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I would say that most bike riders also own a vehicle and are paying for the bike lanes through vehicle taxes like everyone else.
ETA: Also, when they choose to travel by bike they are putting less wear and tear on the roads than when driving, thus saving the taxpayers money in the long run.
I very much agree. There is no reason to tax bike users because they are not adding to climate change or polluting the air. In fact, people who rely on bikes and don't have a car should be rewarded.
Boise has one of the highest percentages in the nation of people who bike to work and it is only going to increase because our local highway district, ACHD, is planning on adding dedicated and separated bike lanes on our major streets, in addition to the miles of bike lanes Boise already has.
There are already some dedicated lanes downtown with barriers protecting us cyclists and it is such a great amenity.
As a native Idahoan, I say imply a larger tax on the dudes who drive the big diesel pickup trucks belching out dark clouds of pollution. This makes sense.
There are too many horrible drivers out there, people who have their cell phones stuck to their face and of course the ones who are oblivious to pedestrians and cyclists. These people should be taxed more if and when they are cited. Easy solution.
btw, I do own the official car of Idaho, an Outback, so I am paying my fair due on taxes.
I say imply a larger tax on the dudes who drive the big diesel pickup trucks belching out dark clouds of pollution. This makes sense.
There are too many horrible drivers out there, people who have their cell phones stuck to their face and of course the ones who are oblivious to pedestrians and cyclists. These people should be taxed more if and when they are cited. Easy solution.
AMEN! to that. I've long hated these dang heavy polluting crud trucks belching out their noxious fumes and driving like the Dukes of Hazzard. Also those with their cellphones pasted to their faces not paying attention. I love to see THOSE vehicles taxed to the max.
I very much agree. There is no reason to tax bike users because they are not adding to climate change or polluting the air. In fact, people who rely on bikes and don't have a car should be rewarded.
Boise has one of the highest percentages in the nation of people who bike to work and it is only going to increase because our local highway district, ACHD, is planning on adding dedicated and separated bike lanes on our major streets, in addition to the miles of bike lanes Boise already has.
There are already some dedicated lanes downtown with barriers protecting us cyclists and it is such a great amenity.
As a native Idahoan, I say imply a larger tax on the dudes who drive the big diesel pickup trucks belching out dark clouds of pollution. This makes sense.
There are too many horrible drivers out there, people who have their cell phones stuck to their face and of course the ones who are oblivious to pedestrians and cyclists. These people should be taxed more if and when they are cited. Easy solution.
btw, I do own the official car of Idaho, an Outback, so I am paying my fair due on taxes.
Ah- Outbacks! I own one too and so does my niece. Hers is 6 years older than mine, ut they resemble each other so much I once tried to start hers after I got in and never noticed it wasn't mine until it didn't start.
One thing about them; they're the perfect car for getting away in Idaho. About a block away from the bank, all the robber has to do is slow down and stay with the traffic if they're driving a blue or green Outback. THey'll be invisible.
Ah- Outbacks! I own one too and so does my niece. Hers is 6 years older than mine, ut they resemble each other so much I once tried to start hers after I got in and never noticed it wasn't mine until it didn't start.
One thing about them; they're the perfect car for getting away in Idaho. About a block away from the bank, all the robber has to do is slow down and stay with the traffic if they're driving a blue or green Outback. THey'll be invisible.
If only they would "stay with traffic". If I come up on a crowd with someone going slow in the left lane and holding up a line of traffic, it seems like at least half the time it's a Subbie or Prius.
Umm that or the manufacturers need to come up with more thrifty costs for their models. I got a ID.4, the best way to go if not diving into a Tesla. It still ran list for $47k. No way I'd be literally able to buy a car of that level. But by the time we did the deal with that $7500 rebate it ended up $38k. Not great but tolerable. I'm already enjoying waving at the Chevron and Shell stations as I drive (silently) by with their $3.59 a gallon signs showing so proudly. My cost with Idaho power to do my average top off of my charging (about half a battery charge) runs me about $4.00. Sure beats my previous $40.00 stop for a lot less than a full tank in my Tiguan before.
