[TXZL1I4]

I'm probably in the extreme minority here and generally among EV buyers in that I'm a Republican (and no, not one of the ones that isn't really). It isn't that his question isn't valid, it is that it is that a) that isn't a reason to stop progress, and b) there are many more trends along with the evolution of technology that are going to be significantly more problematic. For example, when cars and trucks can be driverless and/or drone deliveries take off a huge number of people are going to find themselves without jobs. People will adapt, as they always have. I will note that I'm working to get people to do various house related tasks and it is very hard due to labor shortages.

I would argue that they're not labor shortages as much as they're shortages of decent wages. I'll never forget a recruiter calling me to ask me if I was in the job market. He wanted an experienced IT professional, with a 4 year degree, AND they had to be fluent in Portuguese. The rate, $15/hr. This was maybe 10 years ago. Of course, companies will just run to the federal government screaming that they can't find workers, and the government will allow thousands of people from India (or other countries) to come and undercut American workers. I guess some people don't like Capitalism when they're on the losing side...

 

[elh93]

I had three recruiters call me in 2020 about forklift driving positions.

I have a masters in Mechanical Engineering. They were paying less than I got from my internships in undergrad.

 

[rollermonkey]

The numbers concerning US wages and business profits speak for themselves. Anyone who thinks that wage levels are not a principle cause of worker shortages in the US can also check out this bridge that I have for sale.
I cannot imagine how anyone making the Federal minimum wage could even live today, and for 6 months in 1991, I lived in a car, so I definitely understand frugality. I was living on about $3 a day.

Anyways, I guess I don't listen to enough rumors to have heard any EV myths? 🤪

 

[CubanoConBMW]

I sometimes throw caution to the wind (yes I swear it's "caution!") and sometimes eat taco bell, so gas is bad all the time. 😜

It's funny that you mention the CR-V, because my neighbor has one and parks it near the EV charging station all the time. If she likes the packaging of the CR-V, the Leaf might be something to consider (mostly because it's one of the few EVs that can be found on dealers' lots) even though the Honda Fit is probably the closest in design.

I know I sound like a broken record pushing the Leaf, but I push it now because resale is so crazy good right now, and as something to hold people over until their order comes in. Once your replacement vehicle arrives you should have no problem selling the Leaf at a decent price, even a much more decent price after taking the $7500 (plus $2500 in Texas) tax credit.

The way I see it, I figure by the time the i4 gets here, I'll be well versed in life with an EV and it should be a simple (upgraded) transition. Today for instance, I used my "low" battery charge as an excuse to take out my ZL1 and put the Leaf on the charger. The depressing thing, I went to go fill up the ZL1 after driving maybe 2-3 hours on a full tank and it still cost me near $40 to fill it back up. My Leaf, I charged it the other day from about 35% to 100% (I know it's not advised to fully charge it, but I'm old school) and it cost me $12.00.

Here's a list of all the Leafs in the U.S. I wouldn't go near the low range models unless you work somewhere that has charging stations. In the nasty Texas heat my range is about equal to that of an i4 M50.




I'll never understand why people want to "save the coal industry". Given how many people die from just exposure to coal work, it's just insane. But, it shows you the power of money and those in industries that have money to pump out misinformation and corrupt the message. Sometimes I can't wait for that earth-ending comet...





They call it "rolling coal" and sometimes refer to the vehicles as "bro-dozers". I once had my vehicle unplugged from a charging station, and I'm not sure if it was done by someone lashing out at me or what. Our apartment complex will tow a vehicle that is parked at a charging station and I suspect that maybe someone that was towed has ill-will towards the EV population at my complex. I'm actually looking forward to seeing the EV trucks hit the market so that they can be used to drag these things out of the way.

View attachment 10664

Thank you for the link to the bush (a grouping of Leaves yes?😂).

If we get desperate we can borrow her fathers car. The IONIQ 5 seems to be getting regular deliveries lately, but she’s really got her heart set on a XC40 due to its SUV form. No idea when that’ll be in.

 

[Magicrat]

Thank you for the link to the bush (a grouping of Leaves yes?😂).

If we get desperate we can borrow her fathers car. The IONIQ 5 seems to be getting regular deliveries lately, but she’s really got her heart set on a XC40 due to its SUV form. No idea when that’ll be in.

I currently have the XC40, but will trade it in for the i4 when it arrives. The Volvo is a great SUV, is hella fast, AWD, but if she is ok with the range, its range is 210 miles with a full charge. I'm hoping I get close to 300 miles with my eDrive40.

 

[i4m50Norway]

It is interesting to see that BMW NorthAmerica does not think that they are able to sell the iX1 and iX3 due to short range, but Volvo sells the even shorter range XC40.

