Dadbod AntiFa

Rode for hours with my sister in her brand new Rivian pickup truck over the weekend. I’m sold now on getting an electric car next. The Rivian is really really nice. But why don’t have a model that isn’t fucking huge? The energy efficiency is wasted on all that mass.

Anyhow, what are the better car-sized #ev models out there these days? #electriccar

Mar 10 at 3:12amWeb
Show threadDave NathansonMar 10
@beckett Driving a 2018 Bolt. The thing just runs. Surprisingly roomy and comfortable for a “small” car.
Show threadLuke KaniesMar 10

@beckett @jalefkowit I have an Ioniq 5 and mostly like it. I think k it’s the best thing out there right now.

It has some downsides (one of which is that you really want the 2025 or later, another is some pointed reliability issues — hit my friend, but not me).

But it’s a solid medium size, good but not spectacular range, modern tech (including Apple key stuff), and is overall just a good car.

I would not trade it for anything else on the market right now. And I don’t really see anything coming down the pike that’s better, although I am sure there will be soon.

Show threadrk: it’s hyphen-minus actuallyMar 10

@beckett

The upcoming new version of the Nissan Leaf looks really promising.

Show threadJason LefkowitzMar 10

@beckett In the U.S. market, Nissan Leaf, Chevy Equinox EV and Bolt, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and Kona Electric, Kia EV6 and Niro EV, Volvo EX30/40, Ford Mustang Mach-E. Moving upmarket: BMW i4/i5, any Polestar model, Lucid Air.

There are others out there too, those are just the ones I would suggest someone look at first 😀

Show threadPuppetheadMar 10

@jalefkowit @beckett MINI Cooper Countryman SE is a small SUV built in Germany and pretty nice. Sadly their two hatch models are made in China and not available in the US because of tariffs.

I’ve been driving the MINI Cooper SE (now discontinued) for five years and love it.

Show threadM.S. Bellows, Jr.Mar 10
@puppethead @jalefkowit @beckett There's a new Chevy Bolt, too (but GM says it will only be produced for 18 months). https://www.chevrolet.com/electric/bolt-ev
Site Maintenance

Show threadeubMar 10
@jalefkowit @beckett the Kona is notable for having a fair number of physical buttons, instead of being damnably all-touchscreen like a lot of current cars
Show threadPerrin42Mar 10

@beckett

https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/search/download.pdf?year=2025

I would definitely consider PHEV and EREV vehicles as well, since they can function as EV's for short drives (30-50 miles) while still having all the advantages of an ICE hybrid.

Show threadKernel Bob Mar 10
@beckett Don't overlook the Volvo EX30. My nephew has one, and it's really nice.
Show threadMastodon MigrationMar 10

@kbob @beckett

Really interested in this one

Show threadbillMar 11
@mastodonmigration @kbob @beckett
Such a strange car to me... Very sparse and minimalist interior with non-traditional materials, not the greatest packaging. Like they were aiming for the budget market. But then it goes like an absolute rocket with a price to match that performance.
Show threadbillMar 17

@mastodonmigration @kbob @beckett
rip

https://electrek.co/2026/03/16/volvo-is-killing-its-smallest-ev-in-the-us-but-the-rest-of-the-world-can-still-get-it/

Volvo is killing its smallest EV in the US, but the rest of the world can still get it

The US will again be deprived of a great, small, affordable car that the rest of the world can get, seemingly due to dumb government policy.

Electrek
Show threadKernel Bob Mar 17
@bill @mastodonmigration @beckett Why we can't have nice things, part CCLXIV.
Show threadDaniel JohnsonMar 10

@beckett I second the recommendation for the Ioniq 5. My wife has one. We are leasing it because EV technology is developing so fast right now that by the time the lease is up, it’s likely to be way behind the times.

If you really want a small car, there’s always the Kia Nero EV.

I wish the USA imported some of the really small EVs that are available in Europe, like the Renault Clio, but apparently those don’t meet federal safety regulations.

Show threadbillMar 10

@ossobuffo @beckett

We are leasing it because EV technology is developing so fast right now that by the time the lease is up, it’s likely to be way behind the times.

This is something that gets mentioned a fair bit, but outside of specific brands who have lagged behind (Toyota and Nissan come to mind), I'm not sure it's generally true industry wide. Your car, for example, is not markedly different than the model that was released in 2022.

  • The software is better, but they could backport it and choose not to for business reasons.
  • The battery is larger, but the chemistry is similar and it charges near the same speed (class-leading).
  • The range gain from that battery is unlikely to change the way or rate at which you travel.
  • It didn't get any more efficient.

This is not to say improvements can't or won't happen, but the the relative simplicity of electrive drivetrains seems to mean that most of the levers have been pulled and the technologies are mature. Electric motors have been around forever. It's really batteries where we hope for a breakthrough, but in the meantime they get just a little better each year.

I have a '22 EV6 and, frankly, I don't know what I'd get today that would feel like 4 years of technology advancement (outside infotainment). Certainly not in this price category!

(I'm not criticizing your lease, BTW, you probably got a screaming deal and depreciation has been a killer on these cars.)

