July 2019. California.
We purchased a solar power system to produce and offset the electricity we use in our house and to charge our Model 3. Our primary goal was to produce as much electricity as we used each year. This post describes how well our solar system meets our needs.
June 2019. Puerto Rico.
Many of my posts are variations on “Yo people, electric cars, they get the job done”. This post shows how EVs can work in Puerto Rico.
On a recent work trip to Old San Juan we arrived at our lodgings around 10PM, and I was surprised to see a Model 3 parked on the street near our building. Later I was fortunate enough to meet the owner and talk about his experiences.
May 2020. California.
We bought our Rav4 EV seven years ago today. Never before did we remember or mark the day we bought a new car, but we do love the Rav4. This EV continues to do it’s job very well for us. It’s a very good commuting car and has plenty of storage for family duties, shopping, and regional camping trips.
April 2019. California.
This review of our Model 3 starts from the time we reserved it through our first year of driving the car. The review describes several aspects of life with the Model 3 and addresses the basic question: has the Model 3 met my expectations? There have been many reviews on the Model 3, but each review provides another data point for readers about driving the Model 3 in the real world. In addition these reviews may answer questions you have about how well EVs in general, and the Model 3 specifically, can meet your needs.
The 2012-2014 Toyota Rav4 EV range estimate (the “86 miles” shown below on the left side of the dashboard) gives you a rough idea of how far you can drive.
April 2019. California.
Today we crossed 80,000 miles (~128,000 km) in our 2012 Rav4 EV. We purchased this car new almost 6 years ago and it’s still working great. Our motor drive became slightly noisy 2 years ago and Toyota replaced it under warranty at 58,000 miles. It’s been smooth and quiet since then. Otherwise this car has worked perfectly.
April 2019. California.
We picked up our long range RWD Model 3 a year ago in April 2018 and enjoy this car tremendously. It’s great for daily driving and Tesla’s Supercharger network allows us to go pretty much anywhere we want. The fit and finish of our car was excellent and we have not had any problems with our car. The Model 3 is simply a great car that keeps getting better with frequent over-the-air software updates.
February 2019. California.
We don’t often get snow in my town. According to my neighbor it’s been 23 years since honest-to-goodness snow has fallen in our part of California’s Central Valley. But when we get the urge for snow we don’t have that far to drive.
November 2016. California.
We passed 50,000 miles in our 2012 Toyota Rav4 EV in 2016. To mark the occasion I wrote this post to share:
1) data on mileage, electricity use, efficiency, cost to drive;
2) a few things I’ve learned from driving an electric car;
3) highlights from driving electric;
4) a few opinions on driving electric.
January 2019. California's Central Valley.
When we bought our home over a decade ago we set goals for ourselves: To make the electricity we use; and to drive electric cars powered by our solar power system. We’re not there yet, but we’ve made progress.
December 2018. California.
I drive my Model 3 about 50 miles (80 km) a day during the week, and a bit less on weekends. I charge every night in the garage. At the end of each day I pull into the garage, plug in. It’s that simple.
November 2018. California.
Most of our mileage comes from the daily work commute, but we’ve also taken a few trips in our region: to San Francisco for work and family trips, to Montgomery Woods State Reserve to see Redwood trees, to Lassen Volcanic National Park for camping, and to the Mammoth Lakes area to take in the scenery. Continue reading
May 2018. California's Central Valley.
We’ve had our Model 3 for about a month now and this morning we decided to take a day trip to explore new places we hadn’t seen before. Continue reading
August 2018. Davis, California.
I took my first spin on an eBike this week. The JUMP eBike sharing program showed up in the Sacramento/Davis, California area 2 months ago. Continue reading
July 2018. California and Nevada.
Since getting our first electric car 5 years ago we’ve taken our EV on summer road trips. Last week we took our first road trip in our Model 3. How was it? We saw some great sites, interesting history, and beautiful vistas. Continue reading