old and its assessed value is much less than the assessed value of a new car. The difference is probably at least $500 annually, in my favor.

            Over say five years that difference adds up to an additional $2,500 the hybrid buyer is paying that I’m not.

            So now we’re close to a $20k difference, without considering the cost of fuel and general maintenance. The hybrid has a huge advantage in terms of gassing up costs, which will be half or less what mine are because my truck averages maybe 22 while the hybrid will probably average twice that or more.

            But $20,000 buys how much gas? How far would that hybrid have to drive to be cheaper to drive than my truck? Might as well plot a course for Alpha Centauri… without FTL drive.

            And then there’s the battery. 15 years out, maybe the hybrid is beginning to catch up. And then the battery wilts. The hybrid owner will have to spend another $2k or so . . . meanwhile, my truck is still trucking.

            I once calculated my total monthly ownership costs – factoring the purchase price, the cost of maintenance/taxes/insurance and so on – which totaled out to about $14k so far. Divide that by the 12 years I’ve owned the truck.

            It comes out to about $100 a month.

              • Hi Bill,

                That makes it better… but it’s still not good. $4k buys a sound little used economy car – something like a Corolla or Civic about ten years old that’s a good bet to go another ten without costing you anything major. Leaving aside taxes and such, the $4k over ten works out to about $35 bucks a month. Pretty unbeatable economics, especially given that a car like this will still average around 30 MPG.

                If you find a tired old hybrid for say $2k or so, then it’s possible you’ll save a little money at the pump. But that $2k or so used hybrid probably needs more than just a refurbished battery….

            • Yer preaching to the choir…I drive a 20 year old Subaru with a bad head gasket πŸ™‚ Cost me nothing but a little distilled water in the radiator every so often.

              Figure a 2020 Corolla Hybrid for $22K…About $3K more than the regular Corolla LX. The only maintenance on the hybrid is engine oil/filter, air filter, wiper blades, and tires. No assessery belt and the brake pads will last twice as long thanks to hybrid motor regen braking. There are no shock loads from the drivetrain since there is no mechanical link from tires to engine…only engine/generator -> electric motor. The shock loads are dampened to near zero which makes the entire drivetrain last almost forever. After 15 years, screw replacing the battery and just suffer with the 35 MPG instead of the 55 MPG πŸ™‚

              Hybrid batteries are charged/discharged constantly. You can only use about the middle 30% of battery capacity to get maximum longevity from the hybrid battery.

              • Hi Yolanda!

                The Volt (RIP) was the only hybrid, if I’m remembering correctly, that used the IC engine solely as a generator, with the electric motor(s) actually turning the wheels. I’m pretty sure the Corolla hybrid is a conventional hybrid, in which the IC engine does turn the wheels through a modified CVT automatic transmission. I’ve not had any personal experience dealing with an old hybrid that operates “full time” on just the IC side of the drivetrain due to an aged battery that can no longer hold charge but I wonder whether it’d be viable to continue driving it that way for an extended period given the increased load on the engine, both from constantly trying to charge up a battery that won’t hold a charge and the additional deadweight it’s lugging around.

                Bottom line: Hybrid math is dicey given current gas prices relative to the cost of the hybrid, both up front and eventually. And if a person is really looking to save money – as opposed to gas money – the smart move is to buy a sound used car (or truck) for $4-7K or so irrespective of its mileage. The money you’ll save – not only on the vehicle but also taxes and insurance – will be far greater than whatever you save on gas by purchasing a new anything!

                • Yup, yer right…The toyota synergy drive uses a planetary split for both motor and engine drive…The honda hybrid uses the motor generator setup with a direct connect clutch for higher speeds. The toyota system has no belts or pulleys or clutch packs or transmission valves to fail so it is impressively durable.

                  Regardless.

                  Whenever I hear “Hybrid Automobile” I actually hear “Rube Goldberg”.

                  Watch this video:

                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3RCdrh666w

                  LOL!

              • Yolanda,
                When you go to sell or trade-in the hybrid Corolla, any expected operating savings will be lost (plus much more) due to the fact that the hybrid’s value tanks faster than an ice cube on a Phoenix street, compared to the non-hybrid Carolla which holds it’s value quite well (And one would want to sell or trade-in their hybrid, because once out of warranty, they are ridiculously expensive to repair when they break- and break they do- and traditional independent mechanics can not fix them; and parts are very expensive- not to even mention that when the battery is gone, you lose the already very slight advantages, such as the regenerative braking- so you’re left with a poor-performing car, worth nothing- while the regular Corolla will still be performing as it always did, retain a good deal of it’s value, and can last 20 years with few repairs.

