TA.b - Mask Talk 5.20

While most of the posts I make here are auto-centric, I felt the need to talk about face masks in this age of pandemic. Since COVID-19 grabbed the World by the throat and refused to let go, people have been forced into new ways of living...and thinking for that matter. One of the big questions (besides "Will I survive this disease?") is when will things go back to "normal" (insert your normal here). The answer is possibly never. Some of the changes we make today may be around for a long while and one of those changes is the wearing of face masks.

Face masks for health professionals provide some protection from those with COVID-19 and generally include some space-age paper/fabric and possibly a plastic shield. They are disposable and must be changed frequently to be effective.

The face masks we wear (usually fabric) are washable (unless made of paper) and provide minimal protection from folks spewing their pestilence upon us. What they mostly provide is protection for others from anything you may have including colds, etc. That's the big benefit. As such, they're also effective at reducing the spread of the virus. I live in the Los Angeles area and our local governments are taking this very seriously. The suburb I live in has required face masks outside the home for a couple of weeks (we had a spike in cases). Since then, the city and county of Los Angeles has implemented a similar ordinance. What really gets me are the folks that think that these regulations don't apply to them. Especially the joggers. Joggers typically say (speak in a whiny voice), "it's too hard," or "I can't breathe." Thought you were the "healthy ones." You (the joggers) should have great lung function. And, to make matters worse, when we jog the germs we spew travel farther (12 to 20 feet) so six-feet distancing doesn't work. I'm not saying stop jogging. I'm saying wear a mask. Remember more than a third of folks with the virus are asymptomatic meaning they don't look or sound sick, but they are contagious. 

You may ask why I'm so concerned.

I have had compromised lungs since childhood for one thing. This makes me at greater risk than most and means COVID-19 might be fatal for me. Am I or anyone sure that COVID-19 would kill us?  No and that's one of the points. There is xoooo much we don't know about this disease which means it will probably be around for a while. The fact that it might come back even stronger at some point in the future is also worrisome. At the time that I wrote this, there were 1.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 leading to more than 85,000 deaths in the US alone. Since testing isn't widely available still, there may be many more cases (probably asymptomatic).

Many online retailers are selling washable daily-use masks. like Old Navy and I think Etsy. I'm sure Amazon can hook you up too. My masks are fabric made from various textiles based on articles explaining which fabrics are best. An acquaintance makes masks (see pic) for sale with a portion of the proceeds going to a fund that buys PPE for healthcare workers. The cool thing about getting masks made for you is that changes can be made like the inclusion of pipe cleaners to improve the fit/seal around the nose. Plus they look cooler than most. I have one mask that has some denim in it (which is shown to be a good filter fabric) but it stretches easily and needs washing more than others. So get used to it. You might save someones life. Maybe your own. Link below explains hot to properly wash your masks. Signs posted around a local jogging/walking trail said it all. "Doesn't matter (I paraphrase) if you're Mark, Kate, or Larry, if you don't wear a mask, you're Typhoid Mary." Good one. Photo courtesy of Jason Jenn, mask maker.

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TA.b - Tesla Talk 5.20b - Updated

Tesla, or should I say Elon Musk, has been in the news a lot recently. Musk has decided to draw a lime in the sand in regards to the State of California, Alameda County and the steps required to reopen his Fremont factory. (Is this a result of Musk's recent private meeting with his new buddy 45.) Firstly, let's mention that the Bay Area in California (San Francisco, Berkeley, Alameda County - including Fremont, Silicon Valley, etc.) has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and was one of the earliest locales to put social distancing protocols in place which successfully slowing the spread of the disease. Did these steps stop the spread of COVID-19? No and that's why officials are being cautious. People are dying...painfully. So while steps are being taken to re-open the state and the economy, officials may be overly cautious. But then who needs to die so that folks can go to the beach, a restaurant or make more money? Not me. So when Alameda County officials told Tesla, "not yet." Musk went ballistic threatening to move his main offices out of California and move to Texas (where there are few restrictions, if any) or to Nevada (where taxes are almost non-existent mostly due to the State's casinos and gambling industry). I guess Musk forgot how the State of California and Fremont helped him get started a few years ago. Where was Texas then (lining up to protect the Oil Industry I suspect)? Is this an example of the "What have you done for me lately" Janet Jackson stndrome?

What's even more interesting is that Musk wasn't so vocal when the Chinese government put restrictions on his re-opening of his factory in China. China is weeks ahead of the US in this fight and have stalled the disease spread, although after weeks of no new cases of COVID-19 in the region, COVID-19 has recently reared its ugly head once again. The point is that until we get a vaccine or treatment protocol, we're all still at risk.

I understand why Musk is upset. He built his company from scratch and has succeeded against the odds and many pundits. Many of these naysayers are just starting to come around to the idea that Tesla is alive, well, and going to continue. Then COVID-19 changed the world, probably forever. 

