Determine 1: Neighbor with Ford Mustang Mach-E in my driveway. December 23, 2022. Picture by Fritz Hasler.
From Local weather Concern To Repeat EV Possession
Throughout my 30 12 months profession in NASA, I used to be all the time on the forefront of the newest computer systems, picture processing know-how, and HD video film making. I additionally discovered from our NASA imaging that each one the mountain glaciers on the planet are receding, that the ice within the Arctic Ocean is receding, and about many different occasions which have satisfied me that anthropomorphic international warming is actual. It was a small step for me to grow to be an advocate, and evangelist for applied sciences that would cut back the human causes of local weather change. What may I do personally to have an effect? Buy an electrical car and set up photo voltaic panels on my roof.
I learn every part I may discover in regards to the growth of EVs and residential photo voltaic panels. I learn in regards to the introduction of the Nissan LEAF and Chevy Volt in 2010, however I didn’t know anybody who had one. Nonetheless, a member of my ward (congregation) had eliminated the gasoline engine in his MG sportscar and put in an electrical motor powered by lead-acid batteries. I talked to him weekly about his undertaking, however there was all the time a technical drawback that stored his car from sensible use.
Over Eight years in the past, Nissan was providing a two-year lease on a Nissan LEAF with 81 miles of vary for $200/month. I figured I’d save that a lot simply in prevented gasoline purchases, so I made the leap on February 21, 2014. This coming February (subsequent month), will probably be 9 years in the past. Two different members of our ward did the identical. These two didn’t renew their leases, however I used to be hooked and went on to commerce in for a 119-mile-range LEAF, a 150-mile-range LEAF, and on October 19, 2019, a white dual-motor 310-mile-range Tesla Mannequin 3. One other member of our ward bought a purple Efficiency model of the Mannequin 3. He has additionally bought the choice to purchase the Tesla Cybertruck when it lastly comes out (he has been ready virtually Three years now). Since then, my EV pioneer neighbor bought a Chevy Volt and a Chevy Bolt whereas my neighbor simply throughout the road bought a Chevy Volt. How issues have modified since then!
Not Simply Teslas — Different EV Manufacturers Additionally Popping Up In My Neighborhood!
For the subsequent two years — nothing! Nonetheless, in the previous few weeks, one of many early LEAF house owners in my ward bought a Ford Mustang Mach-E (see Determine 1). He likes the attractive yellow coloration however is sort of dissatisfied as a result of he doesn’t suppose the know-how is sort of as much as the requirements of Tesla. I simply came upon that one other ward member bought the attractive white Rivian pickup truck that I noticed drive by my home a number of weeks in the past. It’s the featured car on the Drop Detailing web site (see Determine 2.) He made a cross-country journey lately and was not impressed with the CCS fast-charging infrastructure at this level. Within the meantime, Teslas right here in Utah are multiplying like rabbits. I’ve counted as much as 20 per day and have discovered myself following an equivalent white Mannequin Three greater than as soon as.
Determine 2: My neighbor’s Rivian electrical pickup, at Drop Detailing. Murray, Utah. November 7, 2022. Picture by Drop Detailing.
Just some days in the past, I noticed an Amazon Prime Rivian electrical supply van simply throughout my avenue (see Determine 3). The motive force stated he loves the brand new van and was form sufficient to pose for footage and present me inside. He stated Amazon already has ~100 electrical supply vans working out of their distribution middle simply north of us in American Fork, Utah. These are a few of the first of the 100,000 electrical supply vans that Amazon has on order from Rivian.
Determine 3: Amazon Prime Rivian electrical supply van in Lindon, Utah. January 5, 2023. Images by Fritz Hasler
Popping out of our neighborhood church final Sunday, there was a black Tesla Mannequin Y parked subsequent to my Mannequin 3 (see Determine 4).
Determine 4: My white Mannequin Three subsequent to a black Mannequin Y at LDS Church. Lindon, Utah. January 8, 2023. Picture by Fritz Hasler.
In Determine 5, you see the photo voltaic panels that I had put in on my roof. They’ve already paid for themselves within the Eight years since I had them put in. And now, I’m driving on sunshine! They’ve best efficiency right here in our sunny Utah local weather. Nonetheless, quite a lot of latest heavy snowfalls did cowl them. I used to be happy to see the snow lastly sloughed off when the temperatures warmed up and we obtained some rain as you may see in Determine 5. We hope that the atmospheric river bringing water out of the Pacific Ocean which is inundating California now and bringing snow to Utah will finish the 200-year drought within the Western US. We had 18” of snow final evening, with one other 18” falling now on the Brighton Ski Resort the place I educate alpine snowboarding.
Hopefully, together with extra electrical automobiles on the streets round me, we’ll see an increasing number of photo voltaic roofs to energy these electrical automobiles.
Determine 5: Driving on sunshine — solar-powered home in Lindon, Utah. January 10, 2023, Picture by Fritz Hasler
What are you noticing in your neighborhoods? Are you noticing extra electrical fashions in neighbors’ driveways, or greater numbers of the identical fashions? Are you noticing electrical supply automobiles?
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