                • Yes…People try to ditch their Prius befre the hybrid battery craps out just to try and recover descent dollarage. Once the batttery dies, the thing is near worthless.

                  What about buying an 8 year old Prius with a bad battery for say $2K and installing a new hybrid battery for $4K?

                  I wouldn’t do it.

                  • Hi Yolanda,

                    I’d rather just have a mechanically sound used Corolla. I’ve had personal experience with these (several) and find them hard to beat. You can pick up a very nice 5-7-year-old one for $8k or so that’s a very good bet to last another 15 years without needing any major repair. Even if you only get ten, the car itself only cost you about $69/month – and that’s assuming zero resale/trade-in value. Which will only be the case if the car is literally junk at that point. A running/driving Corolla will still be worth $1,500-$2,000 irrespective of mileage and model year because these cars are known to be incredibly durable.

                    So the actual cost is really more like $50/month.

                    Really hard to beat this…

                    • Good Morning Eric,

                      I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating. If those who claim to be concerned about the environment were serious, they WOULD NOT be pushing pure EV’s. I imagine that many EV fanboys are just stupid and ignorant, but those driving the agenda are not, they must know that the widespread use of EV’s exacerbate all of the problems that they insist are plaguing the “planet” today.

                      Any honest assessment of this must factor in the massive infrastructure changes needed to power all those EV’s. If, overnight, 10% of the cars on the road became EV’s, the grid would crash across the country. Almost inconceivable increases in capacity, at the production end and the consumption end, will be needed. Additionally, a redundant, nationwide network of fast charging stations will be needed to provide EV’s with even a fraction of the convenience and versatility of ICE’s. A move to EV’s will have more impact on the environment than that of modern, efficient, ICE’s; and far more impact than a conceivable future where sensible, plug ins like the Volt dominate the family/commuter car market.

                      Pure EV’s make no practical or environmental sense; the stupidity of it is staggering and indicates that concern for the environment is NOT what’s driving this. A while ago, we had an EV fanatic posting here, irritated by the honest discussion of the obvious drawbacks of EV’s, you may remember him, he owned a Volt but intended to get a Bolt to replace it. He explained that plug in hybrids were just a step on the path to “better” pure EV’s. He “reasoned” that because over 95% of all miles driven by Volt owners did not use the ICE, it makes sense to get rid of the engine and put in a bigger battery. This is insane, 95% of the time, people don’t need a bigger battery but, just in case, let’s put one in. Sure, it will never be able to compete with an ICE for long distance driving, in either range or convenience, the bigger battery is far more toxic to the environment and adds a lot of weight to the car, all for something, he admits, is almost never needed.

                      So, the bigger battery produces significant harm, provides no benefit at all the vast majority of the time, and is still crippled compared to an ICE in terms of range and convenience. How can anyone think this makes sense?

                      Of course, I didn’t buy the Volt out of concern for the environment, I did so because I have a wired carport and I value the convenience of plugging in and mostly avoiding gas stations. For me, the choice between a used Volt and a used Corolla (which I agree is a great car) is simple, my Volt does everything the Corolla can, but the Corolla can’t do what the Volt can. But, to those who are concerned about the environment, a plug in like the Volt is so obviously superior to a pure EV, it suggests that the Elite pushing for them has a different agenda.

                      Cheers,
                      Jeremy

                  • Hi Yolanda,

                    I recently traded in a beat 2012 Prius for a pristine 2013 Volt. I got $6,000.00 in trade for the Prius and paid an additional $950.00 for the Volt (used price was $6950.00). The Volt is a MUCH better car than the Prius. more solid, fun to drive and, with my mix of driving, far more economical. My Volt averages about 40 miles of pure electric range, which exceeds all of my daily driving needs. I do a drive twice a week that exceeds that range, but the engine kicks on seamlessly and generates electricity for the motor. My current average MPG is over 180.

                    The normal Prius hybrid cannot do any sustained driving in EV mode, so it’s only advantage is relatively good gas mileage. The Volt exceeds most people’s daily driving needs and the convenience of plugging in at night and almost never having to go to a gas station, is valuable to me. Also, unlike a pure EV, you can take a spur of the moment trip across country without planning it around charging stations and adding hours to the drive.

