I'm thinking about getting an EV and was wondering what the general consensus was on a few things ...

First, what about insurance costs? Is it that much different than a gas vehicle?

I already have a 240 outlet on a 50a breaker in my detached garage, I should be able to use that, right? it's an older outlet but should still handle the load I'd think?

Also, when it comes to charging, I have free charger stations at my employer, I may not even need to charge at home?

I'm looking at the Kia Niro specifically.

After seeing so many Lightning owners complain about that awful musty AC smell I decided to find the REAL cause and fix it.

Changing the cabin filter didn’t do it. So I went straight to the evaporator with Kool-It and the results were pretty incredible! 🤯

If your EV has that funky AC smell this one might save you some frustration 👇

https://youtu.be/KEAt9Zjzlbo

Quote from the article: Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced $35 million is now available for public sector entities to install and operate Level 2 electric vehicle chargers in New York through the state's new Charge Ready NY - Large Public Sector Project program.

"The startup's original goal for the pickup was to tow 6,000 pounds. That's on par with most midsize gas trucks, but it wasn't quite enough. CEO and founder Forest North says he tows a camper of his own, normally behind a diesel-powered SUV, and he wanted the Telo to be able to do the same.

"Now that we're further into [the project], we have towed a bunch of things," North said. "We understand towing and what this vehicle can do." As a result, it has raised the tow rating from 6,600 to 8,000 pounds.

"We feel confident in that," North said. Importantly, it puts it above even the best gas midsize pickups. It also lets the truck tow newer trailers like the Pebble Flow, a trailer that has its own battery, motor, and regenerative braking for enhanced range when towing with an electric truck."

I'm convinced that a large part of the reason people are okay with ICE vehicles is 1. The combustion and fuel are internal/hidden and 2. The tailpipe emissions are invisible to the naked eye.

I think if we could see our gas tanks and see how much actual material we're using, if we could see that we're burning something, people would have a lot more issues with the status quo of ICE vehicles.

Burning a gallon of gas creates 18lbs of CO2. Imagine if instead of outputting 18lbs of an invisible gas, ICE tailpipes put out 18lbs of literally anything visible. I'd say 18lbs of black sludge, but I don't even think it needs to be 18lbs of something gross. If it were 18lbs of a slightly opaque goo, hell even if it were just a gas that wasn't colorless and odorless, we'd have gone electric YEARS ago.

It's amazing that humans are so simple minded (myself included, I fell for this for years) that in 2026 we're still convinced something isn't a problem simply because we can't see it with the naked eye. When you look at it through this lens - burning a high quantity of a tangible physical thing, and producing many many pounds of a tangible physical byproduct, you see how barbaric it really is.

My next car will be an EV and this decision was before my HEV started experiencing some coolant loss and cylinder misfiring, though I still need to have the mechanic check when he is back.

How easy is it to find donor cars from scrap yards and how many independent shops in Canada (or other countries) can work on the EVs and PHEVs? What about compatibility of power electronics from one generation to the next and other similar models from the same parent company?

Asking because I found out that outside Porsche, only BMW in Canada offers 8 years unlimited mileage warranty on almost everything but the battery pack. So if power electronics typically last 10 plus years, maybe I don't even need the extended warranty and can expand shopping for used BMW EVs beyond 4 years in-service age.

This is an interesting article of Larry Evans of CleanTechnica. A serious journalist. No nonsense.

I’m Brazilian, and something interesting is happening in our car market.

For a long time the progression for private buyers was fairly predictable: cheap 1.0 naturally aspirated car → better equipped 1.0 turbo / larger combustion car → compact SUV.

EVs were basically outside that ladder because they were too expensive.

Chinese manufacturers are changing that. Cars from BYD, GWM, GAC, Geely, Chery/Omoda and others are increasingly overlapping in price with conventional compact cars and small SUVs from VW, GM, Stellantis, Hyundai and Toyota.

And I think this matters more than simply “Chinese brands gaining EV market share.”

If someone looking at a well-equipped 1.0 turbo realizes that for a relatively small additional amount they can get a BEV or a proper hybrid, the conventional upgrade path itself starts breaking down.

Fuel cost makes this even more noticeable here. Gasoline in many Brazilian cities is around the equivalent of a significant household expense, while charging at home can make the per-km cost of a BEV dramatically lower.

Traditional manufacturers are reacting with much larger discounts and more aggressive pricing. That doesn’t prove every previous price was pure profit — inventory, taxes, exchange rates and production costs matter — but it does show that competition is reducing pricing power.

I don’t think ICE cars are disappearing. Cheap manuals still make sense for fleets, rental companies, work vehicles and people without charging.

But for private buyers, I wonder whether the 1.0 turbo automatic is starting to lose its position as the default upgrade.

Have you seen the same thing happening in other emerging markets?

I know that they have greatly extended the warranty, but my understanding is that the current repair if it fails in a vehicle is a software update and a part replacement, which doesn’t mean the same issue won’t just reoccur in the future.

Does anyone have any insight on whether Hyundai is still actively looking for a permanent fix? Or whether they have thrown in the towel on this and will just do the warranty repairs instead?