[UPDATE: I done did the deed! I bought a 2023 Nissan Ariya Engage e-4orce EV with 3,700 miles on it (not a typo) for $20,995 (also not a typo) on August 1st, 2025, ten years to the day after I closed on the sale of my house in Wisconsin to move here. Super smooth, fast, comfortable car with lots of luxury touches. "Like New" in used camera terms.
Nissan (manufacturer) Ariya (model) Engage (trim tier) e-4orce (AWD). It was the sixth of the original eight trim levels in 2023, third from the bottom, one of only two trims with the smaller battery. The original price was approx. $48,190 two+ years ago. That's about a 56–57% depreciation in two years, which is...a lot for a near-luxury-level SUV with only 3,700 miles on it.
Three main reasons it was so cheap AFAIK:
- Nissan is limping globally in terms of business health
- Smaller battery + dual motors and AWD with tons of e-horsepower and torque = low range
- Slow charging, both at home (7.2 kW) and at DC Fast Chargers (130 kW)
All three of those are bad for sales, especially since charging speed and driving range are the chief concerns of new EV adopters. (That was Musk's big innovation with Tesla: give the cars great big heavy batteries to quiet consumers' range concerns.)
I bought it mainly because it was within reach for me, which almost nothing is, but there's a lot I like about it. Mainly, it has an opulent and very tasteful interior, but without the increasingly trifling overcomplications in the interiors of the highest models (I don't need a motor to open the secondary glove box, for instance). Main thing I'll touch on: it's possibly the most comfortable car I, now a sedentary overweight 6'1" 68-year-old*, have ever clambered into. The exceptionally good seats slide back automatically when you open the door to make egress and entry easier, the height and the lack of a stepover are very comfortable, and I love the elaborate "coffee table" which is what Nissan calls the center armrest. Importantly (I might even say crucially) for me, there's no center stack. The sharp side of a center stack digging into the side of my knee in a painful way is a surprisingly prevalent problem for me, disqualifying my second choice, the new Civic Hybrid.
Two pet-peevish things I love: you can cover up the cup holders, which are an eyesore in most vehicle cockpits IMO. And you lower the tailgate with your arm, which I remain convinced is something I am capable of doing all by myself like a big boy. No offense if your taste is for the opposite.
Anyway, brave new world. I'm as excited as a kid with a new toy. However, this news means you will stop hearing about EVs very shortly now, as I'll be "stopping shopping" soon. (And, as always [cheap pens?!? Really Mike?], thank you for your patience with me.) My late brother Scott's rule amongst the brothers was "new sheet metal requires pictures," but I haven't taken delivery yet. Pictures to come.
I beg your pardon for the off-topic post, but I'm just immersed in learning about EVs and everything associated with them (great fun, by the way) and I can't help but have the subject on the brain. (I have this problem: it's by far easiest to write about whatever I'm enthusiastic about at the moment. A few of you might possibly have noticed.)
Here's the thought: it's that one big problem with EVs resides, collectively, in our own heads. We need to re-train ourselves to think differently about fueling.
For years—forever—we have learned, practiced, and internalized the liquid-fueling protocol, namely, drive till empty and then fuel completely all at once, while on the move—that is, as a stop in the midst of driving around or driving toward a destination. So far, everybody except EV adopters still wants to mentally shoehorn electric cars into the liquid-fueling model—drive till almost empty then fuel all at once en route, while out driving. Well, not to sound like a second-grader, but that's not fair. At some point we'll have to change that thinking. Electric refueling goes like this: top off if needed when the vehicle is at rest, meaning mostly at home. It's a new way of thinking about fueling, with a new set of plusses and minuses. So by assuming or insisting that electric cars must replicate the paradigm of liquid refueling above all else, people are naturally allowing their thinking about EVs to be distorted. They have mental blinders on, so to speak. Mental blinders of their own making. Because, obviously, electric refueling is not going to be equally good at the one thing that liquid refueling is best at.
That's what creates "range anxiety"—because we're thinking about driving till empty. And we're assuming we'll need to charge on the road. And all of us (or maybe I should speak for myself) are familiar with that panicky feeling of suddenly realizing the gas gauge is low. Or of actually running out of gas and becoming stranded. But from most of the EV owners I've heard from, they don't drive till empty. That's not how the new model works. They let the charge go down as it will or as it must and then charge it back up more or less right away, the next time the car is at rest and not being used.
I first encountered this idea about fueling and peoples' thinking about it in an article written by Adrian Salinas at an Australian site called ArenaWire.
For most non-city-dwelling drivers (I didn't say all, and yes, I know the exceptions are out there), the car sits idle for most of most days, and even more of the nights. That's certainly true of what I would call "commuter" driving, meaning [home —> work or errands —> home]. Put it this way—imagine you had your own gas pump right next to your garage and the gas in it was nearly free. How many times would you come home at night running on fumes? If you said anything but "never," you're an edge case (maybe you work as a rural mailman. Maybe you have a 170-mile commute each way). If [home —> distant destination] driving is electric fueling's worst thing, then its best thing is that suddenly you do have a gas station in your own garage, with fuel that costs 1/3rd to 1/5th of what liquid fuel costs. Commuter driving is electric's best end-user attribute. Gas/petrol can't touch it.
To figure out if it's for you, all you have to figure out is, how much of your driving leaves the car resting at home, and what's your longest possible daily commuter trip? For me it's a drive to Rochester + maybe 35 extra miles at most doing other things along the way or afterward. That's 150 miles round trip give or take. That's my outlier. Well within the range of all but one or two of the worst EVs still on the market. And 98% if not 99% of my driving is commuter driving, starting and ending at home. For that last 2% or 1%, I could either deal with charging along the way, or rent a car.
The new 2026 Nissan Leaf, coming this Fall
A funny little aside: I have a friend here who bemoans range anxiety with great drama. At which point I remind him that he's got four cars. What, can't he just snag the keys to the ICE SUV on the way out the door for that road trip? Having a liquid-fuel vehicle as well as an EV is the crude way to quiet range anxiety. Any given person might not want this, and it makes no sense to prescribe it, but then, it's also true that a lot of people have it. Hedges & Company estimates that approximately 37% of US households own two cars, and an additional 22% own three or more cars (via AI overview). I've got a friend who has one "good" (expensive, shiny, new) and one "beater" (worn, working, older) pickup truck, as well as a motley of several lesser cars...and a 4-wheeler, and an enormous motor-scooter he bought for a departed girlfriend, and two real motorcycles, and so on. I don't know his opinion about electric cars, but I'll try to remember to tread gently and not blast him a new one if has the temerity to bring up range anxiety as the "deal killer" with Yr. Hmbl. Ed.