Show threadDan LykeMar 10
@beckett 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV owner here, before that we had a BMW i3. Both cars have their flaws, and I'd love an electric pickup of the 1970s Datsun size, or an updated Fiat e500 with heat pump and slightly larger battery, but I think there are a few smaller cars out there.
Show threadJustinMar 10

@beckett
I've read multiple things about deep misogyny within Rivian which keeps me far away.

We've considered the Subaru Soltera but also just paid off out Crosstrek so not sure now is the time for a new car payment. :)

Show threadSkim ShadyMar 11
@justin @beckett the #Solterra and its sister the #toyota buzzyforks are horrible #ev s.
Show threadbillMar 11
@woodenmachines @justin @beckett check the just refreshed models, they have improved. Not class-leading in any regard, but in the US, on par with some other mainstream options.
Show threadAnnieMar 10

@beckett

Things to consider before making the switch to electric:

-Will you have a level 2 home charger
-Can your home electrical wiring and service handle a charger
-What is the charging infrastructure where you live: are charging stations plentiful; do charging stations provide universal plugs, or will you need a special adapter; are payment systems easy or will you need one or more apps
-what kind of range do you actually need/use on a regular basis
-What fees might your electricity provider charge you for “higher than average usage” due to home charging; will you get bumped into a higher rate class and end up paying more per kW than anticipated
-If your local government and local utility providers haven’t made changes to meet increased demand for power, how will the grid be strained

We drank the koolaid and saddled ourselves with an electric car two years ago. We’re now selling it because the answers to all of the above questions turned out to be very bad in the area where we live, and even with an 18.2 kW solar array, instead of being net zero as we were before, we have ended up paying far more than if we had just bought a hybrid. Infuriating from an environmental perspective, as well as an economic one. With the current US regime in power, nothing much is likely to change anytime soon; the US will remain a backwater, smoke belching, shithole of a country.

Show threadSkim ShadyMar 11
@anne @beckett it’s not a technology problem, you just bought the wrong car. I’d guess from a legacy manufacturer. I was driving Phoenix to LA 8 years ago in an #ev
Show threadAnnieMar 11

@[email protected] @beckett

There was only one EV with that kind of range 8 years ago, and it cost $75k and rhymed with asshole.

Never said it was a technology problem. It’s an infrastructure problem. With proper socialist infrastructure, lots of cars can be the right car. With crony capitalism, not so much.

As for buying the “wrong” “legacy” car, sometimes people buy the best option available and affordable to them in a time of severe product shortage after global supply chains have been shredded due to a pandemic.

Show threadSkim ShadyMar 11

@anne @beckett and then she blocked me…

It was a model 3 in 2018 and it cost $48k, we still have it still works great.

Show threadNetuxMar 10
@beckett depends on how fact you want. Cadillac optiq is decently small with lots of niceties.
Show threadJeff MesserMar 10
@beckett The Rivian R2 will be smaller if you really enjoyed that. Otherwise we just signed a lease on a 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 SEL, some of the best range and features in its size, and my wife has a 2020 Chevy Bolt she really enjoys. We have a 2023 VW ID.4 at end of its lease (and why we got the Ioniq) and it drove great and has been reliable - but VW's software is a bit crap. Otherwise, yeah...we're an EV family now, not going back.
Show threadgenehackMar 10
@beckett my wife drives a Polestar 2 and it’s pretty nice, if you’re open to the semi-luxe sedan thing.
Show threadJaime VisserMar 10
@beckett Don't know if politics plays a role, but the Tesla Model 3 is a great car if you don't have anything against the brand. Yes, it has few buttons but most things "just work". The software stack is the best, bar none and this just makes it a really pleasant car to use.
Show threadbillMar 11

@jaimevisser @beckett Their efficiency is unmatched by anything that's not a Lucid, and that goes a long way.

Still difficult to recommend given the current climate, but if you don't care about optics you can find an affordable used model and not directly enrich an asshole.

Show threadE. C. BigribsMar 10

@beckett We have a Mach-E. It seems nice enough, but I'm not the one who drives it; I would have absolutely chosen something smaller.

I would be excited about the Slate pickup if they supported an old-fashioned three-across bench seat.

Show threadDonald BallMar 10
@beckett I’m holding out for the cheap Chinese sedans myself.
Show threadEtamMar 10
@beckett
Some Kia model maybe? I have Niro EV and it's quite nice, but AFAIK it's being replaced by EV(some number).
Show threadtuban_muzuruMar 10

@beckett

Chevy Pacifica. Hybrid. Get the MOPAR charger

Show threadSkim ShadyMar 11

@beckett the #Rivian R2 may be what you’re looking for

We have an R1T, it’s a little bigger than my old Ranger but it’s also more efficient than a Prius. We are a one car household and the #r1t can do everything, even in a tight urban environment. We tow, haul and camp in it (on it actually)…

https://rivian.com/r2

Rivian R2: Electric Mid-Size SUV

Discover the Rivian R2 — a bold, electric 5-seat SUV designed for the adventurous. Explore pricing, experience mid-size EV innovation and reserve yours today.