Musk lashing out like this doesn't prove his case. Since Fremont was once a GM and Toyota facility, there may be some lingering resentment there, but Tesla is a large employer, so... as the saying goes, get over it. Both of you. We're all suffering from this global pandemic and will for some time.

But folks are starting to notice Musk's behavior. A recent article on CNN.com asked the question, "What happened to Elon Musk?" Muxk reportedly Tweeted that these restrictions were a violation of his rights and freedoms. What about my right to not die due to his uncaring behavior and restlessness. California officials okay-ed Tesla's re-opening but with a phased in schedule over the next week. Not good enough for Musk. He opened fully anyway. I guess laws and safety don't apply to him. The UK's right-wing-leaning Daily Mail reported this morning that Musk has listed several of his California holdings (valued at over $100 million) for sale. As a Californian (born and raised) and former Tesla supporter, I say go and take your company with you. I find it interesting that he sees a move to Texas as a good idea, especially since Big Oil has such a strong foothold on the state and few Tesla's are sold there. Almost half of Tesla's sales come from California. Will folks still line-up for Musk's EVs? Probably, but in reduced numbers. I think I'm angry because I saw the future in Tesla vehicles and Musk's behavior (which I've stood up for in the past) is threatening to stall the US's acceptance of battery-electric vehicles. Since the pandemic and social-distancing have taken most folks off the road, the air is much cleaner (and sweeter) here in the LA area. You know, fewer pollutants emitted by gas-powered vehicles. They even saw the difference at the International Space Station.

What makes this doubly sad is that Tesla's vehicles are years ahead of the competition and superior in many ways. Legacy automakers continued to roll out their products with out any thought to the future. I guess it was all about money. A similar thing happened in the 1950s/60s. Automakers were pushing out these giant road-behemoths and Volkswagen came in with the Beetle and Toyota with the Corolla. The automakers laughed, until they noticed folks were buying large numbers of these small(er) cars. Laughing no more, they rushed to prepare their own small cars and we got the Pinto, Vega, etc. The same thing is happening today. Tesla's cars are years ahead of the competition in design and implementation of software. Legacy automakers are scrambling once again. I guess they had no incentive to improve cars and trucks themselves since we were buying them anyway. That is until a start-up company from Fremont, California showed the public what was possible and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Musk deserves the kudos for Tesla. But maybe it's time for him to step aside and let others take the company forward (or close his Twitter account). I remember when Apple replaced Steve Jobs with a management team from Pepsi. The new team drove the company into the ground and near bankruptcy. Bringing Jobs back, saved the company and it's now one of the largest in the world. I would hate to see that happen to Tesla. Maybe Musk could stay on as a consultant and go to Texas with this young girlfriend and new baby and enjoy his money. I always liked San Antonio myself.

Kia's Niro EV receives updates for 2020

Kia's Niro has been on the market for a while, and for 2020 the popular model has received a few updates that further enhance Kia's crossover (and sedan). Kia's Niro is available as a Prius-like hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, and a full battery-electric vehicle or EV. The focus here is on the EV. While comparisons to the Tesla Model Y would seem like a natural, they couldn't be more different. The Niro is a smaller EV that will fit in tight garages and spaces. The Model Y is faster and drives like a computer on wheels, while the Niro is more like traditional cars. While the Tesla models were designed from scratch to be EVs, the Niro is a modified gas-powered vehicle. As such, the Tesla is more space efficient while the Niro sticks stuff where it can. The Niro's ride is geared more towards a softer, more luxurious ride while the Model Y is a handler. You know who you are and what you need. Another difference is pricing. A top-end Niro  comes in just over $44k, while the Model Y starts at $50k+ and prices increase quickly and dramatically to almost 6 figures. Again you know who you are and what you can afford. The car closest to the Niro EV is Chevy's Bolt EV in size, performance and price. The Kia Niro also qualifies (at this time) for the federal tax rebate ($7,500) and probably your state tax rebate as well. Tesla has used all of their tax rebate credits. So if your state has EV rebates, you can get a loaded Niro for well under $40k. For 2020 updates, pricing, and specifics, check out the info and video after the "read more" jump. There is also a link to a YouTube video specific to the new Niro. Enjoy!

Source; Press release, pics, and information courtesy of Kia.

