1srelluc
Diamond Member
The Two Faces Of EVs: Brilliant In Town, Hopeless In The Fast Lane
EVs are mainly overpriced city cars, fine for local use but hopeless on fast motorways. Buyers need honest data which should include a rating of fast-lane performance.
www.forbes.com
Electric vehicles are mainly overpriced city cars, fine for local use but hopeless if you plan a long trip on fast motorways.
Next-generation solid-state technology batteries promise to half the price, weight and cost, and double the range. But until solid-state arrives, and this seems unlikely in any great numbers until at least 2030, EVs will remain the unfinished article.
Meanwhile, European car buyers are being effectively gaslit by a lack of detailed information about the EVs they are being persuaded to buy. Not only is official range information often seriously exaggerated. An important negative is deliberately omitted; the fact that high but legal autoroute cruising slashes range by between 30 and 60%.
EV buyers need honest data which should include a rating of fast-lane performance.
ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, known by its French acronym, was asked to comment on the quality of range data in general and the possibility of a motorway performance rating but declined to reply.
“Range falls off a cliff at high speed. For an electric car, the extra energy required getting from 60 mph to 75 mph is astonishing and virtually doubles energy consumption to move all that air out of the way,” Wells has said.
This range argument has been the elephant in the room for years. Back in 2012 when I questioned Elon Musk at the Geneva car show, he confirmed that Tesla average range claims were measured at 55 mph. It doesn’t much imagination to realize cruising at 75 mph is going to slash range.
EV range at autoroute cruising speeds is cut often by between 30% and 60%.
That explains why I pass so many Teslas and Mach Es like they are standing still when on the interstate.
Sigh, if only there was a nationwide charging system that still had their cables attached.....How many billions did we lay out for that?
Doesn't matter, charge time from empty is too long for cross country travel to be practical anyway.