Finally, not meaning to be incendiary, but...Eisenhower built the entire Interstate highway system. Surely our flattened, infiltrated version of the once-mighty Federal government, meek, meagre and withered as it has become, could eventually shift itself to install EV chargers all along those highways. That would take care of a whole lot of those long-range trips. We even have convenient places already reserved to put them...they're called rest stops.
Mike
*I used to be 6'2", no kidding.
P.S. Here's a nice video about what it actually costs to run an EV.
Original contents copyright 2025 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below or on the title of this post.)
Featured Comments from:
Mike
Have to comment on your EV musings. We bought an Ioniq6, an excellent car. It gets 330 miles to a charge. We have never had it down more than half way so far. We also have solar and a home charger. nearly free charging. Also we had a recall for the 12 volt battery charging unit. Ours was working fine but was replaced as I waited (4 hours). I have seen the complaints about reliability but I assume they are a minority of owners. No cars are perfect, they all fall on the curve. A few are perfect, a few are imperfect and the rest are in between. I think the Ev will be the standard car in 10 years. They are just a more fully refined vehicle.
Posted by: John Sullivan | Thursday, 31 July 2025 at 04:45 PM
Yup, that’s our household: the family-out-about-town car is our electric car. We use it 80% of the time, charging it overnight in our driveway as needed. Our other car is an ICE camper van, perfect for long trips and, you know, camping. It makes sense for us. Probably would for a lot of other people as well.
Along with federal highway rest stops, it would be helpful for cities to invest in lots of street-side chargers (Europe has this everywhere, built into the light poles…smart) as well as apartment building parking lots, for people who live in apartments but would also like to switch to an electric car.
We’ll get there eventually. Takes time to build out the infrastructure and change the thinking.
Posted by: Curt Gerston | Thursday, 31 July 2025 at 05:27 PM
"Surely our flattened, infiltrated version of the once-mighty Federal government,..
could eventually shift itself to install EV chargers all along those highways."
Not when the head of it wants to remain in the 19th century with the "drill baby drill" mantra and remaining in denial of the negative effects of burning petrol.
Posted by: Albert Smith | Thursday, 31 July 2025 at 06:12 PM
Maybe it's a different kind of range anxiety, but I think that this thing is a red herring --- just different usage patterns for your car. For example, my case is completely different here... I live in Spain, and 1) my daily commute is with public transportation - I take a bus to cover the 30+ km I need to cover from home to work; 2) I don't own a private garage where to refill the car - I can find a spot to park near home, or not, and 3) when I use my car, I normally travel 400 km or more, often 1400 if I go to see my family in Italy. So no, for now an EV do not cover my needs - it's not range anxiety, it's that it's simply that the technology is not here yet for me. It seems to me that for your usage an EV is perfect --- your case is just symmetrical opposite than mine. Remember, you can always rent a long range car for the odd need...
Posted by: Romano Giannetti | Thursday, 31 July 2025 at 06:34 PM
The next generation of "hydrocarbon vehicles" will, essentially, be electric vehicles. However, they will have hydrocarbon engines acting as generators that provide constant charging to the batteries (think diesel electric trains with batteries as mediators between the electric engines and the diesel engines).
These engines will operate at maximum efficiency since they can just operate at one output level. Further, since they only operate at one output level, they don't have to be inefficient piston engines. They could be of many other more efficient designs.
They will be able to operate with less battery capacity than pure EVs while achieving greater range. Imagine an SUV or mid-size pickup truck that gets the equivalent of 100 miles per gallon or more and a 600 mile range.
We might even get to the point where we can simply get gas canisters (like we do propane) at Walmart. We could store them up at home for a rainy day (or massive power grid outage week). Perhaps the efficiency will be high enough that we could use 20lb propane canisters as the "hydrocarbon" source.
Posted by: Jeff Hartge | Thursday, 31 July 2025 at 06:34 PM
FYI, I just looked up the energy storage of those 20lb propane canisters. They store about 120kWh of energy. The present generation of Tesla battery packs store about 100kWh. So those canisters will never serve as an energy source for vehicles. So we will always require gas station type arrangements for "hydrocarbon" vehicles.
Posted by: Jeff Hartge | Thursday, 31 July 2025 at 06:47 PM
I have wanted an electric vehicle for some time. Texas has a nice climate for such a vehicle. I live in a 15 minute city, drive 2 miles to work, groceries less than 1/2 mile, all types of big box stores 1-2 miles away. I am driving a total of about 5k a year. Home charging could be a problem as the garage was converted to a guest house so charger placement could be problematic. Maybe next time but I have to say my Mercedes C250 sedan is a joy to drive even if it is 12 years old. I’ll struggle to give that one up.
Posted by: Mike Ferron | Thursday, 31 July 2025 at 07:03 PM
Hi Mike,
I really like the idea of an EV which would suit my needs most of the time.
An EV would get me to the shops and back as well as my regular photography trips for a day.
But every year I have a week or two visiting a remote area for photography and the small country town does not have a EV charging station.
The next nearest charging station for an EV is in a town nearly an hours drive away. So therein lies the problem!
A hybrid may be the answer. I am considering a hybrid purchase in a few years time when my current petrol vehicle needs replacing.
Regards ..... Aubrey
Posted by: Aubrey | Thursday, 31 July 2025 at 08:36 PM
Yes, for most drivers, their car sits parked most of the time- 95% according to official estimates. To me, that's a reason not to buy an EV. I'm as green as the come, but you can't do much planet-saving with an investment with a 5% utilization factor. Any other kind of energy investment, from insulation and better windows to a home solar array, would get more use and do more good. If you were an everyday commuter to Rochester, OTOH, that's a whole other ballgame, and an EV would maker perfect sense.
Range anxiety isn't unfounded for many of us. Look at my time as a photographer. As an amateur landscape photographer and hiker, I'd repeatedly drove from Denver to Southern Utah, a tank-draining drive into a large region where even gas stations were hard to find. Even if EVs had existed, they wouldn't have been suitable. Later I was a real estate photographer on a highly irregular schedule, doing many 100-mile days and an occasional 250-miler now and then, taking new orders on the road.
