Charging to get home

[fdcg27]

Based upon all of the above, an EV with around 200 miles real world range would work for me with no need for anything more than home charging for about 70% of the driving I do, and there's always the option of planning a route around chargers to open that up if needed or desired.
Would this save any money?
Based upon local electric rates versus fuel cost, no it wouldn't and the HAH is cheaper per mile of operation than any EV or even PHEV.
Still, an EV would be a perfectly useful vehicle, especially since you can bag a new Model 3 for under the magic $30K after the tax credit.
This is around what you'd pay for a new Accord or Camry Hybrid or even a base Prius so it seems pretty compelling.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Based upon all of the above, an EV with around 200 miles real world range would work for me with no need for anything more than home charging for about 70% of the driving I do, and there's always the option of planning a route around chargers to open that up if needed or desired.
Would this save any money?
Based upon local electric rates versus fuel cost, no it wouldn't and the HAH is cheaper per mile of operation than any EV or even PHEV.
Still, an EV would be a perfectly useful vehicle, especially since you can bag a new Model 3 for under the magic $30K after the tax credit.
This is around what you'd pay for a new Accord or Camry Hybrid or even a base Prius so it seems pretty compelling.

EV owners usually charge off peak. I would imagine your electric bills are high relative to gas prices?
Both are sky high here, but charging at night makes all the difference.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Agreed. Costco fill up only makes sense if you’re already there, as @JeffKeryk has said.

But even if we are already there, my time is worth more to me than the couple of dollars in savings on gas.

Astro, you are just being logical again...

Therein lies my problem. Lines drive me crazy and spending a penny more is even worse. So I am in a world of hurt.

What's a poor boy to do? Can solar make gasoline?

 

[y_p_w]

Astro, you are just being logical again...

Therein lies my problem. Lines drive me crazy and spending a penny more is even worse. So I am in a world of hurt.

What's a poor boy to do? Can solar make gasoline?

Theoretically gasoline can be manufactured using GTL And I guess electricity could be one of the sources to produce heat. So yeah it's possible. At least partially.

 

[PimTac]

Astro, you are just being logical again...

Therein lies my problem. Lines drive me crazy and spending a penny more is even worse. So I am in a world of hurt.

What's a poor boy to do? Can solar make gasoline?

Go to a closer gasoline station with no lines. Find savings elsewhere in your budget.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Go to a closer gasoline station with no lines. Find savings elsewhere in your budget.

Well, I've already done that. My recurring costs are extremely low. The additional benefit is a hedge against inflation.
I avoid lines and crowds. I go to Costco early on Sunday mornings when there are no lines.
I rarely go when there are crowds and I don't go there just for gas. And I don't need that much gas because I have an EV.

My reply to @Astro14 was meant as tongue in cheek. All good PimTac.

 

[y_p_w]

EV owners usually charge off peak. I would imagine your electric bills are high relative to gas prices?
Both are sky high here, but charging at night makes all the difference.

Depends on where. I used to be supplied by these guys (City of Santa Clara). I almost want to cry with what PG&E charges.

https://www.siliconvalleypower.com/home/showpublisheddocument/6253/638236376834400000

 

[JeffKeryk]

Depends on where. I used to be supplied by these guys (City of Santa Clara). I almost want to cry with what PG&E charges.

https://www.siliconvalleypower.com/home/showpublisheddocument/6253/638236376834400000

View attachment 177701

PG&E has a monopoly here. I know Santa Clara very well and envy their energy options.
Did I say I hate PG&E? They blow up our towns and burn down our forests.

 

[LDB]

PG&E has a monopoly here. I know Santa Clara very well and envy their energy options.
Did I say I hate PG&E? They blow up our towns and burn down our forests.

Call Erin Brokovich, maybe she can kick their a$$ again.

 

[SupremePossum]

Hey an EV thread! I just joined the club with a Mach-E for my wife

I couldn't go back, its a game changer. Driving my truck feels like I'm driving a blast from the past. They just need a longer range F150 and I'm down

 

[PandaBear]

Theoretically gasoline can be manufactured using GTL And I guess electricity could be one of the sources to produce heat. So yeah it's possible. At least partially.

"Can solar make gasoline" is the wrong question to ask. The correct question is can solar offset gasoline demand or other energy consumption (i.e. heating oil, natural gas) to free up hydrocarbon that can be refined into gasoline.

The answer is yes. You can replace electricity and heating oil or natural gas consumption with solar powered heat pump, and the replaced heating oil or natural gas can be cracked or GTL into gasoline.

 

[billt460]

The intent of supercharging (or any mobile charge) is to charge enough to reach your final destination for the day.....whether that is a hotel or your home.

It is mentality change when it comes to "refueling" an EV. The goal is not to fill up, the goal is to fill enough to get to your next (or final) destination. That is the best use of time.

Just try to imagine if you had to drive your ICE vehicle in this manner. Most people would become disgusted with the whole "procedure" by the end of the first day.

