Hello hello — we’re back with more Hot Bones on the happiest and saddest day of the year. It’s the summer solstice, when life is good because here in Cville the sun doesn’t set till 8:40pm but also depressing because tomorrow the sun sets at 8:39pm. 

Of course, tomorrow will also be 90 degrees and humid enough to melt your underwear, so it’s not winter just yet. 

In fact, this edition is all about how to enjoy the rest of your summer with the windows rolled down and the music blasting.

Last fall, I went to test drive EVs with my dad, a man who is very much not a car guy but who loves shiny things and driving fast. After years of having the same goldfish discussion about EVs (Dad: “the battery range doesn’t feel far enough” ➡️ me: “use Mom’s car for long trips, use your EV for everything else”  ➡️ Dad: “hmmm, ok let me think about it” 🔁) this was my moment to finally get him to actually go electric.

We test drove all the EVs the Charlottesville Volvo dealership had on the lot, gunning it on the roads near the airport, with the windows down and a terrified car salesman in the backseat, his thin black tie whipping in the wind. 

“Great pickup!” my dad would yell as we sped out of blind turns. “What’s the speed limit again?”

At some point, Dad relinquished the wheel and G and I got to take a spin. 

“Wow this does have great pickup,” we both said immediately.

“And it comes in green!” yelled the tie from somewhere in the wind vortex.

It was an amazing afternoon, only heightened by the fact it was the first blue-sky day after two weeks of rain. The sun was shining, Dad was smiling, and me and the salesman thought we had this one in the bag. 

As you might guess, a week later I got this text from my dad. 

You can’t absolve your sins with dinner, Dad! (It was a great dinner.)

For a while, I was pretty bummed by the decision (when did he even have time to test drive the gas versions??), but now that I’ve had some months to think about it, I’m chalking the whole thing up as a helpful family case study on the hang ups for going electric. 

The Volvo model in question comes in both a gas and electric version. For people like me and my dad who aren’t car people, the models are virtually the same visually and performance-wise — except one gets fuel from a clean little port in your driveway (at the low cost of your electricity rate) and one gets fuel from a scuzzy gas station on the side of a highway (at the fluctuating and often high cost that Trump and OPEC+ dictate, fun).

So why did my dad choose the gas version, even when we tested out and enjoyed driving the electric version?

There’s a lot of complex behavioral psychology at play that I’m not remotely qualified to write about, but ultimately I think the decision to go electric needs to abide by this equation: car coolness > range anxiety 

And when you have the exact same car with EV and gas options, the coolness is the same. Hence my dad’s choice.

I’m almost positive the key then is to find an entirely different, way cooler vehicle.

So for this week’s HB experiment, I went looking for 2 uniquely cool electric cars with no chance to chicken out with a gas version.

Normally, I try to avoid meeting strangers in parking lots and getting in their cars. But when it comes to test-driving a Rivian, a girl’s gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

I met Tim outside Selvedge Brewery, where his Rivian was idling with the AC on and the music playing. Or not idling. Whatever the EV verb is for sitting in park with the engine running but not emitting toxic tailpipe fumes. 

And damn, look at the thing. Explaining coolness usually negates the coolity, but I think it’s fair to say the Rivian encapsulates the vibes of the Life Is Good doodle and the lean allure of the Marlboro Man. 

Tim told me he got on the waitlist a while back after a former student clued him in. (Nothing like pent-up demand to increase desire, especially for the upcoming and more affordable R2 model.) Tim is a professor at UVA’s business school, and he’s done some interesting case studies around EV charging and how convenience stores are changing because of this. He’s also a grandpa who takes care of his grandkids every Friday and needs a car big enough and quiet enough for that.

Amazingly, when we met in the parking lot, he gave me a quick tour of the SUV and then let me go jump in the driver's seat for a test run. 

“Please believe me when I say I’m a good driver,” I told him,” but how do I put this in reverse?”

That’s how we lurched out of the lot and onto Ivy Road during rush hour traffic. As I’ve mentioned before, I currently drive a nearly 20-year-old Subaru, where the key to success is hitting the gas hard and then letting dear Bluebee coast to a stop. In a Rivian, which has regenerative braking that captures energy, this makes you look like a moron. Tim was very nice as I drove his very expensive vehicle like a neon bumper car.

As we toured the countryside around Charlottesville, Tim clued me in about why he’s a big enough fan of Rivian to let strangers drive his car.

