The Electric Vehicle Thread

[aaronc879]

What are you going to do when this happens at one of your planned charging stops?



https://www.carscoops.com/2018/12/truck-owners-blocking-tesla-superchargers-across-america/

https://www.businessinsider.com/tru...sla-superchargers-in-ice-ing-protests-2018-12

In other words, it is probably best to anticipate longer charging stops than ideally should be the case.

Call the police and a tow truck. It won't stay a problem for long.

 

[aaronc879]

The cost is too excessive for me to consider it for now. I would have to get the $50,000 long-range with AWD since I live in Wisconsin. I have heard that range can go down by 50% in very cold temps and it also takes much longer to charge when very cold. EVs are great for places like CA, not so much for cold areas. Also, how many Superchargers are covered? I would not want to be going out in the rain every few hours to plug in the charger.

 

[JoeWras]

That is SOooooo NOT TRUE! At least not me. I would love to own one but they do not fit my driving style for long distance travel. Plus we have beome a one car family since selling our second toy car and deciding we did not need a second car to gather dust in the Garage.

Pretty much our situation too. Sad to see broad categorizations made for people who point out some issues.

I'm surprised you haven't been inundated by talk on all the ways you are wrong about long distance travel and you can enjoy coffee in cafes at the recharge stations, etc.

 

[Midpack]

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.

Wrong +3. That's a broad brush opinion that may be true in some cases, but certainly not others - same statement was made in another thread. Some of us are interested and have done a lot of homework and/or follow tech in general, and have consciously chosen not to go EV (yet).

It also doesn't help with EV advocates making blatantly false statements, 'zero emissions' is the most obvious. There are plenty of (eco-chic) EV owners who "really don't know much about them" as well, also well represented on some forum threads. As often happens, there are misguided views on both sides of the facts...provoking each other ad nauseum.

That is SOooooo NOT TRUE! At least not me. I would love to own one but they do not fit my driving style for long distance travel. Plus we have beome a one car family since selling our second toy car and deciding we did not need a second car to gather dust in the Garage.

Unlike a lot of folks here, I like to drive from Dawn to dusk (or however long daylight lasts) on the first day of a long distance drive, E.G., from Florida to Toronto Canada. I do a 10 - 12 hour first day usually, stopping a short time for potty breaks, gas and food. That for me is about 700 - 800 miles. I am in Toronto by Noon the following day. Hampton Inns usually help with the overnight stay.

I am an Engineer and research everything to the max. The day an EV can run for 600m - 700m without charging, I am on it like a fly on S#%t. So please do not lump me into the naysayers camp, or those that just comment for comments sake.

Pretty much our situation too. Sad to see broad categorizations made for people who point out some issues.

I'm surprised you haven't been inundated by talk on all the ways you are wrong about long distance travel and you can enjoy coffee in cafes at the recharge stations, etc.

 

[Midpack]

Call the police and a tow truck. It won't stay a problem for long.

Check the laws where you are first. And not surprisingly, already:

Maryland electric-car activist Lanny Hartmann studied the number of tickets issued in the spaces, marked "No parking except electric vehicles," between July 2016 and July 2017.

In that year, 24 cars and one truck got tickets in the spaces. Eight of them, plus the truck, ran on gasoline or diesel and didn't meet the requirements to park in the space at all. The remaining 16 tickets were issued to electric cars that overstayed the four-hour time limit.

https://www.greencarreports.com/new...g-in-charging-spots-the-culprit-electric-cars

 

[Offgrid Organic Farmer]

I drive a Prius plug-in hybrid, I recharge it from our household solar power system.

I would like to get a EV preferably a utility pickup.

 

[aja8888]

I would consider buying an EV when:

1. Range for an SUV model is 500 miles without recharging,

2. MSRP is under $40K (without taxpayer assistance rebates)

3. A local dealer network is in place for service and parts.

If this doesn't happen within the next 5 years (time for us to buy), then a hybrid SUV it is.

 

[Chuckanut]

I am curious as to what unexpected surprises the EV owners in our group found after they had started using their EV auto for their normal daily driving.

