Electric car thread

[Name Redacted]

Yeah... that math don't work. A big fucking solar panel like this one https://www.renogy.com/320-watt-mono...e-solar-panel/ produces 320 W (max) in a 66" X 40". That's pretty much your entire roof. In reality you're not getting anywhere near the full 320W when you account for sun angle etc... let's say you actually get 50%, so 160W. The mid-level Rivian battery pack is supposedly 135 kWh. So, it's going to take 8hr to get 1% additional charge out of your 320W panel running at 50% efficiency. Even if you got the full 320W you still need 4hr to get 1% capacity. (This is super rough and ignoring some variables but close enough for our purposes).

So yeah... recharging your battery off a solar panel on the roof of the truck ain't happening.

FWIW I'm losing about 25% of my range in the winter in the Bolt. If parking overnight not plugged in maybe assume another 5% is going to be lost. Then think about how far you're going to drive and relative to the overall range. As good as EVs are for typical daily driving, there's still a ways to go when it comes to use in remote areas.

But what if the solar powered a heater than just kept the batteries from getting too cold? I obviously know Jack shit though. Whatever. I’ll probably be driving a Tacoma gasser for the next 10 years like I did the last one anyway.

[harpo-the-skier]

I need to replace my Forester in the next couple of years, and I am thinking about an EV. My routine commute is from the Sierra foothills to Donner Summit with two passengers, two big dogs, ski gear, and a roof box. 45 miles each way (90 total), 4000 feet up and then 4000 feet down. I will charge the car at night at 2800 feet in the foothills so it won't be too cold. No options for charging the car during the day. I am looking at a Model 3, Mustang Mach E, or the ID3. AWD with winter tires. Usually my commute is 50 minutes each way, but it might increase to 2 hours on holidays.

In those conditions, how much nominal range as stated by the manufacturer do I need for my 90 mile drive?

What else should I look at other than the 3, Mach E, or ID3? I know I can get bigger EVs with more range if spend more, but price is a concern for me.

In those conditions

[frorider]

I’m no expert on the market but I don’t recall any other AWD choices in the affordable category. I keep hearing that the Kia/Hyundai platform was going to have AWD e option but haven’t seen that yet.

Your use model seems pretty well suited to any EV with 200+ nominal range. No extreme cold during daylight hours, and tons of regen on your drive home.

[tetzen]

I am looking at a Model 3, Mustang Mach E, or the ID3.

Not to get too off-topic, but when I saw Mustang Mach E, my initial thought was why would you want a sports car for driving up to the ski hill?

Then I looked it up and realized Ford has lost their fucking mind by making the Mustang an SUV. What fucked up auto-heresy is this? Whoever decided to make the Mustang into an SUV needs to be kicked out of the auto industry for life.

[Name Redacted]

Not to get too off-topic, but when I saw Mustang Mach E, my initial thought was why would you want a sports car for driving up to the ski hill?

Then I looked it up and realized Ford has lost their fucking mind by making the Mustang an SUV. What fucked up auto-heresy is this? Whoever decided to make the Mustang into an SUV needs to be kicked out of the auto industry for life.

Not to mention that it looks like a pile of hot garbage.

Why does the auto industry insist on making electric vehicle look so shitty?

[tetzen]

It's all about the sleekness for aerodynamic purposes while still making it look 4/10 attractive for the masses.

[MontuckyFried]

Not to get too off-topic, but when I saw Mustang Mach E, my initial thought was why would you want a sports car for driving up to the ski hill?

Then I looked it up and realized Ford has lost their fucking mind by making the Mustang an SUV. What fucked up auto-heresy is this? Whoever decided to make the Mustang into an SUV needs to be kicked out of the auto industry for life.

Lol yup. What's even more hilarious is that although they call it an "SUV", it only has 5.7" of ground clearance. The battery floor hangs WAY low. So they plopped the car on top and called it an SUV because they couldn't figure out how to integrate it like Tesla or Porsche. Look at it with the doors open and you'll see how poorly thought out it actually is.

I'd be much more positive about the vehicle if only they just called it the "Mach E", and left the Mustang moniker out of it. Straight blasphemy.

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[MakersTeleMark]

pm old goat if you find a good cord.

[Sirshredalot]

I need to replace my Forester in the next couple of years, and I am thinking about an EV. My routine commute is from the Sierra foothills to Donner Summit with two passengers, two big dogs, ski gear, and a roof box. 45 miles each way (90 total), 4000 feet up and then 4000 feet down. I will charge the car at night at 2800 feet in the foothills so it won't be too cold. No options for charging the car during the day. I am looking at a Model 3, Mustang Mach E, or the ID3. AWD with winter tires. Usually my commute is 50 minutes each way, but it might increase to 2 hours on holidays.

