2026 Jeep JT Hybrid

[willys 41]

MY sister owns an Audi EV and can't even make it to Lake Tahoe with out stopping to charge.
My buddy was going to get to get a Tesla truck put changed his mind when he found out it wouldn't make it to Lake Tahoe pulling the hills on a single charge.
Another friend told me a story about being stuck on I-5 in 100 degree temps for 3 hours because of a fire and when they finely got going and he pasted the first off ramp with charging station he said there where at least 20 EV waiting to charge. He figured they where running there A/C for the last 3 hours.

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[Zachanadandy]

$2.43/gal today for 87 in beautiful Toledo, OH.

And union electrician rate is $40/hr...meanwhile our journeymen are at $91/hr. You can buy a whole bunch of gas for $50/hr. I dislike CA more than most, have already bought our retirement property in AZ, but wouldn't work anywhere else. Between the wages, 10x the retirement, the amount of union work, and the weather in the bay area there's nowhere better in the world to work in the trades. Come October every tradesman in OH is wearing insulated carharts and there's rock salt in the urinal in the porta potty so the piss dozen freeze in the 6" long tube before it gets into the tank. Meanwhile I'll probably still have to ditch the sweatshirt by 10am as it's a little warm for working.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I wouldn't argue not competing automotive college is remotely indicative of capability or understanding. Odds are a huge chunk of that 1/3 probably realized there are far more lucrative careers out there. Not saying everyone is mechanically inclined, but I've had many apprentices over the years that were forum automotive mechanics and decided that if they were going to work with their hands for a living the construction trades are a much better bet.

i was there, the comments and so on - one already said "I know enough, I don't need the rest", others just found it too hard. Sure, some may have realized there was more money to be made, but honestly, if they had been good, and applied themselves, they would be earning 6 figures in some shops like a friend does.
Some went in figuring that since they worked on their own cars, the rest should be easy. Having to do math, and do troubleshooting - they were stuck.
I couldn't believe how many of them had trouble passing the tests. Those were the ones who came in pretty sure of themselves.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

And union electrician rate is $40/hr...meanwhile our journeymen are at $91/hr. You can buy a whole bunch of gas for $50/hr. I dislike CA more than most, have already bought our retirement property in AZ, but wouldn't work anywhere else. Between the wages, 10x the retirement, the amount of union work, and the weather in the bay area there's nowhere better in the world to work in the trades. Come October every tradesman in OH is wearing insulated carharts and there's rock salt in the urinal in the porta potty so the piss dozen freeze in the 6" long tube before it gets into the tank. Meanwhile I'll probably still have to ditch the sweatshirt by 10am as it's a little warm for working.

I work a desk job in Ohio and live about an hour away in Michigan on a lake. I love where I live. I could probably get used to year around summer though.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

And union electrician rate is $40/hr...meanwhile our journeymen are at $91/hr. You can buy a whole bunch of gas for $50/hr. I dislike CA more than most, have already bought our retirement property in AZ, but wouldn't work anywhere else. Between the wages, 10x the retirement, the amount of union work, and the weather in the bay area there's nowhere better in the world to work in the trades. Come October every tradesman in OH is wearing insulated carharts and there's rock salt in the urinal in the porta potty so the piss dozen freeze in the 6" long tube before it gets into the tank. Meanwhile I'll probably still have to ditch the sweatshirt by 10am as it's a little warm for working.

Big difference between there and here - trades, mechanics, building trades, anything.
Here much of the work is seasonal.
A mechanic is employed all year.

 

[Zachanadandy]

MY sister owns an Audi EV and can't even make it to Lake Tahoe with out stopping to charge.
My buddy was going to get to get a Tesla truck put changed his mind when he found out it wouldn't make it to Lake Tahoe pulling the hills on a single charge.
Another friend told me a story about being stuck on I-5 in 100 degree temps for 3 hours because of a fire and when they finely got going and he pasted the first off ramp with charging station he said there where at least 20 EV waiting to charge. He figured they where running there A/C for the last 3 hours.

It's 200 miles from Pleasanton to Tahoe, which model does she own? The Q4 only has a 280 mile range so you'd be pushing it climbing from 0-8k feet. The A6 on the other hand has a 392 mile range and would easily make it on a charge. Even the lowest range cybertruck at 320 miles would make it, but if that's your primary use get the long range. It's 360 mile range would make it for sure. Long roadtrips isn't the strong suit of EVs, of course neither of our Jeeps would make that drive without needing fuel either as they get 13mpg at freeway speeds and climbing done pass it's more like 10mpg. You can get a rivian with a 400 mile range if you do a lot of longer drives. After 5+ hours behind the wheel I could use a ~30 minute break from the vehicle anyway.

 

[Zachanadandy]

I work a desk job in Ohio and live about an hour away in Michigan on a lake. I love where I live. I could probably get used to year around summer though.

Just pointing out there's a lot of reasons to be here even if you disagree with the politics, taxation, prices, etc. Living 3 hours from the Rubicon trail doesn't hurt either.

