Electric Cars

[Josef]

Hey All,
Does anyone own an electric car? They are all the rage out here in California. I had one go by me in a parking lot. Except for tires on the pavement, it didn't make any noise. It was weird. However with gas around $6.00 a gallon, I can see why people out here are turning to them. What about trucks? Would you get the Ford F150E, or the Chevy electric truck that is supposed to come out?
Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

 

[jasonc]

Hey All,
Does anyone own an electric car? They are all the rage out here in California. I had one go by me in a parking lot. Except for tires on the pavement, it didn't make any noise. It was weird. However with gas around $6.00 a gallon, I can see why people out here are turning to them. What about trucks? Would you get the Ford F150E, or the Chevy electric truck that is supposed to come out?
Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

The lightning is on hold .

Not really impressed with even a Tesla .

 

[hawkman]

At one time I had two electric cars , they went around and around a figure eight track in my living room . Good old days . No batteries needed .

 

[WIP]

Hey All,
Does anyone own an electric car? They are all the rage out here in California. I had one go by me in a parking lot. Except for tires on the pavement, it didn't make any noise. It was weird. However with gas around $6.00 a gallon, I can see why people out here are turning to them. What about trucks? Would you get the Ford F150E, or the Chevy electric truck that is supposed to come out?
Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

They can fill a niche and be useful for many but I don't believe they will be for all. Kind of like a battery powered chainsaw. It can be very useful in certain situations but not very practical for a professional logger. I'd say in city traffic and short trips to work or to town they can be great. But for pulling heavy loads for any real distance, it might be a challenge.

Out of curiosity, I was talking to the Ford salesman a few months ago about the Lightning. He knows that I go on an annual fishing trip to Ontario, CA every June. We are loaded down with gear and pulling my boat. He told me it would be a difficult trip with the Lightning. Here's why.

The first leg of my trip is 250 miles from my home to International Falls, MN. According to Ford.com, using the 120v plug, it takes about an hour to recharge every two miles of driving. That calculates to 125 hours or 5-1/2 days recharging time before I could continue on our trip. We stay in Canada for 5 days, so I would be just getting recharged in time to join the guys as they were returning home.

When we leave International Falls, MN, we drive for about another 150 miles. And, of course, the resort we stay at would not be equipped to provide a recharging station at this time unless he'd allow us to plug it in on 120v power. That calculates to a minimum of 75 hours or a little over 3 days of charge time to get it ready for the return trip. Might be doable but I'd have to negotiate the cost with the resort owner. And, of course, I'd have to wait 5+ days again in International Falls for a recharge before continuing my return trip home. So, our usual 5-day trip would become a 16 day trip.

The EVs do have other shortcomings as well at this time. Here in central MN where I live, they would present some challenges, particularly if, like me, you don't have a heated garage to keep it in during the coldest winter months. The Lithium-Ion batteries don't take a charge below 32° F and so they must be kept warm. The vehicles are equipped with battery heaters for this reason.

Like my Lithium-Ion battery powered ice auger. As long as I can keep the battery warm, it will work great all day but if go on an all day ice fishing trip where we travel by snowmobile for 50 miles in temps as low as -40° F and spend the day on the ice, it could be a challenge keeping the battery warm enough to be useful all day even in our heated portable fish houses.

Bottom line is that it is up to the individual whether an EV is a good fit for them. Driving conditions, driving habits, and climate all play a role in the decision.

 

[jasonc]

They can fill a niche and be useful for many but I don't believe they will be for all. Kind of like a battery powered chainsaw. It can be very useful in certain situations but not very practical for a professional logger. I'd say in city traffic and short trips to work or to town they can be great. But for pulling heavy loads for any real distance, it might be a challenge.

Out of curiosity, I was talking to the Ford salesman a few months ago about the Lightning. He knows that I go on an annual fishing trip to Ontario, CA every June. We are loaded down with gear and pulling my boat. He told me it would be a difficult trip with the Lightning. Here's why.

The first leg of my trip is 250 miles from my home to International Falls, MN. According to Ford.com, using the 120v plug, it takes about an hour to recharge every two miles of driving. That calculates to 125 hours or 5-1/2 days recharging time before I could continue on our trip. We stay in Canada for 5 days, so I would be just getting recharged in time to join the guys as they were returning home.

When we leave International Falls, MN, we drive for about another 150 miles. And, of course, the resort we stay at would not be equipped to provide a recharging station at this time unless he'd allow us to plug it in on 120v power. That calculates to a minimum of 75 hours or a little over 3 days of charge time to get it ready for the return trip. Might be doable but I'd have to negotiate the cost with the resort owner. And, of course, I'd have to wait 5+ days again in International Falls for a recharge before continuing my return trip home. So, our usual 5-day trip would become a 16 day trip.

The EVs do have other shortcomings as well at this time. Here in central MN where I live, they would present some challenges, particularly if, like me, you don't have a heated garage to keep it in during the coldest winter months. The Lithium-Ion batteries don't take a charge below 32° F and so they must be kept warm. The vehicles are equipped with battery heaters for this reason.

Like my Lithium-Ion battery powered ice auger. As long as I can keep the battery warm, it will work great all day but if go on an all day ice fishing trip where we travel by snowmobile for 50 miles in temps as low as -40° F and spend the day on the ice, it could be a challenge keeping the battery warm enough to be useful all day even in our heated portable fish houses.

