How do you charge an electric car in rural area

[Music Lover]

That 212 of useable range goes down with high speeds as well as extreme cold. It could go down under 150 miles in a cold climate during highway driving. It costs much more to operate than my ICE car in those conditions when using a Supercharger. If you live in a warm place and don't do long trips then it would be great but not so great otherwise.

And of course you need to supply heat in cold weather, and if you want to use heated seats and a heated steering wheel...both features that are very common on cars these days, then that also affects range. Although, to be fair, most people only use the heated seats and steering wheel to warm them up and shut them off after.

 

[TriumphTR3fan]

Because I am seriously thinking of buying a Tesla Cybertruck when and if they start making them, I was also alarmed at the notion of spending 2 hours to charge one at a commercial station. I imagine that a heavy vehicle, like an EV truck, must take longer to charge than a small EV car, and also have to be charged more often.

I found a detailed article on charging EV's at https://www.autopilotreview.com/how-long-charge-a-tesla/ I could not find a date on this article, though I'd assume it's fairly recent.
Quick quote:
"Charging at Superchargers – Charging at a Tesla Supercharger while on the road usually takes anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, or sometimes a little more depending on the charger and the vehicle.
Charging at Public Chargers – Public chargers have widely varying power rates which can be as slow as a home charger or as fast as a Tesla Supercharger. Check the power rate of the public charger to get a sense of the charging time and see the tips in this article."

There are references to the Model Y which dates the article to sometime in the last nine months. Thanks for the link.

Update: The article was released October 22, 2020.

 

[RetiredAt55.5]

I guess some people convince themselves that EV 's are not for them.

I try to keep an open mind. However, I can't help recalling the one time it took me over 4 hours to get home from work late at night in a snow/ice storm (33 mile drive). Heater and defroster blasting, and regenerative braking would not have helped since I was driving so slow.

Granted that only happened once, but it was horrible enough, without worrying about running out of battery and having no where to abandon the car or get home.

This is why I'm more intrigued by hybrid EV cars that still have a gas mode. That would seem to make more sense to encourage faster adoption, but I realize that makes cars more complicated, adds weight, and even more expensive. I know GM used to make some of these. Does anyone right now?

 

[Ready]

The best way to learn what range you can expect under different conditions is to plug your route into abetterrouteplanner.com and it will calculate how long you will drive between stops and how much time you will spend at each stop. This can be very helpful if you have certain trips you do on a regular basis as it will show you how much extra time you will spend at Superchargers by using an EV.

 

[braumeister]

This is why I'm more intrigued by hybrid EV cars that still have a gas mode. That would seem to make more sense to encourage faster adoption, but I realize that makes cars more complicated, adds weight, and even more expensive. I know GM used to make some of these. Does anyone right now?

Yes, there are several on the market. Usually called a "mild hybrid".

 

[Ready]

This is why I'm more intrigued by hybrid EV cars that still have a gas mode. That would seem to make more sense to encourage faster adoption, but I realize that makes cars more complicated, adds weight, and even more expensive. I know GM used to make some of these. Does anyone right now?

Check out the Toyota Rav 4 Prime. It gets 42 miles on EV mode before switching over to gasoline power. If you charge every night and only drive it locally you might never need gas, but on longer trips it acts like any ICE vehicle. And it qualifies for a $7,500 tax credit.

 

[TriumphTR3fan]

We don't drive much, so there is no economic reason to buy an EV for us, unless it's the same cost as a ICE vehicle.
But in other ways they are appealing, and someday we will get one.

As for the long trip issue, even now with my ICE vehicle, I think it would be cheaper (save wear and tear) on my vehicle if I rented one to do the 1,200 mile trip we do each year.

When we bought the Model 3 we talked about renting a ICE vehicle for trips to the midwest because of needing space for cargo. For our first trip this year we reserved a rental & canceled it after we determined that we had plenty of room. The other concern we had was charging. We decided to try the Model 3 reasoning that we weren’t on a schedule. After the first trip it was clearly a nonissue for us. We did that trip in two days. I’ve since made two more trips plus a trip from Oregon to LA & back. The return leg of that trip was 1K in one day driving myself. It took about 17 hours. Those charging sessions gave me time to rest. No use of caffeine or coffee ( I have a medical issue). It was a pleasant trip although I would have preferred to have my DW along to share driving. Other than having to deal with COVID issues ( masks, social distancing, hotels etc) the trips were easier than an ICE vehicle. These were our experiences & yours may vary. I’m just sharing our experiences which have been overwhelmingly positive. If you want to continue to drive ICE that’s fine with me.

