Ocasio-Cortez “Green deal” and what about Hydrogen fuel cell cars?

So another Democrat, Ocasio-Cortez with one of their ridiculous ideas is a green deal that forces Americans to give up gas, flying and cows. Yes, cows. Because of their farting. Oh these libtards way of thinking never ceases to amaze me. And no matter what they tell you Democrats all want the same thing, they wanted to ban gas cars for quite awhile. Look at what California is doing, pushing people to drive EVs. And this is funded by none other than taxpayers.

But Ocasio is looking to kill off the fossil fuel industry, vehicle part manufacturing and mechanics jobs all for zero emissions in 10 years. That’s a lot of jobs. Sure there will still be part manufacturing and mechanics jobs and part stores but think Circuit City, Target and Sears. All the retail stores are downsizing, reducing hours and like GM, many workers are left stranded without jobs or enough money. This will cause a chain reaction which will cause the worst depression America has faced. Sure Ocasio is willing to give money to those unwilling or can’t work due the changeover but where would that money come from?

Oh yeah, taxpayers! As if Americans are not already at their limits (government shutdown is apparent of this) they can’t afford to pay more because they already live paycheck to paycheck. But leave it to the Democrats to try something like this anyways. As for the green deal, these people need to dial it way down. They got this environmental problem blown way out of proportion and it’s got people panicking the sky is falling. Relax folks. The planet is ok. It’s the people who are the threat here and the threat is legalized theft of your money.

That’s not to say our pollution isn’t causing some problems. But it’ll take a very long time before we finally get off fossil fuels. You got people already pushing electric vehicles but wait what about Hydrogen Fuel Cells?

Why hydrogen isn’t gaining momentum?

Well that was a bit of information but some is blown out of proportion, like I’m not even sure if half of what they say is even true. Maybe I need to research this. Much of what hydrogen (or HFC) offers is a major improvement over gas and it offers some things like fast refueling and no battery to use the vehicle.  This can be used in existing gas vehicles with some modifications but it is possible. And there are some problems like the volatile nature of hydrogen and how to produce it. These were the only two things I could see a problem with a long with now there’s people who are against it in the name of “being able to charge at home”. This doesn’t account to the fact that EVs are worse than gas in the cold. Whether hydrogen is a debilitating problem or not in reality so is battery operated vehicles. I need some truth in the matter and so far electric is taking up more market share. But it’s not a viable replacement to gas. Hydrogen would be if all the problems could be addressed.

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A 0% emissions gas vehicle? And no matter what someone tells you, you don’t need to buy an EV

Hydrogen vehicles has been around for awhile but has never took off. There’s been talk about a zero emission gas vehicle and even though it sounds like a rumor it doesn’t mean it’s not being developed behind closed doors. This sounds like a good plan and far better than a vehicle powered by a battery which recently has been criticized for not working well in the extremely cold weather.

However there’s no telling if or when it will be a viable option. California and other states wants to phase out gas vehicles by 2050. Electric vehicles or EVs only account for 2% of the United States. Even though California shows the highest adoption rate, it’s also a big state with many who share the same values.

What does this mean with environmentalists and EV advocates trying to convince gas vehicle drivers to go electric? All I can say is you don’t have to listen to them. Buy the vehicle you want. It is encouraged to wait on EV tech as they will keep improving but for those who want to stick with gas, just stick with gas and be aware of what is going on in your state. It may be a good plan to move to a different state if necessary but the best option is to try to keep the gas vehicles from being pushed or phased out.

Pro-EV people will try to tell you that your gas vehicle will be fined, taxed or banned all together but unless there is an actual truth to it you may want to consider looking for either a way to prevent it or to move out of state.

Remember they can’t really do much if you don’t give in to their demands that you switch. Especially when there is little adoption happening. If you’re worried, buy a gas vehicle and take really good care of it. Even if you plan on selling it, it would be wise to keep up on the maintence. If your very rich you could buy several. Even if dealerships will only sell EVs they won’t sell many and it will halt the demand for them.

Basically, there are ways to avoid EVs and the less sold, the better. It’ll be far more likely they won’t push it as more people will prevent the banning of gas vehicles and instead look for improvements for gas or alternative fuel sources for them.

