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Northern Light said:
Hold on..... Brampton's greatest transit champion is most excited about a future gas station?

Clearly you don't think this whole electric car fad is going to stick. LOL
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I mean, I appreciate the compliment (I think??? LOL), but I really don't think I should be considered a champion at all, lol.

I still have a vehicle that I drive, albeit very rarely. I usually take the bus to work, and with work coming closer to me, I'm planning on getting a bicycle and finding out where I can lock it up when I head in for my shift.

As for other travel, the only time I really do drive is when I'm getting groceries, or something that is bulky, or high value that I wouldn't want to advertise to the world. When travelling to Toronto, I'm glad that I can take the GO bus or GO train to get to my destination, because quite frankly, I hate being stuck in traffic when I know I can avoid it. Heck, even yesterday, I took the 33 from Mount Pleasant GO to Yorkdale, took the 36B to Bramalea, hopped on the 8 to go down memory lane, and then jumped on the 4 to head back to Mount Pleasant GO. I could have easily cut down on the amount of trips I took, but taking public transit helps me clear my mind with a change in scenery.

I'd personally prefer a hybrid over an electric car, and I've spent the last 4-5 years looking into what kind of car I would see myself buying. Electric for the short distances, hybrid for the ability to switch to battery as needed for longer distance journeys (i.e. Hamilton when I'm picking up my niece and nephew).

My excitement for the Costco gas bar is mostly excitement for a better gas price without having to drive down to Huntington - It's just not worth it to drive from NW Brampton to Vaughan just for gas.. My car doesn't guzzle gas, but if I'm looking to save money here and there, that's where my mind is at. I could get an electric vehicle, but the higher up front cost of the vehicle, plus the $3,500 to upgrade my breaker box to 200A service, and the $500-$1,000 for a level 2 charger at home isn't where my head is right now with the amount of bills I have. Usually when I buy my vehicles, they're all paid off, and there isn't an electric vehicle I can see myself purchasing in my price range right this very moment that would be worth holding onto if I'm taking transit more than I am driving. That's just where my head is.

PL1 said:
A short line is one thing. It also depends how close you live to said Costco. If the drive is 15 min each way plus a 20 min wait to save $6, well you're saving just over $7 per hour of your time. My time is worth a lot more to me than that.
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In this case, I currently live about 20+ minutes away from the Costco in Brampton. Sometimes I'll visit the one on Huntington in Concord / Vaughan which is about 30+ minutes away. I won't usually get gas from them unless I'm running low though. If this new Costco does open and I need gas, who knows. It's about 10 minutes away from where I live, potentially less than that depending on traffic. If I do need gas and also need to stop in, I'll get gas and stop in, otherwise I may not even bother as much.
 
JJTheJetPln said:
I mean, I appreciate the compliment (I think??? LOL),
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It was.

JJTheJetPln said:
but I really don't think I should be considered a champion at all, lol.
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You are for them here on UT, at least.

JJTheJetPln said:
I'd personally prefer a hybrid over an electric car, and I've spent the last 4-5 years looking into what kind of car I would see myself buying. Electric for the short distances, hybrid for the ability to switch to battery as needed for longer distance journeys (i.e. Hamilton when I'm picking up my niece and nephew).
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Seems sensible.

JJTheJetPln said:
My excitement for the Costco gas bar is mostly excitement for a better gas price without having to drive down to Huntington - It's just not worth it to drive from NW Brampton to Vaughan just for gas.. My car doesn't guzzle gas, but if I'm looking to save money here and there, that's where my mind is at. I could get an electric vehicle, but the higher up front cost of the vehicle, plus the $3,500 to upgrade my breaker box to 200A service, and the $500-$1,000 for a level 2 charger at home isn't where my head is right now with the amount of bills I have. Usually when I buy my vehicles, they're all paid off, and there isn't an electric vehicle I can see myself purchasing in my price range right this very moment that would be worth holding onto if I'm taking transit more than I am driving. That's just where my head is.
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For the amount of driving you seem to do, you shouldn't need to fill up more than twice a month. If you can save $10, good for you (seriously); but there are probably other costs where you can scrutinize a bit more.
 
