Category Archives: Electectric vehicles

The Reality of the Electric Auto

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I used to drive 40 miles each way to and from work. My car can, in truth, be expected to go about 170 miles between charges. Just to be on the safe side, I’d want to keep it down to 150. There was another car that could go a 100 more miles than the one I bought.

So. Either car can make it safely to and from work each day. All the better if you can get the boss to allow you to put the car on an extension cord while you are at work.

Three things figure in, however. First, the weather. The car does not go as far in hot or cold weather. Second, if you get stalled in traffic, you just might have problems, especially with my 200 mile car. You just might consider keeping a generator in the trunk, just in case.

Recharging overnight, even at 120 volts should be enough. At 220 volts, no problem. All I would need is 5 or six hours. Naturally, if you only need to drive 60 miles a day total, no problem at all. You should be able to make it through even the traffic problems.

The real hitch, as it has always been is the long distance trips. With the 300 mile car, I would be able to make across Arkansas before I would need to find somewhere to charge the car. Then, even a level 3 charger would take about 2 hours. Then, after crossing the OK state, it would be time to charge again.

If I had plans of a long trip, I think I would chose to rent a car. Considering that I don’t make such trips very often these days, or take a plane, that problem rarely comes up. Then-again, if you never go over 300 miles to your aunt or grandpa, that should still be alright, if they will let you charge the car at their house before going back home.

I do believe that these problems will get smaller. The emphasis is on E Vs these days and research will make the batteries better and the charging stations more plentiful. I can easily foresee cars able to approach 500 miles between charges and then recharging in an hour or less.

Of course, the real trick is getting the price down. Nowadays, the batteries run the price of a car up about ten thousand dollars. On the positive side, the non battery maintenance is practically nothing. My guess is the electric motor will outlast the car. It is nice not to have to go in for an oil change every 3 or 4 thousand miles, even if were free. Also, the trip to the gas station is replaced by plugging in the car after getting home each evening.

All Right So Far

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Today, I received my first electric bill since I started charging my Nissan through the entire month. I did notce a difference, but it wasn’t as much as I expected. I guess, as long as the rates don’t go up a whole lot, I will pay a tad less for the electricity than I was paying for the gas.

Unexpected Plus for EVs

Posted in Electectric vehicles, Going Green, Uncategorized by

I already explained in another post how I had to $600 for a battery replacement in my HHR. That is important, you know. Repair on gas powered cars is getting expensive. Right now, the HHR another $3000 on other things I am having to put off.

The thing is, nowadays, you cannot drive a car into a garage without paying out $1200 or more for the simplest repairs. To be honest, some of these repairs are are shared with EVs such as brakes, struts and steering. However, my EV does not need oil changes, transmission maintenance and such. The electric motor very likely will outlast me and possibly the car.

As with everything else on the car, the one weak point is batteries. They last anywhere from 7 to 15 years I’m told, quite likely longer than me. Their replacement is expensive, about 1/3 the price of the car. However, their price is going down while the cost of gas car maintenance is going up.

Nonetheless, consider, 7 or 8 trips to the shop for the repair on the gas car would likely cost 10 or 11 thousand dollars. That would take a big chunk out of the cost of the batteries of an EV. Moreover, there is a possibility of recovering core cost on the EV’s batteries. First, they will likely still be usable for things other than cars for years. Second, they just might be able to recover some of the elements out of the batteries and use them for new batteries.

Finally, they are making improvements on batteries all the time. The new batteries might be good for 20 years instead of 7 to 15. Moreover, they just might be able to store more power, increasing the range of the car. Perhaps if I live that long, I will be replacing the current batteries with batteries able to go 20% or 30% farther. On the other hand, who knows, they might have a big breakthrough that will allow the car to go 7 or 8 hundred miles on a charge.

As near as I can tell, with warrantee and all, I don’t think I will pay any maintenance on the Ariya for at least 7 years, other than for tires.

However, with all the good does come a little bad sneaking in the back door. My car is rated at 218 miles, or there about. If the car is fully charged, I can easily see that happening. With the energy recovering capability, on the open road, it will get right around 4 miles/Kwh. This, of course will very, depending on weather. If it is hot or cold, I need some of the power to keep the cabin comfortable. Also, ambient temperature can effect the operation of the batteries.

Also, fully charging the batteries reduces the life of the batteries. It is suggested that if you have an EV, don’t charge them over 80% unless you need the range. On the other side, letting them get below 10% is a gamble. If you don’t get to a charge station before the battery runs down, you’re stranded. Worse, you will not be able to solve the problem with a gas can.

At best, you make sure you get out of traffic and somewhere safe. Then you call for a tow. I had actually joked about getting me a truck and put a level 3 charger on the back of it. I could hook it up to a stranded EV and have a 20% charge on it in minutes. That might be enough to get the car to a normal charge station. (wonder if a bank would give me a loan on that premise) Meanwhile, I could make my way to the next stranded EV.

