Employees sort parcels from online retailer Amazon at a distribution center.
Jens Büttner/picture alliance via Getty Images
Amazon FBA is one way to start a side hustle or grow your business as an entrepreneur.
Amazon does the labeling, packing, and shipping to customers on sellers' behalf.
The top tier of sellers make millions; others find the space crowded and challenging.
Fulfillment by Amazon, or FBA, enables Amazon sellers to leverage Amazon's vast network of warehouses, order processing systems, and customer service.
Through FBA, Amazon takes on the heavy lifting of labeling, packing, and shipping to customers on the sellers' behalf. Products in FBA also get a badge that appeal more to Amazon Prime subscribers.
Last month, Amazon launched a supply-chain product suite to build upon its logistics and fulfillment offerings. Previously, the tech giant has plowed billions into the service, including building hundreds of Amazon fulfillment centers where workers pick and pack orders to be sent to customers.
That investment is not without reason. Budding entrepreneurs sell products on Amazon FBA as one of many side hustles to escape the grind of a typical nine-to-five. Charlie Chang, 29, grossed about $41,000 from FBA with a 40% profit margin in the space of five months.
Some sellers have even managed to parlay their side hustle into a full-time gig. In March, Insider spoke to Amazon FBA seller Scott Needham, who said he'd made over $30 million in gross profits.
He advises newcomers to the platform to start with easy-to-manage products like sporting goods or kitchenware and focus on researching the market for items where the demand isn't currently being met on Amazon.
Is Amazon FBA good for beginners?
London-based seller and coach Ben Alistor has made $800,000 in sales this year on Amazon FBA. Still, he says he made many expensive mistakes at the beginning of his selling journey as there isn't much information online about how the program worked.
Negative reviews and manufacturing issues resulted in a $15,000 loss for one Amazon FBA seller. Others have even opted for Etsy instead after failing to sell on Amazon FBA as they were "chasing an oversaturated market."
Fees charged by Amazon can also start to rack up. The Federal Trade Commission's September 2023 lawsuit against the firm alleges that Amazon FBA fees increased by an average of 30% between 2020 and 2022.
Still, entrepreneurs continue to use the platform to make millions in sales. Dragon Glassware, a glassware company whose colorful cups recently appeared in the Barbie film, is on track to make $5 million in sales this year.
Through its Multichannel fulfillment program, products sold on other e-commerce outlets used by Dragon Glassware, such as Shopify or Etsy, can also be fulfilled from an Amazon warehouse.
Despite his success, Dragon Glassware CEO Matt Rollens warns that it isn't a get-rich-quick scheme, despite what social media content from other Amazon sellers might tell you.
"I see a lot of content about getting rich quickly on Amazon," he said. "You see the guys on LinkedIn with the Lamborghinis, and that's just not realistic. It's going to be a slog, and you just don't know what's going to happen."
On October 12, the Israeli Air Force said on X, formerly Twitter, that they had "dropped about 6,000 bombs against Hamas targets" within the first six days of the war. The Washington Post later reported on Sunday that the figure's just trailing the thousands of bombs the US dropped on Afghanistan in the entirety of 2019.
According to the US Air Forces Central Command, the US dropped 7,423 bombs on Afghanistan in 2019. The US dropped 7,362 bombs in 2018.
On October 7, Hamas launched a series of brutal terrorist attacks against Israel. Israel declared war against Hamas the next day.
Israel has since launched multiple airstrikes on the densely populated Gaza Strip. This included a strike on Tuesday on northern Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp, which the Israel Defense Forces said it bombed while hunting Hamas.
Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a press conference on Saturday that "there will be no more security threat from Gaza on Israel" when Hamas has been eliminated, per The Times of Israel.
"At the end of the war, there'll be no Hamas in Gaza," Gallant said.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images, Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Vox Media
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and AMD CEO Lisa Su are first cousins once removed.
Huang's mother is Su's grandfather's sister, according to a Taiwanese researcher.
The two emigrated to the US as kids but did not appear to grow up together.
