Rode for hours with my sister in her brand new Rivian pickup truck over the weekend.

[jefmes@fosstodon.org]

@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.

[genehack@dementedandsadbut.social]

@beckett my wife drives a Polestar 2 and it’s pretty nice, if you’re open to the semi-luxe sedan thing.

[jaimevisser@mastodon.nl]

@beckett Don't know if politics plays a role, but the Tesla Model 3 is a great car if you don't have anything against the brand. Yes, it has few buttons but most things "just work". The software stack is the best, bar none and this just makes it a really pleasant car to use.

[bill@gts.dootzone.win]

@ossobuffo @beckett

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.

This is something that gets mentioned a fair bit, but outside of specific brands who have lagged behind (Toyota and Nissan come to mind), I'm not sure it's generally true industry wide. Your car, for example, is not markedly different than the model that was released in 2022.

• The software is better, but they could backport it and choose not to for business reasons.
• The battery is larger, but the chemistry is similar and it charges near the same speed (class-leading).
• The range gain from that battery is unlikely to change the way or rate at which you travel.
• It didn't get any more efficient.

This is not to say improvements can't or won't happen, but the the relative simplicity of electrive drivetrains seems to mean that most of the levers have been pulled and the technologies are mature. Electric motors have been around forever. It's really batteries where we hope for a breakthrough, but in the meantime they get just a little better each year.

I have a '22 EV6 and, frankly, I don't know what I'd get today that would feel like 4 years of technology advancement (outside infotainment). Certainly not in this price category!

(I'm not criticizing your lease, BTW, you probably got a screaming deal and depreciation has been a killer on these cars.)

[eedly@mindly.social]

@beckett We have a Mach-E. It seems nice enough, but I'm not the one who drives it; I would have absolutely chosen something smaller.

I would be excited about the Slate pickup if they supported an old-fashioned three-across bench seat.