The point is this. If you only charge the car to 80% and recharge it at 10%, you are operating the car within a 70% margin on the batteries. In the case of my car, it means I have an effective range, or what some call a net range of of 218 – 60 miles or around 150 miles. In my case, I cheat. I charge my car to 90%. Then, I start getting anxious at 30% and put the charger on it. I have this phobia of being in one of those stranded an EV. Still, because I don’t go but a few miles a day, it means a recharge about every 5 or 6 days. Not an inconvenience; but still, I wished I had gotten the model with the 300+ mile range.

Not that it is so important, but the type of electric motor that Nissan uses will likely still be running after the rest of the car is a pile of rust. It is entirely probable that it will be in its 3rd life doing something long after the car is gone.

One Step Toward Being a Prepper

Posted in Being woke, Biden, Cancel Culture, Climate Change, Drive-throughs, Electectric vehicles, Elections, Face Masks by

I just had a thought today. However, before I tell you what it is, let me explain a little. I mean, how am I going to keep your attention if I just blurt it out up front. Where is the suspense in that?

I now know that as long as I have access to 110 volts at 12 amps, I have access to power for my car. I plugged it in about 1 1/2 weeks ago and I plugged it in again last night. After about 14 hours, the car was almost charged back up to 80%. Now that’s not bad.

Naturally, if I can access 240 volts, all the better. In some cases, I can get access to to a full level 3 charge station free of charge (I know. Dumb pun). At any rate, should things really go south, so-to-speak, I still have transportation if I can find somewhere to plug in my car.

I started looking on the internet and I have realized, for a price, I can bring my electricity will me. Granted, it is a big price, but it is possible. First I get a solid state generator, about $1200. It would have the ability to store a substantial amount of electricity. They are able to supply 2200 watts for quite a while. Sorry, don’t know how long. I tried to find out but they apparently don’t like providing that specification over the internet. At least I couldn’t find it. However, assuming 10 hours, that’s likely enough to keep my car running for a few more hours… 60 or 70 miles. Maybe more.

The next trick is charging the generator. That’s where the solar batteries come in. It said I can also use wind mills. As per the ad, almost anything. There was even the thought of charging it with a pedal driven generator.

So, her I am. Because some sort of disaster, this little old prepper me, somewhere out in the desert or mountains. I have one little generator being recharged with the ten solar batteries. Another one is being charged by a windmill. And of course, I need to stay in shape anyway. So I’m pedaling like crazy to recharge the third generator.

Then after using the three of them to recharge the car’s batteries, I will be able to drive, maybe another hundred miles, to where I don’t really know.

At any rate, I have decided that my electric car has permitted me to be one step closer to being fully prepared for the next doomsday. And, with Old Joe running things, I just might need it. At least I will not be faced with those ridiculous drive throughs anymore. Also, if I am out in the woods by myself, with no one else around me, there will be no one around to tell me to wear a face-mask.

Blackouts Expected

Posted in Biden, Climate Change, Controllers, Deceit, Electectric vehicles, Fear, FOC, Lawyers and Representation by

Just saw the headline. They say it is due to extreme cold. What they don’t say is that it will be aggregated by the going green folks and, of course, that old blackout specialist, himself, Old Joe.

Do you suppose Old Joe will permit more drilling so that those of us driving electric cars won’t get stranded?

Let’s see….Nope! Not going to happen. None of us will be spared, especially those of us with EVs.

Hints About the Nissan Ariya Charging

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I spent several days of frustration getting my car to charge off 110V household outlets. It’s simple, as long as you know how. And, of course, no one told me how.

First, and most important, there is a light on the top middle of the dash. Sometimes it glows green, sometimes blue. When it is flashing blue, the car is charging. If it is green or not at all, it is not charging. I did not know that. I found out on the internet. I am sure it is buried in the instructions somewhere, but there are many instructions and the print is small and my eyes don’t see small print as they used to.

Second, if you plug the charger into an outlet that has a faulty ground, it will blink green and it will not charge the car. This is actually a good thing as it is for safety purposes. When I first saw it blinking, I had no idea why. If the there is no problem with the outlet, the green light will glow steady. I did figure it out until after I went through three outlets. Oddly, it’s the two outdoor outlets that are faulty. Now I plug an extension into an indoor outlet and it works fine. I have tried to contact an electrician to fix the two outdoor outlets without much luck.

If I can ever get an electrician to install an outdoor 210 volt outlet, I will be able to charge the car at least twice as fast.

Fact is, the outlet problem is mine and certainly is not a fault with the car. I just wish someone could have explained to me about the green light on the charger and blue light on the dash of the car.