Taiwan is a semiconductor chip powerhouse — so much so, that two industry bigwigs with roots from the island are actually family.
It has recently emerged that Nvidia CEOJensen Huangand AMD CEO Lisa Su are first cousins once removed, with 60-year-old Huang being the older cousin.
The ties between Huang and Su are particularly interesting because Nvidia and AMD are both major US chipmakers with competing products, including in the artificial intelligence space.
Nvidia and AMD did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours. An Nvidia spokesperson confirmed the familial relationship to CNN in a Saturday report, saying Su is a distant cousin of Huang's via his mother's side of the family.
Back in 2020, Su also confirmed their relationship at a Consumer Technology Association webinar, saying they are "distant relatives, so some complex second cousin type of thing."
For context, Huang's mother is a sister to Su's grandfather, according to Jean Wu, a former Taiwanese journalist who now researches corporate families. The genealogist — a person who traces lines of family descent — published a condensed family tree on her Facebook account in June.
It's not immediately clear how many siblings Huang's mother — who was born in 1939 — had in total, but according to Wu's family tree, she was the 12th child in the family and 18 years younger than Su's father, who was the eldest sibling.
Wu also interviewed a close family member of the two while putting together the family tree, per CNN. Insider was unable to independently verify the details of the family tree.
Huang and Su migrated to different parts of the US
Despite the family relationship and their close age gap, it appears Huang and Su did not grow up together.
Born in Taipei in 1963, Huang spent a part of his childhood in Taiwan and Thailand. In 1973, Huang's parents sent the kids to relatives in the US owing to the social unrest in the Southeast Asian country, before relocating there.
Huang's aunt and uncle — who were recent migrants to Washington state at the time — sent Jensen and his brother to Oneida Baptist Institute in Kentucky. He attended Oregon State University.
Meanwhile, Su was born in Tainan, a southwestern city in Taiwan. She moved to the US with her parents and brother when she was two years old. She grew up in New York and studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Still, the two Taiwanese cousins' paths converged career-wise. Both are now at the helm of two of the largestUS chip companiesby market capitalization.
Huang cofounded Nvidia in 1993 after working at chip companies LSI Logic and Advanced Micro Devices in a variety of roles. He saw his fortune soar thanks to the boom in generative AI this year and is now worth around $40 billion, per Bloomberg's Billionaire Index.
Su joined AMD in 2012 after 12 years at IBM and nearly five years at Freescale Semiconductor. She became AMD's CEO in October 2014 and is now worth $740 million.
Nvidia'sshare price closed 3.5% higher at $450.05 apiece on Friday and is up 208% this year. Its current market cap of $1.1 trillion makes it the world's top chip company by market cap.
AMD'sstock closed 4.1% higher at $112.25 apiece on Friday and is up 73% this year. It's the world's sixth-largest — and the US' third-largest — chipmaker by value, with a market cap of $181billion.
A startup has built a prototype for a camper attachment to the Tesla Cybertruck. This image is a rendering.
Courtesy of Space Campers
A startup is looking to sell a $24,000 camper extension for the Tesla Cybertruck.
Space Campers has been collecting $100 refundable reservations since May 2022.
Tesla has set its delivery event for the Cybertruck for November 30 after several delays.
The Tesla Cybertruck is only weeks away from its scheduled delivery event — and some companies have already begun building accessories for the electric-pickup truck.
Lee Wilkerson, the founder of Space Campers, told Insider he was inspired to launch his company shortly after Elon Musk announced Tesla would be building the Cybertruck in 2019. Wilkerson said he saw an opportunity to build something around the versatility of the Cybertruck.
"The cool thing about the Cybertruck is the fact that they will make one truck body shape and you won't have to juggle any submodels," Wilkerson said. "Once I started thinking about building it, I couldn't get the idea out of my head," he added.
Take a look inside the camper designed to seamlessly attach to the bed of the Cybertruck. The company has a physical prototype, but the pictures of the camper attached to the Cybertruck are digital renderings.
