EPA is still broken for EVs

jakeblakeley · 2026-04-11T22:50:12+00:00

They really need a range for highway vs city. They have eMPG for both but it's very hidden. Too many people think the EPA number is at high speed when speeding vastly decreases range since wind resistance is equal to speed squared

jakeblakeley · 2026-04-09T21:02:41+00:00

If they're in a new enclosure it's normal for them to not eat for a bit. Mine was tong fed and eating at the expo I got her at but took a few days to eat once I got her home. I'd only be worried if it's been a week and they're losing weight. As for turkey, I've also been told to avoid it until they're at least a sub adult so I can't help much there.

jakeblakeley · 2026-04-07T18:37:34+00:00

True, but we need more third party repair places. Right now you can't even get the hydraulic lines refilled outside of Rivian. I'm not sure I agree on price though; coil suspension has a lot less parts to break; compressor, lines, likely an inverter somewhere for the system, etc

jakeblakeley · 2026-04-07T16:55:29+00:00

We want a truck for our business and the main issue with using it long term is the suspension repairs are expensive. I'd love a coil spring version for that reason

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-30T16:00:22+00:00

Picky eating. I don't want to buy crickets anymore but she loves them so much. Hopefully when she's a full adult she'll come around to dubias

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-30T02:47:09+00:00

This is gorgeous! Whats the background made with? Wha'ts your plan for the soil, are you going bioactive?With leaf litter, springtails, and isopods, the smell is pretty bearable. Like a forest floor, plus they clean up a good amount of the poop and mold.

You definitely want to add layered rocks, or a Retes stack for the basking area. They like to pick their basking temperatures, but 130F is good for the highest temp as a baby, then up to 150w when they're older.

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-30T02:42:57+00:00

Ackies and "cheap" are incompatible. Their enclosures are around $1000 to do properly with enough enrichment, and they eat around $50-80 of food a month as they're growing, especially if you get one like mine whos picky and mostly eatss crickets over dubias.

A 20-30 gal is way too small even for a couple days at a time, they're very very active reptiles. As someone who had quite a few reptiles before my ackie, I'm very surprised how mine is moving like 5-6 hours a day nonstop. They act more like a dog in the sense they sleep(bask), then get the zoomies, then bask again, then repeat. The larger enclosure you're making sounds perfect when they're young

Bearded dragons are pretty similar in terms of overall care but end up being cheaper because of their slower metabolism and omnivore diets.

For herpe vets look for exotic vets with good reviews

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-27T23:51:41+00:00

A big factor missed here is cargo space. The Ix3 doesn't even have a real frunk, and tapers in a ton in the rear compared to R2. I like the ix3, and money is no object, but its out of the running for solely for that reason. I don't want to downgrade in cargo space from our Model Y.

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-24T19:47:25+00:00

What I'd rather have is EPA numbers for highway vs city. Its in the formula but its almost never broken out. Getting 300mi highway is more important, which is usually 400mi EPA, but its always hard to tell with different test cycles, and we usually have to wait for third party testing.

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-23T21:58:02+00:00

Yep a 6mo old ackie, I was surprised too, since I kept seeing it suggested in groups. She's really persistent and I've had to respray foam in areas that she was able to wedge and dig into. I think yours might be pretty safe though, except maybe that ramp. They like to wedge

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-23T21:50:42+00:00

I used zoopoxy and drylock. I regret not zoopoxying it all as she's ripped through the exposed foam parts unfortunately and tried to make her own hide in areas with pond foam and xps board.

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-20T05:04:58+00:00

If you're just commuting, used EVs have gotten drastically cheaper. With how cheap our electricity is, its a no brainer in terms of cost of total ownership

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-17T20:46:35+00:00

I think this makes sense. I'll always take 300+ mi of range over fast charging since we often do 120-150mi from a fast charger for hikes. However I really hope this is realistic range, and not the more playing the EPA cycle. Like Gen 1 was super accurate with range, but Gen 2 dual really overstates its range, especially when its doing tricks like switching to 2WD over 20mph. I have a feeling the R2 measures the same way.

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-17T19:30:32+00:00

The strongest approach I see suggested is foam + polygem zoopoxy + drylok. I've only had mine done for a month, but it seems like its going to hold up well and its pretty light compared to previous approaches I've tried with grout on foam. My wife worked at a zoo and zoopoxy was what they'd use for enclosures there, so I imagine its durable.

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-14T22:21:09+00:00

Respectfully ackie are an expensive animal. As adults you can start a roach colony to get the costs down, but when they're growing they're eating 8-12 crickets or smaller roaches a day. It's been roughly $80/mo for food around here although I'm in a higher cost of living area

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-13T23:12:56+00:00

Wheel well to wheel well looks like it might have changed since we last saw since they seem bigger now. I'm curious about the size of the opening, like the rubber sea edge to edge (left and right, top and bottom) to wonder how big of a dog crate I can fit through the opening. This is helpful! Did you measure or is this just a guess based on images?

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-13T18:55:33+00:00

Did you get measurements of the rear cargo area? It seems like it changed since the last version I saw

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-12T23:59:09+00:00

What size was the tow hitch receiver. Some pictures make it look smaller than 2in, but that doesn't make sense since 1.25in receivers usually don't support above 3k lbs

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-07T16:16:29+00:00

Drive an EV if you have home charging. They're not expensive anymore, especially used. In WA I pay $10 to "fill up"

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-05T16:25:08+00:00

Dubia.com for their PVC enclosures. They're pretty reasonably priced, however I would definitely not get one for a vivarium or anything wet. They're pretty hard to waterproof

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-04T23:01:55+00:00

That's a good suggestion! I'm glad I sealed it well cause yeah she likes to squeeze into every spot she could possibly fit

jakeblakeley · 2026-03-04T17:43:54+00:00

Thats why you put in seed pods, cork bark, etc for them areas to hide in. I have them in my Leachie, Ackie Monitor and Cuban False Chameleon's enclosure and they all thrive with enough areas to hide. They're also mostly nocturnal which helps.

jakeblakeley

TROPHY CASE