Talk of Tacoma powertrain upgrade from head guy at Toyota US...

thats why I run my 1995 still its affordable for me and still will pass stringent emissions tests in my state, right now I don't want to be forced by the Government to buy a Hybrid because china and others are blowing pollution out their butts and Europe does it so they must be right. I do believe that all that Solar panels and wind mills are great if can afford to do it but I don't believe the Government or elitist movie stars should be forcing it on people by laws. Gasoline prices are at $2.35 regular in my area and are going down 1-2 cent per day why the hell would I buy a Hybrid unless I wanted to.

 

The thought of these figures makes me puke. Over half, maybe closer to 2/3rds of the price of solar is in labor/companies taking advantage of a ignorant consumer.

With a little research you can apply for a permit with your local city or county. Then go to your electricity provider and get a net metering application for grid tie-in and wire the system up yourself.

That same $25,000 system will cost you $8000. Pay back would be less than 10 years.

 

That is a retarded argument lol. No one is condemning all of oil. We will always need advanced polymers. We just don't need to burn gas for the majority of commuter cars with the technology we have and will soon have.

 

100% of the Lexus line now has a hybrid option.

 

I have a '99 getting ready to roll 360K, price of a new vehicle that gets 40+ mpg...whether is gas, hybrid, or EV...pays for a lot of repairs and fuel for the old beater.
Run premium in it, which is hovering around 3.00 right now ($3.03 on yesterday's fillup). It is my newish 60 mile round trip commute that got me thinking of something more efficient...but no matter how many times I run it on my calculator it doesn't save me any money buying something else. Even on the used market, hybrids are roughly $10K...and who knows what repairs it will need.

That said, I have been due for a new truck for quite some time now (right, Dave in Denver!? )....would like something that got better mileage than what I have now, Toyota hasn't made much gains in the fuel consumption department over the years.

You can get a diesel Colorado for the same as a V6 Tacoma, which gets 10-12 mpg better, the torque and extended range sure would be friggin' schweeeet...but....real leery of the emissions system long term, can it go 200-300K++ like my Toyotas without major repair??? Highly unlikely, from all the bitchin' I hear from diesel owners in general.

That was me doing the install, but that was probably 10 years ago, the last time I looked. That was on another house I own, which brings up an issue...can't exactly transfer the panels from one house to another very easily...Hell, the cross states move alone from AZ to here about killed me...

Even at $8000, 10 year payback isn't quick enough for me...I ain't getting any younger. Idaho is nearly 40% hydro (can't get much more renewable than that) plus investing in wind and solar, so I am ok being hooked up to the grid, and don't have to dick around installing solar panels. Future is uncertain, we might move again in a couple years from now, would suck to invest in panels on house that would be sold. Unclear what the housing market will do...right now it rising like crazy here... our house alone went up 50% in value in 3 years, just nuts!, made X amounts of dollars without having to lift a finger or spend a dime, cool!.... but with every bubble there is a burst....

 

Gotta pay an awful lot just to save money on fuel, eh?

 

The RC,GX and LX don't currently offer hybrids.

 

The RC's already almost as heavy as a tacoma, a hybrid version would damn near sink into a hot asphalt road

 

Well fuck me for listening to car salesmen. Maybe it's all their top selling models?

Just looking forward to the usual technology trickle down.

Flat screen TVs used to be really expensive. Demand and competition brought the prices down. Unfortunately my tv can't drive me to work.

 

Most framing lumber is made from 2nd growth trees , especially when you are talking about more modern framing materials like trusses , I joists , PSL and LVL

 

GET READY FOR SKYSCRAPERS MADE OF WOOD. (YES, WOOD)

https://www.wired.com/2017/05/wood-skyscrapers/

And this, lol

 

BC has already ammended its Building Code to allow for 6 story wood framed buildings and tall wood buildings is a technology that is getting more acceptable all the time

I just took a course on wood high rise construction as part of my annual builder's license requirements , pretty interesting stuff

They just built an 18 storey wood building at UBC

 

What are they doing for fire retardant? They erected some 6 story student housing in the city I used to live, right before we moved....looked like a death trap to me.

 

Typically they use CLT and other mass timber assemblies like glulam etc for the actual structure which is clad in gypsum based sheet products

It seems counter-intuitive but mass timber is actually quite reliable in a fire situation because it takes so long for the fire to penetrate the assembly far enough to cause structural failure

This is an old pic that gets used a lot to illustrate this concept but it shows steel I beams that have deformed around a charred but still intact wood beam

 

And that's where your argument falls apart. We don't "need" the vehicles we choose to drive. We WANT the vehicles we choose, with the drivetrain we choose, with the power plant we choose. I'm sure eventually this will all change, as things do. But for the next 25 years or so let's just enjoy what we have.

 

Spot on. The company I work for just finished a new building for our woodworks division, timberframe w/CLT wall and roof panels. Wood is really a fantastic building material, though I-joist and web trusses don't have the inherent fire resistance of heavy timber. And don't forget it's a renewable resource

 

and sequesters carbon

 

EV dirt bikes are trickling into the market, soon as they get the range and recharge issue solved...sign me up. Nearly silent running...loads of torque, no topends to rebuild, no air filters to fuss with, no gas to deal with, no clutch...albeit I still like shifting my own gears.

"https://player.vimeo.com/video/235951406"

 

The whole point is you plant more trees... logging that took place in the past was terrible for forests, but with the right management and regulations we can maintain biodiversity and mature stands while getting quality lumber.