Space Campers started taking $100 refundable reservations for its wedge-style camper in May 2022.
The camper attachment fits onto the bed of the Cybertruck.
Courtesy of Space Campers
The company would not comment on how many reservations it had received to date.
"We've had a lot of interest, but we're trying to keep our numbers down right now," Wilkerson said. "We haven't promoted this too much because we're still sitting on standby a bit till we see more clarity on the truck. I think on November 30, a lot of things will be cleared up."
Wilkerson, a mechanical engineer who has worked at several startups, said the company has about five internal team members and has partnered with outside manufacturers on the project.
The camper, which is currently listed for $24,000, is designed so that it can be set up in moments with the switch of a button.
When the attachment is closed it acts as a cover for the back of the truck. These pictures are renderings.
Courtesy of Space Campers
It attaches to the bed of the truck with clamps — and when it's not in use, Cybertruck owners can still have full access to the bed of their truck, according to the prototype.
The camper is even designed to travel with Tesla owners on a day-to-day basis without too much of an impact on the vehicle's range.
At its peak, the ceiling of the camper reaches eight feet, according to the specs for the prototype.
The camper was designed to optimize space.
Courtesy of Space Campers
The lowest portion of the camper clocks in at about six feet, according to the company.
The camper comes with a bed that can comfortably sleep two people.
The bed can be rolled up.
Courtesy of Space Campers
The memory foam mattress can also be folded to make a couch-structure, according to the specs for the prototype.
The bed can be extended so users can enjoy more of the scenery.
The attachment is designed to make the Cybertruck more roomy.
Courtesy of Space Campers
"The best thing about it, is that pretty much every feature has multiple uses," Wilkerson said.
For example, the bed platform can be taken out of the camper and used as a table, according to the company.
Many features in the camper have multiple uses.
Courtesy of Space Campers
Though users might have to bring along their own foldable camp chairs.
The bed's platform can also serve as a projector.
The screen is perfect for enjoying the night air or cozying up inside the camper, as pictured in the rendering.
Courtesy of Space Campers
The company said the screen can either be tucked inside the camper or used in the open air.
Similarly, an extension that's attached to the bed can be made into a bench and the area can become a makeshift office space.
The camper could be useful for remote workers.
Courtesy of Space Campers
The camper could be perfect for remote workers.
Take a look at a video from the company that shows how the space can be converted.
Space Campers also offers the option to further accessorize the camper.
The attachment can be outfitted with a kitchen as well.
Courtesy of Space Campers
The company says a kitchen can be built into the storage compartments in the camper. Space Campers also sells a portable toilet and shower extension, according to its site.
Space Campers isn't the only company to capitalize on the hype around the Cybertruck.
The startup, Stream, announced its Cyberlandr, shortly after Musk unveiled Cybertruck.
CyberLandr
In 2021, Insider's Brittany Chang reported that tech company Stream had started making camper attachments for the EV and the company had already hit $150 million in preorders for its CyberLandr, a $55,000 attachment.
Stream has not published any updated preorder numbers since.
Space Camper's founder said designing the camper has been the easy part, at least when compared to some of the unpredictability related to the Cybertruck release.
The Cybertruck's release date has been pushed back a few times.
Courtesy of Space Campers
Since Musk first announced the Cybertruck, the company has delayed its release at least seven times, including two years of delays. While Wilkerson said Space Campers has a contact at Tesla, the EV maker has not officially shared any specs with the company.
"It's a little bit of this game of up and down with all the Cybertruck news," Wilkerson said. "We want to have all our ducks in a row, but we're waiting to turn the ramp up back on until Cybertruck is definite."
A spokesperson for Space Campers told Insider the company anticipates it will ramp up production in the second quarter of 2024.
Space Campers also faces some uncertainty with getting access to the Cybertruck once it's released. Over 1.5 million people have put down a $100 reservation fee for the Tesla truck as of last year, according to Electrek. And even people who ordered the truck within an hour of Musk's first announcement of the EV have told Insider they have tens of thousands of people in front of them, at least according to an online queue estimator.
