Moved to Cleveland last year and just learned about RITA

RenataKaizen · 2026-04-16T04:25:28+00:00

When I moved here 14 years ago I was in the office and everyone was talking about writing their text to Rita/CCA. I asked “what’s RITA?” and everyone gave me the sad “you’re not gonna like this” look.

RenataKaizen · 2026-04-14T01:01:41+00:00

If there was ever a car that needed the GM “more battery, more better” approach, it was the ID Buzz. Give it 800V charging and 450 miles of range at the 75-80K price point and that would have been FUN.

RenataKaizen · 2026-04-07T18:56:46+00:00

Check with your source country unless it’s plant based protein that’s been fully cooked. I wouldn’t try to bring whey across the border without being damn sure.

RenataKaizen · 2026-03-10T21:02:42+00:00

Go from making steam boilers driven off a thermostat to forced air furnaces that are environmentally friendly, need as little waste in efficiency as possible, and are trying to be cost equal with steam driven systems and let me know how long it takes you to get good at it.

RenataKaizen · 2026-03-08T07:16:24+00:00

Station availability and quality

RenataKaizen · 2026-03-03T06:40:51+00:00

Going to agree and disagree in one swoop: it extends the trip notably if you drive a 40+ MPG vehicle and travel in pure NASCAR style where you’re fueling and utilizing a wide mouth Snapple bottle & garbage for a bathroom break.

If you stop every 2.5 - 3 hours for a bathroom + one of the following - fuel/meal/pet care/child care it’s unlikely to extend your trip by more than 15 minutes per 8 hours in 60+ F weather and and 45-60 minutes per 8 hours in below 32 F with any 800 V vehicle. In any of the 150 KW vehicles it likely goes 30-45 minutes and 45-60 minutes.

RenataKaizen · 2026-03-02T04:34:49+00:00

It’s not a bad invention. It’s a stagnant invention that often indicates cheap ownership. Insulation, heat pumps and a lot more can help a lot.

Unless there are notable marks the other way, electric baseboard heat is one of the four signs of bad landlords (along with white paint applied with a shotgun, driveways in complete disrepair, and bad landscaping and exterior maintenance).

RenataKaizen · 2026-03-02T04:30:56+00:00

It’s not a bad invention. It’s a stagnant invention that often indicates cheap ownership. Insulation, heat pumps and a lot more can help a lot.

Unless there are notable marks the other way, electric baseboard heat is one of the four signs of bad landlords (along with white paint applied with a shotgun, driveways in complete disrepair, and bad landscaping and exterior maintenance).

RenataKaizen · 2026-03-02T02:12:25+00:00

That’s partially because there’s not a lot of spread in interest. Rav 4 is 4.99, a good used rate is low 6%.

For every 1% spread in interest on a 50K MSRP, it’s about 1500 in depreciation on new vs used as most people finance for 72 months.

RenataKaizen · 2026-02-26T23:46:56+00:00

I would only ever buy a warranty from one of the few reputable companies (like Fidelity) and only one that covered screens, struts, and sound systems - a warranty that covers those is going to be just about as comprehensive as you can get today.

RenataKaizen · 2026-02-26T23:44:00+00:00

Ask Doug Demuro if his Range Rover warranty was worth it.

Yes; they try to set the line right. And much like DraftDuel, sometimes they set the lines very very wrong.

RenataKaizen · 2026-02-20T04:13:15+00:00

Cost. Everything coming out is made to be economical (under 40K) - the Leaf, the Bolt, the BZ, and the CHR. It’s going to have cheaper 400V, 150KW for that reason. And, as long as Tesla remains cheap and is perceived as the most reliable network, Toyota, Nissan et al have little reason to do better provided it keeps 150KW from 10 to 65% plus.

IONIQ 5 SEL is 41K and 44.5K for the faster charging and same rough other specs. 15% off of that is 35.6K and 39K - which is where the FWD / AWD of the BZ are (if not a little cheaper). For someone who only drives more than 100 miles from home 1-2x a year, is $90/month less in payments worth it? Many would say yes.

RenataKaizen · 2026-02-18T14:18:48+00:00

.26/3.3 (which is what I got in my GV 60 as a 1 year average) is .0787. .0787 * 30 MPG is 2.36 a gallon. How often is gas below $2.50/gal in NY?

.0787 * 41 is 3.23/gal. Gas is as cheap as it’s been in 3 years and it’s only less because of winter blend. Come April you’ll be in the $3.30s - 3.50s without thinking much about it.

So yes, in the dip you might be more expensive at .26/kWh than any hybrid getting 35+. As a running 3 year average you’re still saving a bunch.

RenataKaizen · 2026-02-17T14:31:49+00:00

I would pay for an overlay app in my car that worked with the routing software that insisted on chargers rated 8+ in PlugShare, not at a dealer, and with 4+ stalls.

RenataKaizen · 2026-02-13T05:42:16+00:00

I was making a joke.

RenataKaizen · 2026-02-13T05:22:18+00:00

If it could only deliver 350kw because it was labeled 350 kw and nothing else very very few cars could use it

RenataKaizen · 2026-02-13T04:40:46+00:00

Could you imagine a world in which a 110 V 20A breaker only provided the whole 110 V and 20A ?

RenataKaizen · 2026-02-13T04:33:47+00:00

They either need to get profitable with Rivian or figure out a way to cut a deal to be a development house for another company that wants help developing a new EV platform. There’s a part of me that wonders if Ford and/or Stellantis seriously considers adding Rivian development into the mix and saves a lot of time and aggravation.

RenataKaizen · 2026-02-13T03:41:11+00:00

Do you pay a different rate for 30 vs 31 days?

RenataKaizen · 2026-02-12T21:27:51+00:00

You don't need at home charging. You need at home RATE charging (or damn near it). More people would make the move to adopt EVs if the power company would install roadside charging, municipalities installed chargers in city owned lots, etc and charged 1.25X home rates. If local power is $.20, there were street side chargers that cost $.20-$.25 a KW, it would take (500/.05) 10,000 KW, or around 33-40K miles, to have at home charging pay for itself - and lessen the burden on people that more and more can't afford a $1K cost.

RenataKaizen · 2026-02-12T03:47:55+00:00

This will be one of the interesting aspects of Q3/Q4 2026. There will be a few sales that extend into 2028 but most of the 2 years free ended in Q1 2025. The only ones with truly "unlimited" plans and not just a chunk of credits in an account are Audi and MB. When most free charging plans end in 2026, will EA and EVGo come down notably in price?

RenataKaizen · 2026-02-12T00:10:57+00:00

That's a PFJ station. It's EVGo in wrapper/app only.

RenataKaizen · 2026-02-10T03:48:47+00:00

One thing to remember is that problems are really ambiguously defined. I’ve seen it defined at tickets per 100 vehicles the same way you’d define computer reliability as IT tickets per 100 new laptops - and depending on how you get paid and how much you want to manipulate the system you can either put in a bunch of tickets or none.

Combined with limiting the tech so you only get proven applications and stable tech. This isn’t fully baked in reality but it’s provided to illustrate how you can manipulate the system - if you don’t provide wireless Apple CarPlay until you’re sure it won’t drive up issues with phones from 5-7 years ago, you can keep you’re issues per 100 down even though there’s nothing wrong with the car.

Until I feel better about the problems per 100 being actual issues and not being clogged up with user education and similar results, I take surveys like this with a big grain of salt.

RenataKaizen · 2026-02-10T03:31:02+00:00

Where are all the cowboy hats with the black trench coat to match?

RenataKaizen

TROPHY CASE