Gas Prices

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

Here I kind of disagree. While an ICE driver can certainly step into an EV and drive it the same way, for me the driving experience is vastly more refined. The quiet, smooth, instant power coupled with one-pedal driving make my Chevy Bolt the best car I've ever owned. It's hard to quantify the difference, but it really is there. I feel like ICE drivers just don't know what they're missing until they've spent some time driving an EV...

Originally Posted by chowhou

I think you might be comparing the EVs of today with the ICE of yesterday. My parents have a current generation Camaro and those come with a 10 (!!) speed automatic nowadays. As far as smoothness is concerned, you can barely notice the gear changes. I have to admit, it's pretty fun, but it's definitely an obnoxious vehicle.

If you really push it, you can definitely feel the the low end torque difference in an EV, but how many people are really doing that?

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

...The EV is qualitatively different. One-pedal driving means the car is instantly responsive to my needs with just subtle changes in foot pressure - stop and go traffic no longer requires shuttling my foot back and forth between accelerator and brake. I can barrel up the Cut to the Upper Levels, easily slotting into traffic with zero engine noise or lag. When I slow to stop, the car comes to a perfect standstill with absolutely zero jerk.
.
.
.
It's hard to communicate, but it's a much better driving experience that I think can't really be appreciated unless you actually try it for a while.

I guess it depends on what you look for in a car. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against EVs or other new technologies and we fully intend to get one sooner rather than later. If Mazda releases an EV Miata, I'd be all over that. However, I will very much miss manual transmissions and I'd happily pay extra if someone invents an EV that still requires shifting.

[Alex Mackinnon]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Dayumn. I wish some 2.5 million wealthy annual car buyers would have your knowledge on this, so they could avoid the biggest mistake in their life! What's even worse is that almost all of them are incredibly happy with their purchase, the highest figure in the luxury segment! Those poor, poor deceived souls...

I can't even... I am sorry, but I tried to think of something witty, but you have clearly outdone me with the experience-based wisdom - not jealousy - of yours. You win the internet today.

I could buy one of those today if I wanted to, so I'm not jealous whatsoever. I'm a pretty decently paid engineer, and I've been sitting on the sidelines of the housing market like yourself. So it's not like I'm tied up with a mortgage.

I really don't see what the goal or point of your car is. There's so many pointless compromises made because it's trying to a bunch of conflicting things. It's like a design by committee. It's trying to be all things to all people, and just ending up a hot mess.

It would be uselessly bad off road because it's both heavy and has low profile tires, which basically makes the other half of the SUV appeal a no-go.

It obviously sacrifices ride quality for overly stiff springs to compensate for the high CoG, so it's less comfortable that your standard X3. You literally can't even take it to a most tracks because they ban tall vehicles. So it's kind of pointless anyways.

That mileage is also worse than my friends F-150, which has a 5 Litre V8. 16 mpg (according to R&T) is shockingly bad.

If I was going to spend that much on a vehicle it would probably a Lucid Air. I had my partner sit in a Tesla Model S, and a Model 3, but both got the thumbs down due to poor rearward visibility. I'm not a fan of their UI choices, so I'm not too upset by that. I also tried the Ford Mach E, which has similar stats to your car in the top end, it was a bit underwhelmed for $92K. So, I'm currently waiting (probably for about a year, due to excess demand) for an Ioniq 5, which is about $65K. It's got AWD, pretty decent range, and charges shockingly fast. As a byproduct of that, it's also pretty speedy.

There's a high performance version coming out, which looks shockingly fast, but I'm not sure if there's a point. The standard version still manages 0-100 km/h in 4.4s. Kia has shown off their version, theEV6 GT. Hyundai's should be coming out soon, but again, they're probably overkill.

If I was going for a proper sports car, it would probably be a Miata, or something similarly focused. If you want something fast in a straight line, pretty much any motorcycle is faster. There's a reason that these things are not trying to be all things to all people.

I can respect the engineering behind it, but the "performance SUV" segment seems like a recipe cooked up by marketers to separate chumps from their money.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

It's hard to communicate, but it's a much better driving experience that I think can't really be appreciated unless you actually try it for a while.

Originally Posted by Tvisforme

However, I will very much miss manual transmissions and I'd happily pay extra if someone invents an EV that still requires shifting.

I drove an automatic, then a manual, and now an EV and I've driven my parents' automatic so I think I can compare them. IMO there's definitely a fun advantage to the manual, but when you've got comparable specs I don't think the average person notices or cares much.

[Tvisforme]

Originally Posted by chowhou

...IMO there's definitely a fun advantage to the manual, but when you've got comparable specs I don't think the average person notices or cares much.

Sadly, statistics agree with you - at least in North America - as the manual transmission is a dying breed.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

Here I kind of disagree. While an ICE driver can certainly step into an EV and drive it the same way, for me the driving experience is vastly more refined. The quiet, smooth, instant power coupled with one-pedal driving make my Chevy Bolt the best car I've ever owned. It's hard to quantify the difference, but it really is there. I feel like ICE drivers just don't know what they're missing until they've spent some time driving an EV.

