Poll: Do you have, or plan to get, an electric car?

[day_trippr]

Have to say it's an entertaining image. All kinds of possibilities

 

[TwistedGray]

Picking up my second Tesla next week...flying into Louisiana and driving it back to California (P90DL).

Been an amazing time so far...lots of miles to go.

 

[Beernik]

My kid is turning 16 next year and I’m thinking about passing my ‘09 Prius down to her.

I’m considering an EV but it’s contending with the midlife crisis convertibles I’d like to buy.

 

[Saunassa]

Two reasons not planning too at this time. One is they need to come up with a good way to recycle batteries. Second is they need to prove to me that when it is -40 f/c in northern Minnesota that I can drive it 150 miles and keep me warm and windshield clear of frost without having to charge it up.

 

[Kent88]

they need to prove to me that when it is -40 f/c in northern Minnesota that I can drive it 150 miles and keep me warm and windshield clear of frost without having to charge it up.

You must be way up by the boundary waters or Canada. I'm (probably) not far south east of you and if the current gen Bolt handles the cold as well as my Volt, I'd expect that they can go 200 miles on a full charge for the bulk of the winter in my part of the world.

Usually when it gets that far below zero we don't travel as far if we can help it. You must have a longer commute.

 

[Saunassa]

It all depends on where we do our grocery shopping. If we go to Duluth, Brainerd or Grand rapids to change things up. If I have to go to office then it is a 140 miles one way but I don't do that unless it is -20f or warmer.

 

[Kent88]

It all depends on where we do our grocery shopping. If we go to Duluth, Brainerd or Grand rapids to change things up. If I have to go to office then it is a 140 miles one way but I don't do that unless it is -20f or warmer.

You do have a commute.

I visited an old friend in Duluth a few weeks ago. He said that Duluth needs more public fast chargers. PlugShare suggests that such chargers are available in the area, though (155?).

Not much in Grand Rapids yet, by the look of it.

 

[Kent88]

Jeep Announces Fully Electric Models In Every SUV Segment By 2025

 

[Beernik]

You know, if they would just double or triple that range, I’d be all over one.

 

[Bilsch]

Two reasons not planning too at this time. One is they need to come up with a good way to recycle batteries.

This recycling thing keeps getting thrown around by the petro industry as if drilling for, refining, shipping and burning oil is somehow not polluting.

Anyway the battery recycling thing has been solved and there are companies currently doing this with more on the way. The biggest trick was how to dissemble energy containing devices without a fire. The solution was to freeze the scrap, grind it up then leach out the valuable elements. The materials recovered are then ready to go into new batteries and it's less expensive then mining for new.

 

[Bilsch]

You know, if they would just double or triple that range, I’d be all over one.

400 miles isn't enough ?

 

[Beernik]

30 miles on a charge isn’t enough. Doesn’t get me halfway to work.

I could rationalize 50 mile range as only requiring 1 gallons of gas each way.

 

[Kent88]

30 miles on a charge isn’t enough. Doesn’t get me halfway to work.

I could rationalize 50 mile range as only requiring 1 gallons of gas each way.

Are you talking about the PHEVs?

 

[day_trippr]

The reference was to those four Jeeps...

 

[Kent88]

Yeah, they all have gas range extenders, like my Volt

 

[Bilsch]

30 miles on a charge isn’t enough. Doesn’t get me halfway to work.
I could rationalize 50 mile range as only requiring 1 gallons of gas each way.

Oh you were talking about the Jeeps as opposed to EV's in general.
My mistake. Yes that is pretty pathetic range.

 

[Kent88]

Oh you were talking about the Jeeps as opposed to EV's in general.
My mistake. Yes that is pretty pathetic range.

My Volt has the minimum range I'd take for any PHEV. My wife drives 35(ish) miles round trip to get to/from work, and in the winter the Volt gets 40 miles on electric from a full charge.

