this post was submitted on 03 Oct 2023
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Rolling e-waste
I'm sorry, I hate Elon and Tesla (and with good reason) but saying that an EV is rolling e-waste is going too far.
My model 3 has been bulletproof for the last five years. It's a 2017 model, one of the earliest, so take that for what you will. The earliest models like mine were apparently some of the better ones until 2021+ model years. I wouldn't consider buying one now due to Elon's tomfuckery and the unresolved racism issues within Tesla, but to claim that they're rolling trash isnt correct.
Plus, the fact is that virtually all cars (ICE models as well!) are rolling out of factories with dozens of integrated computers and touchscreens. It's very hard here in the US to get something cheap that doesn't have any electronics - basically imposible. And, if you do the compromise on cheaper and fewer electronics, the reality is that the poor grade of those cheap electronics will actually lead to a shorter lifespan and more overall repairs.
I'm not suggesting for that reason to go buy an EV - certainly not a new Tesla. A used one might be fine. But more broadly, electronics in cars (not just EVs) are really a huge problem. Unless they're designed with repairability and durability in mind, all new cars have this issue, and you can't single out Tesla for this.
I’m glad you’ve had a good experience with your Model 3. Genuinely. I hope it serves you very well and remains reliable for years to come! Nobody is judging you for adopting an EV prior to knowing how much of a fool Elon is.
My issue isn’t with the ethics there. It’s with Tesla’s notorious build quality and reliability issues. And with them making things cheaper and cheaper, this can’t bode well.
https://www.businessinsider.com/most-reliable-car-brands-toyota-lexus-bmw-kia-hyundai-honda-tesla-2022-11?op=1
https://thenextweb.com/news/study-tesla-likely-us-worst-carmaker-reliability-build-quality-paint-battery
It’s just like how I consider Jeeps to be junk as well.
@agegamon @Sneptaur
What's the end-of-life plan for disposing of EV car batteries?
https://youtu.be/s2xrarUWVRQ?si=9lz6Sxi9uFFB59Yi
Throw them into the ocean, same as all car batteries
Have you ever heard of Google
I don't think it's that bad. But it's a shame how unfriendly EVs are for the environment, the whole process is borderline worse than using fossil fuels when you consider emissions as well as potential fire hazards and poor disposability
That is not really true, especially when you consider lifetime emissions of ICE cars and the refining of oil.
https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/electric-vehicle-myths
It is true that there should be more done about using cobalt and to a lesser extent lithium, but even with those issues it is better in the long run. There are companies that are focusing on recycling those minerals and new battery chemistry is moving away from cobalt.
As far as fires go, yes battery fires can be very hard to contain. That being said, EVs catch fire far less often than ICE cars.
https://electrek.co/2022/01/12/government-data-shows-gasoline-vehicles-are-significantly-more-prone-to-fires-than-evs/
Ah, interesting. I did not know this! But I had thought that the concern with the EV car fires was mostly because the cars can set fire unexpectedly, they are hard to contain, and carry more hazardous fumes than a traditional vehicle, not that they catch fire more often.
There have been a couple recalls with LG batteries that had the potential, but AFAIK the number of times it happened is very low, and again more likely to happen with ICE cars. They tend to err on the side of extreme caution with EV batteries.
Lithium fires are for sure harder to contain, and I won't deny that not all Fire Departments are equipped. There is special equipment needed, but once you have that it becomes much less of an issue. As far as fumes, I don't know which is worse. There are a lot of nasty things in both EVs and ICE cars. I'll have to look into it.
I say this because Teslas are unreliable heaps of garbage with very poor quality control. Not because they’re EVs.