Anyone drive an electric vehicle?

[Section ThirtyOne]

Still driving an EV, still loving it.

Drive it all winter, from KW to Collingwood every weekend and no issues. No L2 charging in Collingwood, but I keep the battery warm and add 15-18% overnight using a regular wall plug. Summer is not an issue relying on public charging as the options have increased greatly over the past few years.

[eastendduffer]

I had a Zipcar membership for many years. But they deleted so many locations and reduced their fleet by so much that I gave it up.

If you travel in the US, its still quite good -- they fell off during the pandemic, but Zipcar seems to be fine for me up here in the GTA for my uses these days -- but I have a grandfathered plan from 2010 so maybe I'm not the best to comment on signing up as a new member post 2020.

[Arthur Dailey]

If you travel in the US, its still quite good -- they fell off during the pandemic, but Zipcar seems to be fine for me up here in the GTA for my uses these days -- but I have a grandfathered plan from 2010 so maybe I'm not the best to comment on signing up as a new member post 2020.

I joined Zipcar around the same time as you. Back then they had vehicles at every university and college campus in the GTA, plus at some suburban malls.

Let my membership lapse when I checked and all their vehicles were basically in the downtown core.

[eastendduffer]

I joined Zipcar around the same time as you. Back then they had vehicles at every university and college campus in the GTA, plus at some suburban malls.

Let my membership lapse when I checked and all their vehicles were basically in the downtown core.

What else can I say -- there's tons of coverage in the US and in Toronto proper (I'm in the east end and have quite a few options at TTC and GO stations) -- if that doesn't work for you -- then sure, it simply doesn't work.

But it works great for me -- so there ya go.

Maybe Communato might be an option? I haven't looked into it as I get the job done with Zipcar.

Cheers

[northernpro]

I was in Australia for 3 months...noticed loads of China
built EV cars built by BYD.....very popular good looking
vehicles....

[Bosco]

I was in Australia for 3 months...noticed loads of China
built EV cars built by BYD.....very popular good looking
vehicles....

They are nice looking - better price point. think they beat Tesla on units sold last year.

https://www.carsales.com.au/editorial/details/byd-seal-v-tesla-model-3-2024-video-comparison-145273/

[Bosco]

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyerg64dn97o

[mpare]

A bit off topic, but this humorous meme does capture my feelings, misguided though they may be, about EVs.

[Rusty]

Informative article in "The Atlantic" online about the EV industry in the US and the existential threat from China's BYD, the largest manufacturer of EV's in the world.

The US's 25% tariff is an effective barrier to BYD sales in the US. Chinese EV's are significantly cheaper (for many reasons including subsidies and lax labour laws) and are a full-product line (over 100 models) compared to US-made EVs. Chinese EVs dominate sales in Europe where there are fewer obstacles to entry. Without protection, US makers would be priced out of the market with job and general economic impacts.

But, after being slow off the mark in the technology race, the US industry behind a tariff wall is not especially motivated to make the investments to be competitive even with substantial bribes from taxpayers. In the meantime (probably years...if not a decade) US consumers get a limited, overpriced menu of less-than-leading edge EVs. The tariffs just put off the day of reckoning and the political environment ensures protection will continue. The future is likely a US-China joint venture but it will take a "Nixon-goes-to-China" moment...and an economic cataclysm and regime/attitude change in Beijing.

[duffer_mcmulligan]

Informative article in "The Atlantic" online about the EV industry in the US and the existential threat from China's BYD, the largest manufacturer of EV's in the world.

The US's 25% tariff is an effective barrier to BYD sales in the US. Chinese EV's are significantly cheaper (for many reasons including subsidies and lax labour laws) and are a full-product line (over 100 models) compared to US-made EVs. Chinese EVs dominate sales in Europe where there are fewer obstacles to entry. Without protection, US makers would be priced out of the market with job and general economic impacts.

But, after being slow off the mark in the technology race, the US industry behind a tariff wall is not especially motivated to make the investments to be competitive even with substantial bribes from taxpayers. In the meantime (probably years...if not a decade) US consumers get a limited, overpriced menu of less-than-leading edge EVs. The tariffs just put off the day of reckoning and the political environment ensures protection will continue. The future is likely a US-China joint venture but it will take a "Nixon-goes-to-China" moment...and an economic cataclysm and regime/attitude change in Beijing.

The Chinese are very good at acting in their own best interest. I would like to see the logic behind the conclusion of an economic cataclysm and regime /attitude change resulting from an electric car deal.

[ace in the hazard]

The Chinese are very good at acting in their own best interest.

in contrast to the rest of the world?

[duffer_mcmulligan]

in contrast to the rest of the world?

I would say the west ( Europe, North America) can be influenced by concepts of “ greater good” etc , like the governmental stances on climate policy. They will horse trade somewhat for the greater good of multiple nations in limited instances, where the domestic impact is minimal.

I don’t believe from everything I have seen, that the Deng administration is bothered by any of that. It is a hyper focus of remaining in power and pushing their ideological direction, get rid of dissent in any way required.

[Rusty]

The Chinese are very good at acting in their own best interest. I would like to see the logic behind the conclusion of an economic cataclysm and regime /attitude change resulting from an electric car deal.

I suppose I was not clear in my posting....your post has the causality backwards. The economic crisis and regime change may lead to the EV partnership, not the other way around. As to the possibility of these events occurring, it was not too long ago that China drastically reversed course from Mao's "Great Leap Forward" disaster to embracing state-directed capitalism with huge economic gains for significant segments of the population.

[duffer_mcmulligan]

I suppose I was not clear in my posting....your post has the causality backwards. The economic crisis and regime change may lead to the EV partnership, not the other way around. As to the possibility of these events occurring, it was not too long ago that China drastically reversed course from Mao's "Great Leap Forward" disaster to embracing state-directed capitalism with huge economic gains for significant segments of the population.

I hadn’t read the article, my comment was more generic than that. If you have a link, I am keen to read it.

[Rusty]

I hadn’t read the article, my comment was more generic than that. If you have a link, I am keen to read it.

The article does not speculate on future joint partnerships between the US and Chinese auto industries....that was my speculation about a future Modus Operandi because the US industry would likely not survive an unprotected market.

Eventually, US consumers will revolt against being robbed by the home industry....even if it means unemployment for many. A joint venture with China may also be the least expensive way to meet the future more stringent emissions standards for US new car fleets. But, China will also need a crisis to change their behaviour because they are winning the EV market war now and have no incentive to change course....unless over the next 20 years the last unsaturated market is the US.

Try accessing The Atlantic online, sometimes they have free trial memberships.