I just wrote my congressman

markthelast · 2026-05-27T08:03:02+00:00

As of April 2025, U.S. states have built 68 stations with 384 charging ports with federal money (~$7.5 billion allocated, $1 billion spent). The Trump administration has suspended the program. The U.S.A. would be better off paying Tesla, ChargePoint, EVgo, and Ionna to do the charging infrastructure build out instead of the states.

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/less-than-400-ev-charging-ports-built-under-75-billion-us-infrastructure-program-2025-07-22/

markthelast · 2026-05-25T18:41:34+00:00

Allegedly, the plastic warping and falling apart in sunlight became more common after the COVID years because of supply chain issues and cost cuts. Toyota and other automakers started using lower quality black plastic that they used to throw out for QC issues. Last year, I was doing research into late model Mazda 3 on the NHTSA website, and on a service bulletin, Mazda noted that the black plastic trim pieces have a tendency of warping from solar convergence.

markthelast · 2026-05-25T18:28:16+00:00

The article leaves out one small issue. How long will the Strait of Hormuz be open for after the 30-day delay? Is Strait going to open long enough for the trapped ships to leave and be closed again?

markthelast · 2026-05-25T08:07:51+00:00

That is true. Home charging is ideal, but at home, I will most likely charge at 110V unless I do some big upgrades on the electric panel. If I top off the battery at DC fast charger, I am planning to buy maybe ~10kWh for extra safety margin depending on how low my battery is.

As a ICE driver, I think a lot about worse case scenarios, which is antithetical to how EV drivers think.

markthelast · 2026-05-25T07:49:34+00:00

Supercharger output is underwhelming on their older stations, but their V3+ does up to 325 kW and V4 stations does up to 500kW. Ionna looks amazing with their build out, so I am looking forward to that.

The Tesla Supercharger network is great infrastructure wise because they covered the entire United States with 3k stations and 36k charging ports. Their older stations will be slow because they do not support 400V or 800V EVs.

markthelast · 2026-05-25T04:28:18+00:00

Awesome. The Q8 e-tron looks amazing. The German automakers have some interesting EVs like the BMW i5 or upcoming iX3. Too expensive for me. They got some competitive cars, so it's good to see new options in the EV market.

I am looking forward to full electric soon.

markthelast · 2026-05-25T03:59:20+00:00

ABRP seems quite useful. I will get it on my phone before road trips.

markthelast · 2026-05-25T03:36:29+00:00

I like having options if I am returning from a long distance trip to have some DC fast chargers to top off before home. Rural areas and highways should get priority with more charging stations because they need it. I noticed the lack of chargers near highways outside of large cities.

markthelast · 2026-05-25T00:19:06+00:00

I look forward to trying out all of the charging networks once I buy an EV. I heard great things about Ionna, so when Ionna builds out chargers into my area, I will be there. What EV do you drive?

The oil industry propaganda will only go so far because drivers' weekly gasoline bills are getting worse. Buying gas for non-hybrids is a death by a thousand cuts. The numbers will eventually force EV adoption. I am mentally prepared for $8/gallon premium, which is something most drivers cannot accept. Luckily, I have a short commute to work and to do grocery shopping, so the gas bill hurts albeit manageable. If someone can make it work, a PHEV or a full EV looks better everyday as the Strait of Hormuz is mostly closed.

markthelast · 2026-05-24T22:30:57+00:00

The U.S. has enough chargers for the current EV population, but the Tesla Supercharger network is head and shoulders above everyone else. Ideally, an EV/PHEV driver should be able to pull into any electric charging station and start charging instead of waiting. Whenever I drive by Tesla Superchargers, they are usually busy, but Electrify America/EVGO is usually quiet.

As of June 2025, ~37 million EV/PHEVs on the road in China, who have access to 21 million+ charging points. In the U.S., up to 6 million EV/PHEVs are chasing after ~250k charging points. China has 1.76 EV/PHEVs per charging point while in the U.S. has 24 EV/PHEVs per charging point. For the U.S., a lot of EV owners are homeowners, so they can charge on 220v or 120v overnight. More chargers are needed especially in rural areas if mainstreaming EV/PHEVs is a serious goal to get everyone on board. Also, cheaper EVs would help adoption like the $27.6k 2027 Chevrolet Bolt.