I did some investigation in case I ever wanted to do a vacation and the various areas I go how difficult it would be to get charges to keep going. Virtually ALL Interstate travel is full of charging stations close enough it's not a big deal. Many with the fast charging capabilities such as a 20%-100% charge in 38 minutes. With VW they give you 3 free years of charging with the Electrify America stations which are nicely spaced as well to permit easy travel. Whether I go to Seattle, Jackson, Salt Lake or Vegas no worries to charge and it's literally either free or worst case for a full charge less then 1/2 of a gas vehicle. I'm not wearing out a gas engine, spark plugs, oil or transmission. That's also quite comforting. The battery on this one comes with a 8 year 100,000 mile warranty. It's a 4 year lease so nothing for me to be concerned about. The ride is far beyond any other vehicle I've owned and I've had a number of premium vehicles. Handling is remarkable and if I need to pass someone it happens in seconds. I couldn't be happier to have made this move. Even with the sting of the added taxes.
I've been toying with a used Tesla, either a 3 or S. A '15 or '16 S occasionally shows up for mid $30k range. Still more than I want to spend though. The good part is that there is so little routine maintenance to spend money on (as well as the low "fuel" costs of course). No engine. No fuel system. No ignition system. No cooling system. No transmission. No emissions system/cat cons. So long as the drive motor or batteries don't crap out the maintenance costs are very low. Sadly though when those components do fail, you're looking at a huge bill. And fail they do, based on what I read on the Tesla forums-though at what rate I don't know.
Really looking forward to see what Tesla (or legacy auto makers) can do to get costs down to something reasonable. When you look at how much you eliminate compared to an ICE vehicle, for just a simple battery and electric motor, BEVs should be dirt cheap to produce (once battery costs are under control). And it's a matter of time. Look at how incredibly complex ICE vehicles are vs what is charged for one. Upwards of $50K for a compact sedan or hatchback BEV really doesn't work for me. But Tesla's 4680 batteries are supposed to drop costs by something like 40%, on the most expensive part of a BEV. The Cybertruck, if they hold the prices to what has been promised, is very competitive with ICE 2x4 and 4x4 pickups, with tons of unique features and performance. That I'd seriously consider. They are saying $40K for the 2wd-which IMO makes it the best value of all BEV vehicles IMHO. I wouldn't consider a 3 or Y for more money! WOULD like an S Plaid, but not economically feasible for me.
My issue with subsidies is that there is no moral justification to force US taxpayers to subsidize brand new, premium dollar vehicles, for the rather well off (which you'd have to be to consider one). Flip side I guess, I own some Tesla, CHPT and PTRA stock; if the government wants to force taxpayers to enhance my portfolio I can only complain so much. (kidding, I wish they would end all these welfare payments and let the free market do it's job, not have the government play crony capitalism and pick winners and losers)
I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens with FSD (full self drivign) over the weekend. Beta 9 is being released at midnight Friday according to Elon. Now, "midnight" is by definition 12 AM, aka very early Friday morning. I think he meant midnight Saturday. I'm personally impressed with Beta 8 based on the videos I've seen, if 9 is a significant improvement it's pretty earth shaking. And further cements Tesla's technology lead. Tesla has had the hardware for FSD in their vehicles since 2016...while the competition still doesn't have anything close.
Sorry, rambling. I've gotten really interested in FSD lately-I didn't realize just how far things have some in such a short time with Tesla, and have been watching a lot of youtube and reading articles on it. As well as the entire product line.
Last edited by Toyman at Jewel Lake; 07-08-2021 at 10:25 PM..