 

[TromboneAl]

But I was looking, out of curiosity, at the cost of a used Leaf, when I noted the charging characteristics. At 110/120v, it takes 2.5 days to fully charge. Charging at 220/240v cuts that to 12 hour, doable overnight if not optimum. The DC Fast Charger takes about 30 min. There are some charging stations at the rec center where I go, so that would be an option, but I’d definitely have to adapt/install 220/240v capability in my garage to make it practical.

Yes, you'd need a 220V. The 110V is not only slow, but less efficient.

When we had our Leaf, it never took too long to charge. I don't think it ever took more than seven hours. We rarely ran it down to less that 10%.

The battery had degraded in the three years that we had it, so that at the end, we often had to recharge a bit in town (30 miles away) after several errands.

The Tesla's battery is expected to show almost no degradation after 500,000 miles.

 

[HFWR]

It also doesn't help with EV advocates making blatantly false statements, 'zero emissions' in the most obvious.

Or free bus service! [emoji51]

I think I would be perfectly fine with an EV for everyday use. But for traveling, at this point in time, gas stations are too ubiquitous. Doesn’t require many logistics. And I don’t want to deal with two cars...

 

[NW-Bound]

Our driving patterns have become Bi-Modal. We have significant periods of time where we drive round trips of less than 30 miles. Then we load up and drive 1500 miles in two days, or 550 miles in one day...

Same here.

We will never be a 1-car couple, so I have entertained the idea of having an EV to run errands, and keeping an ICE car for long trips. A used LEAF is so cheap I was tempted, but with the battery life so poor I would just get myself some trouble. And I don't care enough about cars to buy a new EV just to go to Costco.

Also, our ICE cars still run well, and I hate to throw away something that still works.

In short, I am not in the market to buy any car, even if there were an EV on the market for $20K that could go 300 miles.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I certainly like the idea of an EV. I am not against them at all, in fact I love the Tesla S. If I would ever consider one, the Tesla is by far leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. Unfortunately our driving habits are not conducive to owning an EV... yet.

Not complaining about them, but I think adopting a single central information screen is a mistake. I personally do NOT like the plain... Yawn... boring informationless dash. I think they would have been better off including a traditional dash, electronic of course, for basic information in addition to the central screen. One does not need such a large screen. An 10 x 8 or 8 x 5 would be adequate. JMHO, not berating it at all. I just like to have a traditional Dash. I AM in the market for a new car, the VW Tiguan SEL is the leader of the pack….. at the moment.

What about a Hydrogen Car? They seem to have fallen by the wayside.

 

[mh]

Yes, because they are sharing their actual ownership experience. If people who owned EVs were having bad experiences with them they would share those experiences too.



But the people who do not own EVs have not taken the time to fully educate themselves on much of anything about them. It’s not meaningful to have a conversation about EVs with people who are generally negative about them yet know virtually nothing about them.

I take a periodic road trips with my neighbor in his Tesla S. It’s great for that. Without the range of the S and the supercharger network I don’t think I’d be very enthusiastic.

 

[mh]

What are you going to do when this happens at one of your planned charging stops?



https://www.carscoops.com/2018/12/truck-owners-blocking-tesla-superchargers-across-america/

https://www.businessinsider.com/tru...sla-superchargers-in-ice-ing-protests-2018-12

In other words, it is probably best to anticipate longer charging stops than ideally should be the case.

Luckily I have no great desire to go to North Carolina [emoji1782] from what I’ve seen anecdotally on YouTube , people just call the cops and they get towed / ticketed.

 

[Gumby]

Luckily I have no great desire to go to North Carolina [emoji1782] from what I’ve seen anecdotally on YouTube , people just call the cops and they get towed / ticketed.

It still takes time for all that to be done. But it's not just the rowdy young idiots doing it to make a statement. There are plenty of inconsiderate and entitled people who think the rules don't apply to them. I see that a lot around here. At the Whole Foods, they reserved the best parking spots near the door for "fuel efficient vehicles", as it clearly says on the sign. But I see plenty of people in their Escalades and Expeditions park in them. At the rest stop on the interstate, the Tesla charging spots are the most convenient ones closest to the building. I almost always see non-Tesla drivers parked there while they go in to get some food or use the restroom. It is very annoying. If I had a Tesla that needed charging, I would be even more annoyed.