In those conditions, how much nominal range as stated by the manufacturer do I need for my 90 mile drive?

What else should I look at other than the 3, Mach E, or ID3? I know I can get bigger EVs with more range if spend more, but price is a concern for me.

In those conditions

I don't think range will be an issue for your 90 mile round trip with any of those.

4000 feet up with a full car, you will be able to watch the battery meter deplete in real time. But that's only 45 miles. And you'll probably gain battery charge on the way home from all the regen.

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[adrenalated]

I need to replace my Forester in the next couple of years, and I am thinking about an EV. My routine commute is from the Sierra foothills to Donner Summit with two passengers, two big dogs, ski gear, and a roof box. 45 miles each way (90 total), 4000 feet up and then 4000 feet down. I will charge the car at night at 2800 feet in the foothills so it won't be too cold. No options for charging the car during the day. I am looking at a Model 3, Mustang Mach E, or the ID3. AWD with winter tires. Usually my commute is 50 minutes each way, but it might increase to 2 hours on holidays.

In those conditions, how much nominal range as stated by the manufacturer do I need for my 90 mile drive?

What else should I look at other than the 3, Mach E, or ID3? I know I can get bigger EVs with more range if spend more, but price is a concern for me.

In those conditions

Your use model seems pretty well suited to any EV with 200+ nominal range. No extreme cold during daylight hours, and tons of regen on your drive home.

Agree with frorider, any 200+ nominal range EV should make that drive easily. The first time you drive up the 4000ft is going to be terrifying as you watch your range drop like a rock, but coming back down the 4000ft in 45mi is going to use almost no battery at all.

[grskier]

Agree with frorider, any 200+ nominal range EV should make that drive easily. The first time you drive up the 4000ft is going to be terrifying as you watch your range drop like a rock, but coming back down the 4000ft in 45mi is going to use almost no battery at all.

This.

I've been driving a gen 1.5 ish Leaf for work, I would drive from 7900' to 9000' in 12 miles for a project, it'd use 20+ miles of range on the way up, -5 on the way down.

I love the Rivian look other than the lights, but I can get over that quickly.

I'd love that F150 when it comes out. It'd replace two ICE vehicles for us.

[alpinevibes]

Just put in a grant proposal to the State of CO for one of these:



250kW, 125mi range with 72pass, 335HP, 1800lb/ft - https://thelionelectric.com/en/products/electric

$410k list with auto chains and other options.
VW dieselgate settlement money will provide a $300k grant. We would be the first mountain terrain + cold weather application for any of the three EV bus manufacturers.



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[claresdad]

Love how it puts clean air applications closer to kids daily lives. Kudos. Hope it works out.

[gravitylover]

Nice idea on the bus but it's at least 100 miles short on range, especially in cold weather. The buses here do 2 runs every morning and afternoon elementary then middle/high school in a very hilly area. I remember somewhere in one of the bus upgrades a few years ago they said each bus averages over 180 miles a day.

[plugboots]

... and are plugged in between runs?

[Toadman]

This.

I've been driving a gen 1.5 ish Leaf for work, I would drive from 7900' to 9000' in 12 miles for a project, it'd use 20+ miles of range on the way up, -5 on the way down.

I love the Rivian look other than the lights, but I can get over that quickly.

I'd love that F150 when it comes out. It'd replace two ICE vehicles for us.

I'm hoping to get a couple more years out of my '07 Frontier, especially since I only drive it to the dog park or to the slopes these days. Then take a look around 2023 and see what EV pickup trucks are being sold. But an EV F-150 would tick all the boxes. And I know GM has a whole slew of EV coming out in the next 2-3 years as well. I like the info I'm seeing on their battery pack design. Looks slick.

https://www.gm.com/our-stories/commi...echnology.html


https://apnews.com/article/business-...dccb60dc6d348b

[jackstraw]

Nice idea on the bus but it's at least 100 miles short on range, especially in cold weather. The buses here do 2 runs every morning and afternoon elementary then middle/high school in a very hilly area. I remember somewhere in one of the bus upgrades a few years ago they said each bus averages over 180 miles a day.

Get out of your bubble man.