                    Th battery in my nearly 8 year old Volt shows no sign of degradation, and my EV range routinely exceeds the claimed 38 miles. This is probably due to the extremely cautious approach to battery/thermal management taken by the designers. The battery can never deplete beneath 35%, uses the engine to maintain proper temperature in extreme weather (heating and cooling) and can be charged overnight on standard equipment. So, no deep discharge, no need for fast charging and proper thermal management seems to work very well (there’s a guy out there with over 400,000 miles on his Volt, original battery, still gets full EV range).

                    The Volt really is a well designed and sensible car. It has enough EV range for most drivers, but is not saddled with range anxiety or the stupidity of carrying around way more battery than you need for commuting, but less than you need for long distance driving. Good used ones can be found for pretty cheap. If you gave access to regular electricity (no fast charger necessary), you might want to look at a Volt. I’ve owned a Prius and hated it, a truly annoying vehicle, sluggish, tinny, loud and constantly beeping and chiming at you. I also own an old 1996 Corolla which is still a great car. But, I’d choose a used Volt over a used Corolla.

                    Kind Regards,
                    Jeremy

                    • Hi Jeremy,

                      I agree with everything you’ve said. Michael Moore accused GM of killing the EV1. In fact, it killed the Volt – the only viable/sensible electric car ever made in the modern era. If GM could have brought the price down to around $28k it probably would have laid the foundation for a whole line of practical/sensible EVs. This was doable. What wasn’t doable was doing it without the small onboard gas engine. Even though it burns almost no gas and emits practically zero harmful emissions, that’s not enough for the zealots – who use “emissions” as the pretext to cripple sensible, environmentally sound solutions to problems that don’t exist.

                    • That’s why I reocommend the Corolla hybrid rather than the Prius…cheaper and better in every way.

                      For those who are bent on buying a hybrid.

  9. We have a 10 year old dog that would refuse to eat leftovers on a plate. She would only eat if you threw her some food. We acquired 2 more that had no problem with that. After watching them get the leftovers day after day for over a year she relented and now eats leftovers from a plate. Even fights for it. Old dogs can be taught new tricks.
    Same will happen with the mask mandate and soon a EV mandate. The logic and/or common sense of doing otherwise does not matter. People today like being controlled…. They feel safe and that they belong.

    • Hi Ken,

      You may be right. I will fight to the death over this, if need be. Because life wearing a goddamned diaper and playing kabuki isn’t worth living. I stopped flying because of security kabuki. Not going to play this kabuki, either. Remember the story of Giles Corey?

      More weight!

      • Checked out the story in Wiki. Since its non political I can assume it’s fairly close. What I got out of the story is just how much the plebs will accept. I mean crushing someone because they refuse to plead. Kind of like today where if you don’t plea bargain they will give you the harshest sentence.
        But like the mask the plebs went along with it. It was the normal for them!
        But he was protecting his property against seizure by not pleading. He wasn’t making a stand “for the people” His wife died 3 days later, probably burned at the stake.
        This mask BS is nowhere as serious as being crushed but both show the complete ignorance and stupidity of people in general and what abuse they will suffer.
        To be sure, I agree with your stand. I stand with you…. well,,, if they decide to crush me, I may falter a little…

  10. As a good Party member, John Bozzella, is leading the charge to a new something, something glorious future with skittle farting unicorns.
    I do have to critique Governor Sisolak for allowing his picture to be taken without wearing the official, red colored Party face diaper with the hammer and sickle and BLM logos.

    Comrades, we all must enthusiastically embrace all the new virtues.

    Furthermore, the Comrade Governor was misquoted. It should read:
    β€œnew regulations will not YET require anyone to give up their current vehicle or choose one that does not work for their lifestyle or business needs.”

    Thought Criminal Peters, your poor attitude has been noted. A special place has been reserved for you in one of the newer re-educations centers. Remain in your home and await escort to said center.

    • Hi Charles,

      One of the perks of being a middle-aged, divorced guy is not giving a damn about these people and their idiocies. I’m too old to play ball – I don’t care about “advancing my career.” or even losing it, if that’s what it takes to not bend knee. I will never bend knee to this. It is enough. I’m not backing up one more inch.

  11. “Homes … will be made more expensive via building codes that require them to be EV-ready.”

    As usual, the Peoples State of Kalifornicate has blazed the trail by requiring solar panels on new houses, kicking up the cost by several thousand dollars in the country’s already most-expensive housing market.

    What’s another thousand for EV-ready wiring to the garage? Let the people pay (and pay, and pay)!

    For those who don’t swallow the EV Kool-Aid, that 220-volt “EV ready” circuit can be used to run an arc welder … to fab a Mad Max truck camper to get off the grid and stop paying perpetual rent to “own” property.