Finally, when charging on one of the level 3 chargers, the car will automatically start charging immediately and it goes from about 25% to 100% in about 45 to 50 minutes, about long enough to enjoy a lunch. To charge off a level 1 or 2 charger, the car charging timer must be configured to accept the charge. The timer is set up through the car’s computer. I would explain how to do this but quite frankly I forgot how. Only reason I succeeded is that I stumbled onto it and now I forgot. However, it is configured to accept a charge from 7 in the evening to 7 in the morning. So now, that is when I charge my car.

I am sure I could get back to the screen for changing the charge time, but right now I don’t have to. I just plug it in after 7 at night. and it turns the charger off at 7 in the morning.

As I have said, the car is ideal for me. I rarely go over 10 or 15 miles a day. Sometimes I might go 35 miles or so, but not that often. In these conditions, I generally put the car on the charger about every 3rd day and for my purposes, that is fine.

Someone else who might really like the car is someone who has a motor home. They, as most RVers could hook the car up to the RV when traveling and disconnect it for short trips when the motor home is parked.

For those who are going to use an electric car for everyday going to and from work, I’d suggest getting the one that has a 300+ mile range, which would normally be more than adequate, unless you are one of those that drives 200 miles just getting to and from work.

Of course the other car is more expensive, but if I could have afforded it, I would have bought it when I bought the 200 mile one. It not only has more range but also some nice features that I would have really liked.

The problem is that I was barely able to manage the credit for the one I bought. If I needed even a couple of hundred more, I don’t think my credit would have cleared. I have not bought anything on credit for about 15 years.

As I said though, for my purposes, this one is fine. And I suspect it will not be long there will be many more level 3 charging stations that I will be able to use. Then, perhaps I will be able to drive it to my son’s home in Ft. Worth. I am kind of looking forward to that. I suspect, once I get on the interstate, I’ll seldom need to touch the accelerator or brake until almost there. Two things I have noticed, with the cruise control on, I seldom have to touch the accelerator or brake. Also it is very comfortable. However, I would have to stop at least 4 times on the way to recharge the batteries. It would mean a mandatory rest stop every three hours or so.

A Suggestion for Our Constabulary

Posted in Crime, Electectric vehicles, FOC, law enforcement, Lawyers and Representation by

It would seem the libs don’t like it when our fine law enforcement officers give chase to possibly and/or probable criminals while afoot. Some have or are trying to make it illegal. Don’t ask me wny. I do know the libs do their best to distort and twist and otherwise outright lie about the truth for their benefit.

The gauchos of Argentina just might have the tool to do the job. Down there they use bolos instead of lariats on cattle and, from what I here, they are effective. If they can take down a steer, don’t you think they might take down a desperado. Maybe they can toss the things from auto or motorcycle.

The bolo is basically 3 balls tied together with rope. Always seemed odd to me they don’t use just 2. Then who am I to say? Never used any kind of bolo, let alone on cattle.

At any rate, the gauchos hold onto the horse’s rein with 1 hand and twirl the bolo with the other. Then, at just the right time, they throw the bolo. When it hits the steer’s lower rear legs, it wraps around them, bringing it down.

Now, as you think about that, don’t you think that might be a good tool for an officer to carry aground? I don’t know. They already have a lot to carry. Maybe they could just keep 1 or 2 handy in their autos, which, by the way, by necessity must be battery powered in the future. After all, if Detroit stops building gas cars, where will our law enforcement officers going to get anything but electronic cars.

Electric Cars on the Increase

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I stopped by and had a Whopper and I couldn’t help but notice a bunch of Teslas charging up. Guess there were about 7 or 8. Seems to me as if it might benefit Burger King. They are the closest restaurant to the charge stations.

I would guess it might actually get to be something of a community center, both the restaurant and charging stations. I hesitate to say as much but it might even become a meeting place. I can see it now. A good romance author might even base a book on it.

Now, let see. Anyone have any ideas for a title?

Incidentally, maybe other merchants will show up. It might allow the Tesla drivers to buy some flowers or get a haircut while waiting. I might even suggest seeing movie at the theater, but that would be quite a walk. Also, the movie will be a little longer than the charging.

The Alternative

Posted in Electectric vehicles, Safety by

As I drive my Nissan electric car, I do find it enjoyable. The other day, I had turned off the radio and for got about it. I had gone several miles before I realized it. Other than the slight whisper of air coming from the vents, there was no sound at all.

Well, I guess there was a little. You don’t normally notice such things in most cars, but, believe it or not, tires do make noise, especially at higher speeds. There is also the wisp of air going by. I never really paid attention to that sort of thing before.

I did turn my sound system on. I do have an AM/FM radio and a USB drive hooked up. Those folks at Sirius keep trying to get me to subscribe, but they are more of a bother than the noise made by my precious car.