Pretty interesting thoughts. But the EV's have all the same suspension components, brakes, lighting, body computers, power steering, a conventional air-conditioning system and an electric heater, motor gearing and differential with lubrication and cooling of such, a cooling system like in an IC engined car just for the battery with a circulating pump (so no, no, no, you don't eliminate the cooling system!)..... and you're not gonna take one to the local garage to be worked on.
And the masses of electronics integrated inside the motor assembly will require a complete R&R of that assembly for an otherwise minor part failure; there is little to nothing that can be maintained on a small scale, like is common on IC engines. The distinct advantage that may help motor reliability IMHO is the relatively lower heat inside, but not the lack of parts. Heat kills electronics faster than it damages IC engine components.
The economy, or lack thereof, is what it is. EV's at this point aren't for the lower income folks.... and that is not a good thing. Economical transportation is a great blessing to life; Henry Ford helped a lot of people's lives to be much better.
No you're right at THIS time they are not yet priced for the masses. But that time is fast approaching. Next year VW for example, is opening their assembly plant in Chattanooga Tennessee which will assemble the ID.4's. They are also planning release of another model off the ID.4 that will come in at a starting price range of $35k. If the rebates remain that will be a huge move forward. On mine and most other current EV's a simple logic plug in reveals all of what is going in in all the circuitry. The cooling system you are referring to for an EV is for the battery, which in the case of an ID.4 is set to maintain the battery at a 70 degree temperature using both air movement and coolant. There are many systems instituted in these EV's that goes WAY beyond an ICE vehicle regarding longevity. ICE cars are notorious for valve and lifter issues let alone build up of crud that causes issue with the pistons and rings. Every 4-5 years often a battery needs to be replaced. Oil and water pumps. Clogged fuel pumps. Then there is transmission issues oh my and does that ever get expensive. So believe me there's NO comparison in the end regarding wear and tear of one vs. the other. I've owned 17 new ICE cars in my driving history and some of them ran me dry keeping them maintained. I do believe those days are slowly coming to an end
No you're right at THIS time they are not yet priced for the masses. But that time is fast approaching. Next year VW for example, is opening their assembly plant in Chattanooga Tennessee which will assemble the ID.4's. They are also planning release of another model off the ID.4 that will come in at a starting price range of $35k. If the rebates remain that will be a huge move forward. On mine and most other current EV's a simple logic plug in reveals all of what is going in in all the circuitry. The cooling system you are referring to for an EV is for the battery, which in the case of an ID.4 is set to maintain the battery at a 70 degree temperature using both air movement and coolant. There are many systems instituted in these EV's that goes WAY beyond an ICE vehicle regarding longevity. ICE cars are notorious for valve and lifter issues let alone build up of crud that causes issue with the pistons and rings. Every 4-5 years often a battery needs to be replaced. Oil and water pumps. Clogged fuel pumps. Then there is transmission issues oh my and does that ever get expensive. So believe me there's NO comparison in the end regarding wear and tear of one vs. the other. I've owned 17 new ICE cars in my driving history and some of them ran me dry keeping them maintained. I do believe those days are slowly coming to an end
Tesla claims the Model 2 will list for $25k and be out in 2023. We'll see, Musk timelines are noted for being pretty flexible.
I drive on two-lane Hwy 200 near Clark Fork and the Montana border a lot. Lately the bicyclists have been fairly plentiful, and Hwy 200 is no place for a bicycle! There is no bike lane, the speed limit is 55mph, and over in Montana it goes up to 70mph. It is INSANE to be riding a bike in the traffic lane along this highway! There are speeders, logging trucks, bus-sized RVs.... NOT a good place for biking.
What is the alternative route for cyclists on ID 200?
Tesla's "Full Self Driving Beta 9" release went live at midnight, there are a number of videos out on it already. Looks like a really nice upgrade, and very capable (so far-most of the vids are in the middle of the night with little traffic). It's going to be interesting to see how quickly it is rolled out to all FSD buyers. Worth a look-I didn't realize until a few weeks ago just how close self driving actually is.
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