Welcome to the My Next Electric wiki! If you haven’t taken any of our courses on going electric, you should try our 30-min crash course. It’ll make navigating these tools way easier. Thanks, matt@mynextelectric.com
- Electric cars 101
- The top 5
- Research tools
- Alumni perks
- Lending Library
- Discounts
- Electric homes 101
- Cheat sheet
- Rebate/credit calculator
- Mindset suggestions
- Breathe.
- Go electric when gas breaks.
- Appendix
- 1 billion machines
- 10 machines in your home
- Cohort 1-10 link library
- Book list
- Newsletters/Pods
Electric cars 101
Breaking down these two simple concepts will do more to empower you on this topic than anything else:
- Gas is way better than battery at storing energy.
- Electric is way better than gas engine at converting energy into motion.
Learning even the bare bones about these two things makes that EV life way more fun. Here’s s a quick history lesson on these two…
- Norway hit 5%… then Europe hit it….We just hit it….
If you’re in the market for a new or used car, here are a few things to think about.
You’ve actually got three to choose from.
- Hybrid Electric (HEV): For the most part, HEVs are gas cars with tiny helper motors. They don’t really do much to get you away from the risks of gas we covered above.
- PHEV (Plug-In Electric Hybrid): Two drivetrains in one car, both powerful enough to push the car on their own. If the batteries here are big enough (30-50 miles) and you’ve got an easy way to charge each night, you can do most of your short trips just on the electric motor, and use your full-size gas motor for long trips. As with the HEV, you’ve got two drivetrains here, and lots of gas bits to break and maintain.
- BEV (Battery Electric): Simpler, pure electric. You’ll get the maintenance advantage, and the flexibility of any fuel that be converted to electricity cheaply and cleanly (like solar, wind). And you’ll have to deal with the less effective energy density of an electric.
It isn’t pretty, but this is a cool way to get some data about how cars compare to each other on fuel and total ownership
If you’re in Dayton, OH or Indianapolis…
Calfornia…
I dig this nice summary from Electrek
Bikes
This is really fun and simple to do. It can be done cheaply for ~$200. I’d recommending a ~$300-$600 package from Grin.
Grin Technologies - Great at e-bike conversion parts
Night Shift Bikes - my motorcycle and bike projects, not for sale, just sharin’
Motorcycles
I’m part of a community of folks who convert electric motorcycles for personal use. I wouldn’t buy a converted bike from anyone; they’re poorly regulated and mostly for personal use by qualified builders. If you’re in that category, here are a few places I rely on for guidance:
elmoto.net - old-school board for builders
Night Shift Bikes - my motorcycle and bike projects
Cars
Realistically, this is an expensive endeavor. Most reputable shops are going to ask you to bring a very nice used car that they won’t have to repair. They’ll put likely Tesla battery packs and Tesla or Netgain motors in it and charge you 35-75K. Here are the two best shops IMO.
Moment Motors, Austin, TX
EV West, LA, CA
The top 5
We’ll keep the best “Where the h$%# do I start?” tools right here. If you see something here that’s outdated, please let me know! matt@mynextelectric.com
Research tools
Alumni perks
Lending Library
Bikes
We manage a few e-bikes in New Orleans you can borrow for a week at a time. Email matt@mynextelectric.com if you’re interested!
Stoves
We manage a fleet of 110V portable induction stoves that we send via mail or in-person in New Orleans you can borrow for a week at a time. All you pay is shipping. Email matt@mynextelectric.com if you’re interested!
Discounts
Matt’s daily driver ebike: JackRabbit
We’ve got a cool deal with JackRabbit. Use code Matt50 for $50 US off a bike. Email matt@mynextelectric.com when you do and I’ll split my $~100 affiliate fee with you.
NeoCharge 240V smart splitter
A cool way to add an EV without rewiring. Use MYNEXTELECTRIC at checkout for $50 off.
Electric homes 101
Cheat sheet
This 1 pager is actually page 33 of the Go Electric Guide, but it’s so compact, we’re giving it special airtime.
Rebate/credit calculator
This is a comprehensive calculator on incentives available in the Inflation Reduction Act. It can be a little rosy on install costs, but it’s a great place to drill down on what and when to make swaps.
