# What are your electric vehicle plans? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 22, 2020, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614 "2020-10-22T18:45:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 66
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1326 "2024-01-24T21:40:44Z")
> [@Tride](#): > > At $.15 a kwh it costs us $12 for 250 miles of range. That would be around 32 for our Subaru. Our power is less than .10 per KWh so we’d be around $8 for that range. Here are the same two sentences without the dollar symbol before 32. Why is the formatting so f’d up? That would be around 32 for our Subaru. Our power is less than $.10 per KWh so we’d be around $8 for that range. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1327 "2024-01-24T21:59:17Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Why is the formatting so f’d up? It is interpreting the `$...$` section as being in math mode. It is the `.` before the `10` that is causing the problem. “$32” does not go into math mode, because a $ with a letter or number coming immediately after it (no space) is not interpreted as entering math mode, so $32, $foo, etc. are all excepted from entering math mode, but “$.” makes it think you meant for the previous $ to go into math mode, and this one to exit. In order to get that previous sentence to render correctly, I have written `\$`, which says definitely don’t interpret this $ as entering or exiting math mode. Back to EVs: > [@ShadowFacts](#): > > 20,000 miles driven > Total estimated price paid for charging: $332 A Kona not-EV gets 30-35 mpg, so about 600 gallons to go the same 20,000 miles. Gas would have to be about $0.55 per gallon to break even on cost. My Mom is planning to get a Volvo EX30 dual motor when they become available. I knew as EVs took over, that my Model 3 AWD Long Range would stop being an outlier in acceleration, but I’m not sure I can handle my Mom’s car being a second faster to 60 than mine, and still think of my car as “fast”. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1328 "2024-01-24T22:08:12Z")
And this is not a small car–significantly larger and wayyy heavier than our CR-V. And wayyy more powerful. Ended up getting $13,500 off after the tax rebate and incentives (go Costco!). ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1329 "2024-01-24T22:13:59Z")
I am mis-representing the range I am sure in the winter with those tires–probably more like 210 miles at 80% of charge. Just to be honest. I’ll check the stats when the car is back in the garage. ---
**Author:** ![Capn\_Carl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Capn\_Carl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capn_Carl)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1330 "2024-01-25T01:02:58Z")
> [@echoreply](#): > > but I’m not sure I can handle my Mom’s car being a second faster to 60 than mine, and still think of my car as “fast” You need only buy the Acceleration Boost to make your Model 3 keep up with Mom. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1331 "2024-01-25T02:01:29Z")
> [@Capn\_Carl](#): > > You need only buy the Acceleration Boost to make your Model 3 keep up with Mom. The great thing for us is we are moving from a 4-cylinder Subaru to EV. Nearly anything can outperform our car. I floor it to pass and it thinks about accelerating and when it finally decides to do something about it, it’s not impressive. I’ve come from a long line of super non-impressive performance cars so I’m excited about this. I’ve always relied on my motos for performance. I can have my wife on the back of our touring motorcycle, and twist the throttle and pass in a brief moment. Looking forward to this in a 4-wheeled format. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1332 "2024-01-25T03:02:43Z")
> [@Capn\_Carl](#): > > > [@echoreply](#): > > > > but I’m not sure I can handle my Mom’s car being a second faster to 60 than mine, and still think of my car as “fast” > > You need only buy the Acceleration Boost to make your Model 3 keep up with Mom… It’s a sign of the times of Tesla/Musk that I didn’t know if this was an actual thing or something you made up. I had to google it. ---
**Author:** ![RadioWave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/91b2a8/32.png) [@RadioWave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadioWave)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1333 "2024-01-25T03:09:16Z")
We got the Mazda Cx90 Phev. It only gets about 20 miles per charge but with a level 2 charger, we top it up a couple of times a day and almost never need to run on gas outside of long freeway trips. For a big 3 row family hauler, it’s a great combination of fun to drive while still being economical with our solar. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1334 "2024-01-25T05:16:21Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > It’s a sign of the times of Tesla/Musk that I didn’t know if this was an actual thing or something you made up. You’re in for a _real_ big surprise if you think this is something Tesla invented. Some Mercedes customers have to [pay a subscription](https://www.newsweek.com/mercedes-subscription-speed-eq-ev-car-best-performance-1761438) for max performance. Nor should we forget that time BMW tried to charge a subscription to [unlock the seat heaters](https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/12/23204950/bmw-subscriptions-microtransactions-heated-seats-feature). A one-time performance unlock fee is rather innocent in comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1335 "2024-01-25T16:47:44Z")
The charging infrastructure is still not where it needs to be so I think the trend will be to shift away from EV’s toward EV Hybrids. My preference would be for a vehicle with a solid state battery that has a 75-100 mile range. Congress should be on board with this to expedite EV use. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1336 "2024-01-25T18:00:15Z")
I live in a pretty remote, rural area and we think we can make an EV work for nearly everything except when we travel to backpack in deep Idaho (look up Stanley, ID). We will probably keep our Subaru for those 2-3 trips per year. We think we can get to most of our closer mountain ranges with a pure EV. I’ll report back once we get one. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1337 "2024-01-25T18:03:16Z")
