Interesting radio show right now (lease, vehicles, idle, minivan)

[CAjerseychick]

Listening to OPB-
nice discussion and information on electric cars -

some new cheaper (directed at the mass market) models coming out soon!

[5gables]

Would be nice, but it seems like stories like this have been recurring for years. So many false starts.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by 5gables

Would be nice, but it seems like stories like this have been recurring for years. So many false starts.

Yeah... old news. We made 'retrofit' full electric cars in 1975-1978 and our company had 'plug-in parking' at each US facility during those yrs (including 2 sites in Oregon). I recently saw one of the conversions we did in Oregon at a sustainability show in WA. Still going... 40 yrs later, as is my 50 mpg WVO burner (my daily driver) . No dinosaurs OR toxic batteries required since 1976 I have conserved over 66,000 gallons of dino fuel for the rest of you to BURN!
'Unfortunately the US Gov gets involved with incentives... and the SHARKS come out to prey'. (and industry falters....I was so surprised to see the exact SAME IDENTICAL sharks from Jimmy Carter Era come blazing out 20+ yrs later with Clinton / Obama REC's.

To meet energy independence needs in PNW... All the states really have to do is take 1/10th the money spent on (foolishness) CARB, and put into conservation efforts / mandates.

Also direct the EV research and investment to commercial services that use vehicles 4x7, instead of 'Joe Public's 10 - 20 min commute (the technology sits idle for 23 hrs / day, instead being put to valuable testing / use / commoditization. ...)

The technology would be LEAPS ahead, and the price to consumers markedly more affordable.

My 'WVO' (Greasecar) cost me $35. I found it in an Oregon Brier Patch. I has given me 300k+ of service and I expect 1m miles by the time I'm through with it. (that is sustainable, vs manf energy spent for replacement vehicles)

YMMV

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by CAjerseychick

Listening to OPB-
nice discussion and information on electric cars -

some new cheaper (directed at the mass market) models coming out soon!

The technology is maturing. I'm putting a 240v. electric car charging station in my new shop building. The new Volkswagen mini-bus is very interesting, since they project it will be unattended self-driving in a few years. I'm 70 and hoping I can buy a self-driving car within the next 15 years, before ODOT makes me give up my drivers license. If it's full electric, so much the better. A 200 mile charge would take care of 95% of my driving needs.

[PNW-type-gal]

We have a little Chevy Spark electric car for around-town use. Since most around-town driving is 45 mph or less, we usually get over 100 miles per charge (and a full charge is about $2.25). It is a small hatchback that marginally seats 4, so it is a great grocery store + errands + winery tour car. The 3 yr lease is $119 a month. The Spark was only sold in a few states and carried an MSRP of $24,000 (it was discontinued in favor of the Bolt, which has a 238 mile range but is also $36,000 or so).

Some of the newer electric cars that get 200+ miles per charge are a better bet if someone has longer commutes. Not everyone has a commute or use that fits the current requirements of electric cars, but if you do they are a pretty good fit, particularly in the second car/"around town" car. The price/value is a little iffy at this point, but it is getting better.

[CAjerseychick]

Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell

The technology is maturing. I'm putting a 240v. electric car charging station in my new shop building. The new Volkswagen mini-bus is very interesting, since they project it will be unattended self-driving in a few years. I'm 70 and hoping I can buy a self-driving car within the next 15 years, before ODOT makes me give up my drivers license. If it's full electric, so much the better. A 200 mile charge would take care of 95% of my driving needs.

Cool thank you Larry,
good info we are considering a little around town vehicle.... I get off work around 2am and self driving would be awesome....

[CAjerseychick]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

We have a little Chevy Spark electric car for around-town use. Since most around-town driving is 45 mph or less, we usually get over 100 miles per charge (and a full charge is about $2.25). It is a small hatchback that marginally seats 4, so it is a great grocery store + errands + winery tour car. The 3 yr lease is $119 a month. The Spark was only sold in a few states and carried an MSRP of $24,000 (it was discontinued in favor of the Bolt, which has a 238 mile range but is also $36,000 or so).

Some of the newer electric cars that get 200+ miles per charge are a better bet if someone has longer commutes. Not everyone has a commute or use that fits the current requirements of electric cars, but if you do they are a pretty good fit, particularly in the second car/"around town" car. The price/value is a little iffy at this point, but it is getting better.

Yup thanks valuable info-- if we stay in town long term (vs joining peeps in GOA, definitely a thought for the future)...
currently that would really work for our town needs= can't remember the new options coming up--- but they are, in 2018....

[PNW-type-gal]

The current (that is a pun, folks) issue is that there are 3 charging standards, each with its own type of adapter plug. The one Tesla uses, the one Nissan, Kia, Toyota and Mitsubishi use (ChaDeMo) and the one Chevrolet, Porsche, BMW, Ford, VW, Fiat, Chrysler, Audi, Mercedes and Volvo use (SAE J1772). Some Teslas have an adapter that allows them to use the same standard as Nissan, but otherwise the three plug flavors are not compatible and it isn't something just fixed by an adapter - on the charge station or the car.

The closest analogue would be if gas stations only had regular gas or diesel - you can only use one of them, but not the other. Most charging stations only offer one of the three types, probably because they'd actually have to put separate power units in for each charge station.

Then there is DC fast charge - some cars have a fast charge station plug in addition to the regular plug (think of Tesla here, but that isn't quite how it works) and some have only the "slow" charge. My Spark has the capability of DC fast charge and will go from nearly empty to 80% in 20 minutes or so. The last 20% takes longer, as many of the cars don't have a battery cooling system and with charge density comes heat in the system. My car has one, the Teslas have one, most others don't.

If you are driving long distances, you need to be able to charge up fast - but you can argue that MOST people who use an electric car use it as around-town and don't actually need a fast charge, charging overnight at home or over a couple hours while you are having dinner and a movie or whatever works just fine.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

I wonder if you could get out of a DUI if you had a self-driving car? LOL.

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe

I wonder if you could get out of a DUI if you had a self-driving car? LOL.

The VW minivan self-driving prototype has 4 chairs that face each other and a card table in the middle. One chair will swivel to become a driver's seat, but it's only intended for rare use in things like off road conditions. Driving drunk off road is, of course, completely legal.

https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/20...2364_col_9.jpg