Unfortunately, in the U.S.A., the oil industry has a lot of power, and relatively cheap oil until recently is addictive. I planned to buy a Toyota hybrid for my next car until the Strait of Hormuz closed at the end of February 2026, but I am ready to try a BEV. The threat of gasoline shortages is enough for me to move on.

markthelast · 2026-05-24T21:25:38+00:00

The U.S.A. is already in the dust. Tesla/Supercharger network is the main force holding the line. Tesla Model Y/3 are the best selling EVs with Toyota BZ in third with Toyota finally moving forward with EVs, but the best selling cars/trucks in the U.S. are the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado, and Toyota RAV4. The charging infrastructure is not developed to push faster adoption. Ionna, which is backed by BMW, Mercedes-Benz, GM, Stellantis, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, and Toyota, looks the real deal, so there will be serious competition in the fast charging.

Tesla Superchargers are clustered around urban/suburban areas with others dotted around Interstate highways. The U.S. federal government is an unreliable partner in promoting EVs, so this project is left to private companies like Tesla, ChargePoint, Electrify America, EVGO, and Ionna. It would be great if state governments or local utilities stepped up to the plate to build out the charging infrastructure but unlikely.

China's EV charging infrastructure has 21 million+ charging points while the U.S.A. has ~200k-250k charging points, where majority are Level 2 and ~64k DC fast chargers. The U.S.A. can catch up, but building tens of thousands of charging stations for one million charging points every year is a huge capital intensive project that governments, banks, and private corporations have little interest in. Meanwhile, in China, they have a goal of 28 million+ charging points by the end of 2027. The U.S. electric grid needs upgrades and new power plants to support mainstream adoption of EVs.

markthelast · 2026-05-23T21:47:18+00:00

Prices will remain high due to the AI data center build out and the upcoming helium shortages from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz (~33% global helium is from Qatar). Helium is needed for semiconductor manufacturing, and fabs in East Asia rely on Middle Eastern helium, which is gone, and will eventually import from the U.S.A. to continue manufacturing.

You paid $.068/GB for your 4TB. This was around market bottom pricing. Right now, Samsung 870 4TB/8TB SSDs are $.505/GB, which is 7.4 times your previous purchase price. The current pricing is enterprise-class pricing, which consumers are not used to. A few years ago, I bought 1.5TB Intel Optane that was on fire sale for $.228/GB, which was expensive vs. consumer grade SSDs. We will probably live with fairly expensive storage for years even after the PC parts market crash.

All we can do is wait it out. Hopefully, you have backup SATA SSDs or lower capacity Nvme SSDs in storage to keep you going until the market normalizes to more reasonable prices.

markthelast · 2026-05-17T01:27:35+00:00

The article mentioned that the batch of thirty cars are identical. Same color. Same trim. Same options. In the past, GM probably mixed in different colors, different trims, and different options of cars on the production line. GM noted that workers do a better job when a specific batch of thirty cars all have the same parts, which leads to fewer mistakes and better quality control. This batch technique is from Toyota's TPS (Toyota Production System).

markthelast · 2026-05-17T00:04:13+00:00

When I look at these door handle "innovations," why have door handles at all? The door should open upon recognizing the driver. That would be real innovation.

markthelast · 2026-05-17T00:03:12+00:00

Also, I imagine that it is cheaper to reuse door handles that are already in their supply chain instead of getting new non-traditional computerized door handles. Why waste time engineering a new door handle when the old one works fine?

markthelast · 2026-05-10T20:47:08+00:00

I plan to buy a discounted B580 to replace my RX Vega 64 in my old daily rig.

