Hybrid or turbo diesel or something else

[StuntCok]

" realistically, my main mountain commute will be the 21 km, 800m in elevation gain to 1200m, drive to Silver Star "

I do a similar ski commute up HBM which costs about 10$ a day so 60 x a season thats 600$ a yar to go skiing that ^^ road up to SS is a really short/easy commute as ski hills go and Vernon is a small town,

yes there are cheaper ways to get up a ski hill ( the HBM bus is free) but consider how much $$$$$ in car cost money do you want to spend chasing how many $$$ in gas savings money is my point ??

Given the price of fossil fuels and where its going I would think very strongly about some kind of EV if not now in the future as the tech gets better especialy for a second vehicle

if was commuting in a medium sized city like Vangroovy an EV would be a no brainer

I am motivated both by economy ( gearing down my lifestyle in semi retirement) and a growing environmental awareness now that I am a dad. Looking at ev and phev, it really does seem we are on the cusp of accelerating change here and whatever I buy now, I will likely want to upgrade in a year or 2. I am tempted to buy a gas sipper now (like the TDI though tortoise’s post re diesel does give me pause, perhaps a gas sipping civic) with the expectation of something more electric in the near future. Another factor to consider is the the tdi/civic having more trunk space, making it a better and more efficient highway car, saving me from using my truck on longer road trips where the bed or towing isn’t needed. Finally, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of used volts and the like here in the Okanagan, which would have me flying to Vancouver if I were to want to buy one.

[XXX-er]

I am motivated both by economy ( gearing down my lifestyle in semi retirement) and a growing environmental awareness now that I am a dad. Looking at ev and phev, it really does seem we are on the cusp of accelerating change here and whatever I buy now, I will likely want to upgrade in a year or 2. I am tempted to buy a gas sipper now (like the TDI though tortoise’s post re diesel does give me pause, perhaps a gas sipping civic) with the expectation of something more electric in the near future. Another factor to consider is the the tdi/civic having more trunk space, making it a better and more efficient highway car, saving me from using my truck on longer road trips where the bed or towing isn’t needed. Finally, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of used volts and the like here in the Okanagan, which would have me flying to Vancouver if I were to want to buy one.

i think you got a good read ^^ on it

- you really don't know how a retirement gig is gona play out till you get doing it

- yeah if you look at that bloomberg artical the EV tech is changing/cheaper every year, ask the same original question in a couple years and the answers will be different probably very different in both the tech AND your lifestyle

- TDi's have heated seats cuz they don't wamr up & there is no heat for 15 min, also TDi don't start well in the cold, they do work well for a road warrior but that ain't your app and don't forget that your wife has to like it. A 2 yr old gas sipping civic makes a whole bunch of sense

- its a matter of perspective but you are pretty close to Vangroovy !

[DtEW]

I am motivated both by economy ( gearing down my lifestyle in semi retirement) and a growing environmental awareness now that I am a dad. Looking at ev and phev, it really does seem we are on the cusp of accelerating change here and whatever I buy now, I will likely want to upgrade in a year or 2.

An option you might want to consider is leasing an EV. My significant other leased a Chevy Bolt with the same understanding that in 3 years at the end of the lease, chances are that the technology and prices will be probably be a whole different realm, and she can re-assess whether she likes that Bolt well enough to buy it... or jump for something else.

The investment to put a level 2 charger in the home is also now significantly lower than before given the non-exoticness of it nowadays and hence competition. For us it was $1k for the licensed electrician and city permits for a dedicated NEMA 6-50 plug + $400 for the charger. We figured it was a safe-enough investment given current trends.

[XXX-er]

Since its also 220 I wondered if there was any reason you couldn't just plug a level 2 charger into a dryer socket which most homes already have ??

[The Tortoise]

It's not like you need to always be road tripping to make use of a diesel, but if you're just doing short city trips it's kinda hard on the emissions stuff.

I do love mine. (15 Wagon with the auto). Got 5.7 L/100km coming back from Vermont. That's driving at 120 km/hr with a roof box on top. Plus a few starts/stops so not all highway. They drive great too, effortless cruising. And the cargo capacity to overall footprint ratio is about as good as it gets. And for the '15 they changed the cooling system. They warm up a lot faster than the old ones. And since they have an electric heater produce heat in about a minute. Cold starts haven't been an issue, even at -30. In fact this TDI is the best car I've owned for cold starts.

The 11yr warranty on all the expensive bits is just icing on the cake.

That said, the gas wagon also gets great economy. And if you get a '16 and newer it comes with the upgraded infotainment and Carplay/Android Auto. (You can add it to the '15 but it's about a grand).

[DtEW]

Since its also 220 I wondered if there was any reason you couldn't just plug a level 2 charger into a dryer socket which most homes already have ??

You probably can, as long as the circuit is good for the amperage the given level 2 charger will draw at peak plus 20% margin. We just have natural gas for stove/dryer/water heater in our home, so we have no dryer sockets.

[bodywhomper]

Aren’t there some current hybrids where the car company acknowledge the planned upgrade will be a longer distance battery? I thought this was the case for the bmw i3. I assume there are others....?

[XXX-er]

I've often thot a replaceable battery would be good for EV, you could even take a spare with you on long trips ... they been doing it with flashlights for a long time

[DtEW]

I've often thot a replaceable battery would be good for EV, you could even take a spare with you on long trips ... they been doing it with flashlights for a long time

For consideration toward this end, the 238-mile-range Chevy Bolt's 60kwh battery pack is 960lbs and is a stressed member.

The 1st-gen Nissan Leaf's 24kwh battery pack is 648lbs. A Tesla's ~75kwh battery pack is ~1300lbs and is also a stressed member.

[XXX-er]

Ok maybe replaceable batteries are somewhere in the future ... something to aim for eh

[DtEW]

Ok maybe replaceable batteries are somewhere in the future ... something to aim for eh

I think at some point people had the idea that a "swap station" that you drove over and stopped-on could change out the battery (obviously with hydraulic jacks and robotic arms) under the vehicle in a couple of minutes, replicating the gas-fill-up experience.

However, existing EVs are still considered not-entirely-there in terms of energy density (enough-but-not-optimal range given the current state of EV charging infrastructure), so battery packs are maximized for as much range as possible, and integrated into the car as stressed members so the rest of the car can be lighter to result in more effective range.

I guess had governing bodies been more proactive and set forth a standard for smaller modular batteries (maybe <100 miles range?), and then provided incentives for swap stations be built everywhere... such a thing might have been possible. But yet it would have also been wrong, since the fast evolution of EV tech and battery capacity would have rendered and standards and infrastructure plans obsolete before either were fully deployed.

So if this were to happen... it would have to be a good bit down the line when the technology has stabilized.

[XXX-er]

ok that all seems like a lot of weight BUT consider that a gallon of gas weighs 6.3 lbs

so how much does all the fuel in your car or truck weigh??

[rod9301]

ok that all seems like a lot of weight BUT consider that a gallon of gas weighs 6.3 lbs

so how much does all the fuel in your car or truck weigh??

120 lbs

Sent from my Armor_3 using Tapatalk

[skimaxpower]

Since its also 220 I wondered if there was any reason you couldn't just plug a level 2 charger into a dryer socket which most homes already have ??

Totally possible to re-use a 220-240V dryer/oven plug to charge your EV (just check circuit's max amps for safety). The obvious downside is that your garage is not always proximate to your laundry/kitchen. But every time I drive my EV to visit Mom, I re-charge for the drive home by unplugging her dryer. Sorry, Mom.