The Electric Vehicle Thread

[TromboneAl]

Perhaps a dedicated electric vehicle thread would help non EV enthusiasts avoid reading the holier-than-thou posts that EV owners write.

Yes, there are dedicated EV forums, but as with other topics, I've found that members here are both smarter and more even keeled than those on other places in the intergoogle.

Before we got our Tesla, I didn't expect we would make any super long trips because there would be too much charging time required. However, I've learned that supercharging can be very fast. It's fastest when the battery is lower, so by making more stops and charging less at each, you actually get to your destination faster.

Driving to Denver from the coast would require 23 hours of driving and 3 hours of charging. The longest charging stop would be 23 minutes. And charging could happen while eating or stretching legs. Here's what it would look like:

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Thanks Al, I'm definitely following this thread! I'm debating getting the base Tesla 3 instead of a Prius Prime (I've got about $35K budgeted), but I am determined to make my next car a plug-in EV in any case.

 

[Sunset]

...

Driving to Denver from the coast would require 23 hours of driving and 3 hours of charging. The longest charging stop would be 23 minutes. And charging could happen while eating or stretching legs. .....

In theory, but I bet what happens is a person stops at the charger, goes and gets a bite to eat and comes back in 45 minutes, much to the anger of the person waiting to use the charger...

Just like gas cars, it's annoying to wait in line to fill up, but at least for a gas car the wait time is about 5 minutes per car, so 2 cars in line is a 10 minute wait.
Two EV in line and it's 46 minutes before you get a turn.

For that reason, I'd probably want to fully charge before heading off, so I could skip a station if there was a line up (if possible).

 

[Extra Medium]

We used our Model 3 for a spring break trip with our kids last year, from Minnesota to Santa Fe, via Denver, with similar results: a little time stretching or using a bathroom, then back in the car. It never seemed much longer than how much time it takes for refilling gasoline.

Plus, it’s the most fun car to drive.

 

[Christine]

Driving to Denver from the coast would require 23 hours of driving and 3 hours of charging. The longest charging stop would be 23 minutes. And charging could happen while eating or stretching legs.

Or my favourite - while I sleep.

Looking for hotels now I prefer those having EV chargers. It reminds me of the search for hotels with Wifi earlier in the 2000s. Just like wifi I predict that all respectable hotels will have chargers in a few years - or customers go elsewhere.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

The Negative Nellies will be by soon with their usual commentary.

If they don't it will be the first time in history.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

In theory, but I bet what happens is a person stops at the charger, goes and gets a bite to eat and comes back in 45 minutes, much to the anger of the person waiting to use the charger...

Just like gas cars, it's annoying to wait in line to fill up, but at least for a gas car the wait time is about 5 minutes per car, so 2 cars in line is a 10 minute wait.
Two EV in line and it's 46 minutes before you get a turn.

For that reason, I'd probably want to fully charge before heading off, so I could skip a station if there was a line up (if possible).

Nope. I can tell you don't have any experience charging an EV.

Tesla usually has 8-14 superchargers (and some are 24 in the US, and 50 in China) at each location. Let's say you're at a location with 12. If you charge from 50% to 80%, it takes 20 minutes. That means even if the chargers were at full capacity, someone is done charging and pulls away in less than two minutes, ON AVERAGE. So if your 12 charger location was completely full, you would wait 3-4 minutes, ON AVERAGE, in your example.

As for the guy that took 45 minutes in your example? If your car is done charging you get a 5 minute grace period before you get charged $1 a minute for blocking other people. That keeps people from lingering once your Tesla is charged.

I have been to a supercharger 8 times in the last week. None were full. Zero wait each time.

Only 15% of Tesla owners use the superchargers. I do because it's free for me.

 

[LRDave]

The Negative Nellies will be by soon with their usual commentary.

DW used to call me Negative Ned. I gently corrected her, in that I was really more of a "Realistic Richard". She uses my suggested name for me now, but shortens "Richard" to one of the common one-syllable nicknames for Richard.

I told that was not funny now, as the two-word term is no longer alliterative.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

DW used to call me Negative Ned. I gently corrected her, in that I was really more of a "Realistic Richard". She uses my suggested name for me now, but shortens "Richard" to one of the common one-syllable nicknames for Richard.

I told that was not funny now, as the two-word term is no longer alliterative.

Change Realistic to ....Dangerous? Diabolical? Delightful?

 

[Bamaman]

I still enjoy not having to deal with unknowns. My 2018 Camry Hybrid @ 49 mpg has a range of 600 miles which is longer than my body can now take at one sitting.

 

[aja8888]

Plus, it’s the most fun car to drive.