Climate change, forced EV adoption and buying a new car

Remember when I wrote about how EVs or electric vehicles are not the future? Yeah well more car makers are investing a lot of money in being optimistic about EV adoption. A few countries have heavily invested in replacing gas with EVs. California is pushing EVs but isn’t exactly pushing when much of the state already would embrace this newish technology and Colorado wants to do the same.

Illinois governor JB Pritzker recently signed off on the Paris Accords so now Illinois has to reduce its carbon emissions by 28% and that deadline is 2025. That means reducing the amount of gas vehicles and coal plants.

Now I’m all for cleaner energy but not at the expense of spending more money, or affecting what I can or cannot buy. I don’t know what will actually happen because really this carbon reduction goal is way out of reach. Especially when many people already purchased a new vehicle.

And I’m looking to buy a new car but still not enough money saved and most likely won’t have it until 2021. Between now and 2021 this gives this dumb governor enough time to come up with moronic laws or regulations pertaining to what kind of vehicles you can get. In which I hope not because I’m looking for a new Dodge Challenger. Yes, but the V6 option which has more than enough horsepower to drive during the summer. Hopefully by then I’ll have some way to fix the rust underneath my aging Grand Am that I want to keep on the road for awhile at least until I can get a truck or SUV. The Grand Am will be for winter driving and eventually be retired in a barn somewhere so when I’m an old geezer I can still take the car out to drive if I want some nostalgia. Most people wouldn’t hold onto their vehicles for very long and generally because they don’t take extra care with them. That’s another subject matter though.

I don’t know where this JB Pritzker guy is making Illinois heading towards but with a couple of states already pushing EVs out and 11 other states considering this, I worry what’s going to happen. I’m a firm believer in people spending the money they earn on what they want and need. A car can be both, you need one and you might as well buy one that you can enjoy.

The reason for me wanting the V6 Challenger and not the V8 isn’t for the sake of the environment or for trying to avoid an EV so if I use less carbon emissions it might be ok it’s mostly because I wouldn’t need all that horsepower, if I could even handle 500+. 300 hp is enough for now and I save money at the pump. 30mpg highway is pretty good and that’s what im looking for at the moment. I get about the same with the Grand Am but it’s possible that I may get more than 30mpg with the Challenger saving even more money since I’m not really a leadfoot and mostly stick to speed limits. We’ll see what happens there. On a side note Dodge is implementing a mild hybrid which is an advanced stop and start system. If you let off the gas to coast the car shuts off while the 48v battery takes over basic functions like power steering, brakes, A.C. or heat, lights and radio. Sounds interesting but is fairly expensive. I doubt the 2020 will have it and may not be employed until 2025 when car companies have to meet certain emission deadlines.

Now like I said I’m all for cleaner emissions saving the environment, blah blah blah. However that doesn’t mean changing to a Tesla or other EV because this is relatively new technology and there’s a big paradigm shift in the way these vehicles are refuled. Most people who don’t own a garage will never see the benefits in owning an EV. And the costs may not drop down anytime soon although Tesla and the other major car makers are trying very hard to make it possible.

They got many issues ahead and I don’t really have anything against EVs. It’s that they’re not ready for prime time because of the different fueling methods and the additional costs that come with them. There’s also a lack of options making it less appealing. It shouldn’t be rushed because we’ll still be here in 50 years still trying to change for the sake of the environment. There’s a lot of theories going around. Yes we should cut our pollution and dependency on fossil fuels but there is plenty of time. There really isn’t any need to toss away billions of dollars all at once or jobs as if everyone switched to EVs there’s going to be a lot of lay offs. Less moving parts is less maintence, less parts being produced and sold in part stores. It’s going to cause another recession. For me I would prefer to keep driving a gas vehicle, there’s always alternative fuels for gas that hasn’t been discovered yet. So I wouldn’t want to own an EV because the technology is too different for an expensive vehicle. And it’s powered by batteries. So it wouldn’t be a very good idea to toss away billions of dollars towards junking gas for EVs.

EVs are good in the sense that not everyone wants to maintain a gas vehicle and it’s an alternative fuel source but for right now, it’s not a replacement for gas as the technology is different and takes longer to refuel, not everyone has access to a charging outlet rated for EV charging. I don’t want an EV and shouldn’t be forced into it and neither should anyone else. This also includes hybrids.

