Real-time exposure of the challenges of EV use

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sedin26 said:
They’re great lower cost EVs and I would love to own one. It would be fantastic for Victoria and my work trips to Vancouver. I would probably only have to charge in public on road trips but we’d take our CRV on longer trips anyway.

The longest I’ve ever driven for a work trip to Vancouver is 200km. There would be no need to charge but if I ever had to, the company condo parkade has a number of Level 2 chargers and the parkade I use downtown has a ton of Level 2 and some Level 3 as well.
Click to expand...

I remember the last time I made that kind of trip. Borrowed a friend's car in the Seattle area alhough I was thinking a rental. I was warned to fill up in Washington (at the Bellingham Costco) to avoid BC fuel prices, and I didn't buy gas in BC once. Had plenty left arriving at Anacortes and we made it back where I filled up when we got back. Not sure if I could have done it in an EV on a single charge, but I think I would have been more likely to have charged when we had down time.

I looked up the locations where we stayed/visited. Kind of sparse charging locations but I see plenty nearby the hotels we stayed at. Of course a Tesla would have been easy.
 
JHZR2 said:
Not sure I agree. I’ve been inconvenienced with high speed Tesla chargers elsewhere. I’ve found that supercharging costs more per mile than our odyssey. Even last night ai paid 48c/kWh at the fast charger, 30c/kWh on the overnight one (plus $5/hr!)
Click to expand...

I was thinking that a full charge would have given the option to make it to your destination and then figure out what to do, rather than having to figure out how to charge it just to get enough range for your destination.

But in any case, a Bolt is a lousy rental car.
 
y_p_w said:
I was thinking that a full charge would have given the option to make it to your destination and then figure out what to do, rather than having to figure out how to charge it just to get enough range for your destination.

But in any case, a Bolt is a lousy rental car.
Click to expand...
That’s very true, it would have. But I’d still have had to waste 30+ minutes at some point, and/or found a $$$ overnight spot.

The bolt isn’t a lousy car; it’s not the best riding car but the rest of it is ok. But an EV is generally an impractical and inconvenient rental car. And if I owned one, I’d find this sort of scenario inconvenient and disappointing. I’ve mentioned my routine DC trip a number of times. The amount of time and money I’d waste on a supercharger (and I know where enough of them are on this trip) really turns me off worse to the thought exercise than I had anticipated…
 
CharBaby said:
At this time in my life, I can only see me/us driving an EV as a 2nd vehicle where we could charge at home and run the EV most of the day around town or a bit further. However, I don't want to pay $30K-$40K for a run-a-bout and we aren't yet ready to lease. I'd want what doesn't exist any longer!

If I were to buy, I'd want that < $15K subcompact hatchback for our 2nd vehicle for those errands of grocery shopping/big box or auto parts store, meeting the boys for coffee, jumping in a car to run out quickly and come back home. And those instances where parking is only in those less desirable parking spots.

I've said it many times. I love a little $#!+box car/hatch. I loved'ed in the '70s-'80s for what they were. They're perfect for that go to work and park the car for 8-12 hours just sitting there in a parking lot full of vehicles that are doing the same hourly shift/shift work. I have only had a few of these little cars in my life but not many, mainly due to needing vehicles that more suited our family & life style. But, I have always had a fondness for them. But as-far-as EV's? I'm not ready yet. We did however just purchase our first hybrid.
Click to expand...
What hybrid did you pick? I dont like the idea of total EVs forced on people. I do like the idea of a hybrid. We are thinking hybrid in the next 12mo depending on what is available / cost and reviews from hybrid folks.
 
I went to Hertz’ website and tried to book a Bolt. Only thing close was “Manager’s Special”, for like $137 a day.

Given your experience they probably leave that one at the bottom of the barrel. What’s it got on the odometer? What year was it made?
 
spackard said:
I went to Hertz’ website and tried to book a Bolt. Only thing close was “Manager’s Special”, for like $137 a day.

Given your experience they probably leave that one at the bottom of the barrel. What’s it got on the odometer? What year was it made?
Click to expand...
8800 miles. 2023 model built 12/22. It’s not a bad car overall for a little hatch.
 
spackard said:
With that mileage I’m wrong about bottom of barrel choice.
Click to expand...
That’s honestly average for the Hertz fleet. Most cars go to the sales lot at 2 year and 25k-30k miles or go auction with 50k around 3-4 years. It’s on borderline lower side though.
 
