# 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:** 94
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2025, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1886 "2025-01-18T18:10:54Z")
Unless you regularly use Level 3 charging, it’s not going to make a big difference. Yes, you’ll see a difference in battery longevity from charging to 80% vs charging to 100% but not a big one and only after several years. If you are mainly charging at home, unless your plan involves holding onto the car, including the original battery, for more than two decades (and even then…), I wouldn’t worry about charging it all the way each time. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2025, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1887 "2025-01-18T18:32:39Z")
Granted. But the thing is, if you don’t need the extra miles on any given day, there is no cost to not charging over 80%. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2025, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1888 "2025-01-18T18:59:11Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Just to be clear to all current and future electric vehicle owners, “topped up” means charging to 80% of capacity. It’s best for the longevity of the battery. It’s fine to go over occasionally, but don’t make it a habit. And of course, some vehicles don’t even have that as an option - our PHEV doesn’t (it has car-managed tops and bottoms it manages itself). Or for others, it’s buried under levels of permissions. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2025, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1889 "2025-01-18T19:32:22Z")
> [@crazyjoe](#): > > And that update somehow removes the ETA on the built-in navigation on the dashboard…it’s like the software was written by folks who have never written software before In my experience, the ETA in navigators, both external and built-in, are worthless. They all assume no acceleration – you’re instantly traveling at 45mph or whateever – the moment you poke the _Go_ button and make no allowances for stop lights. The Garmin I have for my '94 Suburban has six or seven different items of information you can put on the traveling screen but only room for four. ETA is never one of them; I find altitude more useful. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2025, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1890 "2025-01-18T20:37:08Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > In my experience, the ETA in navigators, both external and built-in, are worthless. They all assume no acceleration – you’re instantly traveling at 45mph or whateever – the moment you poke the _Go_ button and make no allowances for stop lights. The Waze app takes into account waiting for stoplights and left turns. ---
**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 18, 2025, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1891 "2025-01-18T20:52:41Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > In my experience, the ETA in navigators, both external and built-in, are worthless. On my car I often marvel on how accurate the ETA is. Often within a minute, even on longer drives. ---
**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 18, 2025, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1892 "2025-01-18T21:24:52Z")
CrazyJoe, have you considered the Hankook Ion EV tires? From what I’ve read, they’re efficient and quiet. They come in summer and all-season so you have some choice of performance level. I’m going to switch to them when the OE Pirellis wear out on my Tesla. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2025, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1893 "2025-01-18T21:47:07Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > On my car I often marvel on how accurate the ETA is. Often within a minute, even on longer drives. Is it adjusting the time as you get closer? ---
**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 18, 2025, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1894 "2025-01-18T22:27:07Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Is it adjusting the time as you get closer ? yes, but I meant at the start. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2025, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1895 "2025-01-18T23:21:14Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > In my experience, the ETA in navigators, both external and built-in, are worthless. They all assume no acceleration – you’re instantly traveling at 45mph or whateever – the moment you poke the _Go_ button and make no allowances for stop lights Which century were your navigators built? That is totally NOT my experience with anything in the last decade-ish. ---
**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 18, 2025, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1896 "2025-01-18T23:42:25Z")
I just use the built in Apple Maps app and am constantly amazed at how accurate it is. ---
**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 19, 2025, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1897 "2025-01-19T00:04:13Z")
Same for Google. It has to know how I drive. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2025, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1898 "2025-01-19T00:42:29Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > On my car I often marvel on how accurate the ETA is. Often within a minute, even on longer drives. +1 … I sometimes even “challenge” the ETA time (_oh come on, I’ll be there at least 10 min before that!!!_ - just to lose the challenge) waze / google maps are fairly smart and take traffic into account. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2025, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1899 "2025-01-19T02:23:43Z")
Touche, but I meant a physical backup device. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2025, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1900 "2025-01-19T02:50:37Z")
I have heard they are not great in the rain / wet traction isn’t great. We get lots of rain in Michigan so I decided against them. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2025, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1901 "2025-01-19T02:54:01Z")
The polestar uses Google maps natively and I find it’s pretty good, even adjusting for changing traffic conditions. In addition it will estimate the remaining battery on arrival and return and it’s pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2025, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1902 "2025-01-19T03:25:18Z")
My car has an ARGG (approximate range guess gauge) that is not exactly worthless, but, at least this time of year I can count on losing as much as 20%. And that is with me driving for max efficiency (the car has an “Eco” mode, but I find “Sport” mode gives me better efficiency). ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2025, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1903 "2025-01-19T20:00:42Z")
Google Maps for me, would be accurate if I were speeding quite a bit. So I am usually several percent late versus the ETA. In its previous incarnation, it assumed I would not speed at all and thus I would be several percent early. It does, however, take traffic successfully into account. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1904 "2025-01-20T03:49:24Z")
My car has never offered me an ETA, because I have never asked her. I believe an ETA would be based on a generated route. I do not use route generation, so any estimate my car would provide would be wildy incorrect. By hours, in some cases. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2025, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614/1905 "2025-01-20T07:09:27Z")
My manual advises 90 percent, which is what I do. Someone described over night charging as “basically free” but…thats not accurate. It would be more so if I could get an EV rate plan but my current service location makes that very expensive to install the prerequisite wiring and the payback would take years. So I pay between 16 and 21 cents per kwh. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614.md?page=93) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-electric-vehicle-plans/923614.md?page=95)