Wilkerson said the company is not one of the early reservation holders, but has befriended some people who have access.
For his part, Musk has said the ramp up in Cybertruck deliveries might be slow.
During Tesla's earnings call last month, the CEO said it will require a "staggering" amount of work to scale production of the vehicle due to its "newness." The billionaire said the company hopes to produce about a quarter million Cybertrucks per year — but likely not until 2025.
An aerial view of one of Walmart's recently redesigned stores.
Walmart
Walmart reopened 117 locations on Friday that showcase the "store of the future."
The company invested more than a half-billion dollars in new layouts, fixtures, and tech.
Here are five ways the redesign is expected to make the shopping experience more enjoyable.
On Friday, Walmart reopened 117 locations across 30 states that the company has spent the better part of a year redesigning into what it calls the "store of the future."
The $500 million-plus investment is part of a larger, $9 billion effort to modernize more than 1,400 US stores over the last two years, the company said.
Walmart operates roughly 4,600 supercenters, stores, and markets across the country, as well as nearly 600 Sam's Club warehouses, and almost nine out of 10 Americans live within 10 miles of one of the company's locations.
Continue reading to see the full list of stores, but first, here are five things about the redesign that are sure to make the shopping experience more enjoyable at the world's largest retailer.
A more digitally friendly store
A QR code on a product display at Walmart's new store design.
Walmart
Walmart knows our phones are almost always in our hands — even when we're shopping — and the new store design includes several features to complement our digital devices.
Larger, clearer signage and more integrations with the mobile app are designed to make it easier for shoppers to find exactly what they need.
In addition, displays throughout the store include QR codes to find specific items, as well as related products and services. Scanning the code for a dog bed, for example, would also bring up information about pet insurance and pet food delivery options.
More impulse buys and quick fixes
Low-cost seasonal items on display near the front door, similar to Target.
Walmart
Walmart is also taking a cue from its main big-box competitor with the addition of sections with more snacks and seasonal items.
A new grab-and-go section in the grocery department will offer quick-fix meal and drink selections, and a Target-style "dollar shop" near the front entrance will feature a rotating assortment of impulse buys.
More touchy-feely shopping opportunities
Go ahead – pick it up and see if you really want to buy it.
Walmart
Certain departments now include what the company calls "activated corners" that give shoppers an opportunity to touch and test more products.
Similarly, feature displays highlight unboxed products in a more natural context — with a QR code to learn more, of course.
More spaces for privacy
Walmart stores can be incredibly busy places.
Walmart
It's estimated that some Supercenters see more than 10,000 visits per day, but people often need a quieter space to give or receive care.
The remodeled stores now provide private rooms for nursing mothers to feed children, and the expanded pharmacy department has private consultation rooms.
More ways to check out
Hate self-checkout? Try using the Walmart app on your phone.
Walmart
The new stores also include more checkout choices, most notably with the expansion of the hybrid-style assisted self-checkout that the company has been rolling out since 2020.
The new Palm Court extension of Escape Tampa Bay, Escape Home's neighborhood of tiny homes, includes six new rentals.
Escape Homes' Escape Tampa Bay
Escape Homes added six rental units to its populartiny-home communitynear Tampa, Florida in mid-October.
These rentals, which include a duplex, are between 200 to 390 square feet and go from $1,295 to $1,800 a month.
Its founder says they were all claimed within 36 hours, some before they were listed.
Escape Homes' popular tiny-home community near Tampa, Florida just got a little bit bigger. And this time, there's no need to shell out over $95,000 to call this tiny slice of tiny paradise home.
Throughout 2023, the Wisconsin-based company has been building out Escape Tampa Bay, a neighborhood of homes mostly under 400 square feet. As of several months ago, almost all of these units have been claimed. But in mid-October, Escape Homes finished the latest extension of this community: Palm Court, a collection of six tiny homes that are only available to rent.
