I use ABRP when they feel like taking my advice on routes. My mom is more reasonable than my dad at listening to me. Haha.
My 70-something parents have decided to take another long distance road trip in their ID.4
- Thread starter Brons2
- Start date
I'm trying on the whole "charge it to 82% to get to your next stop" but baby steps, you know. If it were me, I'd already have an ELM327 adapter plugged into the OBD2 port in order to feed data directly into ABRP for actionable data, but then, I am a tech head.
Yeah probably not yet "elderly" at early 70s, they get around pretty well still.
's horror story reference seems to relate to social disorder. Brons_2 took it as an attack on EVs. Multiple back and forths somehow haven't made that apparent to either of you.190 to 200 miles is a decent drive for one day for an elderly couple, even with a vehicle with lane keeping and mostly highway driving.
I can understand them not having any problem with charge times if they are ready for a rest or good meal while the vehicle charges.
One thing they should consider is that heating the cabin area in cold weather will reduce the range. Maybe as much as 20%. That could change their plans, if they do not take that into consideration in advance. OP, you might pass that along to them.
I can understand them not having any problem with charge times if they are ready for a rest or good meal while the vehicle charges.
One thing they should consider is that heating the cabin area in cold weather will reduce the range. Maybe as much as 20%. That could change their plans, if they do not take that into consideration in advance. OP, you might pass that along to them.
On a side note ABRP will calculate the time taken for charging for your whole trip. It's not that bad if you are on vacation. If you are traveling in a car for business, probably a better use of time to keep using the ICE vehicle at our current battery technology level. 6hours and 42 minutes total for charging on this trip. At 300 miles per tank you'd stop 5 times on this trip for a total of 50 minutes of fill time, but then there's meals and bathroom breaks and so forth, so the total difference isn't going to be that large, unless you have to wait for a charging station.
This! If time constrained, this scenario wouldn’t turn out so we’ll.
Yes, this is a good point about the colder weather. It will be interesting. Then again they are taking I-10 for a good portion of the route and it's entirely possible it could be in the 70s or even 80s. I haven't looked at the long range forecast for the higher elevation parts of their trip, say between Fort Stockton and Tuscon which is mostly over 3000 feet.
Curious... How many EV trips have you made and what is your ownership experience?Just because they can, doesn't mean they should. I think an EV is a great choice for retirees who just drive to and fro in the city and can charge at home. For a road trip? Not so much.
It's an adventure for them, and I'm sure they like the idea of driving for free. As long as they have the time and have planned their stops with a large margin of error, why not; go for it.
For me, the novelty would wear thin pretty quickly and range anxiety would add unnecessary stress. But, to each his own.
Maybe you should suggest they carry a gas powered generator... just in case
I only ask because, while range anxiety is real, you learn. These are are different.
With an ICE you'd actually have to make a trip to the station to fill up before you leave, and you'd have to do the same when you get back whereas the EV starts full and can arrive back at home empty but fill overnight - that's two fuels stops added back into the ice trip.
( people always seem to forget about these and the other 52 trips a year they make to fuel weekly)
I've been taking EV trips for over a decade now. I trade pick up truck usage for Ev loans with other employees.
My most common Route is Grass Valley to LosAngeles about 470 mile trip.
With any of the long range teslas my trip isn't impacted at all based on the way I travel.
I stop 2-3 times for a few minutes on a trips this long regardless of cars energy source.
Is their ev cabin heat resistive or is it heatpump.
if it has heatpump then if it is not extremely cold (requiring using resistive heating) the range reduction would not be as much.
if it has heatpump then if it is not extremely cold (requiring using resistive heating) the range reduction would not be as much.
I dont consider it free, driving a small car dependent on finding a place to plug it in when I can afford to buy gasoline in a gas station and drive a larger car for less money.Just because they can, doesn't mean they should. I think an EV is a great choice for retirees who just drive to and fro in the city and can charge at home. For a road trip? Not so much.
It's an adventure for them, and I'm sure they like the idea of driving for free. As long as they have the time and have planned their stops with a large margin of error, why not; go for it.
For me, the novelty would wear thin pretty quickly and range anxiety would add unnecessary stress. But, to each his own.
Maybe you should suggest they carry a gas powered generator... just in case
With that said, as an adventure for people having fun with a vehicle, in this case an EV, sure, why not? To each their own, got to enjoy life!
For our home, without question an EV would be sweet for around town, local, second car at the house.
