Rode for hours with my sister in her brand new Rivian pickup truck over the weekend.
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Rode for hours with my sister in her brand new Rivian pickup truck over the weekend. I’m sold now on getting an electric car next. The Rivian is really really nice. But why don’t have a model that isn’t fucking huge? The energy efficiency is wasted on all that mass.
Anyhow, what are the better car-sized #ev models out there these days? #electriccar
@beckett Driving a 2018 Bolt. The thing just runs. Surprisingly roomy and comfortable for a “small” car.
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@beckett Driving a 2018 Bolt. The thing just runs. Surprisingly roomy and comfortable for a “small” car.
@D_J_Nathanson Thanks! Sounds like a good candidate for a used one.
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@D_J_Nathanson Thanks! Sounds like a good candidate for a used one.
@beckett Only problem is that it’s the older charging technology (45-60 mins on a fast charger to go from low charge to 80%). I will say, though, that I have lost literally zero on the range/charge in all that time. Seasonal variations of course, but I still get 238+ miles/full charge in the summer and 140/full charge in the depths of winter just like I did the day I bought it.
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Rode for hours with my sister in her brand new Rivian pickup truck over the weekend. I’m sold now on getting an electric car next. The Rivian is really really nice. But why don’t have a model that isn’t fucking huge? The energy efficiency is wasted on all that mass.
Anyhow, what are the better car-sized #ev models out there these days? #electriccar
@beckett @jalefkowit I have an Ioniq 5 and mostly like it. I think k it’s the best thing out there right now.
It has some downsides (one of which is that you really want the 2025 or later, another is some pointed reliability issues — hit my friend, but not me).
But it’s a solid medium size, good but not spectacular range, modern tech (including Apple key stuff), and is overall just a good car.
I would not trade it for anything else on the market right now. And I don’t really see anything coming down the pike that’s better, although I am sure there will be soon.
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Rode for hours with my sister in her brand new Rivian pickup truck over the weekend. I’m sold now on getting an electric car next. The Rivian is really really nice. But why don’t have a model that isn’t fucking huge? The energy efficiency is wasted on all that mass.
Anyhow, what are the better car-sized #ev models out there these days? #electriccar
The upcoming new version of the Nissan Leaf looks really promising.
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@beckett Only problem is that it’s the older charging technology (45-60 mins on a fast charger to go from low charge to 80%). I will say, though, that I have lost literally zero on the range/charge in all that time. Seasonal variations of course, but I still get 238+ miles/full charge in the summer and 140/full charge in the depths of winter just like I did the day I bought it.
@D_J_Nathanson @beckett I have a 2023 Bolt hatchback and like it so much I bought it twice (teenage driver ran into me about a month after I took delivery, good news the airbags work great, the car was totaled and I got banged up but lived)
they're bringing back the slightly larger Bolt EUV this year if you want a new one
but the 21 - 23s once they've had the battery replaced are good cars and very reasonably priced
the 23 does have a couple nice features the 22 didn't
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@D_J_Nathanson @beckett I have a 2023 Bolt hatchback and like it so much I bought it twice (teenage driver ran into me about a month after I took delivery, good news the airbags work great, the car was totaled and I got banged up but lived)
they're bringing back the slightly larger Bolt EUV this year if you want a new one
but the 21 - 23s once they've had the battery replaced are good cars and very reasonably priced
the 23 does have a couple nice features the 22 didn't
@D_J_Nathanson @beckett I've also been in several Kias belonging to friends and family that I thought were pretty good
but I like the headroom in the Chevy better
also Chevy doesn't do retractable door handles
and if things ever really go to shit when you're driving you WILL want an actual external door handle
I know this from sad experience
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Rode for hours with my sister in her brand new Rivian pickup truck over the weekend. I’m sold now on getting an electric car next. The Rivian is really really nice. But why don’t have a model that isn’t fucking huge? The energy efficiency is wasted on all that mass.
Anyhow, what are the better car-sized #ev models out there these days? #electriccar
@beckett In the U.S. market, Nissan Leaf, Chevy Equinox EV and Bolt, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and Kona Electric, Kia EV6 and Niro EV, Volvo EX30/40, Ford Mustang Mach-E. Moving upmarket: BMW i4/i5, any Polestar model, Lucid Air.
There are others out there too, those are just the ones I would suggest someone look at first
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Rode for hours with my sister in her brand new Rivian pickup truck over the weekend. I’m sold now on getting an electric car next. The Rivian is really really nice. But why don’t have a model that isn’t fucking huge? The energy efficiency is wasted on all that mass.
Anyhow, what are the better car-sized #ev models out there these days? #electriccar
https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/search/download.pdf?year=2025
I would definitely consider PHEV and EREV vehicles as well, since they can function as EV's for short drives (30-50 miles) while still having all the advantages of an ICE hybrid.
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Rode for hours with my sister in her brand new Rivian pickup truck over the weekend. I’m sold now on getting an electric car next. The Rivian is really really nice. But why don’t have a model that isn’t fucking huge? The energy efficiency is wasted on all that mass.
Anyhow, what are the better car-sized #ev models out there these days? #electriccar
@beckett Don't overlook the Volvo EX30. My nephew has one, and it's really nice.
