EV lots getting cleaned out.

[wemay]

you meant "blessed" not "riddled"

"Riddled" does have a negative connotation which wasn't my intent. LOL.

 

[derwagen]

used ev market is wild right now. the hidden underbody damage on trades is scary because a cracked battery casing can easily total them, but people are still bidding them up at auction anyway.

 

[Brons2]

used ev market is wild right now. the hidden underbody damage on trades is scary because a cracked battery casing can easily total them, but people are still bidding them up at auction anyway.

Assuming the battery cells were not affected, a cracked battery casing is a pretty easy fix. The problem is the repair knowledge is not widespread and for those who don't understand them, it seems like basically a black magic box.

A competent EV mechanic should be a able to fix a cracked battery casing in a day. i.e., obtain new/good used case, drop existing battery, transplant components, reinstall battery, test, complete. Most mechanics don't have the knowledge and the tooling though. You need a toolset that is similar to an electrical lineman's toolset, i.e., insulated wrenches and sockets, and the correct PPE, to do it safely.

 

[alarmguy]

At your prices, just battery seems a way to avoid all that. The installed price of a Powerwall runs about $14,000. Your price may vary, of course. That’s about the installed price of our Generac, but the Powerwall doesn’t require a propane tank in the yard, nor does it require annual maintenance. It might be worth pricing out the options for standby power.

This is a case where the capability is desired, and not a cost question. If you add up the likelihood of having to throw out all your food, and the cost of that food, then, standby power has insufficient ROI, based solely on total costs on both sides of the equation. Take the chance, throw out the food if it happens, and you’ll be spending less.

But if you value the convenience, the lack of worry, or other good reasons, outside of cost, to have standby power where power is unreliable, then this isn’t a money discussion - it’s a capability discussion - and comparing battery with ICE generator is where the money can be examined.

A Tesla power wall can it be expected to lose 30% of its capacity in 10 years. If you’re using it daily for nighttime hours when the solar panels aren’t generating electricity.

Using it as a backup generator with no solar panel it can last much longer. However depending on how much electricity your house uses you can expect about 12 hours of back up power during a power failure. That’s pretty costly investment for a backup power supply vs a generator

 

[Number_35]

The downsized B bodies (Impala, Olds 88/98, etc.) were both smaller and lighter but much of the fuel savings from downsizing and weight reduction were countered by lowering the compression ratios in 1972 to meet emissions. A 1977 Impala got better mileage than a 1976 because it was smaller, lighter and had a 2.73 rear end - but if it had better than 7.5:1 compression, and had something better than a carburetor it would have been a lot better.

We are talking going from 4,500 to 4,000 lbs - it wasn’t that much of a “downsize”. 4,000lb cars today (and there are lots of them) get far better mileage than the 1977 GM B bodies because of improvements in engine efficiency, not weight.

Another difference:

As I recall, the base V8 in the '71 to '76 full-size Chevy was the 350.

In the '77-on, it was the 305.