• ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org
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    3 months ago

    I’m undecided on getting an EV or not getting one, and this makes me glad I kept my old diesel: for one, nobody questions my ability to fuel up at any gas station. But also, all gas stations are designed to accommodate cars that have a tank filler on either side of the vehicle without forcing the driver to take up two spots.

    The more I look at the EV world, the more I’m convinced I should wait until all the quirks are ironed out - by which point I’ll probably be old enough to stop driving altogether.

    • Ben Hur Horse Race@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      from what I undertstand the climate impact is less if you drive your petrol/deisel car into the ground than if you ditch a functioning car to buy a newly manufacruted EV.

      • ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org
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        3 months ago

        That’s one of the factors that keeps me from getting an EV. It’ll always be worse for the environment if I get a new car - EV or not - rather than continue keeping this old diesel in good working condition and driving it until it dies, because its manufacturing carbon cost is already spent. So the more I drive it, the more I dilute it.

        But really, the real reason is because modern cars are friggin’ spying devices. And that too goes for EVs and not EVs. That’s really the biggest turnoff for me. I swear to God, when this car dies, I’m seriously considering going carless again, because I just don’t want a car that’s connected to the internet 24/7, spying on me and pulling software updates without my knowledge or my consent.

    • JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works
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      3 months ago

      That’s sad to hear. I use the other sort of port, CCS, but I’ve never had any issues with charging. The people have been very nice and the process has been smooth.

      Plus a big selling feature for me was that I could save about $1.5k a year in gas with my commute distance. I didn’t know how that matches up for diesel though.

      • ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org
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        3 months ago

        a big selling feature for me was that I could save about $1.5k a year in gas with my commute distance.

        Yeah but how much did you have to pay to get that saving in gasoline, after you were done sold you previous car and buying the new one?

        I too could save a bunch of money running an electric car, and even more so because my company has free chargers on the parking lot and I drive so little that I would essentially never have to pay to charge up. But any savings I could get with an EV would be totally negated for many, many years just because of the cost of buying a new car.

        Financially, it makes more sense to keep my old car. It costs more to run, but it’s paid for. Ultimately, if I ever get an EV, it’ll probably a gift I’ll give to myself because it won’t make much sense, financially or ecologically.

        • BehindTheBarrier@programming.dev
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          3 months ago

          Given your little driving, sticking with the old one is a sound decision. But it’s worth looking into getting a used electric car if you do need to upgrade. Especially since you say you don’t use the car too much, an older one which has had some battery decay might still be fully operable, and closer to a price range where it’s not a large monetary loss.

          • ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org
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            3 months ago

            You’re right.

            Actually I was looking into getting one of the early models - perhaps even a plug-in hybrid - that wasn’t yet equipped with all the surveillance gear and internet connectivity I dread, and having it refurbished. Even if the original range was, say, 120 miles and it only gets half of that because the battery is worn out, and half of that again because I live in a cold climate, I still get 30 miles in the winter and that’s enough for me because the most I would drive is 20 miles between charges - basically for commuting.