A buddy took his Rivian from Bozeman to Stanley and back, and it was a chore. Added about 3 hours to the drive because they had to go through Ketchum to charge. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1338 "2024-01-25T18:10:34Z")
It is possible, but we’d have to head to Ontario, OR which is out of the way. We think we could do it with destination charging at campgrounds to a couple of these places…it will be learning experience. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1339 "2024-01-25T18:46:27Z")
Tesla stock in in free fall. Down 30% this week after their earnings call. They say EV sales are going down, and they expect to sell fewer this year than last year, even with their $10,000 price cut. It may be that the ramp,up in EV sales we’ve seen in the past couple of years was early adopters, hype and rebates, and now those sales are done and the next tier of customers is not so eager to buy. The cold snap and numerous stories of EV troubles didn’t help. I mentioned here before that I was confident enough in the future of EVs that I invested a bunch of money in Ford after the Lightning reveal and in a lithium ETF. I’ve been losing on both. The Lithium ETF is the biggest sign of shrinking demand. I bought it at $72, and it’s now at $43. Given that there are going to be major shortages of lithium if we come even close to the EV mandates for 2030/2035, the fact that Lithium is dropping suggests to me that the market doesn’t beleive these mandates will survive much longer. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1340 "2024-01-25T19:08:17Z")
We’ll get another year or two out of our Mazda CX-9, and then move into an EV or PHEV. Maybe a CX-90, PHEV but I hope to get a full electric. Part of the decision will be whether we still want a 3-row vehicle. Choices are pretty limited now, and I really don’t want to pay what a new one costs. I’d love it if we could get a 1-3 year old vehicle coming off lease or something like that. I only very recently became willing to consider full electric, but this news helped me decide. They did have to limp along to stretch their charge on a few occasions when a charger wasn’t working in parts of South America, and used a generator in some of the most remote places. > **[This Couple Just Drove From the North to South Pole in an Electric Car](https://www.pcmag.com/news/this-couple-just-drove-from-the-north-to-south-pole-in-an-electric-car)** > > Chris and Julie Ramsey were behind the wheel of a Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE for the nine-month, 17,000-mile journey that crossed three continents and 14 countries. I heard an interview with that couple and was encouraged by their experience in the US. They traveled from California (I think) to Tennessee and they made it on regular chargers. I think an EV can do a road trip that is not overly time pressured now in the US, with just a bit of planning. With 4 of us, we wind up stopping on about the necessary schedule anyway, and the stops take some time, so we’d get a decent amount of charge per stop. But for my primary car, I’m keeping my ICE Mazda3 manual transmission until it dies. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1341 "2024-01-25T19:16:25Z")
I wonder why more manufacturers haven’t released series hybrid vehicles. The only ones I know of were the Volt, the BMW i3 and the upcoming Dodge Ramcharger. For those who don’t know, a parallel hybrid retains the entire drivetrain of an ICE car, but adds an electric motor or two and a smaller battery. It’s a more complicated vehicle than either an ICE car or a battery electric car. A series hybrid, on the other hand, is a battery electric car with a gas engine for range extension. It has no transmission, driveshaft, etc. It should theoretically be more reliable than an ICE car, while delivering ICE car range and flexibility. And ideally, you can get away with less battery and save at least the weight of the engine, coolant, gas, etc. I suspect series hybrids are the future, parallel PHEVs will gain in popularity in the near term, and pure electrics will not escape their niche for some time. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1342 "2024-01-25T19:19:51Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I wonder why more manufacturers haven’t released series hybrid vehicles. The only ones I know of were the Volt, the BMW i3 and the upcoming Dodge Ramcharger. We have owned two plug in Hybrids, a 2012 Volt and a Prius Prime. The Prime had a vastly better driving experience in gas mode. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1343 "2024-01-25T19:21:30Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > It may be that the ramp,up in EV sales we’ve seen in the past couple of years was early adopters, hype and rebates, and now those sales are done and the next tier of customers is not so eager to buy. We talked about this years ago. Pure EV’s have a limited consumer base. EV hybrids have a much wider base. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1344 "2024-01-25T19:33:36Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > A series hybrid, on the other hand, is a battery electric car with a gas engine for range extension. It has no transmission, driveshaft, etc. It should theoretically be more reliable than an ICE car, while delivering ICE car range and flexibility. It also means that since the engine isn’t connected directly to the drivetrain like in a traditional ICE car, it can be optimized to run at a specific, constant RPM, which significantly improves its efficiency. I read somewhere that Nissan was working on a series hybrid; they were claiming the gas engine would achieve something like 50% thermal efficiency. For comparison, regular ICE cars can only achieve 20-30% thermal efficiency at best. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1345 "2024-01-25T20:04:02Z")
Yeah. And the thermal efficiency of the system is even higher in cold climates, because you can use the waste heat from the engine to heat the cabin and the battery. > [@Procrustus](#): > > We have owned two plug in Hybrids, a 2012 Volt and a Prius Prime. The Prime had a vastly better driving experience in gas mode. Well yeah, the Volt is old tech, and was optimized for efficiency, not performance. It does 0-60 in 8.4 seconds. But there’s nothing intrinsic to series hybrids that should make them perform poorer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614.md?page=65) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614.md?page=67)