    Across most of the West, save heavy snow country, cars and trucks can last for decades. Buy used; sidestep the EV mandate; starve a public “servant” … for the greater good! πŸ™‚

    • Hi Jim,

      I’ve actually begun looking at land in South Dakota as Virginia – even the rural-most parts of it – may soon become untenable for anyone who hasn’t got soy pumping through his veins. Might be worth the cold…

      • No personal income tax in SD — and even better, no stinking Virginia personal property tax on vehicles — counts as incremental liberation. The Black Hills are nice …

      • Eric, I just moved to SD 42 days ago. The first day here, I smelled freedom right away. I-90 speed limit is 80 mph. I made the decision to move here last December. Little did I know how good of a decision that was. Governor Kristi Noem is one of 7 governors who refused to lock down their states. I’m in Rapid City, until I figure out my longer term living arrangement. Land outside of cities sounds like an awfully good idea. Also, the Black Hills is now my back yard.

        • Hi Anon,

          I am very interested in hearing more about SD from someone “on the ground” there. Aside from overcoming the inertia of not wanting to leave the place I’ve spent the past 17 years making the way I like it and having become quite attached to it, the main thing that keeps me from seriously considering this is the weather. The cold weather. I gather that it is very cold – for very long – in SD. I have a tough time as it is dealing with 3-4 months of winter here in SW Virginia. I’m a regular runner and in winter, it’s brutal to go out when it’s 25 degrees and windy. If it’s -25 out, I’m not going out! To run or anything else.

          More details, please!

          • Get a treadmill, Eric, to keep up on running during the winter when it’s just too damned cold to go outside.

            SD would be considerably LESS humid than VA, so the cold will be more tolerable. But the WIND…there’s a REASON that the Dakotas are sparsely populated. However, they’ve ENOUGH, and the RIGHT (i.e. white) people live there.

  12. “Governor Sisolak says the β€œnew regulations will not require anyone to give up their current vehicle or choose one that does not work for their lifestyle or business needs.” ”

    “You can keep your current healthcare.” – B. Obama re: Affordable[sic] Care Act

    I’m not sure the future you speak of will come to pass. It seems things are spiraling out of control (swirling down the porcelain throne) faster than anticipated. The Great Reset talked about by some as a way to reduce population, etc. won’t play out as the Gates’ et al think it will. Stuff will happen that will make an ’81 diesel Rabbit the optimum ride.

    Also, I don’t know if you’ve covered it but, Michael Moore’s Planet of the Humans is worth a watch. It absolutely destroys the concept of electric cars being any kind of viable option. It then eviscerates then entire “Green” movement.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk11vI-7czE

  13. Until recently, my local electric company were giving away “free” electric to owners of electric cars at night. It has finally expired, but it will probably come back at some point……

    But of course it’s not free to the rest of us.

    • Hi Rich,

      Yup. The EV thing – like the Diaper thing – isn’t about the superficial thing. Both are about limiting our world; our freedom to move and our freedom to function. To make us obey, most of all.

  14. Nissan manufactured the Leaf and 400,000 Leafs have been sold worldwide since 2010!

    Nissan had a stock price of 21 USD a few years ago, 2012-2014 or so, today it is 7.64 USD.

    Nissan’s profit fell 99 percent. Not making any money. Seems like losing money on selling electric cars has consequences, the inconvenient truth of the matter.

    When the total sales in one year in the US is 12,000 Leafs, it tells you that demand is low.

    Hard to show a profit it you can’t sell cars that don’t sell.

    Supply and demand, the real story of what works.

    I am beginning to think the gov wants you in diapers until the day you die.

    This diaper madness is really democide.

    • Hi Drumpish,

      Yup. The depreciation on a Leaf is halting; you can pick up a five or six year old one that “sold” for $30k for less than $10k. Any car with an engine rather than a motor/battery that had the sales/resale/depreciation numbers of any EV would have been cancelled faster than you can say Elon Musk.

      But – like Diapering – this isn’t about sanity.

      It’s about signaling.

    • Also – in re the Leaf:

      400,000 sold seems like a lot… until you factor it over the ten years they’ve been available. And when you consider this is worldwide (not just US) sales.

      No wonder.

      The Leaf isn’t a bad car. But it’s an extremely expensive one, given what it is – and can (and can’t) do.

      Base price $30k – for a compact hatchback that can go maybe 150 miles on a charge. As opposed to $15k or so for any of several same-sized economy compacts that can go 300-400 miles on a tank. Which will do that for 15-20 years without their “range” declining dramatically, as will inevitably happen with the Leaf before it’s ten years old.

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