New gas stations everywhere

[d1h]

If we are heading to an all electric future why is it everywhere I go I see new gas stations being built? Some are huge with rows and rows of gas pumps. Don't seem to see any charging stations being built. Is  the electric revolution going to die and ICE will remain king?

[naturist]

Got into a wee discussion with an environmental activist a while back. They took exception to my ride, a diesel truck I'd driven into town unloaded, having left the camper in the campground. After they berated me for not driving a Prius, I had to point out that said Prius wasn't capable of towing my camper, and I saw no benefit to having the wife drive a Prius separately on the camping trip just so we could use it to go get groceries. The moral of the story is that different vehicles have different uses, and there is no economy or environmental benefit to having two when a single more capable one could serve more than one use.

If you gotta drag around heavy stuff daily through the fields on yer farm, and a heavy camper on vacation, and once a week run into town for groceries and stuff, you don't need an F'ing Prius. On the other hand, if your heaviest and most frequent automotive task is taking you butt into the office daily, you don't need that truck, a Prius is perfect. 

To my friends who've bought electric vehicles and for whom they are a perfect fit, bully for you. My needs are different, thank you very much.

[MastEvac71]

In many decades of driving gasser Ram Trucks I have never had a dead truck battery due to extreme cold including in northern California and Nevada with temps down into low single digits.  Cold engine always started right up with no need for heater blanket, etc.  I do carry a small lithium power pack for emergency starts just in case when in remote areas and I keep the power pack inside the warm truck.  These things works great that I have used to help other folks start their trucks in warm weather due to their old failed batteries and owners neglect and not the temps.

Electric vehicles are facing issues including decline in performance, weaker battery life, increased charge times and even long lines.  Many EV owners suffering buyers remorse and will buy a hybrid or full gasser next time.

China continues building more polluting coal burning power plants to produce electricity for their EVs.

Cybertruck has very poor towing range compared to same size gasser truck with a 6600 lb load.

Tesla Cybertruck Tows a Tesla Model Y, Doesn't Go Very Far - autoevolution

[way2roll]

Electric Car Owners Confront a Harsh Foe: Cold Weather (yahoo.com)

[Reisender]

Interesting read. 

https://electrek.co/2024/01/17/electric-vehicles-fail-lower-rate-than-gas-cars-extreme-cold/?fbclid=...

[way2roll]

Slanted source;  Electrek is known for its extensive, positive coverage of electric transportation in general and Tesla specifically. Their positive coverage of Tesla has been criticized by some automotive journalists. Its main authors have disclosed ownership of Tesla stock, substantial profit from referrals to Tesla, and ownership of Tesla cars.

[Reisender]

Yah maybe. But it’s definitely the case here. We live in an area with a lot of EV’s. During our cold (and snow) snap there were tons of ICE vehicles waiting for boosts both at homes and in parking lots downtown. Just  within our townhouse community we boosted a couple with our trusty little booster pack.  And it wasn’t even really cold. I think minus 27 with a minus 31 windchill.  (It rarely gets much colder where we are)   We tried to park in the garage most nights but it’s been fine the times it’s been outside.  The interiour went from minus 25 to plus 15 C in 5 minutes. Windows defrosted etc. super convenient. 

To each his own of course. Nothing wrong with gas or diesel vehicles if that’s what serves your needs. 

The achilles heel of EV’s is the same as ICE. A dead 12 volt (or 16 volt or 48 volt depending on model) battery.  If that’s healthy you are good to go. We keep a little booster pack in the frunk just in case. 

cheers. 

[Bedlam]

The issue appears to be with those owners that cannot leave their EV's plugged in when sitting. The electronics and heaters in these vehicles drain the reserves even when not driven. This is a constant vampire drain on the system but shows itself more at extreme temperatures. It can be somewhat equated to using battery, block or oil heaters in ICE vehicles when severely cold, but some ICE vehicles do fine without a plug and none drain the fuel tank trying to maintain operating temperature for use later.

[Reisender]

Yah true to some extent. In summer we lose a couple percent per week if the car goes to sleep. In winter that’s more like 1 percent per day.

 I have also seen a 3 to 5 percent drop overnight when parked outside at minus 27, but that actually comes back as the battery heats up. Eg, if you drive it into a warm garage it will actually come back. But that’s different than the vampire drain you are talking about where the power is actually consumed by various vampire loads. 

if you want to see a tesla go thru power fast just sitting there just leave sentry mode active. That means that every camera is active and recording. The car will suck up 8 percent per day.  We have done that before in hotel parking lots etc, or somewhere where security is a concern.   We use it, but not often. 

Hope that helps. 

[way2roll]

I think the problem is folks living where it's just too darn cold. I moved from MD to NC to escape all that nonsense and it wasn't nearly that cold in MD. 🙂

[Reisender]

😂 I hear ya. But we are in a place that’s relatively warm compared to where we were during our military careers. It’s harder for the career managers to co-locate two same trade air force techs so when posting season came up it was a matter of “where can we put you together” as opposed to “where would you like to go”.  So that meant that during our careers we got to go to places like goose bay, North bay, cold lake etc etc etc.  No complaints and nothing but good memories , but our snow shovelling skills are consequently off the scale. 😎. 

Just sayin. 

[MastEvac71]

Severe cold weather now in much of the USA is a killer of EV vehicles.  This just now from Chicago TV news.

"Nothing. No juice. Still on zero percent," said Tyler Beard, who has been trying to recharge his Tesla at an Oak Brook Tesla supercharging station since Sunday afternoon. "And this is like three hours being out here after being out here three hours yesterday."

Beard was among the dozens of Tesla owners trying desperately to power up their cars at the Tesla supercharging station in Oak Brook. It was a scene mirrored with long lines and abandoned cars at scores of other charging stations around the Chicago area.

"This is crazy. It’s a disaster. Seriously," said Tesla owner Chalis Mizelle. 

Mizelle was forced to abandon her car and get a ride from a friend when it wouldn’t charge. 

Another man summed up the situation succinctly: "We got a bunch of dead robots out here."

But it was no laughing matter to people like Kevin Sumrak, who landed at O’Hare Sunday night to find his Tesla dead. 

Sumlak was forced to hire a flatbed tow truck to try to find a working charging station".

[Reisender]

Baby it’s cold out there. 😂

 
We use superchargers at around minus 30 occasionally. Never had a problem. Quick and easy. Drivers need to remember to ore-condition their battery though.  Otherwise a 20 minute supercharge can turn into a 2 hour (or more) fiasco.  The reporter that reported this story actually says that towards the end of his report. 

Stay safe and warm out there folks. Spring is on the way. 

[Bedlam]

Gasoline freezes at -40 to -200 degrees Fahrenheit, so it is not the fuel causing the issue in Calgary. Most likely the fuel source has too much water contamination and is freezing the water filter/separator before getting dispensed.

[Herb]

I think I have a different take on the subject since my background is nuclear power and electric generation. Video if you have Fakebook: https://fb.watch/pAd2AOu4ZO/. Guy was charging an EV, consuming 137 KW (137,000 watts), the average home uses 1.25 KWh, so he was taking the same power that 106 homes would use. If he could charge at the full 350 KW would equal 280 homes. Now if every home suddenly needed to charge an EV every day, and considering the grid hasn't been significantly changed in half a century, there is no way the grid could support a large number of EVs. Seriously, CA had to tell EV owners not to charge their cars last Summer to protect their grid. Just my humble opinion, your mileage may vary.