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3 hours ago, tdhoosier said:

Maybe I should've been more clear, spun in the sense of criticizing the overall emissions of electric cars. I do believe that oil companies have no place for moral superiority regarding the Congo though. 

And you aren't looking at the post I made prior to the one you are quoting. I said:

"Not saying that the destabilization of Congo doesn't matter because it does."

"However at the same time, we can still press companies like Tesla to do a better job."

I certainly think we should be good stewards of our environment with the technology and information that we know. I am equally concerned from a humanitarian perspective.

I'd like to see some transparency as far as the reinvestment from these companies.  Think I read last week that China is actually doing most of the mining over there or at least owns most of the mines.

Edited by NotIThatLives
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3 hours ago, tdhoosier said:

Not saying that the destabilization of Congo doesn't matter because it does. However, I do find interesting the critical narrative of batteries: "they are not as green as you may think." It's true but it it still is better overall than gas powered engines. When you look at the alternative of gas powered engines, there are many factors to weigh. Look what oil did to the destabilization of the middle east and it's not like manufacturing emissions are non-existent for gas powered vehicles, let alone the emissions expelled in their daily use.

It's important to look at the big picture, which is that battery powered vehicles are much cleaner overall in their life cycle (including manufacturing). I've read they are at least 1/3 cleaner and pay off their higher manufacturing emissions in 2 years compared to a normal gas powered car.  However at the same time, we can still press companies like Tesla to do a better job. To their credit, at least efforts are being made: solar powered factories, recycling programs, reusing batteries, etc.  

All said, and in parallel to my point above, no energy source is going to be 100% perfect. I just think it's important to continue to let innovation and technology develop if it's better than the current norm. As long as the path leads to energy that is more sustainable, cleaner and cheaper. On the flip side, we need to stop subsidizing industries that have no economical future; it's the equivalent to investing in telephones that plug into the wall. The world moves at a speed that sometimes makes certain industries dispensable, when this happens you need to let them die on their own and make room for the better alternative. Coal and oil will soon be the Blockbuster Video of the energy sector.

 

I've been following EVs for years. Both on the investment front and as a potential owner. I like the thought of less moving parts, maintenance, and greater acceleration. I don't buy for a minute that electric is universally cleaner.  Where does the electricity come from to charge these vehicles? In some cases, diesel powered generators!  An electric is recharged by electricity and is only as clean as the source generating the electricty. Countries that produce lots of nuclear energy will have a greener footprint for their EVs. The cleanest, most sustainable forms of energy are fuel cells, nuclear, wind and hydro. They all have issues.

In the end, the answer is all of the above. Certain parts of the country are better for wind or solar. (Natural) gas and oil are not dinosaurs although I do think they are on the downhill side of demand. 

As far as subsidies, I'm not so sure we should be subsidizing any. A lot of that just breeds corruption and waste (Solyndra). Invest in innovation and research and let private companies take it from there. 

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  • 2 months later...

So, it's time to buy the wife a new car. Shes been driving our pos 2007 Silverado for too long.  Now that we can afford it she wants a new car. And let's be real, I want her to be safe in her ride. 

We already have a Ford Fusion we got late last year. Love it. She wants either a Fusion or a Hyundai Sonata.  The Hyundai looks like a really good option. Anyone have experience with Hyundai?  

Edited by mrflynn03
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Kia and Hyundai are basically the same.  I just bought a Kia for my wife in Jan and we both love it. Great combination of safety, technology, comfort, looks, reliability and resale value- with a 100k warranty. All sorts of people had it as the SUV of the year. I never would have imagined being a KIA owner before doing my research. Now, I'd highly recommend one- especially over a Ford. 

I didn't even know we had self driving capability and then find out it is better than the Tesla in some conditions- https://www.reddit.com/r/SelfDrivingCars/comments/d492gj/is_kia_tellurides_driving_assist_system_as_good/?utm_source=BD&utm_medium=Search&utm_name=Bing&utm_content=PSR1

The Sonata is lower priced than the Kia Stinger but if you are going to be going for more than a base model, this is something that might even get the attention of @Hoosierhoopsterhttps://www.caranddriver.com/kia/stinger-2021

See the source image

 

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  • 2 months later...