And yeah, the reduced operating costs are insane. My car is going on 5 years old now and it's only ever been back to the dealer twice for software updates that were covered under warranty. I had to pay for a pair of new tires recently as well as wiper blades and cabin air filters, but apart it's been zero maintenance cost.

That certainly calls into question how the dealership model is going to work going forward. It relies on service work for much of the revenue. It also means much fewer jobs in that field.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by Tvisforme

However, I will very much miss manual transmissions and I'd happily pay extra if someone invents an EV that still requires shifting.

Toyota and Ford have patent applications related to that, but nothing in production yet as far as I know.

[Alex Mackinnon]

Originally Posted by Tvisforme

I guess it depends on what you look for in a car. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against EVs or other new technologies and we fully intend to get one sooner rather than later. If Mazda releases an EV Miata, I'd be all over that. However, I will very much miss manual transmissions and I'd happily pay extra if someone invents an EV that still requires shifting.

Conversion kits are starting to be a thing, although the range and cost scale directly.

One company in the UK put a Tesla drivetrain in a Mk2 GTI which I'm insanely jealous of. The conversion was around $50K though. There's a few companies in europe that are targeting conversions for around $10K, but they'll be much lower power and range. Still cool, but less practical.

[whatnext]

I noticed this at the Esso on Granville and 41st also, pumps all taped off. I'm surprised prices haven't gone up again.

Supply problems blamed for Metro Vancouver gas stations running dry
By Sonia Aslam
Posted Aug 3, 2022, 7:04AM PDT.

You’re not alone if you’ve been driving around Metro Vancouver lately trying to find a gas station that actually has fuel.

Many stations in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Surrey, Langley, and even in the Interior have been blocked off by yellow caution tape or a sign letting people know there’s nothing available.

Paul Pasco, principal consultant with Kalibrate, says the BP Cherry Point refinery in Washington state’s Whatcom County went offline last week for scheduled maintenance....

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2022/08/03/metro-vancouver-gas-supply-closures/

[officedweller]

Came across this on Sunday at Main & 2nd.
Second time this summer - before it was at Arbutus & Broadway.

Pic by me.

[MIPS]

Who sneezed? Why has gas gone back up from 187.9 to 233.9/L in Delta?

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by MIPS

Who sneezed? Why has gas gone back up form 187.9 to 233.9/L in Delta?

In addition to high demand, Pasco explains one reason B.C. drivers pay so much is because the province is part of what’s called PADD 5, which is the regional breakdown of supply. It’s a pipeline which carries fuel to the west coast from the U.S. Gulf Coast and because it’s costly to transport it so far, Metro Vancouver drivers pay more for fuel.

“What I’m personally watching right now is what’s going to happen in the ethanol markets. B.C. would be the most impacted by that, given you have the tightest blending restrictions across Canada and if we see the yields continue to be low and the transport price continues to be hard, there is room for the price to increase,” added Pasco.

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2022/09/25/metro-vancouver-gas-prices-rise-3/

[madog222]

I was seeing 2.16 all day then one station on Kingsway had 2.33 as well. Maybe they are out of regular?

[NewfBC]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2022/09/25/metro-vancouver-gas-prices-rise-3/

Funny.. every time there's a shocking new gas price increase.. there seems to be some new reason they come up with that we've never heard of before.. hmm

Ron.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by NewfBC

Funny.. every time there's a shocking new gas price increase.. there seems to be some new reason they come up with that we've never heard of before.

I was thinking exactly the same. The excuse provided this time sounds like a made up story.

[NewfBC]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I was thinking exactly the same. The excuse provided this time sounds like a made up story.

Our gas is now $2.33 a litre.. which is $6.45usd a gallon. It's $3.89 a gallon in Bellingham.

In Calgary.. gas is $1.33 a litre..

Ron.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by NewfBC

Our gas is now $2.33 a litre.. which is $6.45usd a gallon. It's $3.89 a gallon in Bellingham.

In Calgary.. gas is $1.33 a litre..

Ron.

With the Feds dropping all border restrictions on October 1st I expect Blaine gas stations will see a boom in business.

[Lexus]

Originally Posted by NewfBC

Our gas is now $2.33 a litre.. which is $6.45usd a gallon. It's $3.89 a gallon in Bellingham.

In Calgary.. gas is $1.33 a litre..

Ron.

It's $4.14 a gallon in Costco Bellingham. (Was $3.86 a week ago)

[Lexus]

Originally Posted by whatnext

With the Feds dropping all border restrictions on October 1st I expect Blaine gas stations will see a boom in business.

Costco parking lot in Bellingham was full of BC plates for months now. I don’t feel that many more people will come once all restrictions will be lifted.

[WarrenC12]

The excuse is always garbage. So happy to be 4+ years into EV only driving.

[giallo]

I've got a solid two weeks of driving around Metro Vancouver for work.

Great.