PandaBear said:
Often for me is business trip (chargers at workplace) or road trip with a hotel I can charge at night. Still, it is different if you plan your trip and see EV being a good choice and rent it, vs there is no car other than the last EV at 25%.
Click to expand...
They're useless for the distances I would drive and I already know there are no chargers or way to charge where I would go.
 
Trav said:
Stop with the agenda please. There is no shortage of oil and not in the next lifetimes unless the shortage is manipulated politically.
Click to expand...
Agreed, and what bothers me is there is no push for alternate fuels or hybrids running them. IMO the mentality is EV or bust. Oh and lets take gas stoves away too, and wood pizza ovens. What a crock.
 
oil pan 4 said:
They're useless for the distances I would drive and I already know there are no chargers or way to charge where I would go.
Click to expand...
I guess you're the 1% of drivers then. I understand not wanting to be inconvenienced by the occasional public charging, but for the amount you can subsidize that by charging at home cost per mile is lower and not by a small margin including cost of the vehicle. Per month cost of the Tesla including payment and insurance with home charging is less than my GTI for the same costs and fuel and that doesn't include the less than cheap scheduled service costs. I love the car and wouldn't get rid of it except for another GTI, but it's part of ownership. At least for me it would be much cheaper to use the Tesla with occasional public charging with my 300 mile stints, but I just don't want to be a jerk and steal my wife's car from her. I do drive it enough to offset my fuel use for local runs. It honestly wouldn't be a big deal for me to use her car if I wasn't gone 2-3 days at a time twice a week.
Trav said:
I hope in the next year or two all ev subsidies are gone. Subsidizing ev does absolutely nothing for me and does not benefit me in any way. On the other hand oil and gas does many things I use and benefit from so I don't mind subsidizing it.
Click to expand...
Quite the hypocrite statement then. Sure, kill the EV subsidy. I agree with that. Kill all of them, including your precious fuel subsidies. Otherwise leave it for both if you must have it.
 
demarpaint said:
Agreed, and what bothers me is there is no push for alternate fuels or hybrids running them. IMO the mentality is EV or bust. Oh and lets take gas stoves away too, and wood pizza ovens. What a crock.
Click to expand...
So are the political manipulations on oil products. I'm sick of getting bent over by all of it. There's no reason why fuel should cost 3 times what it did 3 years ago. That's all by controlling production to benefit the ***** that control our economy. They lost control of it when demand dropped during Covid. It took a bit for them to reign it in and bend us over again. I'm over the BS no matter where it's targeted.
 
Torrid said:
So are the political manipulations on oil products. I'm sick of getting bent over by all of it. There's no reason why fuel should cost 3 times what it did 3 years ago. That's all by controlling production to benefit the ***** that control our economy. They lost control of it when demand dropped during Covid. It took a bit for them to reign it in and bend us over again. I'm over the BS no matter where it's targeted.
Click to expand...
I know the solution but I can't get into politics here.
 
demarpaint said:
I know the solution but I can't get into politics here.
Click to expand...
Its happened no matter who is in office so I don't think politics would fix it unless its cracking down on oil companies price fixing. If your argument happens to be drilling and fracking bans, that's not it at all, but I don't support that either. They screw around with production to lock down prices and anyone that argues that is falling for their narrative.

Personally I'd take my chances with electricity over oil, but there's problems with both.
 
Torrid said:
Its happened no matter who is in office so I don't think politics would fix it unless its cracking down on oil companies price fixing. If your argument happens to be drilling and fracking bans, that's not it at all, but I don't support that either. They screw around with production to lock down prices and anyone that argues that is falling for their narrative.

Personally I'd take my chances with electricity over oil, but there's problems with both.
Click to expand...
It's best I stay out of that debate.
 
demarpaint said:
Agreed, and what bothers me is there is no push for alternate fuels or hybrids running them. IMO the mentality is EV or bust. Oh and lets take gas stoves away too, and wood pizza ovens. What a crock.
Click to expand...
I would be far more eager to jump on the Hybrid bandwagon, than the EV or bust bandwagon. At least your range is not so limited.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom