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Electric car road trips are perfectly doable — if you plan ahead


By: Joann Muller, author of Axios What’s Next | Feb 14, 2023 – Technology

Read more at https://www.axios.com/2023/02/14/electric-car-ev-road-trip

A Kia EV6 electric car recharging at a kitschy roadside attraction called South of the Border in South Carolina.
Joann and Bill stopped at a kitschy roadside attraction called South of the Border in South Carolina. Photo: Joann Muller

A long road trip in an electric vehicle (EV) is entirely doable — but not without its challenges, as Axios learned this week.

  • We drove from Michigan to Florida in a Kia EV6 — 1,500 miles in all — to see if America is ready for the era of electric transportation.
  • The answer: not quite, but we’re making progress.

Why it matters: EVs account for about 5% of new car sales, and just 1% of all cars on the road.

What we found: You can make a long road trip without fear of getting stranded, as long as you plan ahead.

  • That means juggling route-planning apps and billing accounts with various charging companies, which can get confusing.
  • And be prepared for the unexpected, like glitchy charging equipment touchscreens, billing questions and inoperable plugs.

First, the car: The EV6 is a great choice for a road trip because its 800-volt charging system makes it among the fastest charging EVs available today.

  • At a 350 kW DC fast-charger, the EV6’s battery can go from 10% to 80% (good for up to 217 miles) in under 18 minutes, according to Kia.
  • It’s also roomy and comfortable, with lots of advanced technology — including a heads-up display with augmented reality and various driver assistance technologies.

Details: My husband, Bill, set out from Detroit last Tuesday in the all-wheel-drive EV6 GT-Line, which has an EPA-estimated battery range of 274 miles.

  • The plan was to meet up in Washington, D.C., and then travel together to Winter Garden, Florida.
  • His first recharging stop was at an Electrify America station outside Cleveland, per the advice of an app called A Better Route Planner. But he was anxious about the car’s driving range.

What he said: “When I left Detroit, the temperatures were in the low 30s and the vehicle said it had a range of 216 miles. A Kia engineer told us that the cold would put extra stress on the battery, draining it faster than normal. So I used only the heated steering wheel and heated seats while driving — no cabin heat.”

  • After a chilly 151 miles, he arrived at the recharging spot with 16% left on the battery, which helped him get over his range anxiety.
  • “But I did learn a lesson: Know where your next charging stop is before you leave, and make sure to have extra range upon arrival in case that charger is inoperable.”

This was a leisurely trip, with stops to visit friends and do some sightseeing. If we cannonballed from Michigan to Florida, it would have taken about 24 hours. We did it over four days.

  • But we were constantly thinking about where to charge next. It occupied our minds more than where to eat or spend the night.
  • We stopped 12 times to recharge over the 1,500-mile journey. Charging times varied between 20 minutes and 55 minutes, depending on the state of the car’s battery and the speed of the chargers we used.
  • Sometimes we were just topping off to make it to the next destination.

The bottom line: Gradually, our confidence grew. We never felt range anxiety again — even when the battery level fell below 10% and the dashboard flashed orange warnings.

Yes, but: We learned a lot from the challenges we faced, and we’ll share our key takeaways in an upcoming story.

What’s next: We’ll be heading north again in a few weeks on a different route, so stay tuned.

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Amid historic heat wave, Los Angeles TV news anchor tweets that ‘power just went out’ in newsroom. Oil & Gas Workers Association issues perfect response.


By DAVE URBANSKI | September 08, 2022

Read more at https://www.theblaze.com/news/oil-gas-workers-association-tweet-power-california/

California’s historic heat wave pushed temperatures to all-time record highs across the state Tuesday, including in San Jose (109 degrees) and Sacramento (116 degrees), according to the Weather Channel.

A temperature readout at an El Dorado Savings Bank in Sacramento, California, on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022.Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The mercury wasn’t nearly as high in Los Angeles on Tuesday (93 degrees) after topping out at 101 degrees Sunday. But according to Marc Brown — anchor for WABC-TV news in Los Angeles — the power still went out at the station Tuesday night:

The loss of power likely didn’t come as a big surprise. Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom asked state residents to curtail electricity usage Tuesday to ease the strain on power grids:

Newsom’s video appeal was met with a fair amount of mockery, particularly from commenters who didn’t believe the governor was suffering much under the heat compared to others. In the same way, Brown’s tweet about the power going out at KABC-TV attracted some sarcasm — but the comment that got the most attention came from the Oil & Gas Workers Association:

“Get somebody to bring you 5 gallons of wind turbine,” the Oil & Gas Workers Association quipped back.

Interestingly, days after California’s statewide power grid emergency declaration — and facing the potential of rolling blackouts — the state activated four gas-powered emergency generators.

How did folks react?

Other commenters, as you might expect, loved the response from the Oil & Gas Workers Association:

  • “Oh my gosh, @ogwausa, you won at Twitter,” one commenter reacted.
  • “This tweet wins,” another user declared.
  • “That had to be the best reply,” another commenter said. “The media is just as complicit in this disaster perpetuated by the alleged administration[s] in Washington and Sacramento. I wonder if ABC’s backup generators are run on windmills and solar panels?”
  • “Basic incompetence,” another user wrote. “California has all the resources it needs, they just have to execute smarter. Have [U.S. Rep.] Eric Swalwell [D-Calif.] head over [to] the wind turbine farm, lay down one of his notorious potent vigorous farts, and get those turbines spinning. Problem solved, you’re welcome.”
  • “This may be my favorite tweet in the history of Twitter,” another commenter announced.
  • “This is my favorite response. Ever,” another user said.
  • “I think I just fell a little in love with you!!!” another commenter confessed.

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Political

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Today’s Politically INCORRECT Cartoon by A.F. Branco


A.F. Branco Cartoon – Mad Science

A.F. BRANCO | on August 6, 2022 | https://comicallyincorrect.com/a-f-branco-cartoon-mad-science-2/

Pete Buttigieg’s answer to saving the planet is to buy expensive Electric Vehicles charged by Coal Plants.

Pete Buttigieg Electric Vehicles
Political cartoon by A.F. Branco ©2022

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A.F. Branco has taken his two greatest passions, (art and politics) and translated them into cartoons that have been popular all over the country, in various news outlets including “Fox News”, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, and “The Washington Post.” He has been recognized by such personalities as Dinesh D’Souza, James Woods, Sarah Palin, Larry Elder, Lars Larson, Rush Limbaugh, and President Donald Trump.

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Studies Show the Electric Vehicles Democrats Insist You Buy Are Worse for the Environment and Lower Quality


REPORTED BY: HELEN RALEIGH | JULY 11, 2022

Read more at https://thefederalist.com/2022/07/11/studies-show-the-electric-vehicles-democrats-insist-you-buy-are-worse-for-the-environment-and-lower-quality/

Tesla

Two recent studies have shown that electric vehicles have more quality issues than gas-powered ones and are not better for the environment. 

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Many people believe electric vehicles are higher quality than gas-powered vehicles and are emissions-free, which makes them much better for the environment. But two recent studies have shown that electric cars have more quality issues than gas-powered ones and are not better for the environment. 

J.D. Power has produced the annual U.S. Initial Quality Study for 36 years, which measures the quality of new vehicles based on feedback from owners. The most recent study, which included Tesla in its industry calculation for the first time, found that battery-electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles have more quality issues than gas-powered ones. According to J.D. Power, owners of electric or hybrid vehicles cite more problems than do owners of gas-powered vehicles. The latter vehicles average 175 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), hybrids average 239 PP100, and battery-powered cars — excluding Tesla models — average 240 PP100. Tesla models average 226 PP100. Given the average cost of an electric car is roughly $60,000, about $20,000 more than the cost of a gas-powered car, it seems owners of EVs didn’t get the value they deserve.

Some blamed the supply-chain disruptions caused by pandemic-related lockdowns as the main reason for EVs’ quality issues. EV makers have sought alternative (sometimes less optimal) solutions to manufacture new vehicles. But the same supply-chain disruption affected makers of gas-powered vehicles. Yet the three highest-ranking brands, measured by overall initial quality, are all makers of gas-powered vehicles: Buick (139 PP100), Dodge (143 PP100), and Chevrolet (147 PP100).

Some pointed to the design as a main contributing factor to EVs’ quality issues. According to David Amodeo, global director of automotive at J.D. Power, automakers view EVs as “the vehicle that will transform us into the era of the smart cars,” so they have loaded up EVs with technologies such as touch screens, Bluetooth, and voice recognition. EV makers also prefer to use manufacturer-designed apps to “control certain functions of the car, from locking and unlocking the doors remotely to monitoring battery charge.” Increasing technical complexity also increases the likelihood of problems. Not surprisingly, EV owners reported more infotainment and connectivity issues in their vehicles than owners of gas-powered vehicles. Amodeo acknowledged that “there’s a lot of room for improvement” for EVs. 

Electric Vehicles Are Worse for the Environment

Besides quality issues, a new study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that electric vehicles are worse for the environment than gas-powered ones. By quantifying the externalities (both greenhouse gases and local air pollution) generated by driving these vehicles, the government subsidies on the purchase of EVs, and taxes on electric and/or gasoline miles, researchers found that “electric vehicles generate a negative environmental benefit of about -0.5 cents per mile relative to comparable gasoline vehicles (-1.5 cents per mile for vehicles driven outside metropolitan areas).”

Researchers specifically pointed out that despite being treated by regulators as “zero emission vehicles,” electric cars are not emissions-free. Charging an EV increases electricity demand. Renewal resources supply only 20 percent of the country’s electricity needs. The remaining 80 percent were generated by fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas, despite billions of dollars in green subsidies.

“The comparison between a gasoline vehicle and an electric one is really a comparison between burning gasoline or a mix of coal and natural gas to move the vehicle,” according to The American Economic Review.

Batteries Create Pollution

NBER’s study doesn’t cover all the reasons that EVs are worse for the environment than gas-powered cars. For instance, most of today’s EVs are powered by lithium-ion batteries. Due to heavy government subsidies, China dominates the global production of lithium-ion batteries and their precursor materials, especially graphite. China’s graphite production has notoriously contributed to significant pollution in the country. 

Pollution can come “from graphite dust in the air, which is damaging whether inhaled or brought down to the earth in the rain,” a Bloomberg report found. More pollution results from the hydrochloric acid used to process mined graphite into a usable form. Hydrochloric acid is highly corrosive and can cause great environmental damage if leaked into groundwater or streams. China’s Shandong province, which is responsible for 10 percent of global graphite supply, had to suspend some of its production capacity due to environmental damages. But the growing demand in the west for EVs means such suspensions will only be temporary.

A typical electric car needs 110 pounds of graphite, and a hybrid vehicle needs around 22 pounds. Ironically, the U.S. government’s EV subsidies end up subsidizing China’s highly polluted production. So, if you think you are doing your part of saving the planet by driving an EV, think twice. We also know from past experiences that pollution in China ends up harming the rest of the world. 

Compelling Americans to switch from gas-powered cars and trucks to electric ones has been crucial to President Joe Biden’s plan to fight climate change. He signed an executive order last year to have electric vehicles make up half of new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. by 2030. These recent studies show that Biden’s plan will result in Americans spending more money on vehicles of inferior quality while having little effect on climate change. More importantly, his plan will enrich the Chinese Community Party at the expense of the environment and U.S. taxpayers.  

Helen Raleigh, CFA, is an American entrepreneur, writer, and speaker. She’s a senior contributor at The Federalist. Her writings appear in other national media, including The Wall Street Journal and Fox News. Helen is the author of several books, including “Confucius Never Said” and “Backlash: How Communist China’s Aggression Has Backfired.” Follow her on Parler and Twitter: @HRaleighspeaks.

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Dems Don’t Want You To Know How Much Fossil Fuel Electric Cars Use | Batteries Are Fancy/Expensive/Toxic Fossil Fuel Tanks


Posted on March 19, 2022 by TonyR

Read more at https://dailybrowse.wordpress.com/2022/03/19/dems-dont-want-you-to-know-how-much-fossil-fuel-electric-cars-use-batteries-are-fancy-expensive-toxic-fossil-fuel-tanks/

In reality, one of Tesla’s Supercharger stations was reported to get 13 percent of their energy from natural gas and 27 percent from coal. Power plants burn coal to generate electricity to power electric cars and emit a higher fossil fuel footprint than the left would care to admit. 

While these vehicles may be falsely advertised, many who invest in these overpriced cars are able to avoid paying the currently outrageous gas prices. Still, Americans’ growing reliance on electric cars and the batteries they require will increase our dependence on countries such as China for materials. 

I love the idea of electric cars until I think of all the pollution they cause. Rare earth mineral mining is a pollution nightmare. Filling the batteries with power from fossil fuel is asinine, a shell game. Disposal of toxic batteries is a disaster in the making.

And don’t get me started on the disaster of wind power. Concrete and metal skyscraper factories that litter or rural areas. Just wait till they rot, leave massive concrete foundations and pollute a once beautiful landscape.

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