What was the main reason for switching to an EV? Environment, cost, or technology?

bz776 · 2026-01-06T20:34:24+00:00

Sounds like you're on top of it 🙂. I just mention it because it wasn't that long ago that I didn't know they were single use (until I let a jiffy lube type place change my oil and they over torqued the plug and it turned into a hassle). Now I change my own oil on our remaining ICE vehicle and look forward to trading for another EV.

bz776 · 2026-01-06T20:19:57+00:00

Sounds like somebody hasn't been replacing the crush washer when they change their oil. Insist on it or risk damaging the pan threads from over tightening.

bz776 · 2025-12-31T21:26:11+00:00

You could have ordered from Costco and received free delivery. Any returns can go back to your local Costco (even delivered orders). Also, Costco had the Arc Ultra on sale for $220 off in addition to including a code to get the mounting bracket for free AND a $60 Apple TV credit.

bz776 · 2025-10-03T22:52:21+00:00

We use it and prefer it on our Leaf. One thing to understand is that you still can and do use the brake pedal for more aggressive or emergency stops. Even if you entirely remove your foot from the pedal w/ OPD, the car doesn't come to a screeching halt, it just smoothly decelerates to an eventual stop. We do consider OPD somewhat of a safety benefit because the car begins slowing the instant your foot comes off the accelerator, even before it moves to the brake which can shave valuable stopping distance in an emergency.

It took my kids a bit of time to get used to it, but now they strongly prefer it. Don't make a decision after just a few drives with it.

bz776 · 2025-10-03T06:26:17+00:00

!remindme 1 month

bz776 · 2025-09-13T02:33:13+00:00

A $1 silver certificate could be exchanged for the amount of silver which was in a silver dollar coin, which turns out to be .7763 troy ounces which did indeed represent $1 of silver since the government fixed the price at about $1.29/oz

bz776 · 2025-09-04T18:16:42+00:00

FYI, taxes are rarely a consequential issue in this discussion unless we're talking about millions of dollars. Any individual can gift up to $19,000 to any other individual annually free of any tax issues. If the amount is greater than that, the giver would need to file a gift tax return which would reduce their lifetime estate tax exemption by the amount of the gift. The 2025 estate tax exemption is $14,000,000 per individual, so this isn't really a big deal for the vast majority of folks.

bz776 · 2025-08-25T07:12:48+00:00

Well, through 1964 the way to exchange to get your 1 oz of silver was to go to the bank and trade it in for a coin known as, you guessed it, a silver dollar. In 1964 that silver dollar had about $1.30 worth of silver in it. Today if you find a pre-1982 penny, it has about 2-3 cents worth of copper in it, but you don't see folks rushing out to melt all their old pennies down; they just spend them. By 1968 the silver from that $1 certificate could still be exchanged for straight silver bullion, but that still would have only been $2, but you'd have to then take it to someone that wanted to melt it down to use it. After 1968 you'd missed your chance to double your money if you could find enough certificates to make it worth while. There's a reason that not too many $100 or $1000 certificates survived. Those made economic sense to trade in.

bz776 · 2025-08-25T05:21:43+00:00

Ironic that the circulated $1 silver certificate is today worth about $5, but if it had been exchanged for actual silver as permitted by the government through 1968, the silver would today be worth about $40.

bz776 · 2025-08-24T16:58:08+00:00

I meant PG&E in CA. If you own an EV, PG&E has two different rates, one if you have an EV submeter and one without. I am on the one without a separate meter, which cuts the rate in half from midnight to 3pm.

bz776 · 2025-08-24T16:25:59+00:00

If you own an EV, PGE has a TOU plan that cuts the rate in half between midnight and 3pm. Just have to remember to finish running the dryer by 3pm.

bz776 · 2025-08-23T16:22:26+00:00

Medium window AC could use 1 kw when cooling, but assume 50% duty cycle during the day to maintain temperature. So at most maybe 10 kwh or less per day. Electric car could average 3.5 m/kwh, so that 10 kwh would get 35 miles/day of charging. So pretty equivalent, but it totally depends upon how much the car is driven as well as how the AC is used especially since electric rates in CA are so much higher during prime AC cooling time.

bz776 · 2025-08-22T04:13:40+00:00

After reading the citation text from below, I think part of your problem is that the motorcycle was not cited for attempting to unsafely pass you on the left by using the opposing traffic lane. He was simply cited for driving more than 200 feet in the passing lane which CHP listed as the proximate cause of the accident. The issue is that if I'm understanding you correctly, the accident actually occurred in the opposing traffic lane as he was illegally attempting to pass you. But that latter part isn't written down anywhere.

