How many folks want an EV

EV hate is silly. They suck for towing and they suck for long distance road trips, and both of those are things my family does reasonably regularly. But for a secondary around town vehicle I think an EV would be great for us. As a bonus, where I live we have cheap electricity that's among the most renewable of any state.

My wife has taken her Pilot on maybe 1 or 2 300+ mile trips in the last 5 years. It would be no problem at all for her to take another vehicle and leave me with the around town EV on those few occasions. On the more frequent occasions that the whole family goes for a long trip (or towing) we'd just take the diesel truck.

The fact that EVs are poor towing and long trip vehicles doesn't make them useless.

zjtins wrote:
The all use CVTs which only last about 100k miles, then $5k to replace.

WRONG WRONG WRONG. Yes some hybrids, and even gas only vehicles use CVT's, but there are MANY MANY MANY hybrids that do NOT have a CVT, and virtually all pure EV's use direct drive.

And I know many people with vehicles with CVTs that have gone well beyond 100K with no problems. In fact none have had problems with the CVT.

Now personally I don't like the characteristics of a CVT, but that's another issue.

My hybrid uses a 7 speed wet clutch DCT, fantastic transmission, especially when coupled to an electric motor in front of it.

GET your facts straight and don't spread misinformation.

zjtins wrote:
The all use CVTs which only last about 100k miles, then $5k to replace.

Where did you get that information? My Volt has NO transmission. Direct drive from the Voltec motor by battery until battery is depleted and then driven by generator powered by IC engine.

No need for a transmission when using electric motors to power the wheels.

Groover wrote:

thomas201 wrote:
Well give me 450 miles with the heater or A/C running, and a competitive total cost of ownership and yes. For the past 5 years, I make two 424 round trip mile journeys to NJ each month to visit my MIL. The nursing home does not have a charger, and it is my only stop for more than 5 minutes. The Honda CRV and the F250 (with aux tank) can get the job done. I will keep making the trip until I or my MIL pass. Sometimes I miss a trip, but not often.

I am the one that thinks EV's are a dead end. The path forward is stripping CO2 using amines from the air (just like subs, or cleaning CO2 from natural gas), then use U of Pittsburgh catalyst to make carbon monoxide, split hydrogen out of water, and use the Fischer–Tropsch process to make gasoline and diesel. Look for it to come to a Ford class carrier near you. After all, a gallon of jet fuel delivered to a carrier at sea has gotta be expensive. The fuel produced, will just blend in with the rest.

This is also a storage scheme for renewable power from solar and wind. I think the cost of this method will make it work.

There seems to be a dearth of Superchargers between WV and NJ so it would be a little premature for you to get a Tesla yet. I don't know how mountainous WV is where you are driving but in the western parts regeneration would save you a lot of brake wear and tear when going down hills and then a lot of fuel going up the next one.

I really like the idea of synthetic gasoline but I have been reading stories about it being on the verge of practicality for 30 or 40 years. A lot longer than we have been waiting for the Tesla Semi or Cybertruck. I will believe it when I can buy it. But it would be nice to have a clean fuel for the engines that I already own.

Actually Germany produced a lot of their liquid fuel from coal in WWII and South Africa still uses the facilities to produce liquid fuel from coal, that started up in the sanctions era. It all depends on the oil price. The breakthrough is in the catalyst to split CO2 to CO. Once you have CO and Hydrogen, you can make any fuel, plus methanol and ammonia. Chemical plants intentionally make CO by burning hydrocarbons without enough Oxygen. Google syngas. In other words all of the fertilizer used by farmers is made by the same process. It is used today.

Cptnvideo wrote:
We have one vehicle (see signature) and full time. And we're 75 years of age.
I have no desire to own an EV and don't ever plan to own one.
If all the current vehicles were EVs, then the problem would become how to charge them all. And how long will it take for all electric production to be "green"? And at what cost?

"green" is just a fantasy, disposing of the batteries pollute. charging is done on an insufficient grid largely powered by fossil fuels. don't recharge 4 to 9 pm.
bumpy

They are not yet practical for my recreation purposes. Still member of the 300 million gasser club.

I would love a electric hybrid with a small turbine or diesel engine. A full size 4 door truck with a 8' bed and 4x4. Having a towing range of under 300 miles is unacceptable.

I paid 23k for my new Silverado back in 08 and it still runs fine.
When Tesla makes EV for that price Ill be right on it. :)

Microlite Mike wrote:
I think eventually it won't be a choice. If we want something to drive it will be an EV. When it comes to towing we may have to downsize our trailers in order to be able to tow them or take really good care of our current tow vehicles so they last the rest of our lifetime.

More and more States are adopting the "California Model" which is outlawing the sale of fossil fueled cars (and most likely pickups) in the next 10-15 years.

Tent/Popup trailers will certainly become more prevalent and 14'high, 40' long 5th wheel trailers will most likely disappear or be permanently parked.

The reality is that even the commercial truck operators, from local delivery to over the road freight transport, are looking at electric trucks (some even driverless). Rail transport will eventually become like that in Europe and other countries with overhead power wires or locomotives with battery banks to move them in areas with no overhead power.

The change is happening regardless of our thoughts or desires.


FWIW, I have had a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid EV) for 5 years now and it's been great. 90+ percent of my driving is on battery and my gasoline expense down an average of $400/month before the recent rise in gasoline cost. Saving even more now.

I know Virginias former Governor, a Dem, with the help of a Dem led legislature voted to blindly follow anything Cali did. But last year the Gov and the legislature changed, They are writing the new law to overturn that now. It made the local news just last week.
I'm sure other states will follow in the next year or two.
Electrics will take over the Northeast,. and large urban areas, but they will be a nightmare in the rural areas.

thomas201 wrote:
Well give me 450 miles with the heater or A/C running, and a competitive total cost of ownership and yes. For the past 5 years, I make two 424 round trip mile journeys to NJ each month to visit my MIL. The nursing home does not have a charger, and it is my only stop for more than 5 minutes. The Honda CRV and the F250 (with aux tank) can get the job done. I will keep making the trip until I or my MIL pass. Sometimes I miss a trip, but not often.

I am the one that thinks EV's are a dead end. The path forward is stripping CO2 using amines from the air (just like subs, or cleaning CO2 from natural gas), then use U of Pittsburgh catalyst to make carbon monoxide, split hydrogen out of water, and use the Fischer–Tropsch process to make gasoline and diesel. Look for it to come to a Ford class carrier near you. After all, a gallon of jet fuel delivered to a carrier at sea has gotta be expensive. The fuel produced, will just blend in with the rest.

This is also a storage scheme for renewable power from solar and wind. I think the cost of this method will make it work.

There seems to be a dearth of Superchargers between WV and NJ so it would be a little premature for you to get a Tesla yet. I don't know how mountainous WV is where you are driving but in the western parts regeneration would save you a lot of brake wear and tear when going down hills and then a lot of fuel going up the next one.

I really like the idea of synthetic gasoline but I have been reading stories about it being on the verge of practicality for 30 or 40 years. A lot longer than we have been waiting for the Tesla Semi or Cybertruck. I will believe it when I can buy it. But it would be nice to have a clean fuel for the engines that I already own.