One last thing to note while Tesla has shown that it has incredible acceleration the Dodge Hellcat and Demon (both Challenger trims) is still faster due to more horsepower. The only reason Teslas are quicker in the 0-60 tests is they are heavier, all wheel drive and this reduces wheel slippage. Their stock tires are most likely better as well. Dodge doesn’t put proper racing tires on. There’s a couple of videos on a Tesla vs a Hellcat or Demon where the rematch shows the Dodge winning after some proper tires. So while Teslas are quite impressive in launching power it’s really just dumb luck the massively heavy battery is actually a benefit. Most other EVs don’t have this sort of power.

Children mining materials for EV batteries and fossil fuel electricity: Car buying

A while back I wrote a little bit about electric vehicles, No, electric vehicles are not the future

And there’s a few reasons to not buy them. For starters there is a few articles floating around about children mining materials for EV batteries. Some automakers claim they don’t buy batteries from companies that use children but the fact is there are claims which I find a very good reason to not buy an EV regardless if the claims are true, if there’s a hint.. better to not invest in one with the slightest possibility the battery components was mined by children.

The second reason is we’re still using coal and nuclear for electricity. People think that a car that has zero emissions is “fighting global warming” while charging from a coal power plant. Nuclear isn’t much better due to the fact the radiation is deadly to life. Sure they got better over time and it’s pretty difficult for a meltdown to occur but it doesn’t mean it’s 100% safe. I don’t want to increase the loads of the grid when my power comes from a nuclear power plant.

The bottom line is EVs are not the best thing to replace gas vehicles, EVs may grow and find a niche market but that’s about it. People keep saying EVs are the future but the U.S. hasn’t really caught on the electric vehicle craze people are claiming.

Car manufactures continue to push EVs designing new ones. VW was rumored to produce EVs only. There may be a time where it’ll be difficult to get a gas running car, which is why buying a new gas car is going to be a good idea and every 5-8 years to replace it with a new one will keep the demand up at least and more used ones floating around in the market.

This may be needed, saving to keep that cycle up may only work with those with enough income if desperate enough to keep the gas car alive in case any car manufacture thinks of getting rid of their gas vehicle lineup.

I myself am planning to get a Dodge Challenger in the next 3 years and maybe a truck in the next 5 and keep them in good running condition. Next 10 maybe a Honda Accord or Toyota unless Chevy decides to bring back the Impala. Theres also the Dodge Charger as well. So I myself got plans to try to buy a new car when I can. It’ll be difficult though considering in 10-15 years I’ll have to think about retirement funds and need to upkeep my condo.

It won’t be easy but I like to try. So far America hasn’t really bought into the whole EV thing yet and considering where the electricity comes from and how the battery materials come from. At the most we may have 20-40 years before something like EVs may take over but depends on the future, what the automakers decide and be aware of when government tries to get people off of gas in favor for EVs.

Megachurch pastor buys $200k Lamborghini for his wife

https://www.foxnews.com/us/megachurch-pastor-criticized-for-buying-wife-200g-lamborghini

The above link describes a bit what this pastor bought for his wife.

The news has been flooded by a megachurch pastor who bought his wife a $200k Lamborghini and people are flipping out over it on social media, criticizing the pastor while others are defending the pastor. Usually some rich person buying a Lamborghini or other ridiculously overpriced vehicle doesn’t really stir much media attention but this one certainly did and it got me thinking, why would someone buy a $200k vehicle. To put this in perspective a new car such as a Honda Accord costs around $25,000.00 while the cost of the Lamborghini costs $200,000.00. That’s  $175,000.00 more for the Lamborghini.

Many people have a hard time coming up with the $25k for a new car so much of the time a loan is taken out. You can get a loan for $450 month on the Accord but for a Lamborghini that’s over $4,000 a month.

On one hand it’s no one’s business what people use their money for. On the other hand spending $200k on a car is pretty foolish and illogical. Reality is, if one had $200k to spend, wouldn’t it be a great idea to put that money to good use?