It's all too reminiscent of the Arab oil embargo of the 70's. Waiting in gas lines for limited purchases, that you had to make on a daily basis, if you had to drive any distance.

I'm still searching to understand how this is any kind of improvement in modern automotive transportation?... Along with how and why some people become so fascinated by it?

 

[y_p_w]

Just try to imagine if you had to drive your ICE vehicle in this manner. Most people would become disgusted with the whole "procedure" by the end of the first day.

It's all too reminiscent of the Arab oil embargo of the 70's. Waiting in gas lines for limited purchases, that you had to make on a daily basis, if you had to drive any distance.

I'm still searching to understand how this is any kind of improvement in modern automotive transportation?... Along with how and why some people become so fascinated by it?

Most EV owners charge at home where it's cheaper and leaving a car in a garage or driveway overnight is the way things are - gas or EV.

But the idea of charging to 80% is that high-speed battery charging always tapers off as it approaches, and that gets the driver to the destination. That's just the way that battery charging works. It's quite a happy medium. Charging stations are also typically expensive, but that's really about paying for the convenience.

The improvement is that one isn't spewing unburned fuel into their neighborhoods with a cold start. That one doesn't need to deal with a whole lot of maintenance. That for most uses, the owner is charging at home and likely never needs to charge away from home. My parents have had their Tesla Model 3 for about 2 months, and in that time it's only been charged away from home when it was either free or early on before the Tesla Mobile Connector they ordered was delivered. If I had a 100 mile daily commute, I would never need to charge away from home unless maybe I have subsidized charging at work.

 

[billt460]

..........The improvement is that one isn't spewing unburned fuel into their neighborhoods with a cold start........ That one doesn't need to deal with a whole lot of maintenance.

Just smoke, CO2 and / or CO from all of the fossil fuel fired power plants, that produces 60% of the juice coming into their homes. So the whole "green" argument is a total fallacy. And I won't even mention the amount fossil fuels used to mine the materials, and build the batteries themselves....

And as far as "maintenance", I'm currently driving 3 ICE vehicles. The 2 newer ones have never been to a dealer or repair shop yet. And I honestly can't accurately remember when I had my 32 year old truck in for a repair.

https://www.google.com/search?sca_e...B6BAgOEAs&biw=1365&bih=482&dpr=1.88#cobssid=s

 

[Astro14]

PG&E has a monopoly here. I know Santa Clara very well and envy their energy options.
Did I say I hate PG&E? They blow up our towns and burn down our forests.

I thought you loved PG&E. They buy your electricity at favorable rates, subsidized your solar panels, have provided you a deal that nobody else can get…sounds like they’re your benefactor.

I’m teasing.

You say you hate PG&E about as often as you tell us how much you love Tesla. Which is pretty darn often…

 

[fdcg27]

There are always a couple of Debbie Downers who show up in every thread having anything to do with EVs.
Don't like EVs? Don't buy one.
What owners have shown is that these can be perfectly practical and usable daily driver cars.
Only those who have had the experience can make anything more than theoretical comments on the advantages and downsides of EV ownership.
There is also the halfway house of HEV ownership, which offer vastly better range than gas only cars as well as incredible fuel economy along with the convenience of being able to buy fuel anywhere, no planning needed. For the warmer six months of each year, I typically see range on a full tank in excess of 700 miles and will average well over 50 mpg.
I suppose HEVs aren't very good either?

 

[Astro14]

I took a good look at a Tesla Model S in 2016. Visited the Tesla showroom (In lone Tree, CO) Drove the car. Talked with the sales rep about the supercharger build out plan. All things considered, it wasn’t right for me at the time, and I needed a truck anyway. Bought the Tundra in Littleton.

But I’m still interested in the tech, and the option.

 

[Kira]

Someday I'll categorize the essential comments on one of these EV threads....someday.
It seems the same stuff gets said over and over.

I just wish there were large fleets of electric vehicles out there amassing real data.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I've been in that tunnel traffic because of an accident on a Harley. Me and two friends pulled off at the last exit before the tunnel. There was a pier with a restaurant/bar. We sat at the bar and could see when the traffic started moving. I had to ride back to NoVa and the other 2 had to ride to Waynesboro.

Same method during storms/floods in Houston. We’d straight to the local restaurant and enjoy the evening and head home at around 9:00 PM once traffic started moving.

 

[Snagglefoot]

This is the EV section. We talk about EVs here, right? And no, I do not stir any pot. Look at my car list.
How many '60s big V8 cars do you have?

Look, I meant this as a purely informational post, nothing more. This is a tough crowd; the haters gonna hate. If they don't like EVs, why do they waste their time here? BITOG is a great place to learn; I sure do. Perhaps someone might glean some value from my experience? IMO, there are a lot of misconceptions around EVs. I try and keep an open mind and treat people with respect.

FYI I would imagine I work on more old American cars and trucks than most of the people on this forum.
Here's one of my favorites:
View attachment 177212

I saw a T shirt the other day that said “ It’s too bad that the people who could properly run this country spend all their time working on old cars.”