If only I'd had two cars, a short-range EV plus a long-legged ICE'er! That's what I eventually bought. It just happened to be one single car, a PHEV. That's the best answer for most folks, I believe. No operational compromise, and no lugging around the weight and materials investment and inertia of a thousand-pound EV battery. But I've written of this before. I've also warned against the fallacy of generalizing from personal experience, often ventriloquized as "most people...".
Posted by: John McMillin | Thursday, 31 July 2025 at 09:36 PM
Traveled to Iceland a few years ago. Arranged with a Reykjavik travel company a ring road route with hotel stops at key places along the way. In some areas, Iceland has plenty of nothing between those stops, maybe just an occasional gas station/convenience store/restaurant complex. We learned quickly, if we saw a gas station, we stopped to top off the tank. Beats running out with nothing and no one but lava fields between you and the horizon, and no cell service.
Posted by: MikeR | Thursday, 31 July 2025 at 09:52 PM
Please keep writing OT topics you are highly interested, Mike. They are fun to read.
Let me offer you one suggestion on research. Consider an ebike. Not as replacement for your car. But in addition to it. As you pointed out, households with multiple vehicles, can accommodate EVs with no anxiety.
This would be a trade-off, of course. Ebikes have less range, are slower, and leave you exposed to the elements. On the other hand:
1. You will get exercise just doing routine stuff, like going to the supermarket
2. You may like it as a hobby or sport.
3. It would be cheaper
If you do decide to expand you search to consider ebikes, make sure you cover belt-driven ebikes, the likes of Priority Current, Evelo Omega, Specialized Como IGH. Some of them have CVTs and even automatic transmission.
Posted by: Walfredo Cirne | Thursday, 31 July 2025 at 09:55 PM
I'd like an EV. But I'd like a station wagon. Nope. SUV, sure. Huge pickup, sure. Station wagon, oh no you don't. Which is why there's a brand new Subaru Outback under my carport.
Posted by: Kye Wood | Thursday, 31 July 2025 at 10:06 PM
Your comments are spot on. We have 2.5 years of experience driving an EV.
In that entire time, the only time we have had to use a public charge station was while we were waiting to have a dedicated Mains power socket installed in our garage so that we could charge the car without risking an overload on other house circuits.
Old vehicle: we have a 2011 Duel Cab 4-wheel drive, diesel pick-up (or "Ute" as they are called here in the land of Oz). It just keeps going on. We top up the tank every 2 months.
The range of our EV is 525km/326miles. On an abnormal day, we might go 120 km; on a normal day, it is less than 30 km. Charging is done when the car is at home. Since we have solar panels, we charge between 9 am and 3 pm, as the power company gives us a reduced rate during those hours because we have an EV.
Range anxiety: Our longest potential journey? 430 km, so we could make the journey in one go if all the listed charging stations are unavailable.
Primary emotion: LOL as we drive by the petrol stations!
I calculate that we are saving A$1500.00 per year. Incidentally, Petrol (gas) is currently hovering around A$2.00 a litre, equivalent to a pint in the US.
EV: KIA EV6 with nary a problem since sorting out the battery problem you mentioned in your other posts.
Service interval: Once a year with a 7-year Warranty.
What's not to like!
Posted by: Frank Hamsher | Thursday, 31 July 2025 at 11:57 PM
If I might say so, you're making a mistake many people make when talking about the viability of EVs and that's asuming most people have access to a charging port at home. Lots of folks don't.
I own a condomenium. I do not own a garage. My assigned parking spot is not in close proximity to the electrical outlets on my patio. So, charging an EV at home would be a collossal pain in the rear, if not impossible.
If it weren't for the power situation at home an EV might fit the bill though I'd be very picky about which brands I'd consider...
Posted by: James Coleman | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 12:06 AM
As I keep saying until I'm hoarse, the obvious solution is a plug-in hybrid. I'm on my second one. In the summer, I get ~60 miles on a full charge (~50 in winter.) I live in a town of about 90,000 people, and I can go to all the places I want to go on 90% of my days (or maybe more than 90%) without using any gasoline whatever. When I have to drive to the airport, which is about 75 miles away, I can almost make it down on one charge, and then, with 300+ miles of gasoline range, make it home. I have no range anxiety at all. I don't have to worry about renting a car for longer trips. For practical purposes, I'm virtually driving a pure EV.
The biggest problems with EV is "grunt" if you need it, and lots of rural and construction folks do. My wife has a Ford F-350 to pull a big horse trailer, but she probably does less than two thousand miles a year in that truck. Farm people often have to haul heavy loads and for some distances. But even for them, an effective plug-in hybrid should be desirable, because most of the time, they're running into town for groceries, not hauling livestock. (And lots of farm wives can be seen tooling around in Subarus.)
Cue my lecture about how European farmers live in villages and go out to their fields, while Americans live in their fields and go into town. Which means European famers don't have to go anywhere to shop or socialize, or go out to their fields when the fields don't need it -- but American farmers mostly go into town daily, if for nothing but a little talk at the local diner.
Posted by: John Camp | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 01:05 AM
My problem with EV is not range anxiety, it's the zillion different apps and accounts you need to get to use public chargers when not within range of your home. Because apparently pre-approved payments with credit cards have not been invented yet or something. I don't mind the apps per se (discounts for regulars etc.), but I certainly don't want to spend more time figuring out how to pay than it takes to charge while on a road trip around Europe even when I do understand most languages.
Posted by: jB | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 01:17 AM
Mr. Johnston, I don’t mind your EV articles at all, you study your off-topics and have what I consider a good approach.
Maybe I missed a post, but please also consider the privacy invasiveness of new cars generally, if you haven’t already. They are rolling surveillance machines that record and broadly distribute data about you and your driving.
Round about a year ago Mozilla Foundation published a study on it:
https://www.mozillafoundation.org/en/privacynotincluded/articles/its-official-cars-are-the-worst-product-category-we-have-ever-reviewed-for-privacy/
Maybe it’s not an issue for you. For me, at 63, I’ll be driving maybe another 20 years if healthy and hope to never set foot in a ‘modern’ car with its microphones, cameras, wifi/BT/cell data and sensors.
(I won’t be offended and will still read your blog if you don’t publish this :-) )
Posted by: David N | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 02:56 AM
Photographers have had EVs on the brain since the late 1950s, Mike.