There are many people in the world that could benefit from $200k. $200k could pave the way to cleaner electricity. It could get 7 people a new car so they can get around. You get the picture. I can’t see myself buying an expensive vehicle that costs as much as 3 homes.

Don’t get me wrong it’s not a bad thing to buy something you really want. I’m saving up for a Dodge Challenger. Sure I could get a used Honda just to get around and potentially save $10,000. It’s nothing though compared to buying a $200k vehicle.

If we are to change the rich into being more giving those who become rich should set a better example. It’s not anyone’s place to really say what rich people should or shouldn’t buy. If I made millions, I’d set some money aside for myself but not buy something that has a very high price tag compared to the average price of a similar item, such as a car. The rest would go towards building a better future for humanity.

Brand loyalty, anti-American car, reckless driving and car maintenance

This will be my 2nd post this weekend and I’m combining a few of different topics starting with brand loyalty and my disdain for those who hate particular car makers for no particular reason. I’ve got a lot to say so make some popcorn or something.

Brand loyalty and the unwarranted hate for American cars.

Ive noticed many people are only Ford fanatics others GM, while others are Toyota only and so forth. I’m okay with liking a particular car maker im a GM person myself while i do have a particular set of favorites  (in order of course) with Chevrolet, Ford, Honda and lastly Dodge. Most of my favorite car makers are of American, considering that well i was born and raised as an American, besides the fact my grandfather was a Chevy only guy.

The fact remains however that some really go out of their way to hate a particular brand of car. One of them being Pontiac. It seems like since i took this job in the auto industry that uses old machines that Ford automaker originally had that we now use and possibly other automaker machines from the 70s that still get the job done. Anyway i have had several people i should get rid of my Grand Am because its junk? Except the fact that it runs beautifully and i wouldn’t trade it for anything else. I was planning on keeping the car running and considering they don’t make Pontiac any more im sure eventually someone might want to pay more money than it’s worth. I am saving money for another car, just in case i need that money for a new vehicle, because the Grand Am is over 20 years old. Driving over 60miles a day certainly will one day take its toll but if people were at all concerned about reliablity of Pontiacs and American cars in general, they are just as reliable as any other car provided that they are well cared for.

This one guy i work with trades his car in every 6 years. Then tells me i need to get a new car. Funny thing considering switching cars can be just as unreliable as buying a used car with little care.

Besides the Ford jokes being funny the feud is often between Dodge, GM and Ford. Some people hate American cars all together. That certainly doesn’t make any other automaker any better and while there are differences they are all using the same or similar technology. And every automaker has its defects. While certain cars are more reliable than others, it all comes down to defective parts. A lot goes into building a car and therefore a lot could go wrong.

Even my car has some defects or issues. The windows for an example has plastic and often break if you try to open them in cold weather. BCM or Body Control Module malfunctioned, a gasket leak which was under warranty at the time the hazard switch was not soldered correctly and a few other small things. But they were inexpensive to fix and i stuck through them and now the Grand Am is doing well, which it always has done well.

But had i bought a new car every 5 years or so i may not be so lucky. And its always a gamble. But people can and should have the right to drive what car they feel most comfortable with without prejudice. And its sad that some people call a car, junk based on what the name says on the outside.

Driving reckless, road rage.

This seems to be getting worse as when i first had drove, people seemed to be less in a hurry and didnt speed all the time but with accidents becoming worse and people staring at their cellphones instead of driving the highway has become a dangerous place to be. I drive to Chicago via 290 and you have people doing 90+ swerving in between lanes just so they don’t have to slow down in order to get to their destination 2 minutes faster. I take about half an hour. I used to drive 65-70 with bursts of 80 to pass in the left lane but after seeing driving only 60 im saving 1-2mpg. Driving back and forth i saved about 3-4mpg and in some cases 5! That ends up being a lot and instead of using 1.3gallon of gas per drive im only doing 1 gallon per drive. That translates to bigger savings and im only taking an extra 2-3 minutes out of my day.

However impatient drivers can’t see this logic the faster you go the more gas you consume. And i have to figure out my mileage by dividing the mileage trip counter and how much gas i have to put back in. Most current cars you can see this in real time. So theres no reason they can’t see their dimished mileage capacity on the dash. Or maybe its because they don’t care. However some of us do and wasting gas to get to your destination a couple of minutes faster is just ridiculous. Of course people do what they want and they probably never get pulled ovet for it.