That's certainly your opinion. It's a personal thing...my most fun car to drive was my Corvette roadster. (and I have driven a Tesla 3)

 

[Animorph]

We've driven our Tesla Model X from coast to coast several times now. Outside of California and big metro areas the Superchargers have been almost empty. We haven't had to wait in line at all. Hopefully that will remain the case as Tesla sells more cars but adds more Superchargers.

One of my top reasons for buying an electric car was the ability to charge at home and avoid the gas station. Anyone who can't charge at home (or work) will have a different experience. likely with crowded urban Superchargers.

 

[Bigdawg]

it is the unknown. My work location has about 200 people. 2-3 EV's and maybe 6-8 hybrids. When I go places I look for the charging stations. Most have 2-4 stations. Right now with so few EV's and hybrids out and about it is most likely fairly easiy to pull right up and plug in. In a few years when the % of EV's goes way up I doubt but hope the amount of charging stations do also. One EV owner I work with showed me the app which shows all the charging stations. Looks good for the most part but even he agreed that most of these locations only have a few stations. I am looking at an EV in the near future to cover all of my sport officiating assignments. All would be well within the range of the EV.

 

[HFWR]

Fyi, the Holiday Inn Express in Dickson, TN has a bank of chargers. I’ve stayed there several times, and have only seen one in use.

 

[GravitySucks]

As soon as someone improves on the 1909 Baker I'll consider one.

https://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/motoring/100-years-on-have-electric-cars-gone-that-far-1.482878

 

[gerntz]

Perhaps a dedicated electric vehicle thread would help non EV enthusiasts avoid reading the holier-than-thou posts that EV owners write.

Yes, there are dedicated EV forums, but as with other topics, I've found that members here are both smarter and more even keeled than those on other places in the intergoogle.

Before we got our Tesla, I didn't expect we would make any super long trips because there would be too much charging time required. However, I've learned that supercharging can be very fast. It's fastest when the battery is lower, so by making more stops and charging less at each, you actually get to your destination faster.

Driving to Denver from the coast would require 23 hours of driving and 3 hours of charging. The longest charging stop would be 23 minutes. And charging could happen while eating or stretching legs. Here's what it would look like:

So why do you drive kilometers instead of miles?

 

[gerntz]

it is the unknown. My work location has about 200 people. 2-3 EV's and maybe 6-8 hybrids. When I go places I look for the charging stations. Most have 2-4 stations.

when you say 2-4 stations, do you mean electric pumps like gas pumps?

 

[gerntz]

Perhaps a dedicated electric vehicle thread would help non EV enthusiasts avoid reading the holier-than-thou posts that EV owners write.

Yes, there are dedicated EV forums, but as with other topics, I've found that members here are both smarter and more even keeled than those on other places in the intergoogle.

Before we got our Tesla, I didn't expect we would make any super long trips because there would be too much charging time required. However, I've learned that supercharging can be very fast. It's fastest when the battery is lower, so by making more stops and charging less at each, you actually get to your destination faster.

Driving to Denver from the coast would require 23 hours of driving and 3 hours of charging. The longest charging stop would be 23 minutes. And charging could happen while eating or stretching legs. Here's what it would look like:

Why would you drive only 65 mph when limits are 70+? Better electric kilometerage than at 75?

 

[TromboneAl]

So why do you drive kilometers instead of miles?

I just hadn't set the option for Imperial for that site.

 

[TromboneAl]

Why would you drive only 65 mph when limits are 70+? Better electric kilometerage than at 75?

Another option I hadn't set, but yes, better what you said at lower speeds. I would drive the limit to cut down on boredom.

 

[travelover]

That's certainly your opinion. It's a personal thing...my most fun car to drive was my Corvette roadster. (and I have driven a Tesla 3)

I think you are lost. The Corvette thread is just down the hall.

 

[NW-Bound]

A Youtuber who made a 2,000-mi trip and who had to pay $0.28/kWh for charging said the fuel cost for his Tesla 3 was about 80% of the cost for gasoline of an equivalent ICE car.

I did not know about that $0.28c/kWh. Tesla can't keep on giving away free lifetime charging. I don't blame them.

 

[aja8888]

I think you are lost. The Corvette thread is just down the hall.

Actually, it's right here:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/

And I have been a member for quite a while.

 

[Freedom56]

I was at a Green Street car (Electric Vehicle show) last month in West Palm Beach (We live there part of the year). There are more and more models out there and more coming out. Many were talking about higher density battery cells that will be on future models extending the range to 400-450 miles at which point the range issue will be moot as very few people will want to drive longer than that in a single day. I made this short video of the show:

 

[Ready]

I feel like when we have discussions about EVs in this forum we hear a lot of negativity from people who really don’t know much about them. It seems like the same group that want to argue why their flip phone is better than my Iphone. It’s kind of pointless to argue about it.