TA.b - Tesla Talk 5.20a - updated

I've been a huge Tesla fan since the brand's first vehicle, the Roadster, hit the market. Because I didn't have the cash to own one, the Roadster was unattainable for me (and I'm over 6 feet tall and have a bad back, so). But today. Tesla's vehicles are more attainable and a better fit for most folks. I've pushed electric vehicles into my friends' minds since Tesla showed what was possible (much to the chagrin of traditional automakers). In fact, an acquaintance rented a Model S and came away totally converted. I mean after all, a battery-electric vehicle showcases a different type of propulsion and that's the main difference (well that and fewer pollutants and...). The fact that most Tesla vehicles are fast, good-looking, handle well, and have a software suite that is years ahead of its competitors should be enough. If it weren't for today's political climate, it probably would be. Imagine that, a car winning sales on its merits. But Big Oil doesn't want to lose sales so the smear began.  Then it was "red-staters" accusing "blue-staters" of pushing their climate-change agenda. No actually, it was people who like breathing clean air that got on board. (I live in the LA area and our air is much cleaner since the anti-smog regulations were put in place.)  

So now we're in 2020 with the world facing a pandemic that is killing thousands, possibly millions. Since we don't have a cure or a vaccine, social-distancing was put in place to minimize the spread of the disease and save lives. It's worked. Two months into this mess though and people are clamoring for the restrictions to be lifted. Not a good idea at this time. Some politicians and news outlets, claim this situation is overblown even though the statistics say otherwise. We expect things to improve with the summer heat, but with the return to cooler weather, the virus could be back with a vengeance. The problem is that in reality, we just don't know. So the question becomes, "Are you willing to risk your life or the life of someone you love when we're years away (if ever) from getting back to a semblance of normal?"

This is where Tesla-founder Elon Musk comes in. 

I understand that companies face financial ruin with the COVID-19 restrictions in place, but are these companies more valuable or important then people's lives? Some say yes (usually the ones with the most money to lose/gain who don't care about you). A lot of folks just want this all to go away (it isn't). Some state governments, including California, have a movement towards "re-opening." But not fast enough for Musk. 

He announced the re-opening of his factories with out getting any kind of approval. I'm sure the government would have worked with him and discussed possible changes that would preserve Tesla worker's health. But Musk acted like a petulant child when told "not yet." Immediately he stated that his headquarters would be moved out of California to Texas or Nevada - which would have zero effect on the reopening of the Fremont factory. Then he filed a lawsuit (that would take years to be adjudicated). trying to get his way.  And now he is ordering his employees to defy government orders and return to work. This could put them into potential harm and possible arrest.

As much as I like(d) Tesla, people are important. Laws are important. The government is important in fighting this pandemic. People are your customers and employees after all. If they die, you end up with fewer sales and trained workers. Not brain-surgery. Musk's total disregard for the safety of his workers makes him sound more like 45 than someone to look up to. If the company is that close to being in trouble get some money from the government. They gave the oil industry a reported $75 million bail out. Or you could give back some (or all) of the reported $750 million the company paid you in back- and current-salary. Lots of options that don't include killing folks needlessly or starting a political stand off with the State of California or the local county. (Which 45 would love btw even though he dislikes Tesla and Musk or at least he did.) Is this about money or being told what to do? Does Musk know who his current customers are (who wouldn't appreciate this)? Does he care?

I once had a fantasy where I owned a house covered with Tesla solar panels feeding electricity to several Tesla Powerwalls and charging my Tesla vehicle (for almost zero cost). Take that smog. But not anymore. I'm no longer on Team Tesla. When Rick Perry and 45 got Toyota to move to Texas (Ivanka was at the official signing), i wrote them off. No more Toyotas for me. And so it goes. 

When I can put my fantasy in place, there will be a lot more choices. There are a lot of solar panel choices now and the energy storage business is booming. Ford's Mustang Mach-E looks to be a strong competitor and Volkswagen's iD models also look strong (although we won't get the Golf-sized iD.3 in the US. Big mistake). I agree that Tesla seems to be at a crossroad. Care about your workers and put a muzzle on Musk if you want to succeed and see what was once a bright future. I honestly hope that I'm wrong about this one.

Nissan offers 5 tips for cars parked amid pandemic

As we all stay at home to survive the Covid-19 onslaught. I noticed the last time I started my car, it didn't seem to have the same "zip" as before. When this press release hit my inbox, I thought it must have been kismet. Obviously from my experience, Number 1 is extremely important - Keep the battery charged. Since we're sorta stuck inside these days (and for the foreseeable future) I try to take the long route to get to the necessary visits like food shopping, doctor's visits, etc. Since I do that, I'm taking care of #2 - Drive around the block. Check the fluids, aka #3 is a good idea anytime as is #4 Maintain recommended tire pressure. Both tips help your vehicle perform at its best. The last tip, #5 - Wash your vehicle, assumes a yard or open self-wash center where you can get out the hose and do it yourself. They also mention that by doing it yourself, you relieve some stress, get some exercise, and relieve boredom. Plus it's good for your car. Some of these tips are common-sense jobs that many do anyway. But with the current disruption to our lives, It's always a good idea to get a little reminder. Thanks Nissan. Click on image to enlarge.

Source: Nissan provided pictures and press release. More after the "read more" jump.