oldwildman
Active member
Looks good around the major cities. But, the other areas, not so much. Far too much advance planning needed. With ice, you just go. And, when you need fuel, you don't have to go more than 1/4 mile out of your way, if that.
Would you buy an EV?
- Thread starter Tom
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
DonTom
Well-known member
I have yet to go even 1/8th mile out of my way to charge up. 99.9% of my charging is at home, the other 0.1% was right where I was going anyway.
Save for one time I was on my electric motorcycle in Elk Grove, CA and couldn't get the charger to work!
And I can remember at least one time when I had to go 30 miles out of my way to get gas. IIRC, that was on HWY 6 (many years ago) in Nevada when I needed to turn left but the closest gas station was 15 miles to the right.
Of course, either can happen. Just depends on where you're going.
-Don- Auburn, CA
OP
OP
Tom
Administrator
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2005
- Posts
- 51,932
I don't recall running out of gas in over 60 years of driving on two continents. But, if I did, I could probably call my road service provider and get a can of gas delivered. Does a similar service exist for folks who's EV battery ran out of coulombs?
DonTom
Well-known member
If the navigation system is used, it should never happen, the navigation system should tell you if such a problem is expected, including the chargers out of service on the way.
But yes, there is enough EVs these days so AAA and others will carry, well see here.
"Last year, AAA started adding the SparkCharge Roadie to its fleet as a portable charging solution for EVs. SparkCharge is the first company that offers a "charging-as-a-service" solution to EV owners. It uses a modular unit built up of battery modules with lithium-Ion cells. When stacked, the battery modules can deliver a battery charge of about a mile per minute."
-Don- Auburn, CA
DonTom
Well-known member
This has nothing to do with EVs vs. ICE, but would you be able to call where there is no cell service?
-Don- Auburn, CA
OP
OP
Tom
Administrator
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2005
- Posts
- 51,932
Good to know. I figured it would have to come one day but, not having owned an EV, I haven't been following that side of things.
OP
OP
Tom
Administrator
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2005
- Posts
- 51,932
That's something that has always worried me, especially when we've made several 2,500 miles each way car trips a year for the last 10 years. Used to be paranoid about remaining fuel and would fill up "too often". Similar story on the coach until I installed a (Silverleaf) system to monitor/report actual fuel usage, and I'd be continually calculating and correlating with fuel remaining.
The triple A type services are starting to use Ford Lightnings as service trucks. I believe they have an 11 KW ish output that they can use to give EV a few KW. I don’t actually know anyone that has ever used this service but I saw their advertisement showing it hooked up to a vehicle.
When we have travelled around the country pulling our little trailer I often wonder what it would be like to use our little champion 2 KW propane generator as an emergency backup charge source. I think it would be super slow but I imagine it would work.
We have a bigger home generator we exercise every few months by plugging the car into it. It works fine so I imagine the little champion would work as well. I hope I never have to find out.
Handy little genny for camping though.
Bill & Gail
Member
DonTom
Well-known member
Take some of that worry away with a Spot Messenger SOV service. I won't leave home without it--unless I am walking somewhere.
All that is needed to call a tow truck is some wide sky. It also would have saved a life last year then those RVers were stuck near Silver Peak, NV. Just press a button and help is on the way.
-Don- Auburn, CA
DonTom
Well-known member
Yep, but a tow truck will be a lot faster if you have more than a few meters to get to the next charge station.
BTW, ever run your Tesla below 0% SOC? I know a guy who ran it all the way out. You get plenty of warnings and it will tell you when to pull off the road and exactly when the motor will shut down.
-Don- Auburn, CA
OP
OP
Tom
Administrator
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2005
- Posts
- 51,932
Since we no longer have the dogs, we no longer plan on driving 2,500 miles each way several times a year. That's how we were able to make the recent flight from OAK to CMH and back.
One of my "almost of out of gas" on-the-water experiences was reported here:
Down the CA coast
Scroll down to December 14, 2nd and 3rd paragraphs.
No. I think the lowest we ever got was 8 percent.
stripit
Well-known member
I have run my Model X down to 5% once, figuring I could make it home and then plug in, I was correct. But I kind of wondered if my figuring was as close as it was...
DonTom
Well-known member
SOC% is much more believable than a fuel gauge and IIRC, you can go perhaps around 10 SOC below Zero in most Teslas. Mine (LR M3) will go around 25 miles after 0 SOC% (not tested by me, I never been below 30% SOC in mine).
BTW, that is also why a full charge shows about 25 miles low in my Model 3. It's Tesla's Reserve for 25 miles below zero. Range is MORE than shown on the display (unless towing or speeding, very cold, etc.).
See here.
-Don- Reno, NV
DonTom
Well-known member
These will be cheap enough for WallyMart.
"BYD Sparks Electric Car Battle with Game-Changing $12K Model"
New EVs will soon be much cheaper than new ICE vehicles!-Don- Reno, NV
I imagine it’s worth $12,000 too.
Derby6
Well-known member
100% Made in China. 92% Chinese sales. No way I’d own that.
And sales are dropping, even with price drop. Hmmmm?????
And sales are dropping, even with price drop. Hmmmm?????
DonTom
Well-known member
The drop in EV sales is very expected after the big peak in EV sales during the last couple of years. Almost a million sold in 2023 alone.
Whops! Now that I double checked, make that more than a million EVs sold in less than a year!
Not many left looking for new EVs this year, as expected. They got theirs last year.
-Don- Reno, NV