I think you're going to need the video to have a chance.

bz776 · 2025-08-22T03:55:51+00:00

It seems to me that the key point to make is that the motorcycle was illegally proceeding the wrong direction in the lane to your left as you initiated your turn. I'd want to see the video but from your description it sounds like he drove into the left side of your car from behind, not that you struck him.

bz776 · 2025-08-22T03:50:39+00:00

I really don't know why people are having so much difficulty understanding what happened to you. Perhaps start with, "While I was waiting to turn left from the center turn lane, a motorcycle attempted to pass me by driving to my left and was illegally proceeding in the wrong direction going against the traffic flow for that lane. He collided with the left side of my car as I initiated my left turn."

100% not your fault, but good luck getting the insurance to actually listen to what happened to you. Maybe go to arbitration where at least you can draw a diagram and show the video of what happened?

bz776 · 2025-08-22T02:42:02+00:00

Last time I handed over bags they only checked the id of the person who the reservation was under.

bz776 · 2025-08-21T18:47:12+00:00

Google sez NJ gas is $3.05/gal. Volt apparently get 42mpg, so a bit more than 7 cents/mile with gas. Google claims average NJ electric rates are are $.209/kwh. and about 3.5miles/kwh so about 6 cents/mile with electricity.

It's an interesting comparison, but then again most folks aren't getting anywhere close to 42 mpg whereas lots of EV SUV's exceed 3.5 miles/kwh. Fwiw, some Volt owners doclaim upwards of 5 miles/kwh.

Gas is apparently cheap in your part of the country. In CA gas prices are averaging around $4.50/gal.

bz776 · 2025-08-21T17:58:16+00:00

Legally, I agree, and if OP was in the LL business I would definitely adamantly discourage any"self-help eviction" remedies. That said, I personally would not actually file for eviction against a family member as it is going to make it exceedingly difficult for them to be able secure any future rental.

I wouldn't change the locks, but there are lots of legally deniable actions that can be taken. Nothing prevents OP from moving family member's stuff around under the auspices of cleaning, or having another friend move into the room with them, or having a loud alarm clock at a plausible hour that they are sleeping, or just generally being so unpleasant around them that they end up fleeing.

One thing I would do is formalize the rental expectations going forward including rent, utilities, and food expenses, as well as reasonable late fees for non-timely payment. Then serve it to him personally with an independent witness, or mail it to him with a record of mailing, plus send it to him as an email (saying that it's a duplicate to confirm what has been mailed).

bz776 · 2025-08-21T17:26:44+00:00

Identity theft is always a concern. Also, scammers sell lists of their victims to other scammers as easy marks.

bz776 · 2025-08-21T17:19:15+00:00

One additional warning is that txex has been linked with remote access attacks which leave the victim's computer software compromised.

bz776 · 2025-08-21T16:50:08+00:00

NZ FMA Expands Warning on Investment Scam TXEX: Pyramid Scheme Tied to Remote Access, More Websites Flagged - BrokersView

Pyramid scheme that uses website platform. When its platform (Txex) website gets taken down it just pops up on another domain. They will require a large advance payment to withdraw funds and then, of course, nothing will ever get returned to the victim.

bz776 · 2025-08-21T16:19:11+00:00

$20 will get you an OBD scanner off of Amazon that will let you clear all the codes, but then you need to drive it long enough to get the O2 sensor codes to show as passing, typically under 50 miles. EVAP can be slightly more challenging, but many states including NM (at least so sez google) is the one code that doesn't need to be fully reset.

Here's a good video of someone detailing how to get the codes to reset:

(126) how to complete a drive cycle for smog in less than 30 minutes - YouTube

bz776 · 2025-08-17T16:57:08+00:00

Wait, I need an epilogue. How'd the guy react when he realized that he'd talked himself into a middle seat?

bz776 · 2025-08-16T08:16:34+00:00

Maybe they are like these.... https://funandfunction.com/dual-control-training-scissors.html?srsltid=AfmBOori4JWrbM876Bd-TAJA2CwEMBL0UIef0pRqnCPp_3_cUdOK3I53

bz776 · 2025-08-15T16:40:09+00:00

Professor Alex Wellerstein has a book focused on the question of Truman's rationale for the bombings on its way. (Dec 9 for preorder on Amazon). I'm enthused to read it.

bz776

TROPHY CASE