:)
Posted by: Mani Sitaraman | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 03:24 AM
I rarely comment for which I sincerely apologise. Firstly, thank you for the Chris Killip post; I have come across his work before and have now been prompted to look at it again with fresh eyes. I lived and worked in the areas he portrayed with such sensitively and skill, he captures the mood of the time so well that I can almost smell the place and hear the people talking in their unique dialect that is now sadly dying out and being replaced by the ubiquitous "social media" accent. Second, I have been driving an EV (plug in only) for 3 years and from the first I treated it like my'phone. If I have used more than about 10% or if I have a longish journey planned I plug it in when I get home (the charger is on a timer so it comes on during economy rate at night). I don't have long commutes and only occasionally trips of over 200 miles in one day, which are usually with a car full so I then use my ICE 4x4. The EV is an economy model, small nippy and easy to park with fold down rear seats so plenty of space for shopping. Yesterday I went to a garden centre 50 miles away for 2 small trees and a load of plants, all went in the back and travelled safely; used with thought EV is the future. Most filling stations here in Europe have fast charge points as do shopping malls and intercity rest stops;I have only got caught out once when I took a wrong turn in a remote country area and ended up on the wrong freeway heading miles out of my way. I stopped at a rest area and asked if they had a fast charge point, they had so I figured out how to connect up (it's a little different from the slow home connection) and left it on charge while I used the facilities and grabbed a coffee. Twenty minutes later I was back up to 50% so I stopped the charge and headed home on a longer but more straightforward route. Total cost of charge? €6.50, about the cost of 2 coffees! Enjoy your EV journey, whatever make and model you choose!
Posted by: George | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 03:28 AM
The biggest problem i see is too much powerful interests touched by this. Energy model change does not come easy, as it's blatantly obvious these days on so many fronts.
I went through the phase you're in now (let's call it obsession?) when the first Leaf and Zoe were out; four years ago, i finally got a Peugeot e-208 with a real range of about 150 miles as a first car for the family! And i live in a rural area to boot.
In four years, i drove almost 50k miles on it, including long round trips. I just got used to how to manage things and it has been more than ok.
I recently got an EV6, so the e-208 replaced the second car; no more gas stations. But the main reason to get the new one was SIZE; 208 being almost tiny.
Of course having longer range and especially charging WAY faster are great bonuses; so much so, that i just came back from a cross EU trip of more than 5k miles. The two main takeaways from this trip: it would have been more stressful on a petrol car (this thing is unbelievably quiet and comfortable) and it would have taken the same time: dependent on bladder and hunger more than anything else. Oh, and even with rapid charging at high rates, it still came out quite a bit less than fuel.
Lastly, as soon as i can finally install solar panels, i can actually charge it 'by myself'; try that with gas :-)
The main point is: in some cases it might be harder to make it fit, but for a majority of people EVs are already beyond what's needed to make it BETTER than a petrol car. We're just told too much and too loud that it's not the case. Swamped in fictional debates.
Just look at 'real' surveys of actual owners; overwelmingly positive.
Now go get one ;-)
Posted by: Daniele | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 05:06 AM
Most of my driving, by far, fits your scenario. EXCEPT: I live in an semi-urban environment, and park on the street in front of my house. (Or in the summer, usually across from my house, in a shady spot.) I certainly am not going to run an extension cord across my small front yard, and the sidewalk, and the street to charge at home. Just not possible.
Posted by: Rick Neibel | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 06:56 AM
Just like SUVs aren't for all, EVs aren't for all.
In their early days, when chargers were few and far between, it was clear that the ideal high mileage EV owner would charge at home and be home every night. And since one of EV's great features was helping save the planet from CO2-caused Global Warming, high-mileage drivers would be in the best position to both save the planet and save many bucks not buying gasoline, oil changes and tune-ups.
I used to drive 50 to 100 miles a day for work and was home every night. A perfect EV customer ... until I changed jobs and my annual miles went from 30,000 to less than 3,000. Saving the planet would take much longer and it was no longer financially important to trade my gasoline-burner for an EV.
But when I either get tired of or wear out my current gasoline-burner it will likely be replaced by something I can plug in every night. One with exciting acceleration and handling.
Posted by: Speed | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 08:00 AM
I think that the one thing that makes a huge difference when deciding between an EV or a petrol powered car is whether you own a garage or not.
That “charge at night” scenario works like a charm if you have your own parking space with a charger.
Most people living in buildings in big cities usually park on the street or rent a spot in a big garage that don’t usually have chargers.
Posted by: Gaspar Heurtley | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 08:20 AM
A couple of thoughts on your electric car infatuation...
First, if you're considering buying an EV because you think the EV will inspire more photo outings, why not try allocating funds similar to an EV car payment to buying gas for your current vehicle? This would answer two questions: would and EV get you out more and can you afford a new car payment.
Second, have you considered a hybrid? Hybrids are less sexy than straight EVs but hydrid engineering and manufacturing has reached maturity. These vehicles are elegant, high performing, and efficient. The Toyota hybrid system is especially ingenious (https://youtu.be/O61WihMRdjM?si=pEGEmEuJZhVeKg_z). Also, check out the performance of the newest Honda Civic hybrid,amazing. I've spent a lot of time in NYC this summer. All of the cabs are Toyota Rav4 hybrids or Toyota Camry hybrids. These cars are efficient and built to last. Get a plug in hybrid and you have a straight EV for the first 45 miles.
Posted by: David Raboin | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 09:32 AM
"Finally, not meaning to be incendiary, but...Eisenhower built the entire Interstate highway system."
He must have been exhausted! :>)
Not an exact quote: We even have convenient places already reserved to put them -- they're called rest stops.
That would solve the problem of real estate space costing money because the government already owns the rest area spaces. That makes too much sense for the government to do it.
"For that last 2% or 1%, I could either deal with charging along the way, or rent a car."
That's a solution until the internal combustion engine is so rare that rental cars so equipped are prohibitively expensive to rent. Probably years away for any of us to worry about, though.
I think most people realize that you would normally recharge your EV when at home in order to keep the charge nearly full. Most vacation trips would need a gasoline-engine vehicle to avoid losing a day or two, simply to recharge the vehicle.