She drives the gas Jeep in the winter because she feels better with 4wd in the snow. Someday it would be nice to have a PHEV or BEV Jeep, but these that can hardly crack 30 miles in good conditions, I'm not terribly excited about them. If her workplace would put in a charger, even a slow charger, I might have a different attitude.

Then factor in that the range extender on these 4xe Jeeps is around 20mpg (at least for the wrangler, if I'm not mistaken).

I like the direction Jeep is going, and my current Jeep should last me a while. Hopefully they figure it out before my next trade.

 

[Saunassa]

Kind of off topic, does anyone know about fishing boats with electric outboard motors (not trolling motors)?

I assume I'll own a fishing boat someday. I should probably start figuring this out.

On another recreational use of electric. Production electric snowmobiles are being made. The Taiga models look cool and acceleration - which is part of the thrill of riding - is amazing. It would be cool to go quietly through the woods. might have to add a horn to honk at people when you pass them

 

[Kent88]

On another recreational use of electric. Production electric snowmobiles are being made. The Taiga models look cool and acceleration - which is part of the thrill of riding - is amazing. It would be cool to go quietly through the woods. might have to add a horn to honk at people when you pass them

I'm not sure I shared here, but I definitely saw a couple negative articles about electric snowmobiles this past winter.

I think EV snowmobiles make a lot of sense. A big complaint I've heard from snowmobile owners is how much time/money they spend maintaining them. Hopefully electric units wouldn't be as big of a pain to maintain. It also seems like owners are always talking about how they have to drive them on a trailer to optimal trails, so hopefully range isn't a huge problem.

Never having ridden a snowmobile, I don't really know what drawbacks a casual snowmobiler would deal with. I assume range needs to improve because electric snowmobiles are so new, but that's about it.

 

[TwistedGray]

My latest toy

 

[Bilsch]

My latest toy

How many miles did it take before you were completely and irreversibly hooked on EV's?

 

[Bilsch]

I think EV snowmobiles make a lot of sense.

More stops to refuel will probably be required with EV sleds and if I were a bar owner near the trails I'd be putting in lots of chargers. Sounds like a win win to me.

 

[TwistedGray]

How many miles did it take before you were completely and irreversibly hooked on EV's?

One good stomp on my old OG Model S...that's literally all it took. I had the 70th model s ever manufactured which was fun but nerve wracking at this age (out of warranty $$$$$ pit).

This'll do until I get a p100dl, soon.

My wife and I picked this up in Lafayette, Louisiana and have been touring home.

 

[Bilsch]

This'll do until I get a p100dl, soon.

Why not go ?

 

[TwistedGray]

Why not go View attachment 736508 ?

About one hundred and thirty thousand reasons why not.

 

[Broothru]

About one hundred and thirty thousand reasons why not.

Eh, it's only money!

 

[TwistedGray]

Eh, it's only money!

That I don't have, doh.

Blew out a tire in the desert yesterday...mild fortune to tow it two plus hours to Vegas yesterday for new shoes. No one carries 21's in the desert, lol.

 

[Kent88]

I have roadside assistance through my insurance. My wife had AAA back before we got married. I'm not the handiest guy, and it's helped us out of some jams.

Now that we have a Volt and don't carry a spare tire, I'm really glad we have it. Hopefully we never have to use it again, but I'd hate to be stuck in some random place with no idea who to call.

 

[Kent88]

This time of year is fantastic. My wife has been driving the Volt to work, 35 miles round trip, since March. Every morning since this past tuesday she has been leaving the house with a full charge. Regular household current, 8 amps, and she hasn't been leaving work early every day, some days she was even stuck there late. I went to the grocery store with it yesterday, charged while I was there for free, and this morning I see another automated text indicating that the car was fully charged.

Usually she leaves just shy of a full charge for a couple days each week because of random errands.

 

[ehall]

so now they're talking about electric airplanes... how do ya'll feel about that?