Maybe someone should tell BMW that it is a big market for medium range SUV's also in USA / Canada.

 

[dspevack]

I think the biggest Myth about EV's is that they are readily available. 😄

 

[CubanoConBMW]

View attachment 10663

https://www.bmwgroup.com/content/dam/grpw/websites/bmwgroup_com/responsibility/downloads/en/2021/Environmental-report_BMW-i4M50.pdf

I currently have the XC40, but will trade it in for the i4 when it arrives. The Volvo is a great SUV, is hella fast, AWD, but if she is ok with the range, its range is 210 miles with a full charge. I'm hoping I get close to 300 miles with my eDrive40.

Yeah she’s fine with the range. We don’t do a ton of road trips. I’m also getting the eDrive40 in no small part due to the range bonus since I have to take long trips for work once or twice a month and the car just seems like such a pleasure for long trips. I told the CA “you’ll think I’m crazy but the two things that sold me on i4 vs polestar was cabin noise and seat comfort”. The polestar just has this odd center console which intrudes into my leg space. Call me a manspreader but whatever. XD

 

[Magicrat]

Yeah she’s fine with the range. We don’t do a ton of road trips. I’m also getting the eDrive40 in no small part due to the range bonus since I have to take long trips for work once or twice a month and the car just seems like such a pleasure for long trips. I told the CA “you’ll think I’m crazy but the two things that sold me on i4 vs polestar was cabin noise and seat comfort”. The polestar just has this odd center console which intrudes into my leg space. Call me a manspreader but whatever. XD

Check out the i4 M50 range test I just posted. This was done on the M50, the eDrive40 is going to be MUCH better!

 

[TXZL1I4]

'Merica...........................

Apparently, the hate is also too real in Canada as well.

A Truck Driver Stops To Unplug a Random Tesla, the Car's Owner Was Napping Inside

A pickup truck driver thought it would be a good idea to unplug a random Tesla from charging. What he didn’t know was that the car’s owner was taking a nap inside the EV. This happened in a carpool lot on Highway 401 in Campbellville, Canada. Here’s how everything unfolded.

www.autoevolution.com

I do wish that the i4 came with a similar security system like that in the Tesla. I can only imagine a piece of garbage messing with an EV BMW. I mean no offense to i3 owners, but an i3 looks almost too nerdy to pick on, and I say that as an owner of a Leaf. I actually had someone unplug my vehicle while it was charging once. I don't think I would have the restraint that this guy had.

Check out the i4 M50 range test I just posted. This was done on the M50, the eDrive40 is going to be MUCH better!

The only problem I saw with the range testing is that it was done in optimal conditions. It's been over 100 degrees here for the past few days and my range had been pretty abysmal, nothing insane, but considerably less. Will be curious to see how the i4 can deal with the Texas heat.

 

[BlueHoosier]

I'm in the US and I really don't like a lot of Tesla owners, nor the engineering or design of them.

I have to say I have found some Tesla owners designed to be quite engaging. But it varies widely from Tesla to Tesla.

 

[Masque]

Apparently, the hate is also too real in Canada as well.

A Truck Driver Stops To Unplug a Random Tesla, the Car's Owner Was Napping Inside

A pickup truck driver thought it would be a good idea to unplug a random Tesla from charging. What he didn’t know was that the car’s owner was taking a nap inside the EV. This happened in a carpool lot on Highway 401 in Campbellville, Canada. Here’s how everything unfolded.

www.autoevolution.com

I do wish that the i4 came with a similar security system like that in the Tesla. I can only imagine a piece of garbage messing with an EV BMW.

Except this can’t happen with the i4, because the charging port locks.

When Teslas use an adapter to connect to non-Tesla chargers, they don’t lock. The adapter locks to the car but the charger isn’t locked to the adapter. It’s a strangely thoughtless design.

 

[TXZL1I4]

Except this can’t happen with the i4, because the charging port locks.

When Teslas use an adapter to connect to non-Tesla chargers, they don’t lock. The adapter locks to the car but the charger isn’t locked to the adapter. It’s a strangely thoughtless design.

Sadly, I can see these pieces of human garbage doing more than just trying to unplug the charger.

 

[i4inFlorida]

I would argue that they're not labor shortages as much as they're shortages of decent wages. I'll never forget a recruiter calling me to ask me if I was in the job market. He wanted an experienced IT professional, with a 4 year degree, AND they had to be fluent in Portuguese. The rate, $15/hr. This was maybe 10 years ago. Of course, companies will just run to the federal government screaming that they can't find workers, and the government will allow thousands of people from India (or other countries) to come and undercut American workers. I guess some people don't like Capitalism when they're on the losing side...

