Determine 1: Neighbor with Ford Mustang Mach-E in my driveway. December 23, 2022. Photograph by Fritz Hasler.
From Local weather Concern To Repeat EV Possession
Throughout my 30 12 months profession in NASA, I used to be at all times on the forefront of the newest computer systems, picture processing expertise, and HD video film making. I additionally realized from our NASA imaging that every one the mountain glaciers on the earth 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 turn out to be an advocate, and evangelist for applied sciences that might cut back the human causes of local weather change. What might I do personally to have an effect? Buy an electrical automobile and set up photo voltaic panels on my roof.
I learn the whole lot I might 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. Nevertheless, 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 at all times a technical downside that stored his automobile from sensible use.
Over 8 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 might save that a lot simply in averted gasoline purchases, so I made the leap on February 21, 2014. This coming February (subsequent month), it will likely 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 pink 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 nearly 3 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 following two years — nothing! Nevertheless, 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 horny yellow coloration however is kind of dissatisfied as a result of he doesn’t suppose the expertise is kind of as much as the requirements of Tesla. I simply discovered that one other ward member bought the beautiful white Rivian pickup truck that I noticed drive by my home a number of weeks in the past. It’s the featured automobile on the Drop Detailing web site (see Determine 2.) He made a cross-country journey not too long ago 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 an identical white Mannequin 3 greater than as soon as.
Determine 2: My neighbor’s Rivian electrical pickup, at Drop Detailing. Murray, Utah. November 7, 2022. Photograph by Drop Detailing.
Only a few days in the past, I noticed an Amazon Prime Rivian electrical supply van simply throughout my road (see Determine 3). The motive force mentioned he loves the brand new van and was sort sufficient to pose for footage and present me inside. He mentioned Amazon already has ~100 electrical supply vans working out of their distribution heart simply north of us in American Fork, Utah. These are a number 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. Pictures 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 3 subsequent to a black Mannequin Y at LDS Church. Lindon, Utah. January 8, 2023. Photograph 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 8 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. Nevertheless, a variety of current heavy snowfalls did cowl them. I used to be happy to see the snow lastly sloughed off when the temperatures warmed up and we received some rain as you’ll be able to 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, Photograph by Fritz Hasler
What are you noticing in your neighborhoods? Are you noticing extra electrical fashions in neighbors’ driveways, or increased numbers of the identical fashions? Are you noticing electrical supply automobiles?
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