Posted by: Dave | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 11:13 AM
Something that doesn't seem to get mentioned is the reduction in range in cold weather. I've owned 2 EVs, a Chevy Bolt and a Polestar 2. Both were rated over 200 miles, I think around 220 or so. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so it doesn't really get that cold in my area, low 30's overnight at worst. Yet in the winter, my range was about 175 miles or so, with a garaged car. That's a 20% drop, and I suspect it would be worse in even colder climates.
I do think EVs are great for daily driving, e.g. commuting, groceries, errands. Range isn't really a factor then, or can easily be planned around. When I used to commute, I'd just plug in the car every other night or so. One pedal driving is wonderful for stop and go driving! In normal driving, I barely used the brakes as the regeneration could slow the car to a stop.
I tried the car for longer trips and the time it takes to charge the car becomes a factor. For example, take a simple 250 mile trip. I didn't want to arrive at my destination with no charge. So plan on an additional 45 minutes to get to your destination. Then you'll want to charge at your destination so you don't arrive at the mid-point with no charge. These delays add up and can be inconvenient. Also, you rarely charge to 100%, typically you're at 90% to maximize battery life. When you charge, the car will quickly take you to 90%, but slow down the charging rate if you try to get to 100%. I believe this is for heat management of the battery while charging. So in general, don't plan on a 100% charge.
Posted by: Eric Chin | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 11:35 AM
Another factor to consider the battery replacement. Estimates are around $12000.
Also, you live in a cold climate which will reduce the range of your charge in the winter.
I had to replace a cell in my Prius battery which was far cheaper than replacing the whole battery. Bill
Posted by: William Giokas | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 11:47 AM
We drive about 3,000 miles a year, almost all locally. We would be ideal customers for an EV but for one problem.
We live in a 55+ gated community. Two thirds of the units have no garage, just an assigned parking space. The remaining third have an assigned garage space but it is in a common area, i.e., owned by the homeowners association, not the individual homeowner, and the 15A 120V outlet in the garage space is on a common circuit. So none of us have a way to charge an EV at home.
Posted by: Doug Anderson | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 12:01 PM
An EV range drops precipitously in freezing weather and in the summer when the AC is cranked up. I'd probably buy a hybrid plug-in given the choice.
Posted by: Bob Rosinsky | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 02:10 PM
I watched the video on what it costs to run an EV, however he makes it seem more complex than it really is (especially as he talks about kilo.Watts when he means kilo.Watt.hours). The way to get a useful answer here is surely to work out what it costs to run YOUR ICE car, and then find out what the equivalent cost would be to fuel YOUR BEV at home based on YOUR electricity cost. My 2013 Lexus GS350 has an on-board computer that tells me that on average I use about 13 litres to go 100km. (less for longer journeys in summer, more for short trips in winter). Internet research tells me that the Tesla 3 uses about 14 kWh to go 100km. (My next door neighbour in the condo has a Tesla 3 and this fits with her experience, so corroboration). So within shouting distance, 1 litre for me gives about the same utility as 1 kWh for her.
Now the costs. I pay about $1.55 for a litre of premium that my Lexus requires, while she pays $0.07 for a kWh. (Note we are in Canada so multiply by 0.7 to convert costs to USD). We need to add delivery costs to the electric costs. I can't fathom the formula for this but if we said double at most, that would take her cost per kWh to $0.14. So the result is that I pay more than 10 times what she pays for fuel to go the same distance!
There are other factors to consider. She has the efficiency of her charging system to cover: the transformer mainly. It would be about $5 per month, but she cheats by switching it off when it's not being used! I have to pay for oil changes twice a year, and take time out of my day to get it done. She has less ware on the breaking system due to regenerative breaking etc. Also, the church we go to has installed free level 2 charging stations, so you can recharge your car battery and spiritual battery at the same time! However, if you work it out, unless the priest gives the sermon from hell taking several hours, you will normally only get a couple of dollars in free electricity.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he wants to make Canada an "Energy Superpower", with more nuclear, more hydro, more wind, and more solar. And we will keep the US supplied with the heavy crude they want at the same time. There is only one way all this is going to wind up. In a couple of decades, ICE vehicles will belong in the same category as film cameras and turntables: relegated to an eccentric minority.
Posted by: Peter Wright | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 02:37 PM
Well, unfortunately, where you and I live (I live in the Buffalo area), winter is an issue, as cold weather drains the battery. The estimate I have seen vary but it seems around 40%. Which for me means that I need an EV about 300 miles range, so not trivial, although definitely possible. I also drive to NYC to see my son a few times a year (between 2 and 5) and that’s a quick trip (3 days), 365 miles each way. The point I am making is that (1) cold climate is an issue and (2) some of us use cars for longer trips. Not a deal breaker, but an annoyance :).
Posted by: JPK | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 02:44 PM
Well, my range anxiety has to do with the time it takes to recharge, not the range per se. I wouldn't care much if recharging took only a little bit longer than re-fueling.
Posted by: Tex Andrews | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 02:45 PM
It took me until the third paragraph to realize we weren't talking about viewfinders.
Posted by: Maggie Osterberg | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 03:40 PM
We are now down to two cars as our needs/desires have now been trimmed. One is a 6 yr. old 'station wagon' and the other a 13yr. old sports car. We drive about 4-6,000 km in the wagon and 7-10,000 km in the sports car. Mostly, the sports car is used for longer trips. Neither is anywhere near end-of-life. Both cars were bought used quite a few years ago, and both are worth about as much now as when we bought them. Both are quite light with almost fully analog controls. Fuel and maintenance savings still won't make the numbers work for our ownership periods.
Getting an EV to replace either would be silly as the economics just don't work. Getting an SUV to replace the wagon means investing $30,000+ additional admittedly thin Canadian dollars for a vehicle that is larger, heavier, not as capable (unless I spend even more) and would irritate me continually. More on that below. There is no sports EV of 1450kg or less, and none that I could take on the road trips we do.
Finally: I enjoy driving. I'm getting quite old, but I still like driving a lot longer than my bladder can stand. I don't mind driving 12hrs. in a day and in fact try to do that when an opportunity presents itself. Any car I bought for myself always has a manual transmission and steering feel and chassis response are very important to me. Finally, I'm not buying and EV or for that matter any newish car that has replaced switches, levers and knobs with a screen. Dials and readouts are fine on a screen where dials used to be, but best in a good heads-up display. I do not want or certainly need infotainment; if necessary my phone does GPS and the screens in my cars, such as they are, remain off.