- Plug in get in where you live and what income bracket you’re in for details on what you’ll get out of the IRA.
- Dig into the great guides on each piece of the puzzle!
Mindset suggestions
Breathe.
I want to give you permission to have fun electrifying. Why?
- You don’t need to force it. Electric is more fun than gas. Simple, Elegant. The EV Grin.
- Saving $ is fun. We’re at lifecycle parity now. Purchase price parity soon. Fossil fuel volatility is here to stay. But Wright’s Law or something like it is still in effect for electricity + batteries.
- Learning science says so. We need to save the planet, but fear is a bad way to teach anything complicated. This is a complex, 10-ish step process of changing how we live with our fuel and machines that use fuel; our brains need to be enjoying the journey to make this stuff stick.
- There are many fun ways to test out electric before you have to spend bigger $.
- Your brain and lifestyle will need these reps to follow rule #2 when the time comes.
Go electric when gas breaks.
“My next ___ will be electric.” - You
- US: 1 Billion machines to swap; every one counts.
- Swapping every machine to electric at end of life is ~1.5 degrees C.
- Your home: 10 machines to swap; every one counts. (42%)
- Swapping a gas ___ for another gas ___ leaves you out of saving $ for 10-20 years.
- You don’t have to panic, but you do need a plan.
- We’re at lifecycle parity now. Purchase price parity soon. That leaves 3 things:
- Financing. Solve for upfront gap; Inflation Reduction Act helps .
- Supply. Your electrician, the manufacturers, chip shortage.
- Behavior. How you use the stuff to live your life.
The one pager
This is a one (ok, two sides) pager I wrote to go deeper into the science behind Rule #2.
Appendix
1 billion machines
Shout out to Saul Griffith, founder of Rewiring America for his post on 1 Billion Machines
- Sankey 2021: Quad = 1 quadrillion (1015) BTUs or 293.07 TWh
- Behold the Super Sankey
- The Billion Machine Sankey
- The Household Sankey
10 machines in your home
Cohort 1-10 link library
Week 1 Zoom Video | |
Redwood Energy Guide (Start page 41) | |
3 Best Portable Induction Stovetops | |
WTF Is Induction Cooking Video | |
Chef Electrifying Kitchen Article | |
Cooking Without Gas Article | |
Problems with Gas Stovetops Video | |
New Orleans Selected for Local Energy Action | |
The Best Stove for your Health | |
Energy Within Environmental Constraints Course |
Thursday Worksheet | |
Week 2 Zoom Video | |
Green Hydrogen Podcast Episode | |
Clean Power Generation Article | |
Clean Power Transition Podcast Episode | |
State Incentives Database | |
Free Personal Energy Footprint Audit | |
Induction Stove Top Mat |
Rewire America’s Guide to the IRA | |
Rewire America’s IRA Savings Calculator | |
Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency | |
Bringing Infrastructure Home, 50-State Home Electrification Report | |
Google’s Project Sunroof | |
How to Electrify Your Home - Podcast | |
Dept. of Energy Vehicle Comparison Calculator | |
Rewiring America Go Electric One-Page Guide | |
A How-To Guide to Electrify Your Home - Podcast | |
Electrify Everything Facebook Group | |
HVAC Comfort Consultant Finder | |
B2U - 2nd Life EV Battery Storage Company | |
EVs that Qualify for the IRA Tax Credits | |
Ultra-Low Energy Comparison Guide | |
New Solar Powered EV Concept |
Book list
| Title | Author | Summary |
|---|---|---|
Electrify: An Optimist's Playbook for Our Clean Energy Future | Your next ___ should be electric: We need to swap out 1B of them. | |
Atomic Habits | You’re an electrifier... Think about who you are more than what tasks you have to do. | |
All we Can Save | Be curious: Breakthroughs will probably emerge from the edges of current system. | |
The Exponential Age | Be optimistic: Solar, batteries, chips, and manufacturing can scale exponentially. |
Newsletters/Pods
Trucks.vc - Newsletter from Reilly Brennan. Automobile heavy.
Flywheel - Newsletter from Puneeth Meruva. Ebike sub #1.