 

[GravitySucks]

DSis went to charge at the local hotel that was hosting a gun show. 4 Pick ups blocked the super charger station. (Only one in the county at the time.) She complained at the desk and 3 tow trucks arrived in 10 minutes.

Anyone own an EV in a cold weather area? DS says her Model 3 was very good in snow, but I'm thinking running the heater has got to hurt the range.

What are you going to do when this happens at one of your planned charging stops?



https://www.carscoops.com/2018/12/truck-owners-blocking-tesla-superchargers-across-america/

https://www.businessinsider.com/tru...sla-superchargers-in-ice-ing-protests-2018-12

In other words, it is probably best to anticipate longer charging stops than ideally should be the case.

 

[gerntz]

I mean 2-4 actual plugs. Meaning a total of 24 cars can charge at any given time.

Not getting this. 2-4 actual plugs means 2-4 cars at one time to me. Or maybe 2 x 4 = 8. 24?? How is that?

 

[gerntz]

Yes, because they are sharing their actual ownership experience. If people who owned EVs were having bad experiences with them they would share those experiences too.

But the people who do not own EVs have not taken the time to fully educate themselves on much of anything about them. It’s not meaningful to have a conversation about EVs with people who are generally negative about them yet know virtually nothing about them.

Negative & uninformed/skeptical are two different things. I'm in the latter camp.

 

[NW-Bound]

DSis went to charge at the local hotel that was hosting a gun show. 4 Pick ups blocked the super charger station. (Only one in the county at the time.) She complained at the desk and 3 tow trucks arrived in 10 minutes.

I am not an EV owner. But I applaud the hotel for summoning the tow trucks so promptly.

 

[NW-Bound]

If you are curious how these tow trucks can fetch a car:

 

[travelover]

If you are curious how these tow trucks can fetch a car:

When the tow initially grabbed it you could see the front wheels spinning in opposite directions - not good for trans / differential / tires.

 

[eroscott]

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 below BC outstanding view segment was part of my 5500 mile Tesla Model X 100D roadtrip last summer. Many stops with friends relatives and weeks vacation in Glacier National Park area. Charging was easy.

I've traveled with my son who owns a Tesla Model 3 LR (Long Range). We were both driving our Tesla's to a weekend stay. Two cars were part of his new roadtripping adventure and experimenting. Those TM3s are very efficent. He always had a higher SOC/State-Of-Charge % when we would arrive at Tesla Superchargers and he would charger faster (being done sooner).

Since last summer Tesla opened up 25+ more Tesla Superchargers across Canadian's TC1 highway.

Current ones open, permitted, and under construction (crowdsourced map).

Only permitted and under construction.

Most of my Tesla travels below. When both my wife and I are retired we hope to expand this travel. (1/5th of the below is with her; rest with self, friends, my kids, etc).

 

[eroscott]

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:

BTW, the built-in [beta] Tesla route-planner does tend to want to charge longer and skip some Superchargers along the way. ABRP like you show above is making good use of shorter chargers at the fastest and most efficent charging area of the battery (10%-70%) and I love that technique. As I pointed out above the TM3 is a better roadtripper than my TMX. I'm good with short breaks!

 

[neihn]

Question for Tesla owner? I heard that insurance is a little higher than ICE car, is that true?

 

[braumeister]

One of the points often made is that few people want to make long trips, so stopping to charge isn't an issue. But unfortunately I'm one of those few so I can't see myself in one yet.

Just got back from what would be a very typical trip for me (504 miles), and I compared:

My ICE car, actual numbers:
Total 8.26 hours, including 3 stops (1 for gas, 2 rest stops) totaling 11 minutes.

Tesla long range Model 3, from the Tesla site:
Total 9.5 hours, including 3 charging stops totaling 85 minutes.

That additional 1.24 hours for the trip would be very annoying for me. Granted that I would only be making such a long trip a few times a year, it's still a deal breaker for me. Sometimes it's tough to be in the minority.