Forum Discussion
pnichols wrote:
With a few (6 or 10) L2 stations for free most businesses would not even notice a blip in the total electric bill. Although it would most likely bring in more sales.
I wonder how long it will be before the Free Enterprize System prices electricity from EV recharging stations such that it costs about as much (or more, years into the future) per mile - based on some average and ever-changing pricing formula - to drive them as an equivalent size gasoline or diesel powered vehicle?
I can't imagine free or dirt cheap EV "refueling" lasting too long into the future. Cheap refueling electricity is probably viewed as a "loss leader product" right now to get us into the EV buying mood.
Actually by the time the commercial equipment is installed to monitor and collect a fee the cost is probably higher than giving out the electric for free with an open un-metered connection.profdant139 wrote:
I would be happy with a plug-in hybrid that would go 80 to 150 miles on electric. Skip the transmission and just have a direct drive engine for highway use.
I am waiting for the day when there is an electric pickup truck that can tow my trailer and go 400 miles without recharging.
It'll happen, but probably not in my lifetime.John & Angela wrote:
LenSatic wrote:
"Cool pics. Thanks for sharing. Are you completely off grid?"
Yep, 100%. That doesn't mean we are self-sufficient, though. Propane is delivered once or twice a year. Basically our home is a scaled-up RV.
I'm jealous. :) We have a very basic emergency backup type system. 2 X group 31 AGM batteries, a 300 amp fuse, a 2.5 KW sine wave inverter/charger with transfer switch. It is fed to a subpanel with 6 critical 110 circuits for lights, fans. entertainment centres, garage door, security system etc. No 220 so no furnace and no range. The fireplace is natural gas and functions without power so thats our emergency heat. Water heater is natural gas. Have to live without central air in a blackout as well. We have two 160 watt portable panels that we can connect to pre-wired quick connects to charge the batteries. We thought about using a honda 3000 watt generator but that meant storing it and gas in the garage. Since both our vehicles are electric we have no need for any other type of fuel so it would kinda clash. And besides I have consistently bad luck with gennys. Long story. Are any of your vehicles electric. If so consider adding one of these to the stable. Don't think our town house board will let us put one in the driveway. :) Self contained, arrives on a truck, sets up in 10 minutes.
How much for the solar panel setup up? I drive a Vw 2015 e-Golf SEL that I bought. Looks like about 12 amps at 240V capable. Not quite 3 Kwh capable charge rate.
Edit: seems those are EV ARC4's made in San Diego, CA. About 4 kwh capable, has batteries to store a charge, etc. About $40,000. Self contained EVSE charger for electric vehicles.LenSatic wrote:
"Are any of your vehicles electric."
No. A Tahoe and Jeep Wrangler. Both are 4wd, otherwise we've never get home during the Monsoon season.
Here's our garage roof:
Fifteen 220W panels. Ironically, Summer is the worst time for our solar system here in SE AZ because the sun rises and sets way farther north of the axis of our panels. We are going to add some east-facing panels on the house for next year.
The garage door in the pic is the pull-through bay where the Casita resides.
LS
Nice Len. Looks like a great set up. Allthough the town house life has more pluses than negatives for us, one down side is not being able to do the kind of thing you have done. Next year we will be approaching the board to see how open they are to solar on the roof. We love it here, small community, great security, easy to come and go and for us that is important as we are big time travellers.
Thanks for sharing the pics and the knowledge.
J and A- "Are any of your vehicles electric."
No. A Tahoe and Jeep Wrangler. Both are 4wd, otherwise we've never get home during the Monsoon season.
Here's our garage roof:
Fifteen 220W panels. Ironically, Summer is the worst time for our solar system here in SE AZ because the sun rises and sets way farther north of the axis of our panels. We are going to add some east-facing panels on the house for next year.
The garage door in the pic is the pull-through bay where the Casita resides.
LS LenSatic wrote:
"Cool pics. Thanks for sharing. Are you completely off grid?"
Yep, 100%. That doesn't mean we are self-sufficient, though. Propane is delivered once or twice a year. Basically our home is a scaled-up RV.
I'm jealous. :) We have a very basic emergency backup type system. 2 X group 31 AGM batteries, a 300 amp fuse, a 2.5 KW sine wave inverter/charger with transfer switch. It is fed to a subpanel with 6 critical 110 circuits for lights, fans. entertainment centres, garage door, security system etc. No 220 so no furnace and no range. The fireplace is natural gas and functions without power so thats our emergency heat. Water heater is natural gas. Have to live without central air in a blackout as well. We have two 160 watt portable panels that we can connect to pre-wired quick connects to charge the batteries. We thought about using a honda 3000 watt generator but that meant storing it and gas in the garage. Since both our vehicles are electric we have no need for any other type of fuel so it would kinda clash. And besides I have consistently bad luck with gennys. Long story. Are any of your vehicles electric. If so consider adding one of these to the stable. Don't think our town house board will let us put one in the driveway. :) Self contained, arrives on a truck, sets up in 10 minutes.- "Cool pics. Thanks for sharing. Are you completely off grid?"
Yep, 100%. That doesn't mean we are self-sufficient, though. Propane is delivered once or twice a year. Basically our home is a scaled-up RV. LenSatic wrote:
4runnerguy wrote:
. . . no longer will going off grid mean having a garage filled with lead-acid batteries.
It's not really that bad. Here are ours:
Pat
Cool pics. Thanks for sharing. Are you completely off grid?4runnerguy wrote:
. . . no longer will going off grid mean having a garage filled with lead-acid batteries.
It's not really that bad. Here are ours:
Pat- Electric vehicles obviously make more sense for commuters than for long range transport at the moment, but that is changing rapidly. Even with fast chargers, one can't "fill up" nearly as quickly as with gasoline. But battery capacities are improving greatly, and new technologies quite different from the current ones used by Tesla, Toyota, etc. are perhaps just several years away. Once the time and distance needed can be met with a single charge every 4 to 5 hours, refilling the car while refilling the belly becomes a real draw for restaurants along the highway. Near us, there's a Tesla charging station and the nearby Chili's gets a lot of traffic because of that.
As battery technolgy improves, we'll see an increase in the number of homes that aren't tied to the grid at all. Those without solar or wind will be paying a higher rate as the cost of maintaining the grid will be spread among fewer users. As batteried get more effiecient and smaller, no longer will going off grid mean having a garage filled with lead-acid batteries.
Volvo recently made the announcement that beginning with their 2019 model year, all their drivetrains will be electric or hybrid, no more solely internal combustion engines. They see where the market is going and are trying to stay ahead of it. While the US may have pulled out of the Paris deal, Volvo sells cars around the world and wants to be ready to comply with new pollution standard of the future wherever they do business.