I agree with this but will note that if you want high wages a labor shortage is a good thing. Slack in the labor market means lower wages. Therefore, as you see all of this hit (self-driving cars/trucks/deliveries, electric vehicles eliminating many mechanic jobs, and so on) this will impact the labor market negatively. Again, not a reason not to do it but I would argue that this is something that is a fact and not a matter of any particular political ideology. It is just basic economics.

And yes, I'm definitely not a fan of the H1B scam that corporate America is running with.

 

[i4inFlorida]

It is interesting to see that BMW NorthAmerica does not think that they are able to sell the iX1 and iX3 due to short range, but Volvo sells the even shorter range XC40.

Maybe someone should tell BMW that it is a big market for medium range SUV's also in USA / Canada.

Here's another way to think about it: BMW has already sold more of these vehicles than they can produce for a long time. They anticipate that people in Europe will be happier with them than those in the US, and they would rather deliver to owners that will be very happy with the vehicles than owners that will be only somewhat happy and fill message boards like this one with posts that say "yeah, it is a nice car BUT that range ..." Therefore, they are prioritizing Europe, especially since they're built in Germany and transporting to the US is a problem. They are delivering two vehicles to the US that they think will make people happy here: the i4 and the iX. It makes sense to me.

 

[TXZL1I4]

I agree with this but will note that if you want high wages a labor shortage is a good thing. Slack in the labor market means lower wages. Therefore, as you see all of this hit (self-driving cars/trucks/deliveries, electric vehicles eliminating many mechanic jobs, and so on) this will impact the labor market negatively. Again, not a reason not to do it but I would argue that this is something that is a fact and not a matter of any particular political ideology. It is just basic economics.

And yes, I'm definitely not a fan of the H1B scam that corporate America is running with.

I agree that it is a good thing, but with the shortages, employers are having to pay a decent wage and with that comes higher cost, so the price of goods and services goes up. I would say that companies raising their prices and recording record profits is them trying to shelter themselves from having to pay their workers more.

I always find myself going back to this discussion with people, we have too much gridlock at the top. Our system works best when our middle-class is healthy. Our system is currently top heavy and that gridlock affects everyone.

My best example of this is Apple. They took chances, they innovated, and they brought us great products. They're now a bloated company that is more interested in shareholders and return on investment than they are with their customers and their innovation. They no longer have to take chances on great products as they are only trying to protect their wealth at this point. Competition is then stifled and innovation is atrophied. The reason turnover at the top is necessary is it helps with upward mobility, which is something that we don't have much of anymore. You can't have upward mobility if those at the top are trying their hardest to keep everyone down. But I digress, how about those i4 charge times?!?!?!

 

[CubanoConBMW]

Except this can’t happen with the i4, because the charging port locks.

When Teslas use an adapter to connect to non-Tesla chargers, they don’t lock. The adapter locks to the car but the charger isn’t locked to the adapter. It’s a strangely thoughtless design.

From the videos I’ve seen anyone can end the charging session on the charger and that’ll cause most cars to unlock the plug.

 

[TXZL1I4]

I wouldn't call this a "myth" per se but it seems like a bit of a reach for EV haters.

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/famed-us-mechanic-says-low-maintenance-evs-are-a-facade-exposes-a-dark-secret-191567.html

Yes, EVs are going to go through more tires until tire manufacturers decide to build a better compound that works better with EVs, but how many oil changes are we talking about when compared to the the more frequent requirement of tires? The disposal of tires is an environmental concern, but what about vehicles that leak oil. This article does seem a little short sighted, and I guess I can understand why the "famed U.S. Mechanic" would have a conflict of interest regarding EVs, his livelihood would be mostly eliminated by a large shift to EVs. I think it's safe to say that yes there will be different expenses, but I think we can also agree that the total cost of maintenance will still be lower than ICE counterparts.

 

[gsbaker]

Neither is it butt-ugly. The whole sentence was meant to be ironic.

I know, and was joking about the double meaning of the word lame.

Speaking of butt- ugly, some people complain about the front of the i4, not the back.

I just see the front as wicked, like a shark or cheetah.

 

[gsbaker]

I'm probably in the extreme minority here and generally among EV buyers in that I'm a Republican (and no, not one of the ones that isn't really). It isn't that his question isn't valid, it is that it is that a) that isn't a reason to stop progress, and b) there are many more trends along with the evolution of technology that are going to be significantly more problematic. For example, when cars and trucks can be driverless and/or drone deliveries take off a huge number of people are going to find themselves without jobs. People will adapt, as they always have. I will note that I'm working to get people to do various house related tasks and it is very hard due to labor shortages.

You are right i4inFlorida.

In the last century probably 99% of all jobs have been lost and life moved on.

That requires a bit of initiative on the part of the job losers and a bit of compassion from the winners.