ClimateTech VC - Great summaries of specific themes in clean transition.
Broken Ground - Great coverage of collective action that’s working in Memphis.
The Weekly Planet - Great weekly from author of my fave take on Inflation Reduction Act.
| Title | Link | Matt's take | Featured |
|---|---|---|---|
Forget your carbon footprint. Let's talk about your climate shadow. | interesting take on the personal carbon footprint and contagious behavior... | ||
Portable cooktops | I like the budget pick - Duxtop 9100. Sturdy, simple, cheap. | ||
The 7 Best Solar Power Banks of 2022 | Talk to me before you buy these, but this is a good review of the options. | ||
E-Bike Incentive List | Nice summary of ebike incentives | ||
E bike Incentive Overview | Great infographic on ebike incentives in US/Canada | ||
E-bike Buying Guide
| Latest on bikes by Micah Toll at electrek - my ebike go to. | ||
Inside EVs Electric Car list | Comprehensive - focused on specs. No qualitative reviews. | ||
Podcast: Will truck lovers go electric? | Canary Media | One of my fave pods on a BIG topic. | ||
Here's every electric vehicle that currently qualifies for the US federal tax credit - Electrek | Nice summary of Federal Credits for EVs | ||
Redwood List of Electric home upgrades | My dictionary/encyclopedia. Prices are Bay Area, CA late 2021. | ||
Does Your Electrification Project Require a Service Upgrade? - GreenBuildingAdvisor | The Decision on upgrading your panel or staying with (typical) 100 Amps is a big variable. | ||
Circuit Breakers: Upending Electrification Myths — Rewiring America | Sam, aka heat pump man, on why they’re great. | ||
Julian Spector cooks on induction! | It’s like Julian’s sneaking into our course and vibing with us! A great overview of portable induction life! | ||
Do Airline Offset Programs Really Reduce Your Carbon Footprint? - The New York Times | Offsets are still a mess - this is a good take. | ||
Everything You Need to Know About Roadtripping in an EV | |||
Canary's Alison Takemura walks Pattrn TV through the electrified home of the future | I love Canary Media. And Allison breaks down small, medium and large projects in the electric home journey. A nice 4 min vid! | ||
Flywheel: Your radar for owned and used micromobility. #ebike
| |||
Flywheel Resources: a great guide to owned and used smaller EVs | Puneeth writes one of my top 5 favorite newsletters, Flywheel. He works with Reilly Brennan, author of another top read, FoT. He’s been tracking the used market for small EVs for a while. This is what Randy Nonnenberg did right before he launched Bring A Trailer, where $1B of used cars changed hands last year.
Puneeth’s put his writing, some of his fave reads from others, and a ton of data all in one place…. | ||
A great review of used EVs from Max at Out of Spec guide | |||
Great facebook group for electric home questions | Hosted by the cranky, genuine Nate the House Whisperer. Great go to for real talk on electric appliances, esp HVAC, cooking, insulation, hot water. | ||
Is Your Gas Range a Health Risk? - Consumer Reports | The science on gas ranges - they aren’t good for you. | ||
Noisy, Polluting Leaf Blowers Are Finally Going Electric - Bloomberg | One of my 2021 startup ideas was financing this activity. Cool to see things moving here. | ||
How to Electrify Your Home | An excellent pod from friend of MNE, John Semmelhack | ||
Great ebike starter article | Great overview of how to approach your first ebike. | ||
A Data-Driven Guide to Effective Personal Climate Action | Erika’s post is spectacularly detailed and makes me feel lame, but I still love having this as a reminder of what I can work on. | ||
https://microgridknowledge.com/vehicle-to-microgrid-vehicle-to-grid/ | Not much out there on V2X, but this is the best resource I’ve found. | ||
Electric Vehicles With a 250-Mile-Plus Range on a Charge - Consumer Reports | Good review includes lots of new models. | ||
Future EVs: Every Electric Vehicle Coming Soon | Good to see C and D covering EVs now. That’s a tipping point if I’ve ever seen one. | ||
Cool Canary piece on a Just Transition | Canary’s great coverage on big part of the IRA. |