 

[TriumphTR3fan]

Correct me if i'm wrong but you can also use the climate control while charging. That way on a long trip if you don't want to stop as often you could let it charge all the way to 100% and take a nice comfy nap for an hour or so. Just make sure to set an alarm so you don't get idle charges.

[emoji106] Big plus one on that. Nap while charging is great!

 

[TriumphTR3fan]

Even though I'm one of those who has not interest at this time, that will probably change at some point in the future. Just like $800 VCR's and the first HD TV's, I'll let other people drive the price down until it reaches my sweet spot of cost, technology, and convenience.

Normally I’d agree with you. Then the pandemic happened. This year has been weird. When COVID spread we quit flying. It’s been nice to have a reliable & comfortable car to use in replacement of flying. We rented cars a couple of times each year for extended trips in addition to flying. We bought it a year ago, prior to the pandemic. Just a coincidence. We needed a replacement car at that point & took a chance on an EV.

 

[Ready]

Other than having to deal with COVID issues ( masks, social distancing, hotels etc) the trips were easier than an ICE vehicle..

That has been my experience as well. The Tesla is so much more pleasant to drive than my Lexus was that even with the occasional stops at a supercharger for long trips it’s hands down a better overall experience.

I find it so odd that people obsess over the long trips they may take twice a year but overlook how much more convenient it is to never have to visit a gas station again for day to day driving. How can the longer stops a few times a year be worse than the weekly trips to fill up an ICE vehicle? It’s just weird what people obsess about.

I take my Tesla in for service once every two years. My Lexus went into service every 3 months, where I lost the car for a day or two at a time. I spend so much less time fussing over my Tesla than when I had the Lexus.

 

[TriumphTR3fan]

Why would you stand around in the rain? Is there some reason why you're not supposed to sit inside an EV while it's charging?

Yeah, getting out to plug in or unplug the car isn’t fun in bad weather. There aren’t a lot of covered superchargers although there are some. Often while waiting we play backgammon on the car’s display. It’s something we’ve done while waiting in airports & was a nice surprise in the car.

 

[Ready]

Yeah, getting out to plug in or unplug the car isn’t fun in bad weather.

Is it any different than pumping gas in the rain?

 

[explanade]

Check out the Toyota Rav 4 Prime. It gets 42 miles on EV mode before switching over to gasoline power. If you charge every night and only drive it locally you might never need gas, but on longer trips it acts like any ICE vehicle. And it qualifies for a $7,500 tax credit.

Out here in the Bay Area, dealers are marking up lie $10k over sticker.

One reason is that Toyota allocated only 5000 to all of the US.

 

[aaronc879]

Check out the Toyota Rav 4 Prime. It gets 42 miles on EV mode before switching over to gasoline power. If you charge every night and only drive it locally you might never need gas, but on longer trips it acts like any ICE vehicle. And it qualifies for a $7,500 tax credit.

That 42 miles of range is more like 35 on the highway and well under that in real winter conditions(sub freezing). Majority of people don't make enough money to qualify for the maximum tax credit. They get their Federal tax down to $0 but don't get the full $7500 value.

 

[explanade]

In warm places, there is air conditioning to factor in. A/C use impacts gas mileage, and I'm sure it does the same to electricity use (it certainly impacts our electric bill).

I think EV cars should have solar panels.

In fact, heating may drain more juice than AC if the EV doesn't have a heat pump, which is either not available at all on certain models or available as an option.

 

[aaronc879]

Is it any different than pumping gas in the rain?

I have never seen a gas pump that wasn't covered and I have seen very few Superchargers that are covered so of course there's a difference.

 

[RunningBum]

Is it any different than pumping gas in the rain?

I can't think of the last time I was at a gas pump that wasn't covered overhead. So, yes, very different.

 

[RunningBum]

Usually it's a EV owner who tells me what my long trip habits are, incorrectly.

