Darrell Spice Jr.

I find it interesting that some will claim that renewables increase electricity prices, but that doesn't seem to jive with the data. Top wind power states in US: Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Illinois eia.gov/energyexplaine… Top solar power states in US: California, Texas, Florida, and North Carolina eia.gov/energyexplaine… Average electric rate in US is 15.83 cents/kWh electricchoice.com/electricity-pr… Of these 8 states the 6 Republican states are lower than US average: Florida 13.44, Iowa 14.45, Kansas 13.36, North Carolina 12.30, Oklahoma 12.15, Texas 12.27. While the 2 Democratic states have a higher rate: California 30.45, Illinois 16.02 This suggests political factors are the source of high prices rather than renewables.

@TechOperator @LifeLessonsAcad Yep, doubtful I'd have bought an EV as early as I did if standard outlets were not supported. I couldn't have made this 2018 trip to Fort Benning for my nephew's Basic Training graduation as charging options were very limited. And at the time I was using a 5-15 outlet at home.

@LifeLessonsAcad A double sledged sword.

This is what can happen over time when you plug an EV charger into a non-commercial-grade plug.

@zroger73 @TechOperator @vorengevector Could have been using a 6-50 to 14-50 adapter. amazon.com/MECMO-Charger-…

@TechOperator @vorengevector Ford's Mobile Charger only offers NEMA 5-15 and 14-50 adapters (although they incorrectly refer to it as 14-60 on their website), but this is a NEMA 6-50 receptacle. I wonder if your friend is using a different charger or some type of adapter or extension cord?

@DriveThrough_ 85 mph instead of 137 km/h

americans be like 100° F feels hot that’s why it makes sense and then drive at 65 mph on the highway instead of 100 km/h

@FlGeorgeins @ChrisMartzWX Yes the Republican party was founded to oppose slavery, which is why I was so surprised in 2023 to learn while at the Lincoln Memorial that Lincoln had written: "If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it" which supports what Chris wrote about Lincoln

@SpiceWare @ChrisMartzWX 1860 Republican platform was anti slavery & anti polygamy. Rs opposed expansion of slavery to new territories. South saw this as beginning of the end as free states would soon outnumber slave states. Election of Lincoln caused breakup of union= preemptive strike to save slavery.

These rankings are awful. Tell me you know nothing about U.S. history without telling me you know nothing about U.S. history. The FDR worship is pure brainwashing from public school. • He was effectively a socialist. • He gets too much credit for getting us out of the Great Depression. Arguably, his polices made it worse; the war is what got the economy booming. • FDR is the father of our modern senior welfare state since he signed the Social Security Act of 1935 into law. It is now an unsustainable Ponzi scheme that hurts young working class people. • His New Deal turned the U.S. federal government into a permanent jobs program, making it the largest employer. His policies are largely what has led to inefficient and bloated bureaucracy. • The FDR administration confiscated people’s gold. • He ordered Japanese Americans into internment camps. • And, he attempted, albeit failed to pack the Supreme Court when he didn’t get his way. Moving on. . . John Adams was an instrumental founding father, but he was not a great president. He had his critics arrested with the Alien and Sedition Acts, which outlawed criticism of his policies. He was a highly tempered man that had a very chaotic management style. The only good to come out of his presidency was the Treaty of Mortefontaine, which ended the Quasi-War in 1800. Abraham Lincoln also violated the First Amendment by suspending the writ of habeas corpus. He was a decent President, especially since he oversaw the end of slavery, but that wasn’t his original goal at the start of his first term, which was to preserve the union, even if it meant that slaves weren’t freed. The rest of the “hall of famer” column isn’t bad, but James Madison didn’t really do much good or bad. His leadership during the War of 1812 was good; he was the last sitting President to face combat firsthand. But he didn’t manage it well; we had a lot of losses. The true hero of that war was Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans. Don’t even get me started on the rest of the list…

In 2023 I was at the Lincoln Memorial and took the attached photos of an excerpt of Lincoln's letter to Horace Greeley. I was surprised I didn't already know about it, presumably it was suppressed in history class. I would save the Union. My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and it is not to save or destroy slavery If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that. You can read the full letter at the Library of Congress: loc.gov/resource/mal.4…

@ChrisMartzWX Your take on Lincoln is retarded. Did the teach you that in your meteorology classes?

@dezmondOliver Have you never been to a place like Pull-A-Part? youtube.com/watch?v=BX4q5x…

So what happens if a Model S or X needs a part replaced? Is your car absolutely totaled if your tailgate is dented and you need a new one?

@TechOperator 3/3 My folks have been EV only since 2020: x.com/SpiceWare/stat…

@TechOperator 2/3 Sold my Honda S2000 in July 2018 - it felt broken, extra loud and laggy performance, after spending 5+ weeks with a Tesla: x.com/SpiceWare/stat…

@phbruns @AaronJRolen Use "Way Back" feature of supercharge.info/map to see a timelapse of the Supercharger expansion. Once activated use the new toolbar to adjust the playback speed, pause it, etc.

