Articles in English
What it actually costs, part 4 of 4: the subcompact
Against the gas Kona, the Kia EV3 saves 9,576 $ over ten years. Against the Niro hybrid, 335 $. Not one cent of subsidy. Here is my whole calculation.
Articles
Articles and notes drawn from real-world experience with electric vehicles, technology, home energy, gaming, and the products and systems around them.
Articles in English
What it actually costs, part 3 of 4: the pickup
The electric pickup costs 6,200 $ more to buy, but over ten years it costs 30,000 $ less. Here is my whole calculation, with no subsidy at all: gas Silverado, F-150 hybrid and Silverado EV.
Articles in English
What it actually costs, part 2 of 4: the compact SUV
I expected the Model Y to beat the RAV4 hybrid easily over ten years. With no subsidies, it beats it by 69 $. Here is the whole calculation, because that is where it gets interesting.
Articles in English
What it actually costs, part 1 of 4: the compact
A Corolla burns gas too. It is the piece everybody forgets when they compare two window stickers. Corolla, Corolla Hybrid and Chevrolet Bolt over ten years, taxes included, no subsidies.
Articles in English
The upside of oil, part 3 of 3: the irreplaceable
Two texts showing what can be replaced. Here is one on what cannot: nitrogen, the syringe, medicines, the airplane, the hospital generator, pesticides, and the easy case of heating oil.
Articles in English
The upside of oil, part 2 of 3: materials
The two largest sources of microplastics in the world's oceans are not bags or straws: it is the washing machine (34.8 %) and tires (28.3 %). Part 2 of 3: polyester, tires, asphalt, paint and insulation.
Articles in English
The upside of oil, part 1 of 3: single-use
The "6,000 products made from petroleum" figure comes from a lost 1974 brochure. The real one: 15.8 % of the world's oil does not burn, it becomes material. Part 1 of 3: the straw, bag, cutlery, foam container, coffee cup and water bottle.
Articles in English
China EV surtax: the 100% wall came down, and a 49,000-vehicle quota replaced it
Canada's 100% surtax on Chinese electric vehicles was repealed on March 1, 2026. A quota of 49,000 vehicles a year at 6.1% replaces it, reserved for licensed automakers. The numbers, straight from the Global Affairs Canada notices.
Articles in English
Batteries explained, part 6 of 6: oil
Part 6 of 6 on batteries, the last one. A 60 kWh battery holds about 160 kg of metals, and about 30 kg of that is lost in recycling. The mistake you see everywhere gets it backwards. The fuel is burnt once, the metal is not.
Articles in English
Batteries explained, part 5 of 6: recycling
I had a good news story prepared on battery recycling. Lithion Technologies went bankrupt on September 3. Here is what the Superior Court file shows, and why the 95% was never measured.
Articles in English
Batteries explained, part 4 of 6: the second life
The battery that ends its life in a container storing grid electricity? It exists for real. But it is small, and here is why.
Articles in English
Batteries explained, part 3 of 6: repair
One cell fails and you are quoted a whole new pack? That is not how it works. What really happens when something goes wrong.
Articles in English
Batteries explained, part 2 of 6: how long it lasts
"After ten years your battery is finished." No. How long a battery lasts in the car and what happens when the range starts dropping.
Articles in English
Batteries explained, part 1 of 6: the price
Six pieces to take apart the myths and half-truths about EV batteries, with sources you can check yourself. We start with the price.
Articles in English
Model S and Model X 2012 to 2020: Tesla is reimbursing the pyro fuse
Tesla is sending a letter to current and former Model S and Model X 2012 to 2020 owners about the high voltage battery pyrotechnic disconnect. How to file a claim.
Articles in English
A billion a month: where Quebec's fuel money goes
Quebec spends a billion dollars a month on gasoline and diesel before taxes, for oil it does not produce. The calculation redone with Statistics Canada's 2024 data.
Articles in English
Road funding, the EV charge and the bill nobody pays
Ottawa holds the federal excise on gasoline at zero until January 31, 2027. Quebec adds C$125 a year on every EV. And there is a third bill: C$9.5 billion a year, signed Health Canada.
Articles in English
Who actually gets the subsidies
The rebate that paid for my car ends January 1, 2027. On that day the federal gas tax will still be at zero and a new pipeline, with public money in it, will be on the table.
Articles in English
Eight points apart: my own two Teslas and the AVILOO data
AVILOO published more than 500,000 battery tests. I compare them with my two Tesla Model X, and found out while writing that one never charged past 80 percent of its real battery.
Articles in English
Quebec just cut its EV mandate, and its own numbers say what it costs
Quebec's zero-emission vehicle mandate was revised down across the whole horizon, in force since September 3, 2026. The new targets and the province's own impact analysis.
Articles in English
Nine electrified vehicles, two drivers, 25 years
My wife and I have owned nine electrified vehicles over 25 years. What the numbers say about battery loss, maintenance, and the difference between daily driving and distance.
Articles in English
Up to C$120,000 per building for EV-ready apartments, and nobody could tell you the deadline
Quebec pays up to C$120,000 per building to make an existing apartment building EV-ready. Why the deadline was unclear, and why it matters anywhere EV-ready wiring enters the building code.
Articles in English
Quebec cut registration by C$50, unless your car runs on electricity
Since September 1, 2026, registering a gas, diesel or hybrid vehicle in Quebec costs C$50 less. Battery electric vehicles are excluded.
Articles in English
Quebec's Roulez vert rebate: the registration date is what counts, not the purchase date
Quebec's EV rebate ends December 31, 2026, and eligibility depends on the date the vehicle is registered, not the date you buy it. What is left, the C$65,000 cap, and what arrives in 2027.
Personal Experience
Charging Ahead: Quebec's Electric Vehicle Revolution and the Future of Green Mobility
EVs in Quebec: From rarity in 2001 to mainstream. Battery tech & green policies set the stage for a sustainable future.
Personal Experience
Road trip to Ste-Catherine, Ontario - Nov. 6th 2022
A 1377 km Model 3 road trip with ABRP planning, FSD Beta notes, Supercharger stops, and a final cost of about $0.098/km.
Tesla rants
Good job on promoting bad behaviour TAPTES!
A rant against TAPTES for selling a steering-wheel counterweight that circumvents Tesla Autopilot safety features.
Personal upgrades
RED5’s upgrade - Part 1
Planned cosmetic upgrades for RED5, a completed hood wrap, and a before-and-after video after a delayed body-shop repair.
Personal Experience
Delivery Experience! (Part 1)
A late Model 3 order, pre-delivery accessories, and the difficult Quebec insurance shopping that followed.
