Wiki

Wiki

https://mynextelectric.com/

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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

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…

1900-2020ish: Gas’s energy advantage makes that the top choice
There were 72% more electric than gas cars on US roads in 1900.
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How electric cars lost to gas? Gasoline energy density is 100X better than batteries
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Gas is just that good at storing energy, even though gasoline engines kinda suck.
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We use 1B mostly gas machines to do work for us in the US today.
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In the last 30 years, batteries are getting better. And much, much cheaper.
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2020ish-Beyond: Batteries get way cheaper and electric’s pulling ahead
Electric motors do not suck.
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Electric’s got the edge on cost improvements, motor efficiency and maintenance costs.
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The 5% tipping point?
  • Norway hit 5%… then Europe hit it….We just hit it….
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Life-time costs for EVs are even or cheaper than gas now.

If you’re in the market for a new or used car, here are a few things to think about.

There are 3 kinds of electric cars

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.
https://mechanicbase.com/electric-vehicles/hidden-costs-of-owning-an-electric-car/
Here’s a good cost comparison tool

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

Buying’s harder than it has to be
Converting EVs

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

Alumni Resources

Future EVs: Every Electric Vehicle Coming Soon
Big EV
Here's every electric vehicle that currently qualifies for the US federal tax credit - Electrek
Big EV
Great ebike starter article
Small EV
Julian Spector cooks on induction!
Cooking
Canary's Alison Takemura walks Pattrn TV through the electrified home of the future
Comfort

Research tools

Alumni Resources

A great review of used EVs from Max at Out of Spec guide
Electric Vehicles With a 250-Mile-Plus Range on a Charge - Consumer Reports
Future EVs: Every Electric Vehicle Coming Soon
Big EV
Podcast: Will truck lovers go electric? | Canary Media
Here's every electric vehicle that currently qualifies for the US federal tax credit - Electrek
Big EV
Inside EVs Electric Car list
Flywheel: Your radar for owned and used micromobility. #ebike
Flywheel Resources: a great guide to owned and used smaller EVs
Great ebike starter article
Small EV
E-bike Buying Guide
E-Bike Incentive List
E bike Incentive Overview
Is Your Gas Range a Health Risk? - Consumer Reports
Julian Spector cooks on induction!
Cooking
Portable cooktops
Noisy, Polluting Leaf Blowers Are Finally Going Electric - Bloomberg
How to Electrify Your Home
Circuit Breakers: Upending Electrification Myths — Rewiring America
Does Your Electrification Project Require a Service Upgrade? - GreenBuildingAdvisor
Redwood List of Electric home upgrades
Canary's Alison Takemura walks Pattrn TV through the electrified home of the future
Comfort
Great facebook group for electric home questions
A Data-Driven Guide to Effective Personal Climate Action
https://microgridknowledge.com/vehicle-to-microgrid-vehicle-to-grid/
Cool Canary piece on a Just Transition
Forget your carbon footprint. Let's talk about your climate shadow.
Do Airline Offset Programs Really Reduce Your Carbon Footprint? - The New York Times
The 7 Best Solar Power Banks of 2022
Everything You Need to Know About Roadtripping in an EV

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

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.

The My Next Electric One Pager 1.0.pdf5031.7KB

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
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  • Behold the Super Sankey
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  • The Billion Machine Sankey
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  • The Household Sankey
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10 machines in your home

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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

My Next Electric book list

TitleAuthorSummary
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.

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Alumni Resources

TitleLinkMatt's takeFeatured
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.