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JJTheJetPln said:
plus the $3,500 to upgrade my breaker box to 200A service,
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You don't absolutely need to upgrade your service. A lot of people get by with charging off a regular 15amp circuit. And unless your panel is maxed out, you can usually get a 30amp 220 circuit without much challenge.

Used Teslas are getting cheap. I see a 2019 Model 3 with 136k km on it for $21k on cargurus. Also a 2019 with 238k km for $13.5k. The battery packs in 3/Ys have been pretty good, there is a good chance you could get another 100k, 200k km out of these packs without the pack failing.
 
afransen said:
You don't absolutely need to upgrade your service. A lot of people get by with charging off a regular 15amp circuit. And unless your panel is maxed out, you can usually get a 30amp 220 circuit without much challenge.

Used Teslas are getting cheap. I see a 2019 Model 3 with 136k km on it for $21k on cargurus. Also a 2019 with 238k km for $13.5k. The battery packs in 3/Ys have been pretty good, there is a good chance you could get another 100k, 200k km out of these packs without the pack failing.
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Without going too far off topic, I was advised that most chargers require dual pole 40A circuits, and that I'd need an upgrade to avoid tripping the main breaker. I know I could do 15A, but I'll have to ask about the 30A@220, that sounds like a NEMA plug to me, and I do recall seeing some of those on the market.
 
JJTheJetPln said:
Without going too far off topic, I was advised that most chargers require dual pole 40A circuits, and that I'd need an upgrade to avoid tripping the main breaker. I know I could do 15A, but I'll have to ask about the 30A@220, that sounds like a NEMA plug to me, and I do recall seeing some of those on the market.
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The Tesla charger, and I imagine others, are configurable to reduce the max current they will draw,.to match the circuit they are connected to. There are some clever switches out there that, for instance, enable you to share your clothes dryer circuit with an EV charger, and it pauses charging while the dryer is running.
 
mcbg1 said:
Which Costco is the most accessible from downtown Toronto using the TTC?
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Leaside store is on Overlea: bus from Broadview or Pape, bus stop right outside
Etobicoke store is a also possible: bus to Queensway from Royal York Stn, then walk a bit west (~400-500m). I did this when I lived downtown about 15 years ago
 
PL1 said:
Leaside store is on Overlea: bus from Broadview or Pape, bus stop right outside
Etobicoke store is a also possible: bus to Queensway from Royal York Stn, then walk a bit west (~400-500m). I did this when I lived downtown about 15 years ago
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Maybe there needs to be an urban format Costo more centrally located. None of those locations are convenient for carless downtowners.
 
Depending where you live - Instacart with Costco might be a better option vs taking transit & carrying everything.

I always find getting gas after Costco closes (8:30PM) and gas is open till 9:30PM.. its always quiet.. no wait.
 
The Wilson one is pretty good for being close to the subway and it's possible to do it on one fare- I did it a couple of weeks ago. Queen's Park station to Wilson is 33 minutes by subway + a 10 minute or so walk.

The one in Thorncliffe will be right on the Ontario Line but unfortunately we'll be waiting until ~2040 for that to open.
 
PL1 said:
A short line is one thing. It also depends how close you live to said Costco. If the drive is 15 min each way plus a 20 min wait to save $6, well you're saving just over $7 per hour of your time. My time is worth a lot more to me than that.
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All those people in the 905 live and die by the price of gas... or at least they vote as if they do.
 
Towered said:
Maybe there needs to be an urban format Costo more centrally located. None of those locations are convenient for carless downtowners.
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You'll probably be only able to lug a few of their supersized items home with you on the TTC.
 
I wish we had one like the one in downtown Vancouver, which is right next to Stadium-Chinatown station (and doesn't have a giant pedestrian-hostile parking lot around it).
 
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