Tag Archives: EV

Tesla Model 3: One Year Review 

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.

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80,000 miles in our 2012 Rav4 EV 

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.

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Winter Weekend Road Trip in the Tesla Model 3 

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.

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50,000 miles in the 2012 Rav4 EV 

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.

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Solar Power, Part 1: Installation 

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.

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Tesla Model 3 Road Trip to San Diego 

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 →

Summer EV Road Trips: Tesla Model 3 Edition 

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 →

EV Charging Primer – U.S. Edition

In one respect charging an electric car is no different than filling a gas tank: it’s all about storing energy in the car to power its motor. We use electricity every day to power and charge all kinds of devices: phones, computers, shavers, televisions etc. But since driving an electric powered car is still a new idea for many people, it might help to be familiar with the terms you’ll be using, so we’ll cover that first. Continue reading →

MPGs and Electric Cars

One way to compare gasoline powered cars to one another is fuel economy, the miles per gallon rating that the EPA gives to each car. The average car in the United States gets about 25 MPG. So how can we compare the efficiency of electric vehicles (EVs) with gas-powered cars since EVs store electricity in the battery pack?  Continue reading →

Travelogue: A DC Road Trip from Davis to Monterey and Back 

July 2016. California.

In July 2016 we took our 2012 Rav4 EV, equipped with JdeMO, on a 400 mile road trip to Monterey.  (This post was also published at InsideEVs.com, read it here). In July 2021 we made the same trip in our Model Y – I compare the recent trip with the 2016 trip here: To Monterey in an EV: Then and Now.

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