Four months of driving an EV some observations

justoffal

Diamond Member
Jun 29, 2013
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1.) It's not cheaper than gas.

It is for me because I have free charging at the dealership that's 2 miles down the street and free charging at work. Very few people are going to have those options. The commercial charging stations are all right around $0.30 a minute. Now EV batteries have what you call a cumulative resistance to charging which means the higher the charge the slower the charging takes place. So if you drive into the charging station at roughly 5% your first 40 or 50% will happen very quickly. After that it slows down. By the time you hit 90% you're spending up to 5 minutes for 1% of charge.
I've learned to do different things while I'm waiting at the charger since you really can't walk away from your car trusting that somebody else won't unplug it. ( Something I never thought of until it happened to me). I'm currently working on my next degree in mechanical engineering and I find that down time an excellent opportunity to catch up on course work. But it is very time consuming and you do have to plan differently than if you were just going to the gas station for a quick fill up. With the current pricing at the commercial charging station even with the high price of gas right now it's pretty much a wash. And you're definitely better off with a little four cylinder turbo diesel that gets 50 to 60 miles a gallon.

2.) Total cost of ownership is another way to look at an EV. I don't need oil changes, I don't need antifreeze, I don't need transmission fluid, I don't need to be bothered with emissions testing or all the very expensive fixes that follow failures. I do still need tires now and then but I'm still working on my first pair of course.... And the automobile will need brake maintenance and drivetrain maintenance although it does not have a transmission.

3.) I don't miss the smell of spent exhaust. I can sit in the William's tunnel during a traffic jam and use absolutely no energy while sitting. It's very quiet.... So was my Maxima but this is even more quiet than the Maxima. The automobile itself has plenty of horsepower though I'm not sure exactly what it is it's very responsive to the accelerator.

4.) Heat in the winter is a problem... it probably decreases the car's range by up to 15% which is considerable.

5.) Having said that I expect that air conditioning will also do the same thing.

6.) Most information available right now indicates that EV's actually have a larger carbon footprint than the gas powered alternatives. Not sure where all of this is going but it looks like everyone's bought into the circle jerk so we're heading into EV land like it or not. Carbon footprint be damned!

Just a side note here I hope everyone realizes that there's only one way to make steel and that's with Coal. The simply is no other way to do it. So the more electric vehicles we need the more coal burning we will have to do to create the steel unless we begin to build them out of something else.

Jo
 
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Damn, 30 cents a minute.
It sounds harmless until you realize that it's cumulative. Then you realize it's actually a monster in the making. Right now the EV stations are operating at a loss. Probably being subsidized by the federal government. I predict that the rate will rise up to a dollar a minute within the next handful of years especially after they drive gas vehicles off the road completely and there's no competition.
 
1.) It's not cheaper than gas.

It is for me because I have free charging at the dealership that's 2 miles down the street and free charging at work. Very few people are going to have those options. The commercial charging stations are all right around $0.30 a minute. Now EV batteries have what you call a cumulative resistance to charging which means the higher the charge the slower the charging takes place. So if you drive into the charging station at roughly 5% your first 40 or 50% will happen very quickly. After that it slows down. By the time you hit 90% you're spending up to 5 minutes for 1% of charge.
I've learned to do different things while I'm waiting at the charger since you really can't walk away from your car trusting that somebody else won't unplug it. ( Something I never thought of until it happened to me). I'm currently working on my next degree in mechanical engineering and I find that down time an excellent opportunity to catch up on course work. But it is very time consuming and you do have to plan differently than if you were just going to the gas station for a quick fill up. With the current pricing at the commercial charging station even with the high price of gas right now it's pretty much a wash. And you're definitely better off with a little four cylinder turbo diesel that gets 50 to 60 miles a gallon.

2.) Total cost of ownership is another way to look at an EV. I don't need oil changes, I don't need antifreeze, I don't need transmission fluid, I don't need to be bothered with emissions testing or all the very expensive fixes that follow failures. I do still need tires now and then but I'm still working on my first pair of course.... And the automobile will need brake maintenance and drivetrain maintenance although it does not have a transmission.

3.) I don't miss the smell of spent exhaust. I can sit in the William's tunnel during a traffic jam and use absolutely no energy while sitting. It's very quiet.... So was my Maxima but this is even more quiet than the Maxima. The automobile itself has plenty of horsepower though I'm not sure exactly what it is it's very responsive to the accelerator.

4.) Heat in the winter is a problem... it probably decreases the car's range by up to 15% which is considerable.

5.) Having said that I expect that air conditioning will also do the same thing.

6.) Most information available right now indicates that EV's actually have a larger carbon footprint than the gas powered alternatives. Not sure where all of this is going but it looks like everyone's bought into the circle jerk so we're heading into EV land like it or not. Carbon footprint be damned!

Just a side note here I hope everyone realizes that there's only one way to make steel and that's with Coal. The simply is no other way to do it. So the more electric vehicles we need the more coal burning we will have to do to create the steel unless we begin to build them out of something else.

Jo
I wonder what coal fire power plant is operating that enables you to charge your car?
 
It sounds harmless until you realize that it's cumulative. Then you realize it's actually a monster in the making. Right now the EV stations are operating at a loss. Probably being subsidized by the federal government. I predict that the rate will rise up to a dollar a minute within the next handful of years especially after they drive gas vehicles off the road completely and there's no competition.
I thought it was high as it was.....Total EV is a joke, hybrid made a lot more sense.....Some even recharged themselves and you topped them off on house current.
 