Engine performance is such now that a huge number, and certainly my cars have sufficient. My sports car apparently can do 280km/h+. I learned to drive in a car that could do 130km/h, and my first car was a VW Beetle. We've come a long way.
When there's a sports car the size and weight of the original Lotus Elan, with good steering and suspension, electric power to get from 0-110km/h in 5 sec and charging for a 300km drive in 5min with a reasonable price and analog controls (I'll miss the transmission), I'm in. Not yet.
Posted by: Henning | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 04:11 PM
Great thoughts!
Another mental model we may just have to change in the long run is that if you go on vacation you just drive until you're there, even if that's 1000km.
If we really want to go that far for a vacation, would it really be that bad to be forced to do a number of "real" stops (= overnight stay, possibly even multi-day)? That's probably how it was a couple of decades ago...
Oh wait, this scenario is unrealistic anyway, people use a plane already for a couple of 100km for even worse effects on our planet...
Posted by: Ralf | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 04:45 PM
After 23 years my old lighting, a Saab Sport Sedan 9.3 needed one expensive repair too many. We got a small urban EV to replace it. This Hyundai Inster is not available in your country but I am sure there will be nice alternatives.
Using your old car as long as possible is usually better than replacing it for a new one. The production and dismantling of a car also take their toll, but you hardly ever see this mentioned in comparisons. Another factor is that in general cars are getting bigger and bigger to such an extent that the progress we made by making cleaner engines completely diminished.
So if you love the planet but still need that car: 1 use the old one as long possible (even it’s an old diesel), 2 go for the smallest that meets your needs (only one), 3 obviously this should be an EV.
Posted by: s.wolters | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 04:52 PM
The range anxiety reminds me a bit of another anxiety I witnessed in an acquaintance a number of years ago, back when mobile phone plans were tied a bit more closely to talk time. This fellow was trying to decide between two phone plans; the cheap plan offered something like 200 minutes of talk time per month, after which he had to pay by the minute. The other offered him virtually unlimited talk time, but the base rate was $10 or so higher. He agonized for days over these choices, and finally I asked him how much talking he did on his mobile every month. He said "I never really go over 100 minutes."
What? He was considering paying an extra $10 every month to avoid the remote risk of having to occasionally pay a couple of bucks in overage fees. I don't know if he learned anything that day, but I learned that some people's anxieties are not based in any kind of logic and are instead rooted in FEAR OF (fill in the blank).
Posted by: Ed Hawco | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 04:58 PM
I hesitate to comment on EVs because I am not an EV owner and have little direct experience with them other than having a BMW i3 as a loaner for a while about 9 years ago. I liked it, but living on a farm at the time, it made no sense. However, I am trained as a scientist who analyzes things - sometimes too much - and I'm a car person. Also a grumpy old man. So here goes.
Now I live in the city, I too have done a deep dive into EVs, not just as a prospective owner but trying to figure how we got to where we are in the EV market. I remember several entrepreneurs in the 80s making EVs; small city cars or delivery vans. The BMW i3 is in that category - a lightweight vehicle made possible by a carbon fiber body and having a reasonable range .
In my neighborhood, today's EVs tend to be big, overweight, overpowered and priced to the sky, i.e. the EV version of the Porsche Macan weighs almost 3 tons, comes with ~400 or 600 HP and costs over $100,000. In my neighborhood there are bunches of Mercedes EVs, giant sedans and SUVs weighing 3+ tons, costing ~$125,000. The ultimate is the EV Hummer - 4.5 tons! Batteries make a vehicle 30-50% heaver than a gas vehicle. The weight requires a heavier structure to support the batteries and makes them hard on tires - creating a lot of dust which is pollution - and roads.
How did we get to here? Blame/thank Elon Musk. He decided, rightfully so, that range anxiety was the obstacle to selling EVs, so he built stylish cars with giant batteries - about 1,200/pounds or 500 kilograms so the cars could go several hundred miles between charges. Of course the batteries were expensive so the cars were expensive too. But the range and the touting of "zero emissions" sold cars.
Of course EVs are not "zero emission" vehicles, they are "remote emission" vehicles. Here in CA, there is lots of alternative energy generation but if you live in the US Midwest, you are probably driving a "coal-fired" vehicle.
Today, it's hard to sell an EV without a 200+ mile range, and most are now designed to look like conventional vehicles. That's the reality of consumer choice. But I would debate that that is all wrong. And soon we'll be up to our necks in batteries needing recycling for which there is no solution at this time.
My opinion is that EVs should be small city vehicles, because that is where they make the most sense - short trips, dense traffic and move the pollution outside the city. They can be small, like the BMW i3 or the original LEAF. Charge it every night at home. Ah, but that's another problem. Many people live in multi-dwelling units - apartments or condos - and installing chargers can be a problem. In our condo, a 50 year old building, we got estimates on installing a charger for one owner. Two estimates both came in around $30,000, due to the need to install new high amp service from the electrical utility needed for the charger. No way.
The lack of a charger network and time to charge makes long trips in EVs problematic. Here a hybrid, esp. a plug-in hybrid that is an EV around town and a gas-powered vehicle on trips, makes much more sense, especially if you only have one vehicle. All my neighbors with the obese EVs seem to also own a Land Rover or Suburban for the trips to their summer homes in Wyoming, unless, of course, they use their bizjets.
In urban ares, taxis, busses and trains should be EVs to reduce pollution.
In your location, remember EVs are cold-blooded creatures. Batteries do not like the cold and humans need heat too - that saps range, unless the EV has programming tp sense the temperature and keep itself warm when charging in the cold overnight. The Ford Mach-E supposedly has a resistance heater for the cabin that takes a lot of electrical power, sapping range, while others use more efficient heat pumps.
Posted by: JH | Friday, 01 August 2025 at 11:47 PM
If you live in your own house and have a charging plug in your garage, an EV is a no brainer. Just as you described.
For me, since I'm living in a flat with no charging station nearby, an EV is not a viable option.
However, since I live in a mayor European city with a working public transport system 24/7 and literally threw away my last car (tiny Daihatsu Cuore) in 1999, I actually don't need a car. For the few times I actually need a car, I just call a taxi.
In 2010 I've bought my first recumbent trike and converted it into an electric trike. That little project got a bit out of hand, though (they get quite zippy with a 3kW hub motor). Nonetheless, riding that "toy" in my early 50s, I've never been fitter in my life. It also served as my daily commuter since then.