The thing is, before I turned the sound system back on, I drove several miles and listened to the quiet. I guess I could say was listening to the silence, but someone already came up with that idea. The thing is a person really does not know the benefit of silence until they don’t hear it.

However, there is an alternative to the use of any kind of battery to produce electricity. It’s called a fuel cell. Unlike my current electric car, cars that run on fuel cells need not be charged. The have a tank in which you store hydrogen. Some versions also have oxygen tanks. The fuel cells are extremely efficient and they don’t make any noise either.

When I first heard of the idea fuel cells, I was very concerned about the hydrogen. Let’s face it. I don’t think there is anything in this world more volatile than hydrogen. And when it burns, it burns hot and fast. You might even say it explodes.

It would mean that there safety factors would have to be designed into the car. The tank would have to be strong and double lined. If the car was involved in an accident, you would not want it to catch fire. Indeed, perhaps, a reason they have not already gone to fuel cells is the possible hazards.

My first thought was, what if you have a leak. Actually, it would be a problem to the pocket book, but not safety. Hydrogen is the very lightest element. It would float away so fast it would likely not catch fire.

I must admit, the accident problem is a real one. As remote as the chances might be, should the tank somehow get set aflame, it would cause danger for, perhaps hundreds of feet around.

However, these batteries we are using now are pretty dangerous too. Some even suggest charging them some distance from your house. If a car with the lithium batteries were to be involved in an accident, the flames just might be almost as bad as the hydrogen.

I’m not an expert. However, now and then I hear about stuff. A few months ago, a cargo ship caught fire. The ship was carrying electric cars, and from what I understand, the flames were sudden and large. If a car was at fault, it was just sitting there. It was not even in an accident.

By the way, there are two more big benefits with fuel cells and hydrogen. First, the exhaust is water so pure you just might be able to drink it. If I remember right, it just simply drips from a pipe and onto the road. Also, it is plentiful. Though mostly it is combined with oxygen, it is the most available element on this earth. We would not have to go digging big holes in the ground to get it. Moreover, no one nation or person could have any monopoly on it.

Now let me see. What did I do with that deed to that old hydrogen mine have.

Calculating the Cost

Posted in Climate Change, Electectric vehicles, Going Green by

I can’t remember the city, sorry. Many decades ago they had a very bad fire. As per usual, many fire departments from other cities came to help. All they could do, more or less, was stand by and watch. They were able to provide some manpower, but all the equipment they brought was useless. It didn’t fit the local hydrants.

I am sure many of you can cite case after case of the cost of not standardizing. In this case, the city burnt and there was really no way to calculate the cost of not standardizing fire equipment. Well, some good came from it. Some folks, the ones who were smart stepped back and said, we need to take a look at this. So they did. Nowadays, all fire equipment has been standardized. Throughout the country, one city uses the same sized equipment as any other city. The disaster of non-standard fire equipment will never again be repeated.

When folks all come to their own standards, it is expensive. It is a problem we should not repeat, but we do. The result is that it is again expensive. And it cost a lot too. At one time, when my headlight went out on my car, I’d go down to the store and buy a new sealed beam light. It was standard, no matter who built the car, the light was the same.

It took me all of three minutes to replace the light. It cost me $10.95. I didn’t need a special patch on my shoulder to certify that I knew how to replace head lights. Now. Well. If you need a sealed beam headlight, good luck. I’m not even sure they make them anymore.

It is worse than that. Now that I have an electric car, I must look for a charger compatible with my car. There are at least 3 types if level three chargers. How’s that for standardization.

So. If I decide to set up a charge station, as the old service stations, I must install 3 chargers, which, by the way, are very expensive. I would need two for Teslas and one for the rest. Maybe two or three more. I don’t know. Who could have foreseen that?

I guess not one person with the power to standardize things ever considered the cost of not standardizing. So, I drive up to the place on my map that says that there is a charger. My car says my battery is just about dry and I discover, guess what. that charger will not charge my car.
What do I do now? Where is there another charger compatible with my car in less than 30 miles.

Well, I guess there is one thing. I can drive to where they sell generators, fill it with gas and start charging my car. For that matter, before I light out on my trip, I put a generator in my trunk filled with gas. If it has 220 outlet on the generator, it will likely take 4 or 5 hours to get it charged up enough to get to the next charger that I can use. If it is not not compatible, I can gas up the generator, break out the sleeping bag and wait.

Standardization for the electric auto industry is not an option. It is an necessity. Without it, the electric car will fade away, as it did before. Most folks drive more than I do, 10 or 15 miles a day. Many like going on extended trips. If they can’t do it in an electric car, they will not buy one, no matter what the going green folks have to say.