Fossil Free Friday: Random Electric Car Stuff

A day of three faster EV sightings

I keep a count on daily electric car sightings here in Lubbock. So far, I have seen none today, but the day is young and foggy. But last week I had a banner day. In one day I spotted two Teslas (a black Model S and a charcoal Model S) and the white BMW i8. Generally, if I see an electric car, it's a Leaf. Once in a while it's a Volt or one of the PHEV Fords. Yes, I know, it's nothing too exciting, but we take our thrills where we can. (But the EVs are still a vast minority in our gas-powered town. On a more encouraging note, I am seeing a lot more bike riders!)

On the same day and the other hand - 4 white Chevy SUVs outside the little guy's school

Buy this Lectric Leopard photo on Ebay 

One of those things I kind of missed on EBay is another Lectric Leopard, and this one was sad to me. The sad part was how it was marketed. The guy was trying to sell it as a rust-free candidate to be converted back to gasoline power. Oy vey! Such a shame!

Speaking of oddball unconventional EVs on Ebay...

All of these beauties are currently for sale on Ebay.  Guess which five I want!

A great article in prep for National Drive Electric Week:
CleanTechnica: 30 Reasons Your Next Car Should Be Electric - I like 2, 5, 15, 18, and the TMBG video. How about you?

And here's a great article to prep all of you obnoxious Texans for National Drive Electric Week:
Green Car Reports: Why I leased a 2017 Chevy Volt (in Texas) to replace a Volvo

May you experience Reason #2 while helping out with Reason #16, and may you have a great day!

2016 National Drive Electric Week in Lubbock, Amarillo, Abilene, Odessa-Midland, and Wichita Falls!!!

National Drive Electric Week 2016 is September 10-18.

 

We may need a bigger battery pack! (Click the map to find an event near you.)

 

May we find what we are looking for and may it be healthier for us all!

 

PS - More NDEW news to come, but no events.

Electric BMWs in the LBK? Or, Financial Planning for Idjets!

So last week you may have read a Mesquite Hugger post about the vehicles and such I would buy if I had the money for a Tesla Model S. (By the way, I saw a Model S at the Vine on Friday night.) Well, Sunday morning I received a text from Ben. The text contained a photo of an exotic electric car here in our dusty town. (Ben loves exotic cars and has an appreciation for electric cars. And he is great to snap a pic anytime he sees one. He has supplied us with photos of a few Model S's, a Tesla Roadster, a Ford Fusion Energi PHEV, and various other cool stuff lately.)

Ben's pic of an i8 spotted here in Lubbock

 

By our count, that makes three electric BMWs in town - two i3's and this i8.

The cool but vastly less sexy i3

 

The i8 is BMW's answer to the Tesla, and outside of Tesla land, it is one of the more impressive electric cars out there, but it still burns some gasoline and costs twice what a Model S costs. Twice!

So, I will do the shorter version here with lots of changes because I've had time to think:

If I had the Money for a BMW i8, I'd...

...try to talk the wife into a used Volt. Neither of us are Chevy fans, but it really is hard to beat the Volt for price, reliability, and range if you are looking at plug-in hybrids. And, they are good looking cars. $15,000. (With the balance we save from buying the Fusion PHEV, we could pay for some education she has been wanting.)

...pay off the fabulous young woman's college!

...put $20,000 into the little brother's college savings account.

...pay someone to complete my electric Mazda pickup project for my daily runabout and invest in a high-powered generator to make it capable of long-distance travel. I would keep our junky old Dodge Ram for bigger hauls, but drive it as little as possible. (Since I don't have the money or time fantasized about in this post, the Mazda is going up for sale in my attempt to cut back on unrealistic [for me] projects.)

...finish both Silver ElectroPigeons. (Woohoo!)

...go solar! Our home would be very green and Lubbock Power and Light could stop burning coal and natural gas on our behalf!

...put $15,000 into starting something similar to Good Karma Bikes here in the Hub City. (Thanks, diybiking.com!)

That should leave about $20,000 for retirement and a nice long vacation.

OR

...forget all of the previous plans and move to Costa Rica where I could compose blog posts in the sand on the beach and share fabulous sunsets with my wife!

May your dorky green plans come true!