In 2019 I've upgraded to a Milan GT velomobile and did the electric conversion again. A velomobile is probably the most efficient vehicle you can own. With an electric hub motor and a 2.3kWh battery the typical range is 250km at ø60km/h (you have to drive 70+ to reach that figure!).
So, my little "kitchen table project" consumes the gasoline equivalent of 2,040 MPGe. And if the battery is empty, it's still faster to cycle than a road bike with a very fit rider half my age. *rofl*
Here is an explanation about the velomobile efficiency: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKsGS1zcNsM
These vehicles are no viable option for 99.95% of the population of course! But boy, is this thing fun!
Posted by: Marc | Saturday, 02 August 2025 at 04:04 AM
Just like gasoline cars, not everyone has the same needs/wants. About a year ago, I traded a Porsche & Evoque for a Volvo V60, with ~40 miles of electric range. Enough for most of my daily needs, including 80+mph on the highway. Got a PHEV as some family visits include 400 rural miles - also 455hp combined 😉. Have to plug it in every evening, so what? Happy with my decision, though would have preferred if there was a fast charger on that 400 mile trip - would have definitely got an EV. The range does drop significantly on cold days, but you know that and plan for it. And if one hates the EV experience, nobody will stop you from trading…
Posted by: Eddie | Saturday, 02 August 2025 at 09:42 AM
When we jumped to an electric car in 2021, we had a bit of range anxiety as well. So far, we never got stranded anywhere.
Our use-case is two-fold: daily commute and long distance trips (1500km+ on regular basis).
In 2021 our household switched from two cars (Mazda MX5 and Ford Focus C-Max) to a single car (Tesla S). We charge at home at a 3-phase outlet. The car charges overnight for the next trip. We typically drive 3 return trips every week of around 200km each. We also take it for smaller trips in between to shops and things like that. All charging for these trips takes place at home. So no time spend at all at the charging station. Before, one of our cars had to visit the petrol station every week. As we had to deviate a little bit from our regular route to fill up, the actual time to fill up the car came to 15 min or so. Give or take, that is 12 hours a year.
We also take our car on long distance trips. We have gone from the home base in The Netherlands all the way to the south of Spain, north to Norway, and east to Montenegro. On those trips, we need to spend a bit of time at the superchargers, of course. On average, we have to take a 30-min break every 2.5 hours. So we can supercharge 24 times, and still spend less time at the fuel station than if we would go with one of our old cars. Most of the time we combine our charging stops with a nice break to get something to eat or drink. Or you can just go for a little walk. Or in case you do not want any of those things, you can just play a game or watch a movie on the onboard entertainment system.
On longevity of the battery: our car nears 10 years, and its ranges has reduced by 15 km in the last 5 years, or less than 5%. Longevity of the tires is something else altogether.
Side note, we actually kept the MX5 for a few months after switching to the electric. Although it was a fantastic car, and heaps of fun to drive, it never left the garage after the Tesla arrived.
But with all of these things, YMMV.
Posted by: Fons | Saturday, 02 August 2025 at 10:10 AM
Range anxiety can also be your friend. I had a neighbor who very cheaply bought a used older electric BMW (I3? Not sure). It was very inexpensive because it had a range of less than 90 miles and no one wanted that! But my neighbor had a commute of only 21 miles each way and a hybrid car waiting in the garage. He was so happy he was insufferable.
Posted by: Mike S | Saturday, 02 August 2025 at 11:08 AM
Why is it that everyone quotes home electricity prices based on the energy charge only? The article you cited gave a cost of $.08/kwh for home charging an EV. In Massachusetts, my supplier charges approximately$.10/kwh for the "energy generation". But wait, ...add in the myriad additional costs for distribution, renewable energy, energy efficiency, electric vehicle program, solar program, revenue decoupling, meter recovery surcharge, etc. etc., and my actual cost per kwh last month was about $.30/wkh. I've seen these variable energy surcharge costs bring my total energy price to as much as $.40/kwh at various times during the past year. I'll wager an "AI data" generation charge will likely be added soon to subsidize even more electric grid infrastructure modernization!
Posted by: MHMG | Saturday, 02 August 2025 at 12:57 PM
We had a gas pump at home, and Chevron would send a truck out to deliver gasoline every month, and a 40 gallon barrel of motor oil sometimes too. It was mostly for the tractors, but we would always fill up when we left the house. I remember my mother once buying 25¢ of gas to get home. It was sort of embarrassing since that was before self service, and the guy had to come out and pump 25¢ of gas.
With EVs just think like all the other rechargeable stuff in our lives like cellphones and laptops. ABC , always be charging.
New York City has free cellphone chargers where all the pay phones used to be. Along with free WiFi and phones. I don’t know if that would make sense to extend to cars, but it’s politically feasible some places.
The USA as a whole seems hell bent on destroying what meager EV infrastructure exists, apparently to distract from something else.
Posted by: hugh crawford | Saturday, 02 August 2025 at 02:34 PM
While you are waiting for the battery to charge you may enjoy this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap0j85KpUww
[
That looks fascinating. I made it about a fifth of the way through and I will return to it. Thanks. —Mike
]Posted by: Clayton | Saturday, 02 August 2025 at 04:14 PM
The Arriya looks sweet. Liquid cooled battery, so it won't have the terrible battery life problems of the first-generation Nissan Leaf. I had a first generation Nissan Leaf I bought used, and the battery eventually became useless, with under 20 miles range. But a really sweet car, nice driving position, comfortable, good performance.
I'm now driving a 2019 Chevy Bolt, bought used with some 37,000 miles on it, but the battery pack had just been replaced under the recall, resetting the very generous warranty. $24,999. Not as nice a driving position as the Leaf, kind of high, and a somewhat harsh ride due to the 45 profile tires (for lower rolling resistance).
The forward-looking concern I have is that parts support for these EV's appears to be "consumer electronics" style. Saw a story about repair parts not being available for Smart EVs from 2019! As a friend who's a big EV fan notes, your EV is a peripheral on a computer.
You bought in time to get the $4000 tax credit for used EVs! Although I wouldn't be surprised if your tax bill is less than that!
