Airlines in 2021 and Thoughts on Electric Cars

Sometimes I can't believe that I made it through 2020 without getting sick.  That was a rough year and we're still not out of the woods yet.  Vaccines are on their way which will make a big difference.  In the meantime, airlines are getting ready for a wild 2021:

Airlines Buckle Their Seat Belts for a Bumpy 2021 - WSJ

Will things get better for airlines with a vaccine available?  I personally think that it's going to take a while for things to get back to normal.  Travel bans on international travel aren't good for ticket sales.  Also, I could see the pandemic changing how we travel.  Train travel may become more popular.  They don't call President Joe Biden "Amtrak Joe" for nothing.  That could mean more funding for Amtrak.  Road trips seem more popular.  I saw a car ad featuring the vehicle at a drive-in movie theatre.  More electric cars are being sold.  Telsa sold something around half a million cars last year.  And electric cars are the best at the drive-in movie theatre.  You can sit there with the heated seats and climate control on -all very comfortable and socially distanced at the movies.  The downside: it can take several days to fully charge some Teslas with a standard 110 volt connection.  According to this article, it can take four days with a standard outlet:

Charging Your Tesla Model 3 With Just A Wall Outlet - Is It Possible? (insideevs.com)

And you may think, what if I get the faster 220v charger?  It could still take upwards of 10 hours.  Or you could go to a supercharging station which is much quicker.  And that's not really the big thing that keeps me from buying a Tesla.  I talk to folks who work in autobody shops and insurance agents.  Many body shops lack the equipment to work on a Tesla that gets hit.  There are stories of folks out in California waiting months to repair a Tesla.  Parts availability can be tricky.  

The thing about owning a Tesla no one talks about - nightmarish repair delays (sfgate.com)

So if you're driving a Tesla to the drive-in movie theatre, try not to have an accident!  Of course, that all impacts insurance rates too.  I own a plug-in car (not a Tesla) and it works remarkably well -especially for those summer drive-in movies.  The fun part is all the people you meet at EV charging stations.  It sort of reminds me of the internet before social media took over.  You meet people who are passionate about green cars.  Most drive a lot.  And there's so much more to electric cars than Tesla.  There are a lot of quirky electric cars out there.  I've charged next to VW eGolf, run into Fiat 500e owners, Smart EV, and even a Mini Cooper plug-in -not to mention Teslas.  It kind of runs the gamut and some of the cars are super-rare yet not that expensive.  A used Chevy Spark EV can be purchased for $6,000 and has more torque than a Ferrari 458 Italia:

Chevy's Micro EV Has More Torque Than a Ferrari | WIRED

And who would ever expect that much torque in a Chevy Spark!