Bottom line is that it is up to the individual whether an EV is a good fit for them. Driving conditions, driving habits, and climate all play a role in the decision.

Might as well buy a kei.

Gas vehicle from Japan .not fast enough to drive long haul but way cheaper then an EV and better many ice engines cars,vans truck.thet are also right side drive and use kilometers .

Low mileage and often sell at 13 k or lower .

 

[WIP]

Might as well buy a kei.

Gas vehicle from Japan .not fast enough to drive long haul but way cheaper then an EV and better many ice engines cars,vans truck.thet are also right side drive and use kilometers .

Low mileage and often sell at 13 k or lower .

It certainly wouldn't be a good fit in the situation I described unless we had a fast charger in I-Falls. Even using a 240v 40a charger it would recharge at a rate of about 13mph. With the trip to I-Falls being 250 miles, it would take about 20 hours to recharge. That still wouldn't be practical. I'd have to find or install a 150kW+ charger in I-Falls. I did some pricing and they cost upwards of about $30,000.00 or more. So, I'd have to pretty much decide to not take that trip anymore.

However, when I was working it was 20 miles to my job. Making that trip 5-6 days a week or trips to town would be a good fit except maybe in the cold winter days unless I could arrange to plug in my EV at work. They did provide 120v outlets for plugging in engine heaters so there might be something that could be negotiated.

 

[hawkman]

What about trucks?

The Ford Maverick can be had in a hybrid version but towing is not that great , 40mpg city . But if you needed an almost truck the Maverick might be for you . Ford couldn't make them fast enough but now I see some are on the lots . $26K .

 

[jasonc]

It certainly wouldn't be a good fit in the situation I described unless we had a fast charger in I-Falls. Even using a 240v 40a charger it would recharge at a rate of about 13mph. With the trip to I-Falls being 250 miles, it would take about 20 hours to recharge. That still wouldn't be practical. I'd have to find or install a 150kW+ charger in I-Falls. I did some pricing and they cost upwards of about $30,000.00 or more. So, I'd have to pretty much decide to not take that trip anymore.

However, when I was working it was 20 miles to my job. Making that trip 5-6 days a week or trips to town would be a good fit except maybe in the cold winter days unless I could arrange to plug in my EV at work. They did provide 120v outlets for plugging in engine heaters so there might be something that could be negotiated.

If you have parking .I know my town on ocean drive that would be impractical as that have three hour parking and employees would not be able to park and charge without paying for that charge.


The old city grid along there .not alot I didn't go remind to pay .I can't imagine not paying for charging if it's enough using them .

Even wawa charges

 

[WIP]

If you have parking .I know my town on ocean drive that would be impractical as that have three hour parking and employees would not be able to park and charge without paying for that charge.


The old city grid along there .not alot I didn't go remind to pay .I can't imagine not paying for charging if it's enough using them .

Even wawa charges

When I was still working (retired 4+ years ago), there were a couple people driving Chevy Volts and they were plugging them in at work. That would be like the rest of us stopping by the fuel tank and filling up our cars at company expense. It didn't take long for that to be noticed and an announcement made that EVs were not to be recharged at work.

 

[jasonc]

When I was still working (retired 4+ years ago), there were a couple people driving Chevy Volts and they were plugging them in at work. That would be like the rest of us stopping by the fuel tank and filling up our cars at company expense. It didn't take long for that to be noticed and an announcement made that EVs were not to be recharged at work.

Given how close I live to where I had work and part time work .I would simply ride a bike .I have to the airport where I did work fleet .that wasn't fun because of the lack of shoulders and side walks.

Bikes for commuting isn't always easy or feasible because in Florida it's a vehicle and yes you can be charged with a dwi,DUI . You must travel with traffic and also not use sidewalks.yeah about that .43rd Ave had a long section of no shoulders . especially in the area of the utility grid.the idle wild route was fun along 43 Rd for me ,walk in the grass or on the edge and take a chance .and Jay walking to follow the sequence pattern

 

[WIP]

I live about 2-1/2 miles from Osakis, pop. 1700. I just put it away for the winter but throughout the summer if I need to go into town for something and I don't have to carry too much, I'll just jump on my bicycle. I have about 1/4 mile of gravel and then I can get on a bike trail that will take me to town. It only takes about 10 minutes to get to town. Sidewalks are off-limits to bicycles. It makes sense because it could be dangerous for anyone coming out of a store front.

 

[jasonc]

I live about 2-1/2 miles from Osakis, pop. 1700. I just put it away for the winter but throughout the summer if I need to go into town for something and I don't have to carry too much, I'll just jump on my bicycle. I have about 1/4 mile of gravel and then I can get on a bike trail that will take me to town. It only takes about 10 minutes to get to town. Sidewalks are off-limits to bicycles. It makes sense because it could be dangerous for anyone coming out of a store front.

Electric bikes ,ugh . Old Dixie this nut world drive about from where I live then head east and north of Oslo there is sharp curve that has no shoulder .you can't see well around it and there he is forcing me into the middle .he heads north to a street I have turned down and west to a better and safer way to get where he goes .it has side walks nearly all the way to the north terminus .