Just a general comment. These used car prices are getting a bit I'll say....dumb? My buddy has a F150 I believe. He was nosing around the Ford lot over the weekend and he owes 21k on his truck. Ford guy says we'll give you $29k for trade in as long as you use Ford Financing at 6.8% instead of his own bank 3.25. Be careful in the used car market gang. These prices are ridiculous. 

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9 hours ago, Seeking6 said:

Just a general comment. These used car prices are getting a bit I'll say....dumb? My buddy has a F150 I believe. He was nosing around the Ford lot over the weekend and he owes 21k on his truck. Ford guy says we'll give you $29k for trade in as long as you use Ford Financing at 6.8% instead of his own bank 3.25. Be careful in the used car market gang. These prices are ridiculous. 

Well, I could go down the rabbit hole of why used car prices are insane but supply chain issues is are a predominant factor.

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On 4/10/2020 at 3:58 PM, mrflynn03 said:

As for Toyota longevity, I've had 2. 

A 1996 Tacoma I sold in 2011 for Silverado down payment. Had 288,000 miles on it.

Still driving a 2004 Toyota Solara with 351,000 on it now. 

Just want to say I rolled over 400,000 miles on that Solara before I was forced to by a new car last summer.  

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8 hours ago, mrflynn03 said:

Just want to say I rolled over 400,000 miles on that Solara before I was forced to by a new car last summer.  

Toyotas are great vehicles if you like reliability and fit and finish...

But I simply cannot believe how far they lag in convenience technology...I bought my wife a 2020 Tacoma and the cruise control is still on a little stalk under the wiper control? There's no "Auto" setting for headlights?

And their entertainment interface, Entune, is the worst I've ever seen. Thank God they finally went to Android Auto and Apple Carplay...

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1 hour ago, IUFLA said:

Toyotas are great vehicles if you like reliability and fit and finish...

But I simply cannot believe how far they lag in convenience technology...I bought my wife a 2020 Tacoma and the cruise control is still on a little stalk under the wiper control? There's no "Auto" setting for headlights?

And their entertainment interface, Entune, is the worst I've ever seen. Thank God they finally went to Android Auto and Apple Carplay...

I researched the Tacoma when I bought my truck in 2016. It was an old model back then. 

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11 hours ago, mrflynn03 said:

Just want to say I rolled over 400,000 miles on that Solara before I was forced to by a new car last summer.  

The magic of a typo and brevity. Original post should have been 381000 and I drove it until it hit 400,000.  My old commute was 150 miles a day.  

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13 hours ago, mrflynn03 said:

Just want to say I rolled over 400,000 miles on that Solara before I was forced to by a new car last summer.  

Now that is getting your money's worth.

I bought an 07 Chevy Blazer rebuild in 2012 with about 71,000 miles on it for $7,000.  The guy worked at a big body shop in Ft. Wayne and rebuilt it for his wife who later died of cancer (lung cancer from the smell of it), but it was at least $4-5 thousand less than comparable 4WDs at the time.  We took the seat covers out and burned them and after 6 months, a thorough shampoo and a lot of Febreeze, the smell was gone.  Sold it in 2017 with 142,000 miles on it for $4500.  That was probably the cheapest 71,000 miles I ever got out of a vehicle.

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On 1/25/2021 at 11:30 AM, NotIThatLives said:

That's pretty dismissive of the fact that roughly 60% of the worlds cobalt is coming from a very unstable Congo.  

I'm not sure but I hope these companies are helping these countries more than hurting.  

Do they ever? Exploration for profit seems to be a staple of the corporate playbook.

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  • 2 months later...

Gonna throw in a throwback motorcycle for fun...just got my 1986 Nighhawk S back from a 5 year restoration project.  The S was only made three years....1984, 84 & 86.  I was a poor college student at the time, but later after I was married, I found a 10-year-old trainwreck S in the classifieds and bought it.  Literally had to push it down a hill, jump on it and kick it into first to start it.  Fast forward 25 years to today...I'm in love.

Fast, beautiful and ahead of it's time...