I think it's going to take Ford a while if not forever to get even close to Tesla or Rivian. They need to start an entirely new company that washes all their old car making ways away and start fresh as a tech company, not a car company. Electric cars are a damn computer tied to an electric motor with some wheels. Soon they'll have a button dead center of the dash - ctrl+alt+del

[alpinevibes]

Nice idea on the bus but it's at least 100 miles short on range, especially in cold weather. The buses here do 2 runs every morning and afternoon elementary then middle/high school in a very hilly area. I remember somewhere in one of the bus upgrades a few years ago they said each bus averages over 180 miles a day.

Thanks but that’s not my reality: private school, single routes. We’ll plan to use it for a daily route that covers 40-50mi with some additional 5-10mi field trips. It can plug in during the day and will be plugged in overnight.

I know we won’t see 125mi range outside Sept/Oct or May, but my longest route is 45mi each way (plus 6000’ to 8000’ in the AM). I plan to see if we can use the bus for that as temps and range allows. I was scheduled to replace a diesel bus with a new one anyways ($115k), so this would be a huge win if we get the grant.

There are about 500 EV school buses in use across the country currently. Feedback so far has been very positive and I think it’s a massive area for improving student and community health.

[bodywhomper]

it's great to see more transit oriented use of EV. I know that it's not the same, but I still remember my first time recognizing the electric trolley buses in SF. Amongst some trend setting agencies, there's a push to include EV construction equipment as part of their carbon neutrality goals.

Back to harpo's question. I (and many other mags) have been driving the various corridors from the foothills into the tahoe sierra area for decades. I see EV cars often in the winter in the tahoe area. more and more each year, which makes sense.

though the drive can be short and simple, winter conditions can make the drive take an incredibly long time. i've experienced situations in each corridor (hwys 20, 80, 50, and 88) where i, and all those near me, have been stuck for hours during heavy winter storms without any safe (or legal) means to turnaround. Many of these areas lack cell service (or radio signal) to get updates. if you're in an EV in this type of situation, would you be shit-out-of-luck or possibly exacerbate the traffic because your EV runs out of juice in the single available driving lane? For me, most of these experiences (in an ICE) have resulted in incredible powder days (in the BC and at the ski hill). the ski conditions were the reason for the trip. There have been a handful of times, where I have pulled the plug on the trip after sitting at the road closure for multiple hours. the "worst" was sac to carson spur closure gate to sac, which involved 9 hours total in the car.

there have been a few times for me where the slow drive was a surprise due to an unexpected accident or shit like fallen trees and power lines blocking the highway. These are things that were unreported at the last opportunity to check before being committed to the drive. There's also the classic overnight stay in your car on highways 50 and 88 because of avi control.

to me, it seems that there are several high risks if you only have an EV car with a short range and want to ski.

[harpo-the-skier]

Bodywhomper, good point about the getting stuck on the road.

Once or twice a year, my commute might be 4 hours instead of 1.5 hours. I wonder if that would be a problem if I started with a full charge? How much battery life do you use standing still in an EV? If it is a problem, I could always take the F150 on those days, they are pretty predictable.

[muted]

Just take the F150 if it's questionable. The heater and screen takes some juice in the cold, I don't know how much. How much gas does a heater take in an ICE car? I dunno either. Depends.

EVs are a bit of a compromise but if you are not traveling long distances and have a second car that is an ICE vehicle, the benefits outweigh the compromises by x100.

[harpo-the-skier]

I am doing my due diligence on Tesla 3s and Ys. What is the deal with Tesla tires, and the lack of a spare? I understand that there are options to get back on the road after a flat with roadside assistance. Can you go with any other roadside assistance than Teslas? How about the repair kits? How about replacement tires, including winter or all season tires?

[muted]

I am doing my due diligence on Tesla 3s and Ys. What is the deal with Tesla tires, and the lack of a spare? I understand that there are options to get back on the road after a flat with roadside assistance. Can you go with any other roadside assistance than Teslas? How about the repair kits? How about replacement tires, including winter or all season tires?

It sucks. Some people carry a spare in the frunk. I never use the frunk so I could see that as a possibility.

I have a 12v inflator, fix a flat, etc in the trunk instead. I got a flat once and drove it kinda flat to a tire store, after inflating it. It was an expensive mistake for being lazy, I ruined the tire doing that and the tires they use are some weird ones that are not cheap. They are lined with sound-absorbing polyurethane foam material and that tire is hard to find to replace at the time.

[harpo-the-skier]

Tesla also sells a repair kit for $200 plus. Does anyone have ideas about that? What options do you have for replacement tires? How is the performance different from the Tesla OEM tires? What about winter tires?

[harpo-the-skier]

I just spent some time on the Tesla website. The tire repair kit with sealant and inflator is $80. 19" wheels with winter Pirelli tires are $3000. Comments?