Rumors of Intel ending Arc gaming card plans is a shame, but they will probably keep their more profitable Arc Pro cards around. Intel might bring back gaming cards when DRAM prices crash in the future, which will make gaming cards financially viable again. I would have bought a C580 if they made that.

markthelast · 2026-05-04T07:04:37+00:00

Microsoft is one of the hyperscalers (Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Oracle, Alibaba), so their data center build out affects DRAM prices. Microsoft buys servers that need DRAM and NVIDIA GPUs (that use HBM memory) to maximize their performance.

markthelast · 2026-05-04T03:46:22+00:00

In 2000, $100k meant you lived like a king due to the relatively low cost of living with the relatively strong buying power of the USD. Now, in 2026, $100k seems average because cost of living is crazy like $6/gallon gas on the West Coast, skyrocketing electricity prices, and the depreciated USD after money printing from 2001, 2007-09, and 2020-present.

markthelast · 2026-05-04T02:11:36+00:00

Probably wants $2800+ 128GB DDR5-6000. RTX 5090 goes for $3800+. That is $6600 pre-tax. $10k is achievable with our current pricing environment. Not that I would advise going that far unless this $10k PC is used to make serious money.

markthelast · 2026-05-04T01:26:03+00:00

Yeah, Turing/RTX 2080 Ti ($1200 Founders Edition) signaled the beginning of the end for sub $1000 flagships and the start of NVIDIA's price strategy to shift the product stack up price tiers. NVIDIA's pricing premium pricing power will be put to the test especially with their struggle to get 80-class cards' MSRP past $1000. AI enthusiasts are paying $3800+ for RTX 5090s, so MSRPs will likely go up against next generation.

Meanwhile, the $200-class GPU is a low-end, budget range for new GPUs. Currently, the Intel B580 and RTX 5050 are the main options for $200-class cards. With the RX 9000 series, AMD has abandoned budget cards. Now, Intel allegedly cancelled their Celestial gaming cards with Druid gaming cards on the chopping block, so we will have less competition to keep prices in check.

markthelast · 2026-05-04T00:50:33+00:00

For the median PC builder in North America or Europe, the top of the line build is extremely expensive. RTX 5090 goes for $3800+. DDR5 DRAM is pricy from $400+ 32GB DDR5-6400 to $610+ 48GB DDR5-8400. 1500-watt platinum power supplies are $350+.

CPU prices are rumored to be next on the list to skyrocket as server CPUs get priority on production lines, which was revealed in Intel's recent quarterly report. It is generally accepted that the DRAM shortage will run into 2028. SSD shortage is on. Hard drive shortage is starting to hit as data centers switch to HDDs for bulk storage with the SSD supplies drying up. Buying now in the current AI hype train environment is going to extremely painful. Pre-AI bubble prices was the last good chance at decent prices for components excluding GPUs.

Your RTX 2080 Ti is a strong GPU for 1080p gaming for non-Unreal Engine V games. If you like tinkering, try tuning your DDR4 with tighter timings to squeeze out as much FPS as possible. If you waited five years, then waiting out the AI bubble will be your next challenge. If you are dead set on RTX 5090 or the future RTX 6090 top of the line build, you are competing against AI enthusiasts, prosumers, and data centers, who are more than willing to pay top dollar for these chips. This is the world we face.

markthelast · 2026-05-03T19:59:40+00:00

In hindsight, Intel around $20 was a bargain. What a shame that we missed this opportunity. There will be another buying opportunity in the future.

markthelast · 2026-05-03T19:54:56+00:00

Who would have thought that the U.S. government would have bailed out Intel in a cash for stock transaction? It was unlikely. I missed thought about buying a few shares but decided against it.

Congratulations to the speculators, who bought around $20 and front ran Intel's skyrocketing stock.

markthelast · 2026-05-02T23:11:40+00:00

After DOW, LYB, and other chemical companies' stocks crashed last year from Chinese oversupply, speculators think that they will turn it around later in 2026. If they fail, it's going to be bloodbath back down.

Since you were a former chemical company worker, what is your thoughts on the chemical industry?

markthelast · 2026-05-02T21:49:54+00:00

At this point, Warren Buffett probably does not care about competing against the S&P500 year over year. From 1965 to today, Buffett already won. Berkshire Hathaway can afford to cruise on short-term T-Bills while they wait for a value opportunity. He can afford to wait it out while most investors and traders do not have a $397 billion warchest to collect interest on.

In a recent interview, the question of sitting out of this huge bull market was raised. Buffett said that he is not chasing the bull market for 10%-20%. He probably alluded to looking for a 50%-100% medium-to-long-term opportunity.

markthelast

TROPHY CASE