 

[Zachanadandy]

i was there, the comments and so on - one already said "I know enough, I don't need the rest", others just found it too hard. Sure, some may have realized there was more money to be made, but honestly, if they had been good, and applied themselves, they would be earning 6 figures in some shops like a friend does.
Some went in figuring that since they worked on their own cars, the rest should be easy. Having to do math, and do troubleshooting - they were stuck.
I couldn't believe how many of them had trouble passing the tests. Those were the ones who came in pretty sure of themselves.

There are definitely those that just can't, but as a commercial electrician we have the same math, troubleshooting, etc. The ones I have personal experience with making the move are good mechanics for sure. It is wild to see how many people in general struggle with math, critical thinking, etc.

 

[willys 41]

It's 200 miles from Pleasanton to Tahoe, which model does she own? The Q4 only has a 280 mile range so you'd be pushing it climbing from 0-8k feet. The A6 on the other hand has a 392 mile range and would easily make it on a charge. Even the lowest range cybertruck at 320 miles would make it, but if that's your primary use get the long range. It's 360 mile range would make it for sure. Long roadtrips isn't the strong suit of EVs, of course neither of our Jeeps would make that drive without needing fuel either as they get 13mpg at freeway speeds and climbing done pass it's more like 10mpg. You can get a rivian with a 400 mile range if you do a lot of longer drives. After 5+ hours behind the wheel I could use a ~30 minute break from the vehicle anyway.

I can and do carry extra fuel in a rotopax. I haven't found an extra battery for an EV yet.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It is wild to see how many people in general struggle with math, critical thinking, etc. A

When 70+ of us were laid off from PFG (I was IT then, security, etc) I applied to all sorts of places, including factories. I was called in for testing at Bridgestone/Firestone. There were 20-some of us around a table taking written tests. Those consisted of adding, subtracting, etc. with fractions and combinations of fractions and decimals, and - reading tape measures, and adding the readings from tape measures and such. They gave you specs with the plus and minus and you have to determine if certain numbers met those specs.
It was very simple math - I mean middle school stuff, and reading tape measures!!
Fewer than half of the group even passed the tests, a handful hit 80%
I was shocked.
3/8" + .625 = ?

Really? And reading a common tape measure?

I still have copies of my college tests where we had to draw out and describe the operation of various starting systems,
I you don't know how something is supposed to work, how are you going to figure out why it's not working now?

I couldn't hold a candle to someone like you in electric work - not even going to suggest that, but for a while, I did hold a maintenance electrician license when I worked at On With Life in Ankeny. Fascinating work, and I'll do my own electric here........... but - maybe you've seen, I'll still ask questions about things, just to be sure it's safe and legal. Jaxmax helped me with the garage panel, grounding to the house, etc.

 

[Deleted member 57233]

YEP. That's only because I am pushing 70 years old and have lived in the same house for 40 years.
All my friends and other around me have moved out of state.
The chiefs of police and friend of mine retired early and moved to Tennessee. He told me he will keep $40k in his pocket each year.
He also told me his gas and electric bill was $80 and gas is $3.00.
When I retire I may have to join him.

He's keeping $40k a year in his pocket because he was earning $40k a year more than he would have made as a Tennessee cop.

We have entire neighborhoods here that are retired Cali cops collecting a pension that is 3x what locals make. They can't understand why all the local things they fell in love with are closing up after they priced the locals out.

 

[Zachanadandy]

Big difference between there and here - trades, mechanics, building trades, anything.
Here much of the work is seasonal.
A mechanic is employed all year.

I did a year of my apprenticeship in northeastern PA, which is how I know about the rocksalt in the urinal (not fond memories). A good tradesman will still be able to work year round, and if he's lucky it will be remodles, warehouses, etc where he's out of the weather. At the $40-46/hr range in Iowa he'll still crack six figures with OT. But out here it's a no brainer. You can make six figures taking half the year off.

 

[willys 41]

He's keeping $40k a year in his pocket because he was earning $40k a year more than he would have made as a Tennessee cop.

We have entire neighborhoods here that are retired Cali cops collecting a pension that is 3x what locals make. They can't understand why all the local things they fell in love with are closing up after they priced the locals out.

Let me restate that. He save $40k in taxes in Tennessee compared to California tax's.

 

[Zachanadandy]

I can and do carry extra fuel in a rotopax. I haven't found an extra battery for an EV yet.

I haven't ever needed and don't carry extra fuel in the Jeeps and they get roadtripped all over the west and wheeled hard. The rubicon trail is all of 18 miles. The idea that you need 500 miles of range for an EV is absurd. Traveling across the desert there are times where we are fueling up our Jeeps that only have a 240 mile range every 180 miles because the next fuel station is 50 miles away. I've yet to see 1 example of a trail where an EV Jeep with a 400 mile street range would struggle even if you lose 40% of that rock crawling. It's just not a real concern in my opinion and experience. Even the mojave road (which isn't technical so your be closer to street range) is only 100 miles and has chargers near both ends.

 

[Deleted member 57233]

Let me restate that. He save $40k in taxes in Tennessee compared to California tax's.

If he's saving that much in taxes, he's pulling in close to $500,000 a year and has expensive property. The difference in tax rates between the two states isn't that big.

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