I was traveling recently and pulled off the Interstate to get some gas.
There was also an EV charging area off to the side and several cars were plugged up to a charger. All of the drivers were setting in their EV's reading a book or magazine.
I just laughed and finished filling up my car.
5 minutes total I was back on the highway heading home.
While the EV drivers were still sitting there tied to their electric umbilical cord.
 
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I thought it was high as it was.....Total EV is a joke, hybrid made a lot more sense.....Some even recharged themselves and you topped them off on house current.
The problem with hybrid cars is the astronomical cost to repair them and price of parts. Most independent auto mechanic shops won't touch them. So you're forced to take your hybrid to the dealership. Expensive!!
Also, the resale value of used hybrids is dismal.
Who wants to buy a used car that's soon gonna need big bucks repairs?
 
The problem with hybrid cars is the astronomical cost to repair them and price of parts. Most independent auto mechanic shops won't touch them. So you're forced to take your hybrid to the dealership. Expensive!!
Also, the resale value of used hybrids is dismal.
Who wants to buy a used car that's soon gonna need big bucks repairs?

They should make the batteries as easy as possible to swap out, thus making it a material maintenance cost instead of a labor one, but making this so would be admitting battery life is still an issue.
 
Damn, 30 cents a minute.
My son lives in Atlanta and has a Tesla.

He has occasionally driven down here to Central Florida to visit us. About a 500 mile one way trip.

He said the cost of charging on the trip is close to the same cost as gasoline, even with Potatohead's inflation of fuel prices.

He also said he spends about two hours doing the charging for a one way trip.
 
They should make the batteries as easy as possible to swap out, thus making it a material maintenance cost instead of a labor one, but making this so would be admitting battery life is still an issue.
That plus the complicated electronics take specialized training and tools to repair and are fairly dangerous because of the high voltage. Which is why most independent auto mechanic shops refuse to work on them.
So you have to take your hybrid to the big bucks dealership for repairs.
 
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That plus the complicated electronics take specialized training and tools to repair and are fairly dangerous because of the high voltage. Which is why most independent auto mechanic shops refuse to work on them.

In time that won't be an issue, the issue is the progressive need to rush everything and force these things on us even though they are a step back from ICE vehicles in most situations currently.
 
The problem with hybrid cars is the astronomical cost to repair them and price of parts. Most independent auto mechanic shops won't touch them. So you're forced to take your hybrid to the dealership. Expensive!!
Also, the resale value of used hybrids is dismal.
Who wants to buy a used car that's soon gonna need big bucks repairs?
I tend to keep my vehicles around 10-12 years on average so I don't expect much in the way of resale value. As long as it is still in decent shape (all mine are garage kept) they are easy to get shed of in my AO.

NOtVA Hispanics will buy every one of them. The last few I've sold were sold to Hispanics from the Manassas, Virginia area and they come cash in hand. In fact I sold two to the same guy a couple of years apart. I guess he gets them up to snuff and resells them to other Hispanics.
 
That plus the complicated electronics take specialized training and tools to repair and are fairly dangerous because of the high voltage. Which is why most independent auto mechanic shops refuse to work on them.
My son with the Tesla in Atlanta spent over $60K for the stupid thing.

A couple of months after getting it went dead in the middle of Atlanta rush hour traffic on a main commuter highway.

It made a major traffic jam for about two hours. Because of the congested traffic it took a long time to get a tow truck to load up his vehicle. It was a major problem.

It took three and half weeks at the dealership to get the vehicle fixed. Some controller computer chip went out.
 
Fucka' buncha' EV bullshit.

I'll take my '69 Charger any day...

50181091162_cb060e2ced_o.jpg
 
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Damn, 30 cents a minute.

My daughter rented a Tesla during a recent trip to San Diego. She said it took about a half hour to charge up and then it was good for about 300 miles (ballpark). At .30¢ a minute, that translates to $9 to completely recharge. I have no plans to get rid of any of my gasoline-driven automobiles, but I know I can't go 300 miles for nine bucks in any of 'em...
 
It took three and half weeks at the dealership to get the vehicle fixed. Some controller computer chip went out.
Tesla's are the worst to get repaired, and the dealerships hold their customers hostage.
Tesla refuses to sell parts or repair manuals to anyone. Period.
So if your Tesla has broken down and needs repair.
You have two choices.
Let it set on the driveway as a metal yard ornament, or have a tow truck haul it to the dealership and take out a second mortgage on your house.
 
An EV would be impractical for me. My commutes can be anywhere in the 14 county area surrounding the Twin Cities working in residential construction. Need a bigger vehicle for tools and towing our camper or boat.
If it works for some folks, great.
I have nothing against multiple options in vehicle technology, just don't mandate behavior or preference based on the false notion of a reduced environmental impact.
 
Tesla's are the worst to get repaired, and the dealerships hold their customers hostage.
Tesla refuses to sell parts or repair manuals to anyone. Period.
So if your Tesla has broken down and needs repair.
You have two choices.
Let it set on the driveway as a metal yard ornament, or have a tow truck haul it to the dealership and take out a second mortgage on your house.
Not to mention those working poor that liberals are always crying about, who drive twenty year old Honda's, will never be able to afford them. Even at that magical 15 bucks an hour.
 
Tesla's are the worst to get repaired, and the dealerships hold their customers hostage.
Tesla refuses to sell parts or repair manuals to anyone. Period.
So if your Tesla has broken down and needs repair.
You have two choices.
Let it set on the driveway as a metal yard ornament, or have a tow truck haul it to the dealership and take out a second mortgage on your house.
Fortunately my son's Telsa was under warranty. They gave him a loner vehicle for the almost a month it took to be repaired but it was still a pain in the ass. The Atlanta Police were pissed because of the traffic problems caused by the vehicle just going dead in the middle of rush hour.
 

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