I think someone here commented to hardwire the level 2 charger. If it's outside, yes. Inside, just get a top-quality 50 amp 14-50R receptacle from Hubbell. Don't let the electrician install a junky outlet from Home Depot. Even though your charger will only need a 40 amp breaker, see if you can spring the extra money for bigger wire for a 50 amp breaker, to future-proof your install to charge at up to 9.6kW. Of course copper prices just went up!
Used level 2 EVSE's ("chargers") are quite common on eBay, as people trade up to higher current ones.
Posted by: John Shriver | Saturday, 02 August 2025 at 04:35 PM
As I commented in an earlier post, the two biggest concerns IMO with EV’s are rapid and significant depreciation (all of them) and insurance (total write-offs for anything that damages the battery, including running over debris that cracks the casing - see Ionic 5). Hence, lease only.
Posted by: Jeff | Saturday, 02 August 2025 at 05:41 PM
In Australia your 2023 car is about to be released as a new model.
Your exact model? $72000. Not a freakin typo!
Does Nissan WANT to go bankrupt?
Personally, I love Nissan cars. But I just can't see them surviving more than 18 months more globally.
They're just haemorrhaging $ uncontrollably.
https://australia.nissannews.com/en-AU/releases/2025-nissan-ariya-pricing-and-specifications-confirmed-ahead-of-striking-electric-suvs-australian-launch
Posted by: Kye Wood | Saturday, 02 August 2025 at 07:50 PM
For us over 60 years, bladder issues force more frequent road stops. It aligns with charging stops, a nice practicality of sorts. Your “low range” statement threw me off for a moment. Us old timer 4X4 off roaders with manual locking hubs, IFYKYK, low range was manually shifting the transfer case to 4Low on my 1988 LandCruiser. Old tech vs. new fangled ‘lectric stuff.
Posted by: David L. | Sunday, 03 August 2025 at 10:49 AM
Somehow my reply did not go through,so I am posting again, Mike. I hope you don't mind:
You make a great point about how EVs require a shift in how we think about refueling. But I believe their usefulness depends heavily on whether you can actually charge at home.
Take my case, for example: I live in an older apartment building where installing an EV charger in my parking spot — or anywhere in the garage, for that matter — isn’t allowed. And that’s not unusual; it’s actually the norm where I live.
So for people like me, range anxiety (loved that term, by the way) would be a daily reality, not just a theoretical worry.
In that sense, EVs absolutely have a place — but I think the use case is narrower than many assume, especially for those of us without access to home charging.
Posted by: Carlos | Sunday, 03 August 2025 at 12:28 PM
There are some very attractive deals on leasing the Ariya.
I just parted with my 2016 Rogue with 86K miles as it was beginning to exhibit troubling tranny problems.
Between my wife and I, we've had at least 9 Nissans over the past 30 years. I suppose you could say I had brand loyalty.
But this last episode with the Rogue, soured me on the brand. I've now gone over to the Mazda side.
Posted by: Bob Rosinsky | Sunday, 03 August 2025 at 01:38 PM
It may not matter to you, but I'm pleased to see that the Nissan Ariya Engage has a tight turning diameter (35.4 ft). That equals the spec for the Subaru Forester, and is 2 ft less than the Honda CRV hybrid. If you keep this car for ten years you should find it handy for your rare visits to a city.
Posted by: Allan Ostling | Sunday, 03 August 2025 at 03:19 PM
If you keep your ICE car for occasional use, use some Sta-bil or other gas treatment as if for storage. Gas turns to varnish and can damage your engine fatally. I use some in my AMG that I play with - a tank of gas can last all year...
Posted by: Bruce Bordner | Sunday, 03 August 2025 at 06:24 PM
The wild fires in California have done more harm to the environment than probably 5 decades of gas powered automobile use. Add in all the rest of the wild fires and volcano eruptions and fossil fuel impact falls way down the list. That's not to say it's not an issue, it is, but perspective is always important
Posted by: Eric Rose | Sunday, 03 August 2025 at 07:00 PM
Sorry about implying that I was "predicting" the new style hybrid. It is going to come out as the Ramcharger and Ford is working on their own version supposedly. I merely read it at some point in the past and was repeating it.
https://www.ramtrucks.com/electric/ram-1500-ramcharger.html
Posted by: Jeffrey K Hartge | Sunday, 03 August 2025 at 09:57 PM
I've had an idea for a while. You know how people rent out their private homes to strangers online, and now you can rent someone's private car (at least I think that's how Turo works), well why rent time on your home fast charger. While you're at work, or even lazing in the pool, you could have people pull into your driveway, run an app of course, charge their cars on your home charger, and you just watch the money roll in.
I've rarely been ahead of my time, but this may not be crazy.
Posted by: Robert Roaldi | Sunday, 03 August 2025 at 09:58 PM
In fact, the Inflation Reduction Act had a program called NEVI that was designed to build out a network of EV charging stations (in collaboration with private businesses and nonprofits) along highways and rural corridors. Some of the charging stations have been funded and are being/have been built. But the program's been ended.
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Trump has emboldened his faction of the government to become openly hostile to alternative energy and openly boosterish of older, dirtier forms of power, at exactly the wrong time for that in history. —Mike]
Posted by: Alex G. | Monday, 04 August 2025 at 06:26 AM
Two years ago we decided to replace our 20-year old vehicle with a similar model from the same company. We also looked at the company’s EV. It was almost twice the price of their ICE. We ended up with a lightly used ICE vehicle. I checked prices again a few days ago and the EV is 150% the price of the ICE vehicle.
Still too much.
Posted by: db | Monday, 04 August 2025 at 03:18 PM
Congratulations on the Ayria. I just closed on a 2024 Ayria. I live in Maine, but the car came from your neck of the woods (Rochester). I'm busy learning about EVs and my car as well.
Posted by: Kevin Hart | Monday, 04 August 2025 at 03:21 PM
Some additional information on the Ariya:
1. "Case material = extruded aluminium"
https://www.batterydesign.net/2022-nissan-ariya/
2. "But on their second EV, the 2023 Ariya, engineered cooling and heating lessens Mother Nature’s influence on the CUV’s pouch-type battery cells."
“With the Nissan app and remote climate control, customers can pre-condition their vehicle while it is parked and charging to be ready to drive at their ideal comfort temperature without decreasing driving range,” Mastronardi explained."
https://www.sae.org/news/2022/11/nissan-ariya-active-thermal-management
Posted by: jp41 | Monday, 04 August 2025 at 11:48 PM