The (R)EV Diaries - EVs in Rural America Electric Cars - Electric Vehicles
Ben Jones
194 episodes
10 months ago
Electric Vehicles are everywhere. All major car manufacturers, from the highest-end performance brands to the lowest-end utilitarian family wagons, are working to produce an EV option for the marketplace. Battery capacity breakthroughs and concept cars shrouded in secrecy dominate the news. Here in America, public charging infrastructure is popping up… in big cities where consumers are realizing they can electrify their commute and save 70% on fuel costs. But what about small-town America? Ben Jones, an electrical engineer for an distribution cooperative in southeastern Kentucky believes so. He’s been exposed to EVs and charging infrastructure projects for his utility. Ben believes that EVs need to be in every town and the right combination of battery range and charging options make electric cars very attractive to rural inhabitants. But that was not always the case. The EV Diaries chronicle Ben’s conversion from skeptic to being a self-appointed EV ambassador. He talks about his experiences with all things EV while keeping abreast of EV news around the world. On top of this, he is looking to purchase his first EV to be a daily driver and discusses his needs, wants and other considerations when purchasing an EV. The EV revolution is here! Buckle up! It should be a fun ride.
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Electric Vehicles are everywhere. All major car manufacturers, from the highest-end performance brands to the lowest-end utilitarian family wagons, are working to produce an EV option for the marketplace. Battery capacity breakthroughs and concept cars shrouded in secrecy dominate the news. Here in America, public charging infrastructure is popping up… in big cities where consumers are realizing they can electrify their commute and save 70% on fuel costs. But what about small-town America? Ben Jones, an electrical engineer for an distribution cooperative in southeastern Kentucky believes so. He’s been exposed to EVs and charging infrastructure projects for his utility. Ben believes that EVs need to be in every town and the right combination of battery range and charging options make electric cars very attractive to rural inhabitants. But that was not always the case. The EV Diaries chronicle Ben’s conversion from skeptic to being a self-appointed EV ambassador. He talks about his experiences with all things EV while keeping abreast of EV news around the world. On top of this, he is looking to purchase his first EV to be a daily driver and discusses his needs, wants and other considerations when purchasing an EV. The EV revolution is here! Buckle up! It should be a fun ride.
Here is a summer recap. Unfortunately we recorded it in September and we’re already two-thirds of the way through Fall. It’s been a busy year, but we love recording and talking all things EV. Hopefully we can get our act together and finish the year strong.
In the last episode, we were in the middle of a conversation with Jason Fee when he needed to attend to some business. We all know what it’s like when Ben breaks his train of thought… It takes three months (or longer) to get it back on the rails. Here it is; the last part … Continue reading "OMG! How Long Does It Take? – Jason Fee Part 2"
Jason Fee has spent his entire life around automobiles. Growing up in Flint, Michigan, Jason naturally found his career in the automotive industry and is now with GM Service. Jason called me out on my GM bashing a few years ago and has become a friend of the show. He brings a manufacturers perpective to … Continue reading "1.4L Turbo Exploded View: Jason Fee Part 1"
Many states are taking steps to get ahead of autonomous commercial vehicles that will eventually be part of everyday life. Kentucky, too, is debating a house bill that will set limitations and guidelines for this emerging technology driven by AI . While one can debate the pros and cons of AI and the long-term effects … Continue reading "“Sometimes, even the wisest of man or machine can make an error.”- Optimus Prime"
Can you imagine a EV that you could drive across the US, from sea to shining sea, without having to stop and charge? Now, you’ll have time to check out the World’s Largest Ball of Twine and The Grand Canyon simply because you’re not looking for infrastructure and can focus on the world around you. … Continue reading "I Can Drive For Miles and Miles and Miles and Miles…"
a·nath·e·ma /əˈnaTHəmə/ noun Something or someone that one vehemently dislikes. car·math·e·ma /car MATH amuh/ noun The reluctance of people to do basic math regarding EV ownership (which is anathema to me). Kentucky now has an EV tax in place supposedly to offset waning revenue from the 26 cent per gallon gasoline tax. A spokesman for EvolveKY, an … Continue reading "Carmathema"
We are back. Welcome to 2024. We recorded this episode on January 22 in the middle of a polar vortex. As you can see, it took me (Ben) a while to get it posted. I do apologize and hope to do better. Every day is an adventure, huh? In mid-January, our part of the world … Continue reading "Pay Me No Mind… I’m Just Over Here Chillin’"
Today, we have a cool episode. Brent had never been in my BMW i3. He had not driven an EV other than the Chevy Volt belonging to the co-op. We thought it was high time that he experienced something new. Join us as we cruise around town on a rainy day and do bad impressions … Continue reading "EV Diaries After Dark: The Electric Adventures of B"
After years of waiting, the Tesla Cybertruck is here. The trucks are finally rolling of the production floor and into the garages of the people that made their reservations when it was first unveiled, assuming they still wanted it. It occurs to us that despite the long wait, people are still intrigued by the unusual … Continue reading "CYBERTRUCK: Rise Of The Machine"
Not going to lie- I’ve been a little discouraged about the EV news lately. Sure, new models are coming out every day. New breakthroughs in battery construction seem just over the horizon, but I have found myself inundated with seemingly bad new. First, I found myself in a conference where a very influential member of … Continue reading "WHAT THE TRUCK???"