Most of the homes in the previously completed section of this community, The Oaks, were sold for between about $95,000 to $160,000.
There's only one unit left in "The Oaks" section.
Escape Tampa Bay The Oaks
But there's no need to spend this kind of money to live here anymore: Palm Court's tiny-home apartments are being rented for at most $1,800 a month.
Escape Homes wasn’t always a landlord: The company got its start building and selling modern tiny homes on wheels.
The Escape One XL is 388 square-feet including its two lofts.
With this background in tiny-home building, the company is now conveniently using its own units to build out Escape Tampa Bay.
The new Palm Court extension has six units.
Escape Homes' Escape Tampa Bay
The neighborhood is located in Thonotosassa, Florida about 20 miles from Tampa International Airport.
Expanding its real estate portfolio in the greater Tampa market is a no-brainer.
Many millennials and Gen Zers have been moving to Tampa, Florida.
littlenySTOCK/Shutterstock
Over the last few years, the Florida hotspot has exploded in popularity as one of the most popular cities for US workers to move to.
But with this influx of people has inevitably come an increase in local rental and home prices.
Rent for these apartments starts at $1,295 a month for this duplex unit.
Escape Homes' Escape Tampa Bay
The median rent in Tampa is $2,200 a month, according to data from Zillow.
To combat this, this tiny-home community’s goal is to be affordable to both buyers and renters.
This Palm Court extension was completed in mid-October.
Escape Homes' Escape Tampa Bay
"This is fast alternative housing for people who need some place to live. It's affordable. And it's not the back of a van," Dan Dobrowolski, the founder and CEO of Escape Homes, previously told Insider.
Here in the new Palm Court extension, rent starts at $1,295 a month for the smallest option — the 200-square-foot half of a duplex unit.
Up to four people can sleep in each half of the duplex.
Escape Homes' Escape Tampa Bay
The most expensive 390-square-foot tiny-home will set renters back $1,800 a month.
“This is how you create a 21st century neighborhood,” Dobrowolski said.
There's a park on the Escape Tampa Bay property.
Escape Homes' Escape Tampa Bay
At Escape Tampa Bay, people aren't stacked on top of each other inside towering apartment buildings. Instead, because these homes are small (or as the CEO says, "anti McMansions"), there's plenty of room for green space in a neighborhood of "very little acreage."
This ironic promise of space in a community that's proud of its small homes has caught the attention of many eager buyers and renters.
Homes in The Oaks started at about $95,000.
Escape Tampa Bay The Oaks
When the homes in The Oaks were listed earlier this year, Dobrowolski said the first few units were purchased immediately. All but one of the remaining units were claimed within two months.
Apparently these six rentals were snatched up even faster: These six were claimed within 36 hours of being listed, the CEO said.
This rendering shows a tiny home equipped with almost all of the same amenities of a traditional apartment.
Escape Homes' Escape Tampa Bay
Some were even rented before Escape could publicly advertise them: "We already had people who said, 'Tell me in advance if you have something coming."
The neighborhood’s residents now include people like a retired nurse, a radiologist, and a retail manager.
Palms surround this new extension.
Escape Homes' Escape Tampa Bay
Several tenants have already moved in while the remainder will arrive in November. Most have signed 12 month leases although there's also the option for nine months.
Despite their size, these homes have many of the same comforts of a typical apartment.
The duplex has comforts like a washing machine, small stovetop, and under-bed storage.
Escape Homes' Escape Tampa Bay
The smallest homes still have a washing machine and a full-size refrigerator. In the largest tiny-home, there's a dishwasher.
But unlike the average apartment, they all have their own deck.
All of these units have their own private outdoor space.
Two of the six units technically exist under one roof in what Escape is calling the US’ “first all-electric duplex tiny-home.”
Escape Homes says this is a first for the US.
Renters also have access to the neighborhood's amenities.
Renters have access to amenities like the pool.
Escape Tampa Bay The Oaks
This includes a pool, small park, community office, and additional storage. Within the next year, Escape Homes plans to finish up the property's landscaping and add an extra storage facility.
