Electric Vehicles? Towing? Hauling?

Reisender wrote:


Advantages for us? A lot of it we just take for granted now. Here’s a few in no particular order that apply to us. I’m sure there are some I have missed.

agree that some advantages and conveniences are individual. but some of what you cite are either clearly not when considered in the context of cross-country driving or raise a whole lotta questions. for instance..

Reisender wrote:
- No wasted time at gas stations. Fuel at night while sleeping.

one of two things need to be true before EVs can be considered for long distance driving: either the range has to be at least 500-miles or the recharge time has to be about the same as the average stop to refill gas. both would seem to be a long way off. i certainly don't want to wait 1-6 hours every ~200-miles for the batteries to recharge. question: if stuck in traffic...literally not moving...are the batteries discharging like a gasser burning gas while idling?

Reisender wrote:
- No grabbing a gas pump handle after somebody else just scratched their (fill in the blank).

well, you're still touching something on the charging stand. if someone is that squeamish then they must go really crazy at a campground. hand sanitizer does the job for those that must have it.

Reisender wrote:
- Drive and forget no maintenance driving. (Well, washer fluid, wiper blades, brake fluid once in a while). No oil, filters, hoses, belts, plugs and brakes don’t get used much so very little wear.

what is the lifespan of the batteries and what's it cost to replace them? and what about battery disposal? can they be recycled? there are obviously other moving parts so what is their lifespan and the cost to maintain?

Reisender wrote:
- Very quiet ride. Model dependant though. We found bolt was a little louder.

agree that this would be great! a buddy has a Prius and has noticed that he sometimes startles people at crossings..people who did not hear him coming. maybe some low level artificial noise needs to be added to warn pedestrians?

Reisender wrote:
- fuel (electricity) is cheap but this depends where you live of course.

I think this is a major issue. nuclear seems to be going away, at least it is here in Illinois, and with current technology i don't see solar/wind possibly bridging the gap. new power plants don't seem to be springing up and the grid in some parts of the country are suffering from brown-outs. the energy to provide power to what we all have and enjoy now plus the network of fast-rate charging stations has to come from somewhere.

Reisender wrote:
- We are not on a tight budget so this is relative but cost of driving is a fraction of the Grand Cherokee.

did your insurance stay about the same, go up, go down?

Reisender wrote:
- We can drive in the HOV lanes although that’s only when we visit a neighbouring city which is 80 km away which is only a couple times a month.

the HOV lanes I'm familiar with...and we've been in every state in the lower 48...require at least two persons to use those lanes. are you saying that you can use the HOV lanes while driving alone?

like you I have nothing against EVs and maybe, one day, they will evolve into truly useful vehicles.