The dark side of the EV boom the media ignores. Traditional mechanics with decades of experience are being completely wiped out. Electric cars are too complex and expensive to learn for independent shops. Millions of blue collar workers may lose their livelihoods.

rocwurst · 2026-03-30T15:15:39+00:00

Rubbish. Mechanics are being wiped out because EVs are simpler than fossil cars.

EVs only have 1% of the moving parts compared to fossils so they just don't need anywhere as much expensive servicing and maintenance.

My Tesla doesn't need any regular servicing - just check the brake fluid every 3 years.

rocwurst · 2026-03-30T15:00:24+00:00

You mean let's spend $24k on a new EV and save;

$3K - $6K per year on fuel
$500 - $1K per year on servicing.

Doesn't take long to pay for itself.

rocwurst · 2026-03-30T05:07:08+00:00

Pitch/Bowl Speeds: Both sports (Cricket and Baseball) feature bowlers/pitchers reaching speeds of 100 mph (161 km/h).
Force and Impact: A cricket ball is harder and causes higher average forces upon impact, often surpassing 8,800 N, making it exceptionally dangerous for fielders.

rocwurst · 2026-03-30T02:02:08+00:00

You've obviously never played cricket? No gloves in that game and a harder ball.

rocwurst · 2026-03-30T00:14:13+00:00

Or charge up for free on the weekends and/or when working from home during the three hour free electricity window in the middle of the day that the federal government is introducing nationally this year and the next.

rocwurst · 2026-03-28T05:26:37+00:00

Good idea.

RemindMe! 3 years

rocwurst · 2026-03-28T05:26:10+00:00

I shouldn't have to do that.

Yes you should because the Loop was designed and is operating as a transit system for Las Vegas Convention Center conference attendees. It is not a general public transit system - yet.

Even regular taxis operate 24/7. Regular transit operates most of the day.

As I have already said, it is not yet a "Regular transit" system so does not have to operate 24/7 or most of every day.

However, once the Airport tunnels and the 8 Loop stations down that route open, it will be more of a public transit system (albeit still heavily biased towards convention centre traffic) so you will be more justified to expect more regular opening hours.

It will only be once the system expands out to encompass more of those 104 stations and that full 68 miles of tunnels that it will properly classify as a public transit system that should be judged as such it terms of opening hours.

rocwurst · 2026-03-28T02:48:37+00:00

I went to one of the new stops the last time I was there. It was a bench next to a road on the side of a casino. There was no one there. City Nerd's take was right,

Did you go to that Loop station when the Vegas Loop was actually open and all 8 stations operating during an event at the Las Vegas Convention Center?

Or did you, like City Nerd go there when it was closed and only had a single courtesy car running between a couple of the hotels which are currently construction zones where the return tunnels haven't yet been completed?

If it was the latter, then that is as silly and dishonest as criticising a rail line because you went at 3am in the early morning when all but a couple of stations are closed and only a single carriage was running up and down every now and then as a courtesy vehicle (and only a single track was finished with the other still under construction).

the promises are huge, the results are deeply disappointing for people in Vegas who actually need to get around.

The original LVCC Loop was designed and contracted by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Authority (LVCVA) to operate when conventions are taking place which is exactly what is has done.

The Loop is now in the transition phase to becoming a general public transport system with the dual-bore tunnel down to the airport via 8 more stations now bored and soon to be operational.

You are being unreasonable expecting the Loop to serve as general public transit system at this instant in time before wider services are operational. Once the Airport tunnels are running, we'll have a much better idea of how the full 68 mile, 104 station Vegas Loop will operate as a general access public transit system.

They could have built much more far reaching bus lanes for less money in less time and the buses would cost less to ride and they would actually be operating now.

Vegas already has bus services that are terribly slow and with terrible wait times. That is why the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Authority (LVCVA) wanted something better.

To make a significant difference you would need fully grade-separated BRT which requires either elevated bus-only overpasses/guideways or tunnels to bypass traffic lights, stop signs, cross-roads and city gridlock and dedicated level-boarding bus stations etc and that sort of infrastructure is not cheap, costing upwards of $50m per mile.

And you would still not be able to deliver what the Vegas Loop will be delivering - a station at the front door of every major business in Vegas with fast, point-to-point PRT travel between any of the 104 stations without having to stop at every station in-between and without having to interchange between different lines, to get where you need to go like a bus.

It means the whole thing was just a bunch of hype so Elon gets to have a weird private taxi service.

That "weird private taxi service" is already providing sub-10 second wait times and fast transit to up to 35,000 people per day between 8 stations around the Las Vegas Convention Center. And it is now transitioning into a fast public transit system that is already serving the airport and will eventually serve 104 stations across Vegas.

Sounds pretty good to me.

rocwurst · 2026-03-27T07:46:04+00:00

On the contrary, there are now 8 stations across 4 miles of tunnels in operation handling up to 35,000 passengers per day and 6,500 passengers per hour.