Last week, Kentucky announced the first round of National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure grant recipients. Sixteen projects submitted by six entities are now funded with $10.9 million in tax payer dollars. While I agree this is good for EV promotion and adoption, I was a little dismayed when a map of said projects showed an obvious … Continue reading "Here We Are… Sell To Us…"
Is Tesla really that much better or just that far ahead? Elon Musk and his engineers did not invent the electric car. Steve Jobs and his engineers did not invent the cellular telephone. So why are Tesla and iPhone synonymous with EVs and cell phones? They’re not the only manufacturers, right? I think the biggest … Continue reading "Road Trip Problems Follow-Up: Playing Follow The Leader (Hint: Tesla Is The Leader… For Now)"
Patience is Cumbersome. That pretty much sums up this entire episode in three words. As we resume our discussion of the road trip recently taken by the Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, the author of the NPR article, Camila Domonoske, makes her arguments for why non-Tesla EVs have a “road trip problem”. First, she sees … Continue reading "Road Trip Problems: Just Get Mad… That Helps. 🙄"
Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, set out on a whistle stop tour of the south east to promote EVs and EV adoption recently. Embedded in her caravan was an NPR reporter, who, like Madame Secretary, is a long time EV owner. The four day trip covered several stops for town hall style meetings from Charlotte, … Continue reading "Road Trip Problems: Don’t You Know Who I Am?"
At 9:30 AM, the meeting started. Brent was attending in person and I remotely from my kitchen. Unbeknownst to me, Brent was supposed to be in the first half and I was supposed to be in the second half of the day long informational session. These things are typically conducted in a less than artful … Continue reading "Those Taxing Questions That Keep Us Up at Night"
This episode is based on a Canadian F-150 Lightning owner and his bad experience on a recent road trip. More accurately, it is a discussion of a “hit piece” put out by Fox Business trying to tarnish electric vehicles’ worthiness in the marketplace and dissuade readers from purchasing EVs. It’s not the first time Fox … Continue reading "“Biggest Scam of Modern Times”?"
Last week we discussed the BMW tweet where they called everyone “boomers”. We found out after the fact that the article was almost two years old but we thought the question they asked was still valid and relevant- “What’s your reason not to change?” After much thought, the answers to such a question are varied. … Continue reading "So, What Is Your Reason?"
An article came to our attention that we thought was recent only to find out that it was from Fall 2020. That being said, it was a good article regarding a marketing campaign that BMW launched to showcase their new EV line up, replacing their previous offerings of the i8 performance hybrid and the i3; … Continue reading "Screw It! Let’s Go To Buc-ee’s."
This episode is just a wrap up of EVolveKY’s EV education event hosted in conjunction with the Laurel County Kiwanis Club. There was a bevy of EVs from A to Z (Nissan Ariya to many other Zero emission vehicles.) Ben and Brent discuss their impressions and take aways from the event.
It’s the end of an era. Lamborghini, one of the most iconic sports car companies ever, after 60 years of business, has announced they will no longer be making strictly internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Instead, they will focus on electrifying their fleet starting with the Revuelto plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). Interestingly enough, Revuelto … Continue reading "Don’t Say “Lambo” If You’re Not From Wisconsin"
The (R)EV Diaries - EVs in Rural America Electric Cars - Electric Vehicles
Electric Vehicles are everywhere. All major car manufacturers, from the highest-end performance brands to the lowest-end utilitarian family wagons, are working to produce an EV option for the marketplace. Battery capacity breakthroughs and concept cars shrouded in secrecy dominate the news. Here in America, public charging infrastructure is popping up… in big cities where consumers are realizing they can electrify their commute and save 70% on fuel costs. But what about small-town America? Ben Jones, an electrical engineer for an distribution cooperative in southeastern Kentucky believes so. He’s been exposed to EVs and charging infrastructure projects for his utility. Ben believes that EVs need to be in every town and the right combination of battery range and charging options make electric cars very attractive to rural inhabitants. But that was not always the case. The EV Diaries chronicle Ben’s conversion from skeptic to being a self-appointed EV ambassador. He talks about his experiences with all things EV while keeping abreast of EV news around the world. On top of this, he is looking to purchase his first EV to be a daily driver and discusses his needs, wants and other considerations when purchasing an EV. The EV revolution is here! Buckle up! It should be a fun ride.