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Rode for hours with my sister in her brand new Rivian pickup truck over the weekend. I’m sold now on getting an electric car next. The Rivian is really really nice. But why don’t have a model that isn’t fucking huge? The energy efficiency is wasted on all that mass.
Anyhow, what are the better car-sized #ev models out there these days? #electriccar
@beckett We have an ioniq6 that's been in service for two weeks... so far. The car itself is great, dealers and service not so much.
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Rode for hours with my sister in her brand new Rivian pickup truck over the weekend. I’m sold now on getting an electric car next. The Rivian is really really nice. But why don’t have a model that isn’t fucking huge? The energy efficiency is wasted on all that mass.
Anyhow, what are the better car-sized #ev models out there these days? #electriccar
@beckett I second the recommendation for the Ioniq 5. My wife has one. We are leasing it because EV technology is developing so fast right now that by the time the lease is up, it’s likely to be way behind the times.
If you really want a small car, there’s always the Kia Nero EV.
I wish the USA imported some of the really small EVs that are available in Europe, like the Renault Clio, but apparently those don’t meet federal safety regulations.
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@puppethead @jalefkowit @beckett There's a new Chevy Bolt, too (but GM says it will only be produced for 18 months). https://www.chevrolet.com/electric/bolt-ev
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Rode for hours with my sister in her brand new Rivian pickup truck over the weekend. I’m sold now on getting an electric car next. The Rivian is really really nice. But why don’t have a model that isn’t fucking huge? The energy efficiency is wasted on all that mass.
Anyhow, what are the better car-sized #ev models out there these days? #electriccar
@beckett 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV owner here, before that we had a BMW i3. Both cars have their flaws, and I'd love an electric pickup of the 1970s Datsun size, or an updated Fiat e500 with heat pump and slightly larger battery, but I think there are a few smaller cars out there.
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Rode for hours with my sister in her brand new Rivian pickup truck over the weekend. I’m sold now on getting an electric car next. The Rivian is really really nice. But why don’t have a model that isn’t fucking huge? The energy efficiency is wasted on all that mass.
Anyhow, what are the better car-sized #ev models out there these days? #electriccar
@beckett
I've read multiple things about deep misogyny within Rivian which keeps me far away.We've considered the Subaru Soltera but also just paid off out Crosstrek so not sure now is the time for a new car payment.
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Rode for hours with my sister in her brand new Rivian pickup truck over the weekend. I’m sold now on getting an electric car next. The Rivian is really really nice. But why don’t have a model that isn’t fucking huge? The energy efficiency is wasted on all that mass.
Anyhow, what are the better car-sized #ev models out there these days? #electriccar
Things to consider before making the switch to electric:
-Will you have a level 2 home charger
-Can your home electrical wiring and service handle a charger
-What is the charging infrastructure where you live: are charging stations plentiful; do charging stations provide universal plugs, or will you need a special adapter; are payment systems easy or will you need one or more apps
-what kind of range do you actually need/use on a regular basis
-What fees might your electricity provider charge you for “higher than average usage” due to home charging; will you get bumped into a higher rate class and end up paying more per kW than anticipated
-If your local government and local utility providers haven’t made changes to meet increased demand for power, how will the grid be strainedWe drank the koolaid and saddled ourselves with an electric car two years ago. We’re now selling it because the answers to all of the above questions turned out to be very bad in the area where we live, and even with an 18.2 kW solar array, instead of being net zero as we were before, we have ended up paying far more than if we had just bought a hybrid. Infuriating from an environmental perspective, as well as an economic one. With the current US regime in power, nothing much is likely to change anytime soon; the US will remain a backwater, smoke belching, shithole of a country.
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@beckett In the U.S. market, Nissan Leaf, Chevy Equinox EV and Bolt, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and Kona Electric, Kia EV6 and Niro EV, Volvo EX30/40, Ford Mustang Mach-E. Moving upmarket: BMW i4/i5, any Polestar model, Lucid Air.
There are others out there too, those are just the ones I would suggest someone look at first
@jalefkowit @beckett the Kona is notable for having a fair number of physical buttons, instead of being damnably all-touchscreen like a lot of current cars
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@beckett Don't overlook the Volvo EX30. My nephew has one, and it's really nice.
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Rode for hours with my sister in her brand new Rivian pickup truck over the weekend. I’m sold now on getting an electric car next. The Rivian is really really nice. But why don’t have a model that isn’t fucking huge? The energy efficiency is wasted on all that mass.
Anyhow, what are the better car-sized #ev models out there these days? #electriccar
@beckett depends on how fact you want. Cadillac optiq is decently small with lots of niceties.
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Rode for hours with my sister in her brand new Rivian pickup truck over the weekend. I’m sold now on getting an electric car next. The Rivian is really really nice. But why don’t have a model that isn’t fucking huge? The energy efficiency is wasted on all that mass.
Anyhow, what are the better car-sized #ev models out there these days? #electriccar
@beckett The Rivian R2 will be smaller if you really enjoyed that. Otherwise we just signed a lease on a 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SEL, some of the best range and features in its size, and my wife has a 2020 Chevy Bolt she really enjoys. We have a 2023 VW ID.4 at end of its lease (and why we got the Ioniq) and it drove great and has been reliable - but VW's software is a bit crap. Otherwise, yeah...we're an EV family now, not going back.