If you weren't fast enough to claim one of these apartments, you could try again in the near future.
The duplex apartments come with a two-panel flip table.
Escape Homes' Escape Tampa Bay
Escape Homes also owns the property across the street, which likely will be built out with more Escape duplexes, the CEO said, mentioning the possibility of continued expansion by building down the road.
"This is for people that want to live in a place that's quiet, safe, has a feeling of community and respect for space and nature."
Insider spoke with dozens of EV owners as plug-in cars gain traction.
We compiled the experiences of eight EV owners across the country.
From California to the East Coast, from Tesla to Ford owners, here's what they said.
We tracked down EV owners from across the country to hear exactly what it's like owning, charging, and even road-tripping in a plug-in vehicle.
These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
Charlotte Scot, 76 — Old Lyme, CT — Kia EV6
Charlotte Scot has had three EVs.
Charlotte Scot
As I got older, I really wanted to do something for the planet, and I certainly don't drive as much as I used to. So what's more perfect for a senior than an electric vehicle?
My little BMW i3, named Orangina, was adorable. I bought it about a year old in 2015. I would only have to charge maybe once a week, even with just a 100-mile range. It was small. It was capable. It was how I could afford to get into electric vehicles back then. It really eased me into EVs. I learned pluses and minuses.
Technically, it held one gallon of gas, so it was sort of a hybrid.
I wanted more range, but I liked not having to go to the gas station. I put a ChargePoint charger at home. The utility gave rebates so I got my charger for practically nothing. Now, I don't think my home charging costs $20 a month. An office down the street from me also had free chargers. I never really looked at another gas engine.
Planning was a big thing to know — where you could get a charge if you needed it. I also bought an adapter so I could use Tesla chargers. I traded it in for a Hyundai Kona EV about three years ago. It's a wonderful car, compact, with a range of about 250 miles, so it was quite a leap forward.
I'm not a fan of Mr. Musk, so I never considered a Tesla. I leased the Kia EV6, named Snazzy Radish, about five months ago, and they took $7,500 off its price.
I have a bumper sticker on the back of the car that says "I identify as an electric vehicle." I think I identify with it. It's like, 'Hey, folks, you can do this. You don't have to buy a Tesla. You don't have to spend $100,000. There are vehicles that are available.'
Rick Samuels, 71 — Portland, OR — Tesla Model 3
Rick Samuels, retired from the IT industry, drives a Tesla and a Nissan Leaf.
Rick Samuels
The Leaf was the first, affordable, practical EV. We leased our first Leaf for three years in 2011. I was commuting 30 miles a day, which was an ideal range for a first-generation Leaf. We then bought a two-year-old, lease-returned 2013 Leaf.
In 2014, when the first lease ran out, Nissan was almost giving 2014 models away. It was $1,000 upfront and $100 a month for a two-year lease. At the end of the two years, in 2016, Nissan gave us another 12,000 miles and kept the payments the same. At the end of the third year, we ended up buying it for $9,200. We had the 2013 and the 2014 for some time.
In early 2021, we wanted a car with more range, so we ended up leasing a 2020 Leaf SV-Plus with 200 miles of range. The lease price reflected federal and state tax credits plus a factory incentive. We live in a floating home and a nearby members' club allowed us to put Level 2 chargers in the parking lot.
The problem we found was finding ones that worked without a problem. At that point, we said, if we're going to drive an electric car, and we want to take trips, pretty much our only choice is a Tesla, so we bought a used Tesla Model 3 and sold one Leaf.
We have taken several trips in the Tesla and never had a problem charging. We've had it for a year and have not had any significant problems with it. Our Leaf, which now has over 80,000 miles on it, has also never needed any significant repairs. We really only had to get the 12-volt batteries replaced.
I tell people that if it's going to be your main car for trips, the only electric car I would get right now is a Tesla. In two or three years that may be different, but right now, their public charging infrastructure is just so much better. You don't have to worry about a card reader not working or about a screen being vandalized.
