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I'll sidestep the whole debate between efficiency & tax subsidies, but draw from my own experience. I recently bought two used EVs of the years; one is a 2013 Fiat 500e and the other is a 2013 Tesla Model S 85. We now do 95% of our driving with the EVs, gave our gasoline/electric hybrid CUV to my sister-in-law, and kept our old VW Golf TDI and Chevy Duramax. Living in coastal California, it is rare that we get sustained temperatures below 60F and above 90F and we get plenty of sun, such that we average 22kWh of daily generation from our 4.8kW solar array. In just 2yrs/44K miles, the Fiat 500e has completely paid for itself in terms of savings from gasoline costs...granted the car was only $7,300.
However, I realize the rest of the world has a wide variety of climate extremes and those might not be ideal for current EV technology. I think it's important to point out that modern EV/battery technology is only about 15-20 years old and that there's a good chance there will be large advancements in the next 5-10 years to address these short-comings. In the context of the modern gasoline and diesel motors, current fuel injection and direct injection designs have made large steps in power output, reliability, and cleaner emissions over the last 30 years. Anyone remember the old Oldsmobile diesel cars or the 3rd gen Chevy Camaro? The latter yielding 145hp out of a 5.0L V8 is pretty pathetic.
I could use an electric car quite well: two of us in the family, one of whom has a short commute. One IC car and one electric would work dandy for us. Politics would not enter into it.
There is no reason for all this politics to be in the discussion. But it is. Some people force their politics into any discussion.
I have a big dump truck that I can also use to haul my livestock trailer [I breed pigs, so it is not unusual that I may need to haul an 800-pound boar somewhere, or a few 400-pound sows to go to a meat processor].
I also have a van that I use mostly for hauling pig feed [grocery store produce waste].
Then two hybrid sedans that we use for our daily errands.
The dump truck and the van get horrible gas mileage but they are needed for their specific tasks. I see people haul pig feed in the open bed of pickups, but when left outside overnight in winter they are prone to get a foot of snow on it, which adds to manual labor. With an enclosed van I can leave pig feed out overnight and it does not increase my labor.
My 2018 Honda CRV won't go 400 miles between fill ups and it's one of the most popular cars on the road. I have a new neighbor who just moved from California to Washington DC. I haven't had a chance to pick his brain about the route he took with his Tesla.
My 390 HP Dodge Ram Laramie will go 427 miles on a fill up.
And I can carry up to six people with almost no change in the range.
I guess we should all drive Rams instead of Honda. Or, you could go with the most popular "car" on the road - F150. It will also go over 400 miles on a tank. (in fact, 684 miles on the optional larger sized tank).
My 390 HP Dodge Ram Laramie will go 427 miles on a fill up.
And I can carry up to six people with almost no change in the range.
I guess we should all drive Rams instead of Honda. Or, you could go with the most popular "car" on the road - F150. It will also go over 400 miles on a tank. (in fact, 684 miles on the optional larger sized tank).
If miles between fill ups were important perhaps I would. It isn't.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,563 posts, read 81,147,605 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coldjensens
My 390 HP Dodge Ram Laramie will go 427 miles on a fill up.
And I can carry up to six people with almost no change in the range.
I guess we should all drive Rams instead of Honda. Or, you could go with the most popular "car" on the road - F150. It will also go over 400 miles on a tank. (in fact, 684 miles on the optional larger sized tank).
Yes, I drove mine from here in the Seattle area to Redding California before having to fill up. Got just over 21 MPG, with a 5.0 V8, 385 HP. Room for 5 people (console in mine) and a lot of vacation luggage and other stuff in the back. With the kind of power the trucks have the weight makes little difference, until you add a 5,000 lb trailer, but then no EV available no can pull that even 1 mile.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,705 posts, read 58,031,425 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coldjensens
My 390 HP Dodge Ram Laramie will go 427 miles on a fill up.
And I can carry up to six people with almost no change in the range.
...
Range? (nothing special... factory rigs... no extra fuel capacity added)
1250 miles between fills (on free fuel)
B4V TDI wagon can easily haul 5 people with a lot of baggage too.
770 miles in my:
$3500 4x4 1T dually CTD = (on free fuel)
50mpg since 1976, no Dinosaurs or toxic batteries required
EV.??.. I built my first EV in 1976, but don't plan on getting another til I move to town (unlikely ever).
My rural neighbor has (3) Teslas seems to work OK for his family.
…. With the kind of power the trucks have the weight makes little difference, until you add a 5,000 lb trailer, but then no EV available no can pull that even 1 mile.
Actually, an electric motor provides superior torque compared to an ICE. That's why locomotives are electric...The problem is the trade-off--- a battery big enough to provide the power supply for the truck would itself be a problem. That's why locomotives also make their own juice with a Diesel engine.
They are making electric semis now...seems to be mixed reviews by test drivers. I've never seen one on the road. Has anybody?
Many people posting here have their own ideas about needs & practicality of vehicles. That's because there are niches in transportation that need to be filled, and no single vehicle can fill all niches. The solution always boils down to what's the best compromise for YOU..And there's no way we should let the answer to that question be left up the cretins in Congress or the EPA..
If the Rivian does become available and affordable with 400 mile range, it will be a minor competitor for the ICE trucks, but my truck can tow 400 miles then filled with gas in 5 minutes go another 400. Most of these, like the UPS & Fedex trucks are only good for short, local deliveries with a range of 100 miles. Not useful to pull a travel trailer cross-country.
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