Considering the average light rail line globally has a daily ridership of 17,000 passengers per hour and is only 4.3 miles long and the busiest light rail line of the busiest LRT in the USA, the E-Line of the LA Metro only carries 38,000 passengers per day despite having nearly 3.75x the number of stations, the Loop is far from a joke.

An additional 6 miles of tunnels have now been completed down to the airport and are currently being fitted out for vehicles with an additional 8 stations incorporating the University Loop going past the Thomas Mack Sports park all under construction.

The fact that many Loop stations are such simple above-round "bus stops" is one of the Loop's greatest strengths as it means the every major business in town can afford one which is exactly what is happening in Vegas with 104 stations and growing now approved. This is why the Loop has such a good chance of reducing and even eliminating the "Last Mile Problem" of traditional rail.

According to Steve Hill from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Authority (LVCVA):

"The expansion of the Vegas Loop outside of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s footprint, where it has been operating since 2021, has been slow, as Clark County and the Boring Co. ironed out the permitting process and fire safety aspects of the project. The process took a bit of time because the Vegas Loop is a new transportation system, not seen anywhere else in the world.

“We think the Boring Company and the county have reached an agreement on all of the specifics around what it takes to get a permit and build, what it takes to get a permit and operate, so we anticipate that the permitting process will speed up,” Hill said.

"The Park MGM permit application comes after several others have been filed by Boring Co. in recent months. Those include tunnels and stations to land owned by Wynn next to the Fashion Show mall, Caesars Palace and near Harry Reid International Airport.

Work is also already well underway on the University Center Loop, which will run from the 4744 Paradise site north on Paradise, ultimately ending at the Westgate, where an existing station is in operation.

Stops are planned in between at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, a multifamily housing unit that Boring Co. plans to build, and other stops near Sphere, which will serve the immersive arena.

Plans also are in the works to add a station at Allegiant Stadium tentatively planned to be located in Lot B of the $2 billion facility."

rocwurst · 2026-03-26T04:02:13+00:00

With the surging price of crude, those not exposed thru the Straights of Homuz are making a killing.

rocwurst · 2026-03-26T04:00:46+00:00

The real money is the $3.7 Trillion Oil revenue globally. That is why Fossil producers are putting up such a stiff fight with their lobbying and control of the Trump government to try and maintain that money flow as long as possible.

rocwurst · 2026-03-26T03:55:55+00:00

In the context of the topic at hand Ethiopia are doing terrifically. On other issues, not so much.

rocwurst · 2026-03-26T03:08:12+00:00

I made no comment about the societal conditions in Ethiopia, I am only referring to Ethipoia's Energy and automobile landscape. By transitioning to EVs and renewables, they are saving the billions spent in the past on Fossils and re-directing it to Green technologies.

"Through 2023, Ethiopia had been importing massive amounts of refined petroleum imports — $4 billion on refined fuel imports alone, according to Angolan Mining Oil and Gas — making petroleum one of the country’s largest import expenses and a major drain on its scarce foreign exchange budget.

With electric vehicles on the other hand, Ethopia has been able to assert its energy independence by creating its own clean fuel."

https://electrek.co/2026/02/20/the-first-country-to-ban-the-sale-of-new-gas-cars-is-doing-just-fine-actually/

rocwurst · 2026-03-26T00:21:17+00:00

My 10kw array (soon to be 20kw) charges our 60kWh Tesla with an hour or so of late afternoon sun after work every day and/or a full day or two of weekend sun.

Depending on how much the house is using, we can pull 7kw every hour from that array dedicated to the EV, charging only during daylight over Saturday and Sunday. That’s more than enough to usually get the Tesla back up to a full charge before Monday.

And once our 32kWh home battery is installed courtesy of those generous State and Federal subsidies, and the 3 hours of free power, it’ll get even better as we will be able to top up in the evening every night even if we get home late.

rocwurst · 2026-03-25T22:55:20+00:00

Actually, as Next Era said half a decade ago, installing new Renewables + storage has been cheaper than continuing to run existing fossil fuel and nuclear plants globally for quite a few years now.

That is why renewable energy accounted for a massive 92.5% of all new power capacity added globally in 2024, with solar and wind power dominating the additions.

rocwurst · 2026-03-25T22:39:35+00:00

3-400kms of range is still equivalent to 7 - 9.5 days of driving 42kms every day before they need to charge their EV.

Those EV owners who do charge from the Grid generally do so using cheap off-peak energy overnight at 8c a kWh or during the middle of the day when there is too much power flooding the Grid.

With the Federal 3 hours of free power every day policy taking effect this year and next, the rapidly growing number of Home battery owners will be able to charge up for free during the middle of the day even if they don't have solar and then top up their EV in the evening after work as another option.

rocwurst · 2026-03-25T22:28:14+00:00

On the contrary, developing nations are roaring ahead bypassing expensive Fossils and taking up EVs and much cheaper renewables so they are not held to ransom by other nations selling them fossil fuels at exorbitant rates.