We see no need to have a gasoline-powered car. And we hope we will never have to buy another gasoline-powered car.
Jim Selgo, 66 — Goodyear, AZ — Volkswagen ID.4
Jim Selgo, a retired public education principal, drives a Volkswagen ID.4.
Jim Selgo
In February 2019, I was still working daily and driving 50 miles round trip. I had an interest in electric cars and bought a new 2019 Nissan Leaf. My wife had a 100-mile round trip drive two nights a week, so we ended up buying a new 2020 Chevrolet Bolt for her.
The Bolt looks small but inside had plenty of room and it got 270 miles of range (the Leaf was only 170) so that's why I decided to sell the Leaf two years ago and then keep the Bolt.
Recently, I traded that in for the Volkswagen ID.4. I got the $7,500 tax credit, and it was listed at just under $52,000, but with discounts and everything, I got it for less than $40,000. They're great to drive, the torque and the speed are awesome, and I really like regenerative, one-pedal braking.
When I was first shopping four years ago, even the dealer didn't have a good understanding or knowledge of EVs, so I kind of went into it blind. Then I learned a lot about them, and really the only negative that we had then — and it's getting better — is in regards to long-distance traveling and finding charging stations. When you purchase the Volkswagen, you get three years of charging at Electrify America, so I could technically drive across the country using their stations at no cost.
We also have sunshine most of the time here, so I put a solar rooftop on my house. It's been 36 consecutive months that I have not paid a dime for electricity or gasoline because I power at the house. I never paid a dime for maintenance or repair, either. The only thing is tire rotation and that's done for free. I will not go back to a gas engine.
We are really happy we did this, and not just financially — they're nice cars, just powered differently than in the old way.
Portia Zwicker, 43 — Schnectady County, NY — Chevrolet Bolt
Portia Zwicker and her husband each own a Chevrolet Bolt EV.
Portia Zwicker
My family has an overall goal of lowering our footprint and getting off all fossil fuels.
It took a little while to be ready financially, and we did a lot of research before making the choice. In August 2020, we started a lease on a 2020 Chevrolet Bolt. Two months later, we bought a second, used Bolt. Both have about 259 miles of range.
The major reason for the Bolt was it was the most affordable option. I chose to lease because I figured the EV landscape would change a lot over the course of the lease, and at the moment, that was the best financial decision. I ended up buying out the lease, too.
The Bolt is the slowest of fast-charging cars, and that's the biggest downside to it. What I didn't expect is a kind of pooh-poohing at Bolt drivers specifically, because our cars charge slowly. Other EV drivers get upset at us taking up time at charging stations. The next EV for us will be something that can charge faster. We've got our eye on the Equinox.
We only have Level-1 charging at home, because we just don't need anything else. My husband has free Level-2 charging at work, and I also had that for some time. We public charge when we road trip, so that's the most we ever pay. Just something I've become used to is: Always have a backup plan. Make sure you understand how fast charging works.
Bob McGill, 78 — League City, TX — Tesla Model 3
Bob McGill drives a Tesla.
Bob McGill
At the end of August 2022, I took delivery of a new Tesla Model 3.
I'd been thinking about it for a while for all the usual things, like not having to buy gas, and I'm a retired computer nerd so I like cutting-edge technology. I considered the Nissan Leaf for a while and the Chevrolet Bolt.
I primarily charge at home and rarely charge outside the house. I bought the home charging unit from Tesla, and an electrician friend installed it for me. It costs about $50 per month for electricity. I don't plug it in every night. I get about 300 miles on a charge and I have over 22,000 miles on the car now.
You're not having to do any maintenance. There's a bit of a learning curve about charging. There was a little bit of anxiety at first about being able to charge whenever I needed to. But it turns out, there's plenty around. It's not difficult to do that. I took a trip to Alabama in May, and I've never driven the Tesla over there, but I was able to find places to charge.
If somebody feels like EV is what they want to do, they should. They're a little more expensive, but the amount of gas savings will make up for that.