Cities tried to put in speed cameras but that was removed. People got upset that they were breaking the law by speeding. But their speeding is causing problems on the highway because for one you got people racing one another to work and another,

WHAT IS THE SPEED LIMIT?

Seriously, the fact you got someone doing 45, another 60 and then 65, 70, 80 (you get the idea) so it makes driving on the highway that much more dangerous not to mention you have someone lingering in the passing lane going slower than the middle lanes. So this makes driving hazardous and people die on the highway because of this.

If these people feel they need to speed across the highway unsafely, then they really should evaluate their schedules. Leave earlier, move to a different location whatever the case is there is ni need to endanger yourself and others. The speed limit is there to avoid this sort of problem but without it being enforced there is little hope that this will change.

On a side note, i sometimes get rocks thrown at me due to the fact trucks do not clean their cars off and already its damaged my windshield, but not to the point where its cracked, just irritating. Something should be done about this.

Car preventative maintenance for maximum life.

Engine oil. Most people know to get the oil changed and there is still controversy on when that should be done. It used to be every 3 months or every 3,000 miles but automakers and oil companies claim you can go longer. Some new cars mainly Ford and GM have oil life percentage monitors that tells you when you are in need of changing the oil in your car. People claim this is accurate however i always err on the side of caution and when it gets past 6,000 miles, 6 months or 30% of oil life remaining to get the oil changed. Some might be bothered by it but for those who want to maximize engine longevity this is the way. I personally change my oil after 4,500 miles  (its an older car) which is about every 3-4 months. I always try to change it during summer and winter as the changes in temp could affect the oil. May not be completely necessary but i sometimes would then change it early or extend it to 5,200 miles depending on climate history. City driving with lots of stop and go traffic requires more frequent oil changes as early as 3,000 miles. Especially when driven hard.

Other fluids need changing and lifetime fluid is false.  No matter what anyone tells you those fluids in your car break down over time just like oil so while fluid change is different for every car its best to follow your trusted mechanics advice. No fluid is lifetime especially transmission fluid, people were told this and then 100,000 miles or so later the transmission locks up and  like your stuck in neutral. Get that changed every 30,000 miles. Or if your mechanic can’t work on it, get rid of it and post negative reviews. Cheaply made cars without the means to change the fluid is bad. Not that I’ve heard of this but auto makers are making fluid changes more difficult.

Fix any problems or noises right away.  Sometimes a problem might creep up, sometimes it’s normal but other times a small problem can turn into a big one. If it sounds odd or you have a smell or a leak have someone check it out. Note the AC unit will produce water when ran during the summer especially in humid areas so dont panic. If you want to be sure stick a finger and look at it, you might have to smell it too but if you dont want to do that, run the car without the AC in the morning. Check all the fluids, make sure you are not losing anything.

If you do have a leak get it checked out. If it looks like an oil leak, find out if the oil plug bolt needs replacing, sometimes the oil filter is not tight enough or something is wrong with the seal.

Some problems like windows won’t function might not need attention right away but if you plan on keeping the car for life, may be a good idea to get it replaced provided you have the money.  Other problems may creep up that’ll cause a chain reaction of “oh that doesn’t need fixing” to this car is junk now.

Clean undercarriage and body, if possible keep the car out of direct sunlight.  Keeping the car clean is just as important as keeping the engine in proper working order. Washing and waxing will help prevent sun fade and using touch up paint will help prevent rusting. However that’s only half the battle. Cleaning the undercarriage is just as important and will prevent rotting. I’ve made this mistake and can be costly to repair. And people will then say its not worth to fix. If you want to go the extra step and get additional protection which is highly recommended is to have an autobody shop put a protective oil underneath. The autobody shop owner i spoke to uses Fluid Film (you can look it up) and it costs about  $300. It may be different elsewhere but if i do this every couple of years my car won’t fall apart rusting.

It works best with a new car with very little rust but its important to check up on this and is easily done by looking under the car.

If you live in a snowy/salty place this oil should protect your car. Its recommended to follow what your autobody guy tells you but its important to verify they are doing the correct way.

