Author Archives: lukefrugalev

Avid readers of this blog will note there are many places in Ontario you can reach in a fairly inexpensive used EV. Turns out our city of Toronto is full of wonders, and thanks to a growing fleet of zero or low emissions busses (source), no need to burn fossil fuels to get to whereContinue reading “The Electric Bus”

We continue our bi-annual used EV surveys with the Fall 2023 edition. Inventory is on the rise, and we have lots of new (or new to my survey) models including the Tesla Model 3, S, the Hyundai Kona, Mazda MX-30 and more. As before the Nissan Leaf leads the inventory charge, with 70 some LeafsContinue reading “Used EV survey, Fall 2023”

Recently, while watching a very interesting and well done youtube video I came across a curious quib: If you plan on “roatripping” in an EV, the only one that will work is the Tesla quoting the supercharging network. But, avid readers of this blog will note that its very possible to do lots of roadtripsContinue reading “Roadtrip vs Roadtrip vs Roadtrip”

Recently I went car shopping with a relative. We went to a dealership representing a major automaker that offers both gas and electric cars. Beforehand, we had consulted the website and picked out some things we liked, such as a specific color, as well as a tow hitch and some other options of interest. WhenContinue reading “Dealership experience”

Range is usually at the forefront of EV shoppers mind. Some going to such lengths as insisting that an EV must have more than 2000 km range for that once in a lifetime trip to Nova Scotia. Such extreme range claims are of course completely senseless, in particular, as you need to use the bathroomContinue reading “Bladder range”

Last year I wrote a series of articles exploring an all-electric Chi-Chemaun, a ferry that sails from Tobermory to South Baymouth on Manatoilin Island here in Ontario Canada. Briefly, while significant investments would be required, the project is entirely feasible. Further the current Chi-Chemaun ferry is getting old, so now might be a good timeContinue reading “Economics for an electric Chi-Chemaun, with the new ultra-low-overnight rate”

As discussed, one of the issues with the 2018 Nissan Leaf is lack of active battery cooling. Thus, driving more than 500 km in a day, becomes somewhat painful, as rapid charges slow to a glacial 20 kW maximum speed as you do your third rapid charge. Recently I wound up buying a portable fan,Continue reading “Active battery cooling on the Cheap”

Mitsubishi continues the evolution of the Outlander with a slightly smaller Eclipse cross. While there is ample space in the interior (my 6’4″ frame fit just fine in the back seat), the boot is slightly smaller. As with the Outlander PHEV, the battery pack is located in the boot, which includes the 12V battery. WeContinue reading “Driving the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross plug in hybrid”

The North American Charging Standard (NACS), formerly known as the Tesla plug, is a DC fast charging system. Its one of three active fast charging systems in North America at the moment, (the other two being CCS and CHADEMO). Recently, Ford, GM and Polestar decided to equip their vehicles with a NACS connector for fastContinue reading “Whats with the NACS fever?”

Recently Ontario offered electricity customers in select markets, a new ultra-low overnight electricity rate. On the upside, you pay a very low overnight rate (2.5 c/kWh), on the downside, peak rates are much higher (25 c/kWh). I decided to switch, although some of my neighbors were skeptical, mostly as well, people like to sleep duringContinue reading “How is the new ultra low overnight (ULO) rate working out for us?”