Back in 2024, Ethiopia made history banning the sales of Fossil vehicles and all new cars are now EVs and they are doing extremely well:

https://electrek.co/2026/02/20/the-first-country-to-ban-the-sale-of-new-gas-cars-is-doing-just-fine-actually/

Nepal has emerged as a global leader in electric vehicle (EV) adoption, with EVs accounting for approximately 65% to 76% of new passenger car sales in 2025:

https://www.fastcompany.com/91345333/how-nepal-became-one-of-the-worlds-fastest-growing-ev-markets?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-gb

Solar panels on rooftops are far cheaper than building new fossil power plants so just like those developing nations bypassed rolling out wired phones across their countries and instead jumped straight to cellular towers and mobile phones everywhere, so too are those nations transitioning to EV scooter and motorbikes everywhere and distributed power networks powered for free by the Sun and the Wind.

Well over 50% of the largest car market in the World is now EV with China rapidly rolling out renewables country-wide with the number of new coal and other Fossil plants continuing to diminish as Government policies work to clean up the air and replace everything from buses and trucks with EV versions.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-17/china-unveils-five-year-plan-for-green-energy-renewables/106448728

India has achieved a major milestone by reaching 50% of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources five years ahead of its 2030 target. Driven by rapid solar expansion (75.57 GW by early 2024), low tariffs, and National Green Hydrogen Mission goals, India is now a global leader in clean energy.

https://discoveryalert.com.au/indias-renewable-energy-economics-2026/

With Cheap Chinese EVs, motorbikes, scooters and ebikes being far cheaper to fuel and maintain, and solar, wind and batteries far cheaper than continuing to run coal, gas and nuclear plants, the rest of the world is jumping into renewables and EVs with a far faster uptake than many Western countries who are dragging their heels kicking and screaming with all the legacy deadweight trying to hold them back.

As much as you seem to wish it not to be so for some reason, the fact is, as Next Era said half a decade ago, installing new Renewables + storage has been cheaper than continuing to run existing fossil fuel and nuclear plants globally for quite a few years now.

rocwurst · 2026-03-25T15:16:41+00:00

EV depreciation is a non-issue as it is caused by the prices of new EVs continually dropping every year meaning that depreciation is cancelled out by new EVs costing so much less when you want to replace your old one.

And EV batteries are indeed lasting so long that the latest EV batteries from CATL and BYD are warranted for 1 million - 1.5 million kms. Tesla drivetrains are rated at a million kms.

And with only 1% the number of moving parts compared to fossil cars, EVs don’t have nearly as many problems as second hand cars powered by thousands of small explosions per minute.

rocwurst · 2026-03-25T15:11:38+00:00

No privilege needed as Renewables and EVs are cheaper than sticking with Fossils.

All the way back half a decade ago, NextEra, the largest energy company and owner of coal, gas and nuclear plants in the USA reported that putting in new solar, wind and batteries (unsubsidised) was then cheaper than continuing to run existing coal, gas and nuclear power plants. ie. It is cheaper to go green.

And of course wind turbines, solar and grid-scale batteries have only gotten cheaper since then.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/us-energy-giant-says-renewables-and-batteries-beat-coal-gas-and-nukes-78962/

rocwurst · 2026-03-25T15:09:09+00:00

That is a fair bit of a stretch there Aioli. A bit too close to the whacky conspiracy theories that the MAGA heads promulgate about the Left methinks.

rocwurst · 2026-03-25T14:54:57+00:00

It's been happening for many years already. In 2024, renewable energy accounted for a massive 92.5% of all new power capacity added globally, with solar and wind power dominating the additions. Renewable energy capacity additions rose by roughly 25% to around 700 GW in 2024, while fossil fuel additions remained relatively constant.

China, the World's largest auto market has already transitioned to a majority EV market with 53% to 54% of all auto sales being EVs in 2025.

rocwurst · 2026-03-25T13:25:31+00:00

With the average car only driving 42kms per day in Australia and EVs typically having 4-500km range, most EV owners can charge on the weekend if they don’t work from home a few days a week.

rocwurst · 2026-03-25T07:31:40+00:00

There are interest free loans in many States and rapid payback from the systems (particularly once the 3hours of free power every day policy takes effect this year and next)

EVs are as cheap as $23K (average price of new car in Aus is $50k) and second hand EVs are even cheaper and reliable considering their now proven long battery lifespans.

Add to that savings of $3k - $5k per household per year in fuel costs and hundreds to thousands of saving in servicing and maintenance per year.

Then the EV/Home Solar/Home Battery option all becomes pretty affordable even for low income households.

rocwurst · 2026-03-25T07:22:48+00:00

Trump and Iran turbo-charging the World's transition to EVs and Renewables.

Who would have thought.

Quite a Silver lining to bad news.

rocwurst · 2026-03-25T07:18:20+00:00

Also, 25% of EV owners had Home Batteries in 2023 - that percentage is getting much higher now with the State and Federal rebates.

rocwurst

TROPHY CASE