EV myths are still believed.

[DonTom]

Here are a couple of minutes on the most common EV myths people still believe.

As for the higher costs on the road, that depends on many things. For example, I find places to charge that cost me nothing at all in this area, as well as many places in CA. But in some places, an on-road charge could cost more per mile than a gas station across the street in the same-sized vehicle. But this is quite rare.

I just happened to find a new place to charge (at no cost to me) yesterday on the CA-NV border. I was the very first one to check into these charge stations. This one could be handy to me if I am hungry on the way back to Reno from Auburn and want to get home with a full tummy & full charge. The restaurant has great hours and is open every day. But no need to eat there to charge. Nobody will care and it is paid for by the casino.

I can get a 12KW charge there for my Tesla for as long as I want. I don't even have to worry about staying plugged in too long. They have no way to bill from these types of charge stations and they have five there, with Tesla Superchargers a few feet away. Not many will be using these five AC charge stations, I was the only one there yesterday, but the Tesla Superchargers a few feet away were quite busy--and those cost money. Those are for people who are in a hurry. I rarely am.

But the motorcycle I used can only charge up to 6.6 KWs. I had to use my Tesla-Tap which converts these Tesla AC charge stations to J-1772. I carry one of those with all my EVs, motorcycle or not. But with the Tesla, it uses the opposite, J-1772 to Tesla for the J AC charge stations. There, yesterday, I would only have to plug in the charging cable direct, no adapter is needed for a Tesla and it would instantly charge at 12 KW.

Here I can get a free 62.5 KW DC fast charge. So is it really expensive on the road? If I were cheap enough, I could drive all my EVs for free and not even use my home charging at all. But I just go for what is the most convenient--which usually means charging at home, except for when on a road trip.

Another thing I do not fully agree with is that there are enough charge stations on the road. There are more than enough for most modern EVs (especially Tesla and even more so If it can also be charged with CCS--as mine can) which have a decent range, but not for several of my motorcycles or many older EVs where the range is limited. For example, not even one charge station north of here until Susanville on Hwy 395 (80 miles/130km) . And even there, there are no CCS fast chargers. There are only Tesla Superchargers and slow J-1772 AC stations.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[LarsMac]

I didn't know EVs had been around long enough to build a good set of Myths, yet.

 

[DonTom]

I didn't know EVs had been around long enough to build a good set of Myths, yet.

EVs were here before ICE vehicles.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Martian]

Don't we all look forward to the end of fossil fuels! Just think: no plastics, no rubber for tires, no televisions, no other electronic devices and nothing to disturb our horses on the road. I can't wait!

 

[DonTom]

Don't we all look forward to the end of fossil fuels! Just think: no plastics, no rubber for tires, no televisions, no other electronic devices and nothing to disturb our horses on the road. I can't wait!

That will not happen any time soon. I even expect ICE vehicles to be around for a very long time unless you want a small car--I expect those will all be gone sometime in the near future, in some states a lot sooner than others.

But we will be seeing ICE vehicles for the rest of our lives.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[LarsMac]

EVs were here before ICE vehicles.

-Don- Reno, NV

Yeah, good point.

The first electric vehicle that I remember seeing was a 1914 Detroit Electric, near Stuart, Florida, back when I was a kid.

 

[LarsMac]

Don't we all look forward to the end of fossil fuels! Just think: no plastics, no rubber for tires, no televisions, no other electronic devices and nothing to disturb our horses on the road. I can't wait!

With all due respect. That is actually a bit of a narrow minded view. There has long been the notion that using petroleum for fuel has been a terrible waste of resources that could better be applied to far more useful applications.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

nothing to disturb our horses on the road.

Dirt road, because asphalt is petroleum based and cement is made in fossil fuel kilns. I hope the hay for the horses is organically sourced because modern agriculture uses petroleum sourced fertilizers.

I don't believe that the myths are a standing impediment to anyone actually interested in owning an EV, or anything else. People want what they want and often it's not about the most economic or practical solution. There were waiting lists for EV1's when they came out, a car with a nominal 50 mile or whatever range. No range myth there. They came with a roadside assistance plan so when the inevitable time came you crapped out on the road you could get a tow. There is no question for many people a contemporary EV would work fine. Should they get one just because? The reluctance to adopt might be partly attributable to myth but only because there's already a limited positive affirmation it's something people might want. A $50K car is not an impulse buy for most, and if people had issues with their gas cars that EV's solved then there'd be a more critical product review and adoption, and less susceptibility to myth. Consider that by any standard, EV's today aren't economy models. They're 0-60 rockets with luxury appointments. Because without those features there wouldn't be enough distinction to make buyers even want to look. The charge station availability issue is real, the last thing I want to do is schlep around to available stations and waiting around for the thing to soak up watt hours, free or not. Part of consumer education then is selling charging at home, which to me is the most compelling feature of EV's. But that's not enough to overcome some of the downsides which are likely unique to me but not completely obscure. So if an EV isn't a solution even to someone like me that drove one for ten years, consider the reluctance of commoners that relegate any car to be a transportation appliance. Until EV's solve a problem people have (which can be real or perceived), I don't think you'll see folks flocking to dealers to shed their ICE's.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[DonTom]

which can be real or perceived)

I think more of the EV issues are perceived than are real. Especially when we consider how far the average car is driven per day in the USA, which is 29.2 miles. Perhaps most EVs these days can go around ten times that distance on a home charge.

OTOH, I am surprised by the rather large numbers of Teslas I see at charge stations, which proves many are going more than a couple of hundred miles--assuming most of these can also charge at home.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[ex-member]

I can’t say I have ever seen any push away from petroleum products. The only thing I have seen is a push for the reduction of burning them. Seems sensible to me. Valuable resource. Makes sense to work towards burning them.

 

[Kodiak34SS]

ICE has pretty much reached peak power and efficiency, and even then, so much energy is lost to heat and sound. Can't change that, is what it is. Makes sense to explore other propulsion methods.

As for EV myths, I think simple journalism tends to perpetuate them for the low-information folks who consume that kind of news.

 

[Chef Duane]

With all due respect. That is actually a bit of a narrow minded view. There has long been the notion that using petroleum for fuel has been a terrible waste of resources that could better be applied to far more useful applications.

I think it was meant with more than a little sarcasm, don't you think?

 

[Chef Duane]

As for EV myths, I think simple journalism tends to perpetuate them for the low-information folks who consume that kind of news.

... on both sides.

 

[LarsMac]

I think it was meant with more than a little sarcasm, don't you think?

I do.

 

[John From Detroit]

I didn't know EVs had been around long enough to build a good set of Myths, yet.

Took the Oil industry about 10 minutes to start writing lies about EV's I've heard many of them but I've also heard from EV owners. But the myths likely were being written even before the first Tesla hit the assembly line.

THere have. of course. been EV's for many decades. I saw some back in my Teens.