Top things Tim’s a fan of:

Top things I’m a fan of:

Range: A little over 400 miles for the max battery option (FYI Charlottesville to NYC is 341 miles)

Charging network when you’re on the go: The Rivian Adventure Network (powered by 100% renewable energy) plus the Tesla Supercharger network (necessarily evil I suppose, with over 17,000 locations) 

Most important question: Tim, have you ever run out of battery?

“No, I got close … I had eight miles of range left when I pulled up at my house.” Tim mentioned this was before Rivian added the Tesla charger network, which he says “gives me a lot more confidence.”

“I pushed it too close, because that's my personality, but at this point it's very easy, and I have a full tank of ‘gas’ every time I leave my house.”

Thanks for the ride and beers, Tim!

Different stranger, different parking lot this time.

Pretty much every dog walk Frances and I go on, we see the coolest sight: Man and dog in a bright blue VW electric bus, always with the windows down and the pup halfway out the window. This is how life should be lived!

Unfortunately, I’m either in the neighborhood swim club parking lot watching the VW drive by, or I’m on the sidewalk being yanked by a leash as the VW parks in the swim club lot. And despite sending not-entirely-creepy messages on Slack and NextDoor to find out who this person is, I haven’t yet met them and asked for a test drive. 

So last weekend I took matters into my own hands and decided to test the retro-cool electric Buzz myself at our local VW dealership. I called ahead, booked us an appointment, and G and I pretended to be in the market for a new car. Honestly, we should do that more often for date night, was super fun.

Top things G’s a fan of:

Top things I’m a fan of:

Range: A little over 230 miles (not super great, but just enough to get you exactly from Cville to DC and back)

Charging network when you’re on the go: Electrify America, with over 4,250 chargers coast-to-coast

Most important question: What colors does it come in?

First our omelets got expensive, now our cars are just off the charts pricey. And that’s not just for EVs — the average cost of a new car this year is about $48k. Of course, a cool new EV is going to push that up a bit.

💰 2025 Rivian R1S: starting at $75,900

💰 2025 VW Buzz: starting at $60k

To be clear, these numbers are for brand-new vehicles. When G and I are ready to buy, we’ll be looking at used options to bring that cost down. 

Is now a good time to buy an EV?

More shrug emojis! Honestly, who knows anymore. Best advice here is that if you’re actively in the market for an EV, now is probably a better time to commit than next month, given that the EV tax credits may get wiped off the board during Senate negotiations. 

And if you’re planning on doing most of your charging at home, the slowing charger network buildout doesn’t really affect you. You’ll benefit from cheap fuel costs, no sticky gas pumps, and the halo effect of driving a really cool car around town.

Hot outside! 

Here’s another instance of how this newsletter is quickly just becoming me talking about Frances. In this case, Frannie learns how to claw at a kiddie pool with her older cousin, Nixie.

It’s an adorable relationship but is bordering on the freshman-pledge-to-senior-president dynamic: yes I’ll follow you everywhere, yes I’ll take all your advice, umm yeah sure I’ll even eat your vomit!

May need to call campus authorities soon.

🫐 Meal of the week: Remember how it’s a million degrees outside? Highly recommend sitting next to an AC vent and drinking one of Daily Harvest’s new protein smoothies for dinner.

🚴 Dirtbag holiday of the year: The Swift Campout, which happens worldwide around the summer solstice every year. Join the community, find a local group, or just get on your bike this Saturday and camp under the stars.

🌈 Bigger, better farmer’s market: The Pride Fruit Market is this Sunday, pretty much all day. Start off with local honey, glass-blowing, fresh produce, and more — stay for the live music afterparty.

🐶 Pet of the week: Harriet! Gentle, crate-trained, with the prettiest speckles. Looking for someone to help build her confidence (hound pointer mix, 2 years, 40 lbs).

🛶 Paddle with a purpose: Help the Rivanna Conservation Alliance keep our local river clean by going for a float and picking up trash as you go (next Wednesday, June 25 at 6pm, then stay for food and music after).

🥕 Clean plate club: There are a few CSA shares still available at UVA’s Morven farm. Enjoy crunchy veggies, herbs, and eggs while supporting student-led sustainable farming.

💼 Job of the week: Associate National Press Secretary at the Sierra Club (DC-based, $70k)