My wife has a non-political freind who just found out an American citizen they care about was rounded up by ICE. “They just came to a children’s soccer game and detained anyone who wasn’t white, how is that legal?” She legit has no idea and is now freaked out.

A conversation I’ve been having a lot lately. “Hey Dan is that car electric?!” Yep! “So it’s a Tesla?” 😔

My extremely official looking Connecticut temporary transit plate is now expired. The dealer has no good answers about when I will get real plates. I wonder how long I can drive around on this thing without being bothered by cops. — I suspect almost indefinitely.

After spending a decent amount of time working with a local solar company, planning an install and putting down a deposit, they just called and said "nahh changed our mind." The planned install is pretty much the reason I bought an EV 🤷‍♂️

I’ve finally met the other Saab 900 owner in town. They also own an MGB GT a challenging pair of cars!

After driving around for a month in "light" one pedal mode I've started to dislike it more and more and turned it off. There are times it's great. However, it's just too much effort to drive smoothly. Sometimes I just want to coast. Paddles to activate seem the way to go here.

A technician was installing this AI car scanner thing in the service driveway at the dealership. I kinda get it, but it’s doesn’t sound like fun having every nick and ding pointed out to you in 4k when you bring your car in for service.

Spending my morning off at the local Polestar service center because my phone says the 12volt battery is low. The car does not seem to agree with the phone. Ain’t modern tech wonderful!

If they put even a slightly better drivetrain in this car I’d totally rock one. www.theautopian.com/2026-nissan-...

The issue that was never resolved was a clunk in the trunk. I have to say EVs are almost too quiet at low speeds. You hear EVERYTHING and maybe this is just me but I kinda get mild vertigo inching the car around a parking spot. Like my brain doesn’t expect it to move then it does.

Had to call Polestar CT today because I still don’t have plates or the $400 they owe me after a month. My salesman did run down the people at the Volvo dealership who do DMV and finance. But he kept saying “we have plenty of time”. No the temp tags expire in 3 days, that’s not plenty of time. 🙄

Sometimes I’m happy to have spent most of my formative years in an analog world. The number one complaint from Polestar 2 owners is that the rear camera glitches. And make no mistake, it’s unacceptable. But I can just back up with mirrors and my eyes because that’s how I learned to drive.

Behold the AI slop generated AI guidelines I am required to keep posted in my classroom. There are worse things that are required to be posted in a classroom, I guess.

GPT! GPT! GPT! GPT! “I hear those chats are awful loud…” It’s hosted safely in the cloud! “Is there a chance the bot could lie?” Not on your life, and nor will I!

Make sure your google display name is not your real name. A maniac actually tracked me down and texted me about a bad google review I left his business today. Lesson learned.

Friendly reminder, as Bluesky repeatedly shoots itself in the foot, that we're also on an extremely awesome Masto instance with extended #RadRide posts and bonus content. weird.autos/@tikibunnyim...

I’m generally supportive of my friends car buying foolishness, but even I have my limits.

🫡

The only part of the Android Automotive in car operating system I like so far is that you can plan a complex route in google maps then beam it into the car and have it waiting. This is a bit ruined by the fact this feature only works from the Google Maps cell phone app and not the web interface.

The clearance between the caliper and wheel of my Polestar 2 mildly concerning to me.

As a Saab 900 Turbo owner I will say that pristine examples carry a huge premium, drivers quality examples can be surprisingly cheap.

I'm working with an older group of students who are much more active on their phones. One thing I did not realize is that kids call 911 A LOT. Sometimes by "accident" and sometimes because they think a teacher was mean to them. The school to have procedures in place to deal with this.

After my first company upped their estimate from $1,200 to idk $7,000 for an EV charger install I called my backup. He’s 4-7 weeks out……. I’ve just ordered a heavy duty extension chord.

Accepted an estimate for a charger install, put down a deposit, scheduled an install. They came to do the install and decided nah what you really need is a vastly more expensive service. Cool cool.

Every single social justice concept — safe spaces, intersectionality, microaggressions, representation — is embraced by the right when they talk about men or whites or straights.

These electric mopeds have exploded in popularity for the new school year. They are really stretching the definition of “bike”, but they are still cool. Wish I had one when I was a kid.

Just signed up for Zelle for the first time to avoid a 3% credit card fee to pay a contractor. The number of times I had to promise that I was not getting scammed and how there would be no help if I did get scammed was the best advertisement for credit cards I ever experienced.

Before and after spray foaming the floor rafters of the crawl space in the cabin. Pro tip: tape your cuffs

Spending the weekend at the cabin alone for the first time. Tragically, there is no beer in the fridge. I’ve commandeered the Outback for the task. Leaving my wife with three Swedish cars to choose from. For unknown reasons she refuses to drive the EV. So far she seems to be using the 240.

This is simply untenable. There is no way forward with media and political classes captured by the right. Every time someone commits a crime you have to pray it's not an undesirable or it's purge time, then when it turns out to be themselves again they just shrug and wait for the next one.

as soon as there's evidence the shooter's identity isn't easy to weaponize things magically become complicated

Loading up the car with 120 pounds of expanding insulation foam to take up to the cabin after work tomorrow. Have a weekend of projects planned. The funniest fucking thing could happen if I get rear ended on the turnpike tomorrow.

25 MPG on the last fill up -- all things considered thats pretty phenomenal for this old hunk of Swedish Iron.

Last public charging session. I’m going to take the EV to work tomorrow, then plug it in to trickle charge in the garage for 30 hours or so and swap it out with the Volvo 245. See how that works. It’s a lot to ask the old girl to do that long term.

I have opinions.

I had the world’s most pointless financial conundrum tonight when the girl asked me whether I wanted the winnings from my impulse bought power ball ticket to be a lump sum or an annuity. I can’t do these kinds of calculations on line at the liquor store!

More preparation for an EV charger. I am finally taking out of service a 50 amp disconnect that used to go to an electric stove in the kitchen. Should have done this a long time ago. These fuses look like they could be the age of the house.

We are so close to getting him to send the national guard to Gotham, there’s a vigilante there and he could use some help.

The schools was throwing out, so I acquired this weird bit of in between technology. A circa 2009 Sony camcorder that records digital standard def video either on a mini dvd or a flash memory stick. Still works well but the mini-dvd seem hilariously inconvenient 30 minutes per disc.

First EV charger install estimate. $1700 No Permit $2400-$3400 with permit (Stereotypical Italian Accent) That’s Allotta Gas

BUY MY CRX! I need to get rid of my shop/storage unit. (The driver’s side needs a lil love, I’d put it on BaT if it were pristine)

The Mazda6 was hauled away today. Sold to ALGO or Autolenders a regional off lease outfit. Crazy process where they give you an offer based on 4 pictures then have you mail them the title. Then they send a tow truck driver with a check.

Honest question, does owning a gun make you terrified of the world, or are people who are scared of the door bell more likely to own guns?

I can only assume that Polestar invented the seatbelt in 1959. Interesting…… 🧐

Where have I seen this before?

I consider myself something of a car enthusiast so obviously I needed to do my first enthusiast mod to the PoleStar. Softening up the suspension. I turned it all the way up (down?) to 11. It was on 7 — Polestar currently recommends “Comfort Compliant” in North America.

I’ve been driving the Polestar on light regen/1 pedal driving. The transition between 1 pedal and a torque converter auto is more strange than the transition between 1 pedal and a manual transmission.

One last day at the Jersey Shore.

Manual Brick 🧱💨 #weirdcarbs #carsky

Still waiting for some EV startup (probably Chinese) to just say "fuck it, we're doing Art Deco streamline!"