Even if you don’t plan on keeping your car the resale value of your car will remain well due to little or no rusting, especially in snowy climates.

Don’t wide open throttle your car or do burnouts and other advice. This may sound like you can’t ever have fun  constantly flooring your gas pedal and doing burnouts can wear out your car quicker, requires additional and more frequent maintenance. If you want to extend the life of your vehicle, don’t do them all the time. Every so often though its not a bad idea to floor it every so often to get everything going. Just dont do it when the engine is not fully warmed up when the temp gauge hasn’t reached its normal peak spot (usually in the middle of cold and hot). Do it safely too and if you got a performance car it may be better to learn what not to do when hitting full acceleration. Safety first. Also Seafoam in the gas tank is good once in awhile (but research this first). I also use Shell V-Power premium gas, more expensive but my cars fuel system is happy.

 

Other tips like warming up your car, i had previously talked about this in an earlier post but it must be said, for safety reasons and for longevity warming up your car in winter for a couple of minutes is recommended.

Some people may claim that they never warm up their car and never have any issues but its most likely that they dont hold onto their cars for very long. Some auto experts may say its unnecessary and that you should drive slowly after a 30 sec warm-up. You should take it easy on the throttle during the first 5 minutes anyway but not to the point where you are going too slow.

Im right near the entrance to the highway so i have little time to allow my car to fully warm up but during winter i let the temp gauge move before taking off. And i try to increase speed on the ramp as early as i can to get up to speed. You have to time it right. On the way home though i got ample time to reach optimum temp. For some though its going to take a little more than 3 minutes of warm up time especially if you don’t have a garage and live near the highway.

Another tip if you got a garage, use it. I see many people that do have a garage but don’t use it for their car. I could understand people using it for projects and some don’t have the space but sometimes its better to have someplace to shelter your car from the cold and sunrays. The dash can warp, and can fade the paint.

Hopefully this was informative and sorry it was really long but i havent written a post (besides yesterday) but i wanted to talk about this.

No, electric vehicles are not the future

Its been a while since i written a post, since i only have internet on my phone i haven’t been in a writing mood. Call me old fashioned but i prefer writing using a keyboard and mouse. Smartphones are great but the keyboard is too small and flimsy so i don’t really do much. I might try to transfer a topic i could write from my PC to my phone but it would require me moving a SD card back and forth.

But thats not the topic at hand here. Reading some posts on Facebook on EV or electric vehicles has got my attention, particularly the ones that say there will be 2/3rd of all cars will be electric by 2025. Now before i continue, EVs are not a bad thing. Its a great alternative for those who can’t be bothered with gas cars and in the long haul could save you a bit of money if circumstances work in your favor. They certainly will save you trips to the mechanic.

Some of this information may be inaccurate so don’t get angry if i said something completely wrong.

But anytime i hear of EVs replacing gas cars, you can hear an audible groan. For very obvious reasons which i will list below.

1. Charging takes too long. It has been easy and quick to refuel a combustion engine car, you are at the gas station and it takes as little as 5 minutes to fill up a tank with gas. However even with fancy quick charging EVs it’ll take at least half an hour. Not good for those who forgot to charge their car earlier. People will forget. I forget that i need gas in my car and while usually its not bad where im driving on empty others do.

With gas cars you drive to the gas station to fill up. You don’t fill it up at home or work so to recharge your car, it would take having to remember each day to plug it in. Some people say, you can charge these cars overnight but it takes remembering to do this. And some people will not ever have access to a charging outlet for that they park on the street or in an apt complex. Sure there might be someway to add outlets throughout where people park but it would have to be waterproof, not to mention this creates additional hazards when dangerous weather conditions cause damage to the area. So for many this really isn’t an option and people will opt to continue using gas cars.

2. Batteries are quite unreliable. For the most part anyways batteries are unpredictable and while if constructed well, batteries can last a lot longer, however investing in a vehicle can be a gamble sometimes with the increasing recalls and other defects car manufactures are plagued with its easily concieved that you would be lucky to get 10 years out of an EV battery. Most people junk their gas car when the engine or transmisson goes dead but in many cases, well maintained cars will last 20+ years before that happens but ive seen many cars get junked within 10 years. The warranty is up and the car was most likely badly maintained to begin with. While people claim they are getting 200,000 miles or over 10 years out of their EV battery. Either they are trying to decieve people in the name of getting off gas or they are just lucky, as generally its new technology and car companies are trying really hard at making these cars recall proof but even Tesla had a few problems with their power steering and possibly othet defects.

