Featured Would there have even been a Prius?

Reporting myself to the moderator, there was a Washington DC announcement about "new fuel standards" that directly impacts why we were ever able to buy a Prius:

At age 75, I well remember the past that led to having efficient, safe, affordable to operate cars. My memories include:

• descending into the Denver bowl of noxious, red air
• eyes burning worse than Marine tear gas hut driving in Reverside CA
• cars that stank whose exhaust was a suicide method
• cars without seat belts and coming upon accidents

I call it "generational amnesia" and that was what happened in that press conference. Well like my Dad used to say, "Only two things will make a man unhappy: Not getting what he asked for or Getting exactly what he asked for."

BTW, I caught this when I got home. I was doing some cold weather, 31-36 F (-0.5 to 2.2 C), long distance testing of my Tesla, raw data:

• 18 hours elapsed time
• 714 miles :: 714/18 = 40 mph block-to-block time vs 50 mph in warmer weather
• 185 kWh consumed :: at residential rate of $0.12/kWh * 185 = $22.20 total electric cost if from home
  • SuperCharger rates are 3-4x residential so $22.20*3=$66.60 to $22.20*4=$88.80
• skipping "preconditioning", running ~1 hr drives, 60-80 miles with charging breaks

Preconditioning in winter weather takes about 500 Wh out of the battery. Skipping it leads to lower initial charge rate, <100 kW vs 178 kW peak in warm weather. During charging there is a 2 C difference between the inlet and exit coolant temperature of the pack as the car tries to warm up the battery along with the charging load. <HUMMM> There will be a more detailed report once I get all the billing and trip records collected in the Tesla sub-forum.

Bob Wilson

ps. What I shared in my report:

I'm sorry but this political 'dog and pony' show relates to all efficient, safe cars. IMHO, it is important news but I can't separate the political nonsense from the technical without taking a lot of 'editorial license.' If it goes away or to Fred's House of Politics, I won't complain. I wish there were another approach. - Bob Wilson​