Gotta love when a rich elite disses the not so well off
.@StephenAtHome: "Today, the average gas price in America hit an all-time record high of over $4/gallon. OK, that stings, but a clean conscience is worth a buck or two. It’s important. I’m willing to pay $4/gallon. Hell, I’ll pay $15 a gallon b/c I drive a Tesla" pic.twitter.com/my8Ukya5rQ
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) March 8, 2022
Colbert reportedly gets paid $16 million a year for doing his not funny late show, and rather proves what we’ve been saying: EVs are for the well off. The typical purchaser is making at least $150k-$200K a year. I’m also wondering, why does he even have a vehicle? His show is out of NYC. Why doesn’t he take all the mass transit? Or, is that too good for someone like him?
Environmental groups press California on electric car rules
More than 80 environmental groups and other organizations on Monday urged California Governor Gavin Newsom to impose tougher rules promoting electric vehicles even as the state is moving faster than President Joe Biden’s administration.
“Californians being punished by high gas prices and climate disasters deserve the fastest all-electric future Gov. Newsom can deliver,” said Scott Hochberg of the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute, one of the groups signing the letter.
The groups want Newsom and California air regulators to back requiring more electric vehicles faster than the current plans and to set more stringent annual emissions reductions for gasoline-powered vehicles. They called for 7% annual increases in emissions reductions for gasoline vehicles compared with 5% on average under standards adopted under President Barack Obama. (snip)
The letter, also signed by Greenpeace USA, the California Democratic Party Environmental Caucus and Friends of the Earth, want Newsom to consider requiring 80% or more zero emission vehicles by 2030.
How many members of these groups, the majority of which are California groups, have actually ditched their fossil fueled vehicles and purchased and EV? And, of course they’re pushing “equity” and such, but, people making average wages or less can neither afford and EV nor get a loan for one.
San Diego’s gas prices hit a new record high Monday. As they did the day before, and the day before that, and what seems to be almost every day lately.
The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded is now $5.38 a gallon in our county, and some stations are closer to $6. Prices here have risen 53 cents in the past week and $1.59 since this same time last year.
That has many San Diegans looking for ways to get around town without using gas, including electric cars. The advice from dealerships? “You gotta be patient,” said Dave McCracken, General Manager at Kearny Mesa Hyundai.
McCracken would love to have you drive off his lot today in a new electric car, but he doesn’t have a single one available, “because they’re selling as quickly as they come in.” So customers are joining waitlists.
But, few are coming in. And, again, unless you make well over $100k, you won’t be getting one, since the vast majority are outside the budget of most people. Let’s do some math (I’m not including fees, taxes, etc, and using an interest rate of 5% for 60 months) on some vehicles similar to the Hyundai Kona EV SEL
- Honda Civic EX: $26,365/$498 a month
- Honda Insight EX: $26,775/$505 a month
- Honda Accord Sport Hybrid: $31,685/$598 a month
- Kona SEL: Starting at $34,000/$642 a month
OK, so, the Kona is not super crazy unreasonable, if you can get one, right? The Kona will give you a maximum range of 258 miles. The Accord/Civic/Insight are 651/430/540. You can easily find somewhere to refuel them, right? Typically, an Accord will depreciate around 42% after 5 years. The vast majority of EVs, excepting Tesla, depreciate well over 50% in 5 years. The battery packs on a standard hybrid are rated to get 200-300k miles before being replaced. What of EVs, especially since they are in constant use? How many miles? Is $642 worth it vs an Insight, which is really more the same size a vehicle, being a compact sedan vs a Kona which is a subcompact SUV (it’ll be interesting to compare it to the HRV hybrid coming out this fall), knowing that the Insight will have much more value?
They’ll tell us “you’re saving money by going EV, since you don’t have to buy gas!” The Kona is $8220 more over 60 months. $137 a month. Are you spending that a month in gas? Will a bank give everyone a loan for $642? And, don’t forget, most EVs are above $40,000.
Read: Stephen Colbert, Comedian, Says High Gas Is No Big Deal, He Has An EV »