Car thread

[MRandall25]

I saw someone in a Prius have to pull off the highway and get stuck on an off ramp.

I laughed a little inside.

[tifosi77]

Also, that electricty isn't free. Anyone know what it would cost per annum to run a fully electric car? My wife likes to not run the heat because of the electric cost, imagine charging a car battery every third day.

The cost savings of all electric vs gas is estimated to be about $1,200 a year, but that is a number that will likely get bigger over time.

That said, the disadvantages of all electric still vastly outweigh the benefits for probably 95% of motorists. And I say that as someone who lives in what is probably the most electric vehicle-friendly part of the country. The limited range and extended recharging times are just too onerous for most.

[Idoit40fans]

There is actually a charging station right near the restaurants in my plan. Less than a 5 minute walk from my apartment too. If I were to get a job closeby, I could definitely swing it. We'd always keep a real car though.

[dodint]

I was curious about the raw cost of electric so I could apply it to my own situation. So many variables, though. $/mile would ideal, but given the cost of electricity is seasonal you'd nead a full year sample size. I have an 8 mile commute each way, unless I need to go to my remote office then it's 60 miles each way. I'd be a pretty good candidate for a fully electric car even though I live in the relative sticks and could only recharge in my own garage.

I don't think that number gets bigger over time, I think that if fully electric cars that can't generate their own electricty find broad adoption the demand for electricity is going to make it prohibitively expensive until the market corrects. I don't know because I don't live there anymore, but California was having major brownout issues a few years ago that lead to mandatory rolling outtages. Imagine if even 10% of that population has fully electric cars that plugged into their 240v supply every night. Ouch. And 100% of the people will suffer because everyone pays for residential electricity in some way.

[tifosi77]

The CA rolling blackouts were engineered by Enron (remember those winners?) who were manipulating the energy market (pulling power generation facilities in AZ offline during peak demand hours to jack rates up to 20x their normal level), and who may or may not have been enabled by then-Gov Gray Davis. In fact, his possible chaooting with Enron was a driving force in how he became the ex-Gov - the 2003 recall election.

And I can't imagine people charging their cars during overnight hours would be that much of a drain on the utility.

[dodint]

I'll give you the brownouts. When I lived in CA I was on a miltiary base and didn't really care about the locals energy problems. I just knew that southern California has problems getting electricity and water to its residents from time to time.

I don't picture electric cars sucking up all the utility to the point that it will deny service to others, probably. But, if you're sourcing energy from electricity to run a car that used to be served by gasoline, you're ultimately shifting the supply of that power from gasoline refineries to electric power plants. If there is widespread adoption of electric cars in place of gasoline cars, there will need to be an adjustment on the provider side or the cost of electricity will rise and the cost of gasoline will fall. People will either accept paying much more for electricity or shift back to ICE powered cars.

I don't think the industry will adapt as fast as consumers will want it to and the electric car will die on the vine never exceeding more than 15% market saturation.

[tifosi77]

Haha...... 'ICE'......

Someone's been watching Melbourne footage.

[dodint]

What, your road car doesn't have a powerplant?

[columbia]

I want one of those thorium cars.

[tifosi77]

That sounds like the material Thor's hammer is made from.

[columbia]

Yoi

[mac5155]

My work has an electric vehicle charging station. It's free to use for employees.

[Shyster]

If I had the scratch to afford an $80,000 car, I would buy a Tesla (with the largest battery) in a heartbeat. No other pure electric car is even in the same neighborhood. Car and Driver had a comparison of electric cars in either this issue or the last, but they didn't even put a Tesla in the group because they said they knew it would slaughter the Leaf, electric Focus, electric Smart, etc. that are the only other pure-electric options on the market.

[Firebird]

I saw someone in a Prius have to pull off the highway and get stuck on an off ramp.

I laughed a little inside.

Yes!



I took this pic:



The security team must be instilling a lot of fear in the local baddies with that Prius

[columbia]

Do yinz laugh at people who run out of gas?

It seems like an odd reaction to have.

[Factorial]

Do yinz laugh at people who run out of gas?

It seems like an odd reaction to have.

Electric cars ain't manly.

[MRandall25]

Most people who have a Prius are smug arses.

[Firebird]

Took this pic in a bad part of STL today - it's been there a few days.

Want to say it got shot up - it was parked in a really weird spot (pump at an abandoned gas station) - the locals might have used it to vent some anger

[mac5155]

Did brakes and rotors on the wife's accord. Pretty crazy that shops charge $100-150 for that. Me and a buddy had it done in 45 minutes. Then I tackled this pesky check engine light that won't go off. Getting O2 front sensor readings. Replaced both, light still comes on. I'm perplexed. Realized there is a fuse labeled LAF. Turns out it's the culprit and was blown.

[skullman80]

Kill the battery to clear check engine light since you swapped sensors. See if it kicks back on again after driving for a bit.

[dodint]

Did some odd jobs on the car yesterday, one of which was tightening up the parking brake. On that car you have to loosen the cable at the handle, then tighten the shoes manually by operating a tightening wheel through the lug bolt hole in the rotor. Long story short I loosened the wrong piece (shoe retention pin) which fell into the rotor hub. So I had to take the caliper and rotor off to fetch the pin and reseat it. Easy, but added about 30 minutes to the job. Boo.

Incidentally, we were backing out of a parking spot any my wife asked if the adjustment worked. I yanked the handle up to test it and it stopped on a dime, smacking my head into the ceiling. Brilliant.

[mac5155]

Kill the battery to clear check engine light since you swapped sensors. See if it kicks back on again after driving for a bit.

I have a scan tool. It kept coming back on once I cleared it. That's when I discovered the fuse. Swapped it out and it seems to be ok, for now.

[skullman80]

Kill the battery to clear check engine light since you swapped sensors. See if it kicks back on again after driving for a bit.

I have a scan tool. It kept coming back on once I cleared it. That's when I discovered the fuse. Swapped it out and it seems to be ok, for now.

Ah gotcha.

[mac5155]

Plus you need a masters degree in math to enter the radio code on an accord. Lol

[PensFanInDC]

Ended up getting a 2007 Yaris. Yar2-D2 as we call it. I like it. I liked the Prius more. Gas mileage isn't bad. Kinda small interior though. Car seat has to go in the middle or at least behind the seat I'm not sitting in.