I started my EV road trips after getting my 1st Model 3 in early 2018. I'm in Houston so most are around Texas (Orange Grove, Bandera, Austin, Dallas). 1-2 times a year I'll take longer trips such as central Wisconsin to visit my brother. Back then Superchargers maxed out at 120 kW and were sometimes spaced far enough apart I'd need to do the S-L-O-W 100% charge to reach the next one. We'd use those stops for meal breaks. Some stops we'd have to wait a few minutes, so same as getting gas, and occasionally we could resume the trip as soon as we got back to the car. Nowadays Superchargers max out at 250 kW (for my Model 3) and the expansion has filled in the gaps. This has eliminated the 100% charging stops, and for most stops we can resume the trip as soon as we get back to the car. Screenshots of Supercharger locations in USA: 1) May 2018 2) April 2026 supercharge.info/map

I test drove a cybertruck for the first time last week. Amazing machine. Was really tempted. Still am. The range is basically a deal breaker. I live 2-2.5 hrs from Dallas. I want to drive there and back comfortably. My Silverado EV is inferior in every way—but gets 450 miles.

It's a case of calling out a punitive tax. "CR calculated that drivers of new gas-powered vehicles in Texas pay an average of $71 dollars in gas taxes each year. That’s significantly less than the annual fee of $200 or more that’s been proposed for EV owners." advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/…

It's that time of year again where we subsidize the gas car owners of Alabama to the tune of $200 extra per car. 😐💸

Yes but Rivian only has NEMA 5-15 and 14-50 adapters for it. I routinely use Tesla's NEMA 14-30 adapter to charge via dryer outlets, such as at my brother's place in rural central Wisconsin (attached photos). Yes there are generic 14-50 to 14-30 adapters like this one, though you have to manually lower the vehicle's amp rate to prevent the circuit breaker from tripping (or worse): amazon.com/CircleCord-Cha… With Tesla's various NEMA adapters the car automatically knows the max amps it can safely draw for each outlet type.

@SpiceWare @Rivian They do have portable charger ✅

We don’t appreciate Tesla enough. Rivian’s wall charger is $800 vs. $465 for Tesla. Thank you Tesla.

@JeebsTX Looks like @Rivian doesn't offer other NEMA adapters for their Portable Charger. That's a missed opportunity, I routinely use dryer outlets for destination charging on my road trips. Photos from a 2019 trip to Fort Benning for my nephew's graduation from Basic Training.

Why? Rivian, why?

@TesCalendar1 My range increased after switching from Gas to Electric. That said the 10% range increase my 2024 Model 3 has over my 2018 Model 3 did eliminate a couple charging stops on my annual Houston to Wisconsin road trips, which was appreciated. fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?ac…

Most of the time with I post about the VW ID BUZZ I get 20 comments about how it needs more range. I get it, we always want more. I’m an advocate for big batteries! But where’s something to consider. The old VW bus had a range of around 180 miles and was used for so many things including hippies traveling and living in. The new BUZZ has a 230 mile range. When I mentioned how the 2027 will have a camper version, many commented how it NEEDS more range. Something to consider 🤔

Electric motorcycles area thing - in 2019 Ewan McGregor and his buddy Charley Boorman rode prototype Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycles from the tip of south America to Los Angeles. Their trip is documented in Long Way Up on Apple TV, was quite interesting to watch: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Way_… In 2022 Harley-Davidson spun off LiveWire as a separate company: livewire.com

Will electric and autonomous vehicles wipe out the motorcycle world? If the major companies that produce both cars and motorcycles do not survive this transition, will their motorcycle divisions survive?

@tkulogo @Greg4not1235 @LinneaLueken @RonDeSantis When I visit my brother I charge via a dryer outlet he installed in his garage. He normally uses it to power 240V equipment. It's at the back of the garage so I bring an extension cord. I also make day trips around the state, such as to visit my aunt and uncle in Green Bay.

Yep - I went EV only in 2018 and while I live in Houston I regularly make road trips to visit my brother in rural central Wisconsin. He lives along WI13 between the Rapids and Adams/Friendship, about an hour from the Supercharger in Mauston. I also regularly visit my sister in rural south Texas and my aunt & uncle in rural central Texas. I've never had a problem visiting any of them because they all have electricity🤯 Photos from my 2019 trip for Xmas/New Years/nephews wedding. That's when I learned the Model 3's front camera was heated, never noticed that in Houston. Now I'm in the mood for some Dairy Fudge.

No thanks.

Those tired old tropes? 🥱 Been EV only since 2018 and make the same annual road trip from Houston to rural central Wisconsin I did in a gas car - including in winter. While initially wary, my folks joined me on a number of trips and also went EV only with a Model Y in 2020. We took their Model Y on our longest road trip, of any vehicle type, to date: 5000 miles to Yellowstone, onto Tacoma Washington to visit family, then back to Houston. 1st 2 photos are of my first Model 3 in Wisconsin. It's when I learned the front camera cluster was heated, not something I'd noticed in Houston. 2nd 2 photos are of my folks' Model Y in Yellowstone. Taken at Inspiration Point, check sign in background of 3rd photo.

@RonDeSantis Sorry, Ron, EVs suck! Impractical except for warm weather city driving. Too much heat or cold and you are stuck. More like a golf cart; best pull a gasoline generator behind you to get anywhere.