I think I found that person.

 

[Ready]

I can't think of the last time I was at a gas pump that wasn't covered overhead. So, yes, very different.

Maybe your gas stations are different than ours but in California the only part that is covered is the pump itself. When there’s a big storm out those offer little to no protection to me.

 

[Music Lover]

How can the longer stops a few times a year be worse than the weekly trips to fill up an ICE vehicle? It’s just weird what people obsess about.

Because stopping for gas once or twice a month for 5 minutes is not an inconvenience. Stopping for an hour or two more once or twice on a trip does suck.

 

[rayvt]

The first solid state batteries are due out in 2021. If the reports of a 10 minute charge and 30 year life are true, it will be a gamechanger and will destroy the slowly dying oil industry and start an electric car boom unlike any seen before.

Yeah, and Artificial Intelligence and Cold Fusion (and Hot Fusion) are just around the corner. And have been for 50+ years.

Where is the electricity to charge all these cars coming from? California can't even keep the lights on reliably now.

Heh, " If the reports are true...". This is like the reports of the 100 MPG carburetors that the auto and oil companies are hiding.

Somebody doesn't like to do math or physics. "as an estimate, you'll need to use about 50 kW of power to charge a standard range Model 3 battery fully."
To do it in 10 minutes would be a charge rate of 300 KWH. That's a ****-ton of amps and is going to take some serious wiring and create a lot of heat.

"A 16-amp charging point will typically charge an electric car from flat to full in around six hours." So to do that in 10 minutes would take something like 576 amps, ignoring I-squared-R losses.
That would require 2 parallel AWG 0000 copper cables. AWG 0000 is max 380 amps for solid copper and is 1/2" diameter. But it would have to be stranded so it would bend, and that ain't gonna happen.

 

[Chuckanut]

T My Lexus went into service every 3 months, where I lost the car for a day or two at a time.

What in the world were they servicing that required that much down time, that often? I had a 2012 Camry that was serviced about every 8 months for oil changes mostly, sometimes a few other things. Service never took more than 1/2 day. Usually 2 hours max. I expect the same with my RAV4 Hybrid.

 

[TriumphTR3fan]

Is it any different than pumping gas in the rain?

It seems that I get wetter sometimes. Actually it’s quicker. I set level of charge on the car’s monitor. I open the access door from inside the car & get out & plug in. No handle to set the flow of fuel. No smell. No CC since it’s already on file. I receive a text when charging is done. While we’re waiting the party’s in the car!

 

[ls99]

Yeah, and Artificial Intelligence and Cold Fusion (and Hot Fusion) are just around the corner. And have been for 50+ years.

Where is the electricity to charge all these cars coming from? California can't even keep the lights on reliably now.

Heh, " If the reports are true...". This is like the reports of the 100 MPG carburetors that the auto and oil companies are hiding.

Somebody doesn't like to do math or physics. "as an estimate, you'll need to use about 50 kW of power to charge a standard range Model 3 battery fully."
To do it in 10 minutes would be a charge rate of 300 KWH. That's a ****-ton of amps and is going to take some serious wiring and create a lot of heat.

"A 16-amp charging point will typically charge an electric car from flat to full in around six hours." So to do that in 10 minutes would take something like 576 amps, ignoring I-squared-R losses.
That would require 2 parallel AWG 0000 copper cables. AWG 0000 is max 380 amps for solid copper and is 1/2" diameter. But it would have to be stranded so it would bend, and that ain't gonna happen.

More beautiful wishes and theories destroyed by ugly facts.

 

[Ready]

Here is an example of a trip from Orange County to San Francisco in my Model 3. I drive a total of 411 miles. I make one stop in Kettleman City and spend 23 minutes charging. Total cost of supercharger electricity is $14.00.

Kettleman City is a unique location for a supercharger. They have around 40 stalls, and they have a lounge with restrooms and snacks. Most Superchargers are not quite this nice but this is the halfway point between Southern and Northern California so it gets used frequently.

So while my ICE car would have likely made it nonstop my EV required a 23 minute charge. When I stop there I plan a bathroom break anyway and usually bring a light snack with me.

I’m not capable of driving six hours non stop anyway. For those who don’t want to take a break maybe this is too much of an inconvenience for you.