The other problem is heat. No battery can really survive under extreme heat and particularly areas where excessive heat lingers, makes it really difficult to believe you could get 10 years out of one of these EV cars before having to junk it due to the battery wearing out and no matter what they will wear out. If one cell dies in an EV battery, the whole car may not function as intended. Even if you could repair the damaged cell, it could get as costly as a gas engine rebuild. Over $1,500 and there is no guarantee that the battery will be good as new. At that point you may have to consider replacing a $3,000+ battery for a new one or to junk the car, which would increase waste as junked cars often sit in the junkyard for years deteriorating before a costly recycling process.

3.  If 2/3rd of vehicles on the road were electric, it would put tremendous strain on the electric grid.  We already have a high demand of electricity and while the cost currently is better than the insane gas prices that could change in a matter of years if we were to switch to EVs. In order for electric companies to meet these demands they would have to update the grid and more than likely would increase electric costs as a result. Its already a fragile setup as high energy demands during peak Air Conditioner usage, which is why its encouraged to only use the AC as little and and as low as possible. Otherwise if cost and electricity usage wasn’t a factor people like me would run the AC at 60F all summer. But instead so i can save money and the strain on the electric grid i keep it around 78F.

4. Mechanics loose, manufacturing loss and many jobs will be lost crippling the economy.  I don’t like visiting the mechanic as much as the next person, but in order to keep the economy running we need to give some money to others and while im not particularly fond of this way of thinking, i certainly would love to keep my job, my hours and while im only 38, i got to think of retirement. And i would like to retire sometime after 55 years. So i would like for the economy to thrive.

With EVs there are fewer engine comoonents but buying a gas engine will keep the mechanics working. Its planned obsolescence and a waste of resources but many people like myself are confined to one area to work. I am too tired to relearn a job and currently retail is a dying breed of jobs. So if you like the way the economy is, keep using gas cars.

5. Hydrogen cars are most likely a better bet. While true hydrogen cars are fully electric from little research, you could easily convert a gas car to hydrogen based and it may give mechanics a business boost for a short time. Maybe they will consider working on your broken down car a bit more (but the honest ones will most likely tell you to buy a new one if necessary). Hydrogen is basically water so instead of gas in the tank you can use water. In its hydrogen state however i don’t believe it can be stored for very long which is most likely why hydrogen cars never made it to use.

I think the oil companies wanted to have hydrogen at the ready instead of you refueling your car with a garden hose. So until our greedy friends finds a way to keep hydrogen or some other combustible source of energy, EVs are a stopgap.  The car industry loves this because they are hoping to kill most gas cars forcing people to buy EVs and then when another energy vehicle comes to fruition EVs will be obsolete so it would take more to convert.

Unfortunately this disposable way of thinking isn’t good for our future. By any means most cars should see 40+ years on the road but the average is 11 years making cars one of the biggest resource waste on this planet.  Recycling should only be necessary when the item is no longer sustainable.

EVs are not a bad thing and its good to reduce the dependance of oil however its trading one problem for another and creates new problems. While you can add smart meters to your home so you can monitor electric usage in real time and determine for yourself whether an electric car is right for you i can’t recommend buying an EV based on so many unknowns. The economy being a big factor, there really is not many options. As a hard worker in auto part manufacturing i don’t want to loose my hours or job,  because i have nowhere else to turn to. Im sure many mechanics agree. Im too tired to figure out another job field as i haven’t been in my current position for very long and it took a lot out of me to learn what i know now. Being in retail for 18 years took more life out of me than you can imagine. Mentally i feel like im 60 years old.. i can’t loose what i have gained recently and the million or so gas vehicles makes it possible for me to have a job i love so much and is sustainable for my future.

So consider this before buying an EV what impact it could have on the economy. But if you are looking for a job in auto mechanics or production, its wise to consider another field, especially if you are young. If possible take a few professions so you have a better future for yourself.