Lisa Holland, 59 — Atlanta, GA — Ford Mustang Mach-E
Lisa Holland owns a Mustang Mach-E.
Lisa Holland
I really wanted a Leaf when it came out, but the range wasn't very practical because we do go to Florida a lot. Teslas became more affordable and with more range, and I toyed with that. I was driving an SUV at the time and it was costing too much to fill up, so that's when I started looking hard for an EV.
I bought my Mustang in 2021, the California Route 1 trim for about $45,000 with the $7,500 tax credit. There was absolutely no maintenance, no oil changes, no transmission problems — just a car sitting on a battery.
When I charge at home at night, my utility gives me a discounted rate to charge off-peak hours, so my power bill has only gone up $13 at most. They also gave me a rebate when I had an electrician put the outlet in my garage. Ford provided the charger. Last December, I traded in the first Mustang for the GT.
The thing I was concerned about most was range and getting out of state. Traveling is a little difficult for me here in the Southeast, especially going to the Panhandle in Florida.
Most people that I talk to are concerned about batteries and the cost of replacing them. I think that's a big misconception. It's just been great for me, because I'm saving so much money, not spending it on gas or maintenance. It's easy.
Jason Luu, 31 — Los Angeles, CA — Tesla Model 3
Jason Luu drives this Tesla.
Jason Luu
I got my Tesla Model 3 in 2019. One of the biggest reasons why I got it was to not have to go to the pump anymore. I like tech-savvy things, and so I thought I'd get ahead of that curve. Another selling point for me were the tax incentives at the time. I did get the $7,500 federal tax incentive, and the state of California also offered $2,000. My utility provider also offered another $1,000.
I installed a 220-volt outlet in my home and I've done that in my new home as well. I know that that might be a deterrent for some.
In a very densely populated city like LA, for those living in like either condominium buildings or apartment buildings, they might not have that kind of infrastructure to charge overnight. But then I've been pretty impressed with the Supercharger network. Luckily, my work has charging stations where I can charge for free.
I feel like when people think about purchasing EVs, they get a little hesitant on range anxiety. But on a given day, the average person is not going more than the full capacity of the battery, and you wake up and have a full charge. From a charge perspective, having it installed at your home and having that capability really is a game changer.
But to the average person, you map out your day. There's not much uncertainty in terms of where you're going. You're going to work, home, and stopping by the grocery store. You can plan ahead.
Jerry Schotz, 59 — Champaign-Urbana, IL — Chevrolet Bolt
Jerry Schotz has two Chevrolet Bolts.
Jerry Schotz
We had two gas-powered cars. In May 2021, I purchased my first EV, a new 2021 Chevrolet Bolt. When we tried the EV, we were a little leery of what it was going to be like, so I still kept my Toyota RAV4.
In November 2021, we found a used 2020 Chevrolet Bolt, trading in my wife's 2017 Nissan Altima for it. We were fully electric by the beginning of 2022. We're surprised a little bit at the vitriol that we get from people because we own EVs, but we've been very happy with it since then.
Both batteries have been replaced during the recall. The only maintenance has been tire rotations.
I put a 220-volt outlet in the garage and plug in the car there, since 90% of our travel is local. Between the electrical panel upgrade and the outlet, it was around $1,500. This year is also our first year having our own solar on the house, so now we're driving completely for free. Before we did solar, it was probably adding $50 a month to the bill.
We took our first road trip to Branson, Missouri, from Central Illinois, a good eight-hour drive, and I plotted out the routes with planners and PlugShare. It was a little hard to find fast-charging but we made it there and back without any problems.
We took a trip to Wisconsin, we've taken trips to Indiana, through Tennessee, and Kentucky. Electrify America saves us pretty much all the time. I think one of the biggest things about charging that was surprising to me is how slow even fast charging gets in the wintertime, because of all the protections for the battery.
Regenerative braking is the coolest thing to me. We're happy about the lack of emissions coming out of our car. We're not contributing to any sort of greenhouse gases from driving.
