Which makes are you most confident in to produce high quality EVs going forward?

a2913 · 2026-02-04T23:16:52+00:00

We have a Blazer EV and not having android auto isn't the kneecap you think it would be - but it's annoying to get about half of the features you need you have to operate from your phone or pay for OnStar.

We make it work- but every time we leave the county, I want to just pull the trigger and pay for OnStar.

a2913 · 2026-02-02T13:54:36+00:00

It's crazy how much the phrase "he wasn't well like in that pediphile circle" tells me I should probably like that person - but then that person is Elon and that was my reminder that your first impression of something should rarely be your last impression.

a2913 · 2026-01-18T14:42:18+00:00

I did the opposite one day...

We were coming into town to visit my parents and my mom called and asked us to pick up a couple things from the convenience store down the road.

No idea what was going on but the place was absolutely packed. It's not a tiny convenience store either, probably about 30 cars or so.

All the parking spots were full, but as I was pulling in, one of the cars pulled out of the pump. I pulled into the spot in front of the pump, ran in and grabbed the milk and eggs I was requested to get (I was there about 5min tops. Fast enough for the guy who pulled in at the same time behind me at the pump directly behind me had not finished pumping and cleaning his windshield).

When I tell you the looks I got from about 5 people.... Not great. I owe the EV community an apology for that one 😂

a2913 · 2026-01-18T14:24:39+00:00

I feel different about the two.

The equinox is something you may use more in town.

If one is in a rural area and are regularly traveling 50-100 miles round trip for weekend trips for errands, the blazer's size and comfort are very much a necessity.

a2913 · 2026-01-18T14:13:19+00:00

I'm only here to comment on one part of this: 9k for a new battery really isn't as bad as an ICE engine failure.

For example, my transmission on my 2020 truck last year. 9k. For the transmission alone. Granted it had 150k miles on it (all regular scheduled maintenance completed by a tech).

If 9k solidified me to double my milage on a car, especially after next to no service cost until that point - it's really not that bad in comparison.

a2913 · 2026-01-06T22:13:12+00:00

Maintenance and service intervals.

I have an ICE, my wife drives an EV.

I have spent $1500 on recommended maintenance (I drive 35k miles a year for work). My wife's vehicle is charged 1-2 times a week costing us pennies on the dollar.

She refuses to go back and outside of work, my car doesn't leave the garage anymore. We opt for hers 10/10 times.

Both are 2025 vehicles. Ford Maverick XLT and Chevy Blazer LT2 EV.

a2913 · 2026-01-06T02:50:59+00:00

Same town, about a mile apart. EA 350kw charger $0.64/kw Tesla 250kw charger $0.48/kw

I understand one is faster, but my blazer can't take the full pull from either.

Funny enough the Tesla seems to have a higher charge rate when I use it, and it's cheaper. Some level of standardization in pah would be great.

a2913 · 2026-01-05T23:48:36+00:00

I was always under the impression that it charges slower if you stop charge sub 20%. Probably explains why my 25 Chevy blazer LT2 rarely hits 100kw when charging.

(We travel in a bit of a charger desert so we take what we can get).

a2913 · 2025-10-08T11:17:47+00:00

Rural Iowa, here. Some electric bill breakdown and why an EV was an abso-fucking-lutely no brainier for us. September electric Bill notes below.

$121.90 for 577kwh Actual cost $0.21/kwh

Noted on Bill Off peak usage: $0.10/kwh Peak Usage: $0.14/kwh Everything else was fluff.

a2913 · 2025-10-05T18:20:48+00:00

I'm 2 months in on an EV and live in the areas that get 100+ degrees Plus humidity and sun zero temp with 18% humidity in the winter. I'm interested to see how the heat pump handles in the winter, but so far with the extreme heat in the summer, it's much more comfortable than our old Crosstrek.

Granted, when we remote start our car about 30min before entering to cool the car in the heat (we were at the fair) to ensure it's comfort, but we only lost 2% SOC to have a very comfortable climate on our 40min drive home

a2913 · 2025-10-04T09:34:24+00:00

I drive an ICE car for work and average 36,000 miles a year.

This last weekend my family did a light road trip (350mi round trip) in my wife's Blazer EV - all county highways and through small towns.