At the time they purchased their ID.4 it included 3 years of free charging at Electrify America, I think that promotion is over now though. I think it was to keep the people that had to order them, loyal to their orders. My parents waited 6 months for theirs, was ordered in February 2022, arrived August. Now you can get them right off the dealer lots, the local VW dealer has 10 for sale.I dont consider it free, driving a small car dependent on finding a place to plug it in when I can afford to buy gasoline in a gas station and drive a larger car for less money.
With that said, as an adventure for people having fun with a vehicle, in this case an EV, sure, why not? To each their own, got to enjoy life!
For our home, without question an EV would be sweet for around town, local, second car at the house.
The ID.4 is also surprisingly large inside, the front seats are very roomy, and I am 6'7" and my dad 6"5'. Curb weight empty is also 4967 lbs per the VW specs I posted in the OP, which would have been in the neighborhood of extended cab pickup weight in last century's trucks.
On our long trip we charged to 100% for the start and then up to 90% on stops.
The battery charges much faster when it's closer to empty. And we tried to arrive at the next charger with 15% charge. So you try to keep the battery's state of charge between 15% and say 70%. Saves a bit of time when on the road. When stopped for the night at a destination charger, you charge to maybe 90% for a good start in the morning.
That they are in their 70s wouldn't worry me by itself. That they are being referred to as elderly makes me think they are incapacitated or significantly limited, or fragile in some way. Elderly usually refers to capabilities while age is just a number. I know 40 year-olds who are elderly. Limping around in pain, griping about everything. As for people getting murdered on roadtrips, the few who get murdered make it into the news while tens of millions don't get murdered and remain dead-silent.
Unless they are a hazard to themselves or others l don't see doom and gloom.
Unless they are a hazard to themselves or others l don't see doom and gloom.
No, they are not significantly limited in any way. I'll refrain from using that term in the future.
AZjeff
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He said 190-200 per charge, not per day.
I agree. I am 76 and don't consider myself elderly. Maybe when I hit 90, but who knows. I will let you all know when I get there as I still plan on being on this forum.
Good on them!
A coworker of mine did a non-stop round trip to northeast Maine and back to central NY in a tesla. They were driving enough that him and his wife switched out driving duties a few times.
Each charge stop took 30 minutes or so. That's pretty in line with bathroom / food / coffee / gas stops in my experience on road trips. I usually plan on 45 minutes to stop, get coffee, fuel up, bathroom break .... or even the emergency nap stops.
As long as there's charging stations readily available ..
A coworker of mine did a non-stop round trip to northeast Maine and back to central NY in a tesla. They were driving enough that him and his wife switched out driving duties a few times.
Each charge stop took 30 minutes or so. That's pretty in line with bathroom / food / coffee / gas stops in my experience on road trips. I usually plan on 45 minutes to stop, get coffee, fuel up, bathroom break .... or even the emergency nap stops.
As long as there's charging stations readily available ..
I'm in the same age group and don't consider myself "elderly".
I have no trouble with a 600 km (375 miles) trip. My F-I-L was doing that same trip into his early 80s.
I used to do a 1150 km (720 miles) trip a few years ago and while I could still do it, I don't. I'm not in that much of a rush. I now put an overnight stay in about the middle. More relaxing and probably safer - no early or late driving and no fatigue to contend with.
Anecdotal: when I-5 at the grapevine was closed by CHP for more than 12 hours earlier this year there were numerous Teslas and other EV’s stuck that required towing.
A few other vehicles as well (poorly maintained vehicles likely) but I’ve always been leery of the Tesla method of route planning. It’s very efficient until it’s not. And when it’s not (I-40/10/80 shut down because of life flights or other environmental hazards and the “just in time” method of Tesla/ev charging can go to hell quickly.
I have quite a few friends with EV’s and as a whole, for around town they are great. On longer trips and non home range excursions i definitely get the sense that the trip becomes more about the charging challenges than the actual travel. New will always attract the tech savvy and early adopters may even LIKE that aspect, but for most folks the flexibility simply isn’t there yet. It likely won’t be for a long while on non-local trips even with a massive charger overhaul unless new battery and ev tech comes online.
A few other vehicles as well (poorly maintained vehicles likely) but I’ve always been leery of the Tesla method of route planning. It’s very efficient until it’s not. And when it’s not (I-40/10/80 shut down because of life flights or other environmental hazards and the “just in time” method of Tesla/ev charging can go to hell quickly.
I have quite a few friends with EV’s and as a whole, for around town they are great. On longer trips and non home range excursions i definitely get the sense that the trip becomes more about the charging challenges than the actual travel. New will always attract the tech savvy and early adopters may even LIKE that aspect, but for most folks the flexibility simply isn’t there yet. It likely won’t be for a long while on non-local trips even with a massive charger overhaul unless new battery and ev tech comes online.