Resto1.jpg.aa5c251e138e24f490222bdfe6b6d653.jpg

Resto2.jpg.93136b151d30709fcc93b9f15193bb38.jpg

Resto3.jpg.e4f3f37b61d968ecbf74e49011614ad8.jpg

Resto5.jpg.8b564b20e25c73773ec4f59c42d6cf66.jpgResto4.jpg.0aeead345c7355889deae14c2f62f983.jpg

Resto6.jpg.f2de05bd684c8a0b5de8e100890b080d.jpg

Last pic is the lead resto guy.  I told him today I thought one of us would die before this got completed, but man...it was worth the wait.

Edited by FKIM01
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  • 3 months later...
On 8/29/2021 at 2:29 AM, FKIM01 said:

Gonna throw in a throwback motorcycle for fun...just got my 1986 Nighhawk S back from a 5 year restoration project.  The S was only made three years....1984, 84 & 86.  I was a poor college student at the time, but later after I was married, I found a 10-year-old trainwreck S in the classifieds and bought it.  Literally had to push it down a hill, jump on it and kick it into first to start it.  Fast forward 25 years to today...I'm in love.

Fast, beautiful and ahead of it's time...

Resto1.jpg.aa5c251e138e24f490222bdfe6b6d653.jpg

Resto2.jpg.93136b151d30709fcc93b9f15193bb38.jpg

Resto3.jpg.e4f3f37b61d968ecbf74e49011614ad8.jpg

Resto5.jpg.8b564b20e25c73773ec4f59c42d6cf66.jpgResto4.jpg.0aeead345c7355889deae14c2f62f983.jpg

Resto6.jpg.f2de05bd684c8a0b5de8e100890b080d.jpg

Last pic is the lead resto guy.  I told him today I thought one of us would die before this got completed, but man...it was worth the wait.

Beautiful bike. I rode for several years. My first was a Harley Davidson single cylinder 350. 1970. Evil motorcycle. I moved up to a 1972 Honda CB 750 Four. Loved that motorcycle and sold it to finance graduate school. My last bike was a 1985 Honda Shadow 500. That was probably my favorite. It was the perfect combination of power and agility for me. I've toyed with getting another bike for years but my wife says that I'm to irresponsible for motorcycles. I would have loved to ride a Blackbird just one time. Enjoy that beautiful bike.

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36 minutes ago, mrflynn03 said:

Anyone else's wife drive like she's trying to hit every pothole and obstacle on the road?  I've have smoother rides on mechanical bulls. Geez. 

I have an impatient wife. She will honk the horn at a moments notice. I keep telling her that she is going to get shot doing that. She also thinks she is channeling Mario Andretti when she drives, hard on the accelerator and hard on the brakes. I've given up on trying to change her.

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12 hours ago, mrflynn03 said:

Anyone else's wife drive like she's trying to hit every pothole and obstacle on the road?  I've have smoother rides on mechanical bulls. Geez. 

OMG yes, except it's a daughter. 5 #@%$#^ vehicles, all with damage to the right front tire area. The last vehicle that I own which I let her drive, shoe totally sheered off the lower A arm on the right front.  It took her 8 weeks to get her another car. On her FIRST drive in it (roughly 2 1/2 miles), the wife and I was following her. Nice and straight down the road, nicely centered between the lines, under the speed limit. About 1/4 mile up the road I see a tree had fallen and laying about 2' past the white line off the right side of the road, no other obstacles.

What did she do you ask? Drove a straight line to the damn tree. Brush and leaves flying all over the place, scratches all down the car. With my head in my hand, the wife says " well it was kinda close to the road".....  She is why we can't have nice things.       

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  • 5 months later...

I took the EV plunge. Traded in my Telluride for the all electric KIA EV6. https://www.kia.com/us/en/ev6 100,000 mile warranty! They compete against the Tesla, Mustang Mach E and others. As I pulled this thread back up, I realized I commented on EVs last year in this thread. So far, so good. Really happy to not be paying $4.89 / gallon (current prices here) for this vehicle. It did cost roughly $1000 to install a home charger. $450 for the GrizzleE charger, $300 for the wire and electrical supplies and $250 for the electrician.  I really like the flexibility of having an electric paired with a gas vehicle. Amazed at how far KIA has come with their vehicles. I'd encourage anyone thinking of going electric to do so if they can get a deal / purchase at MSRP or better. Demand looks to keep climbing and some models (Ford Lightning) are sold out for a year or more in advance. Gas prices don't look to be dropping much over the next year either.

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