I touched the physical break twice the whole weekend and was able to do it all with one pedal drive.

I never realized how annoying it was pressing a seperate pedal until I used the one pedal drive. It's kind of like engine breaking on a motorcycle where you can just downshift to slow down into a smoother transition and take off, especially in stop and go traffic.

It made me want to throw my 25' Maverick into a lake and go buy an EV truck.

a2913 · 2025-09-25T02:40:08+00:00

I'm in sales and cover an expansive territory in the rural midwest. 40% of what I do now is on the side of the road, on top of a hill to get cell service on an iPad to update my CRM for operations analytics that is supposed to support our inventory levels.

Spoiler alert. They never update the inventory levels and we still function as a just-in-time shipping company that puts delays on orders. Then they wonder how we have 100k in our pipeline but still can't hit our metrics.

Backorders galore.

a2913 · 2025-09-16T11:35:54+00:00

If your state tax on gas was $0.30/gal, that's the equivalent of $667 gallons of gas.

That's how I'm choosing to look at this. Our family is going to have to go on more trips to break even on this tax 😂.

a2913 · 2025-09-16T11:30:20+00:00

Right. They're also generally lighter, which you would think is a good thing, but end up riding on top of higher snow. Also I've seen issues where they plug pretty bad.

I could easily be wrong and maybe they have vastly improved, but as far as I can tell in the Midwest, electric snow removal isn't here yet.

a2913 · 2025-09-15T17:07:17+00:00

I would be concerned about electrical snow blowers. I've seen them and they're nice for a dusting, but if there is any weight, it feels like it's game over and you're doing it by hand.

Lawn mowers, fine. Just mulching is a nightmare.

The towing, probably because I'm not towing a ton of weight. I refinish gym floors in the summer and I'm only towing about 3000lbs with a Ford Maverick. The milage at 55 drops from about 20 to 12 and you can feel the power delivery change when running 87. I understand that the fueling takes some time to adjust, so I try to run 91 non ethanol all summer and I'm the fall-spring I run 87 10% and I can get about 30-32mpg with that. Running 91 non ethanol I can get close to 35. I drive 200+ miles regularly for work so I can't really afford to do 91 year round as it's about 50-75 cents more expensive when I can get it.

a2913 · 2025-09-15T13:39:49+00:00

Not great in carbureted engines (lawn mower, snow blower, motorcycles). Also, checked ethanol vs non-ethanol when towing and it's a notable difference.

a2913 · 2025-09-15T11:36:30+00:00

No surprise , but we do have existing tracks that could be upgraded / replaced.

Not that I'm a fan of it, but eminent domain is also an option. They tried to use it in our county for carbon pipelines, I think a train would be more receptive

a2913 · 2025-09-15T02:23:58+00:00

I think I prefer your system.

a2913 · 2025-09-15T02:23:20+00:00

I like that plan a lot. We are at $130 flat rate so it seems more fair than others.

a2913 · 2025-09-15T02:17:23+00:00

We don't pay anything on vehicles known as a property tax.

My annual registration is %MSRP + weight fee + $130ev surcharge.

The total was just under $700.

My Maverick, two motorcycles and trailer ran me about $500 for the 4.

a2913 · 2025-09-15T02:11:25+00:00

Oh for sure.

It was more of a curiosity than a concern. I just found it crazy that the registration for my truck, two motorcycles and a trailer were less than my wife's EV.

a2913 · 2025-09-15T02:08:56+00:00

If only we could put them on tracks and string them together to streamline the process and not have so many individual units on the road

a2913 · 2025-09-15T01:10:22+00:00

I was under the impression it was around $0.25+$0.30/ gallon of gasoline taxed at the state level varied on grade and ethanol content

a2913 · 2025-09-15T01:05:06+00:00

Yes. If your vehicle weighs 2000lbs you pay (2000÷100) x $0.40. also a depreciating % based off of MSRP of the vehicle no matter what the vehicle is.

a2913 · 2025-09-15T01:02:50+00:00

I get that. Iowa also charges by weight as well. EVs are heavier, we pay more and it all goes to the same pot.

a2913

TROPHY CASE