John & Angela wrote:
Gdetrailer wrote:
John & Angela wrote:
MegaWonder wrote:
Well said John, having an EV for longer commutes makes you very aware of how your driving (speed and takeoffs from starts) and what accessories (heat temp, AC, headlights, windshield wipers etc.) your using. My EV does not use the more efficient heatpump for climate control found on the latest models of EVs. We use either the radio remote keyfob or the smart phone app to check SOC (state of charge) or pre conditioning the climate control. We do realize we are using our EV to its limits (82/84 mile epa adjusted range). We are able to charge @120v during work day for trip back home. This L1 (120v)charge does not fully charge vehicle during work day but during the warmer months it is suffice to about 80/82% avg charge. Winter time without having some type of climatic controlled battery system (like $$Tesla) finds our preceived range (using the computer guess range display) find us limited to up to 40% or more perceived range loss. The nature of our lithion battery chemistry does not allow battery to charge to full capacity. So we use the backup vehicle during these extreme cold days and use the EV locally.
I think in 20 years a lot of us first adapters will look back and smile at some of the challenges we had with the first couple generations of EV's. :) Range, climate control etc. :) When we come back from our europe trip in 2018 we will probably buy the new generation leaf as a second vehicle and be an all electric family except for the motorhome of course. I would love the new tesla 300 at around the 35000 mark but I think from the price and service point of view the leaf will be better for us. Our smart EV is serviced by mercedes and they are co-located with nissan so its kind of one stop shopping for warranty checks etc.
Im curious what you are driving?
I hate to burst your EV bubble, but you are not the "first adopter" of Electric vehicles.
They say History repeats it's self.. It has.
You are about 125 or so years too late to the EV party..
To be an early adopter you would have to bought one in the late 1890s.
There were literally several THOUSAND electric vehicle manufacturers by 1900..
By 1907 that was down to a handful and pretty much by 1920 ALL electric vehicle manufacturing had ceased.
Some of the more known were Baker, Columbia, Pope, Riker (Riker made cars, Buses and even electric trucks which the US Postal Service bought and used), all Electric vehicle manufacturers were eventually bought up by Electric vehicle Company. Electric Vehicle Company continued to build Riker ELECTRIC TRUCKS into the late 1920s for industrial usage but even that ceased.
Heavy expensive batteries and short distance, long charging times and cost eventually lead to the demise of electric vehicles.
Electric vehicles made a return in the mid 1970s and failed within a few years..
1980s saw yet another attempt that failed by GM..
Even with todays battery tech, there simply is not enough power per pound of weight available in storage batteries.. Simply put to you can't get enough battery per pound to do the same amount of work as gasoline. Thats why "hybrids" were invented..
Granted, with an EV you don't spend money on gas, BUT you have to spend money on an ELECTRIC BILL.. I pay an average of $80 for electric, my gas bill for two pickup trucks is $400 per month and that is with commuting 500 miles per week..
I can assure you my electric bill will cost much more than $500 a month for two electric vehicles at my current rates.
Drive one if you want to, thats fine by me, but personally I would rather not.
Yah I suspect it depends where you live and what you pay for power. Where we live its just over 10 cents per kilowatt hour so yah, it is one heck of a lot cheaper to charge with electric than pay for gas. We drive at a fraction of the cost we could for gas. Curious where you live though that your rates are so high.
PA, the land were "taxation" is the number one "hobby" our state officials :M
Electricity rates jumped majorly over the last few years due to MANY coal fired power plants being taken off line due to environmental regs. 20 yrs ago I had electric bills of $30 per month, going back through my records I noted that my average electric consumption went DOWN by 10% but my electric bill nearly tripled.
That leaves more expensive natural gas, atomic and the most expensive "renewable" power sources like wind and solar..
You can't have "cheap" AND "green", those two items are mutually exclusive. There are a lot of added charges which go up with the more KWs you use..
Don't worry, you will eventually get charged for road usage taxes, they WILL eventually catch up to the EV loophole.
