Live data from Hacker News

Driving 1725km in an electric car in 2 days

tbray.org

261–270 of 300 posts

Re: Driving 1725km in an electric car in 2 days

#261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So I did the same recently, but in a PHEV, and I honestly think it's the best of both worlds. In my daily usage, I use zero fuel. Last time I filled up was in March, because I just charge it at home and nearly all of my daily driving is within the 30 mile EV-only range. But when we drove across Europe I could just carry on for about 600 miles per tank, only filling up once at a well stocked petrol station(with workin…

> So I did the same recently, but in a PHEV, and I honestly think it's the best of both worlds. In my daily usage, I use zero fuel. Yeah in theory PHEV provide the ideal flexibility of EV for commute and ICE for long-range driving, however apparently lots of people with PHEV never charge them, mostly resulting in less efficient ICEs / HEV (because the plug-in-ability means a larger battery and more complexity, so a P…

I think that mainly happens when they are bought for fleets where cars are issued to drivers who did not choose the PHEV. The drivers are often told that they can be reimbursed for fuel and only need to turn in receipts, but there is no provision for reimbursement of electricity. This pushes people to just drive them as hybrids instead of EVs.

I’ve got to think that anyone who chooses and buys their own PHEV has done so because it meets their needs and they plan to use the EV mode significantly. Most PHEV drivers that I know hate it when they have to switch to gasoline partially because of the added noise and cost and partially because it seems like a kind of failure.

Re: Driving 1725km in an electric car in 2 days

#262
post #98

I just did a 2 day 2000 mile trip in my long range model 3. Total charging costs were around $100, which didn’t include two stops where the superchargers were free (network connectivity problems?). Required a total of 13 supercharging stops. Each stop was between 20min to 45min. I started off completely full, and charged overnight at a Tesla destination charger, (so, 14 stops?). Roughly half the cost of the article’s…

This is a realistic view of the current experience for some users and some EV models in the UK:

"The PAINS of Living with an EV! My WORST Experience Yet"

https://youtu.be/XwevvreoNjE

Re: Driving 1725km in an electric car in 2 days

#263
post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the insight that I need. I'm all about EVs, but my fam and I will go on at least 1 500 road trip each year, and we don't stop for sleep (unless we have to).

Assuming you're saying "one 500-mile road trip" per year, I don't think you should let that stop you. That's one or two 10-80% charging stops max for any Tesla. I'd play with https://abetterrouteplanner.com and test your potential road trips with the type of car you're interested in. It'll plan out where you'd need to stop, for how long, etc. Pretty cool way to alleviate (or confirm) your fears.

Not to mention if you're commuting or doing daily driving the rest of the year, and charging at home or work, you e saved all the other time you would have spent filling up at a gas station.

So 30 minutes charging on a road trip is probably less then the sum of the time you would have spent filling up and getting oil changes.

Re: Driving 1725km in an electric car in 2 days

#264

>And everyone should stop driving fossil vehicles starting now. [...] There’s no excuse not to. Isn't there? Right now for me to own a Ford Mach E, a Tesla Model 3 or a RAV4 Prime is $3400 to $3700 per year for comprehensive insurance, $1400 a year for liability only. My SUV right now costs $1100 a year to insure comprehensive, but even a 2021 Acura NSX or Jaguar F-Pace is only $1400 for the same level of insurance t…

My insurance on my Model 3 with coverage of 250/500 is less than $50 a month with Progressive

Re: Driving 1725km in an electric car in 2 days

#265

Genuinely baffled why anyone buys anything but a Tesla. It's cheaper, autopilot is pretty great, has a vastly better charging network, charges vastly quicker... I guess it means you can write blog posts about bad experiences with an electric car...

> Genuinely baffled why anyone buys anything but a Tesla. Price, practicality, exterior styling, interior styling. All the usual reasons. > has a vastly better charging network, charges vastly quicker As a driver you should be demanding an open charging standard so all cars can charge at all chargers. Why meekly settle for less? Here are three EVs charging faster than a Tesla Model 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=…

Well so far the sales numbers don't follow your generous assessment...

Re: Driving 1725km in an electric car in 2 days

#266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No less than with a manual transmission car. I went 5 years before replacing the pads on my last car, with 150k km driven—not because they were worn, but because they were falling apart.

I haven't driven an EV yet, but from what I hear regenerative breaking is much stronger than engine breaking with a manual car and can essentially bring the car to a stop in city traffic.

I drive a diesel. Back when I had a regular freeway commute, I would regularly come to a complete stop at the end of freeway exits without touching the brake pedal, just for fun (last few km/h I used the handbrake). And one time when I was randomly pushing a little too hard on the brake pedal when I was parked, I burst a brake line somehow, and I ended up driving 20+ miles to my mechanic on busy city streets with no brakes, safely.

I doubt regenerative braking is any stronger than that.

Re: Driving 1725km in an electric car in 2 days

#267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, here is one such full lifecycle study: https://sustain.ubc.ca/sites/default/files/2018-63%20Lifecyc...

That's great, but it's biased in several ways that make it not relevant to my lifestyle. 1. I'm never going to live in Vancouver, so my electricity is probably never going to be near as clean, even though it is relatively low carbon by US standards. 2. I'm never going to own a Ford Focus - my car gets much higher mileage, around 50 mpg, which is a big reduction in CO2. There are a few different options with similar m…

What is your car? It doesn't actually get 50mpg unless its a hybrid or you only drive it long distances on a freeway. If its a hybrid, it has all the environmental impact of having two complete power systems, the negative effects of a battery etc. If its not a hybrid, then you aren't getting 50mpg around town.

Re: Driving 1725km in an electric car in 2 days

#268

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can easily be, if you compare comparable. I buy BMWs for cca 25% of the price of new (that means 6-7 years old and up to 100k km). Last one lasted 11 years and still counting. Maintenance costs are almost 0, apart from mandatory stuff (oil, brakes & pads, wheels every +-5 years). Hell will freeze sooner than we will be buying a new car - its just such a stupid waste of money, when the price drops so rapidly and you s…

Well, if you compare used cars of course ICEs are much cheaper, because the market is so much larger. That+s why I asked for new . It seemed surprising to me that you'd even consider a new car when an EV is that expensive compared to income.

Well, its simple - I am considering a car. Don't care about underlying technology as much as: initial purchase price, required yearly car insurance & taxes, and ongoing costs of replacements/repairs due to its usage/aging.

After that comes comfort, space, practicality, engagement in driving (aka fun). And somewhere after that, noble discussions about ICE vs electric vs hydrogen etc. So far its a nobrainer. Maybe in 10 years things will be different, I'll vote with my wallet then.

Re: Driving 1725km in an electric car in 2 days

#269
post #92
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I paid even less for my Bolt and while I think it's a wing dang doodle of a little car, I am not stupid enough to try to take it on a road trip. If I had to move the car any significant distance, I would not even attempt to drive it; I would ship or tow it. I "fast charged" the car exactly once, to test that it worked and familiarize myself with the process. $15 and 90 minutes later, I lost interest in ever doing it…

> while I think it's a wing dang doodle of a little car Is that you, Robert Dunn of Aging Wheels? (I don't think he owns either a Tesla or a Bolt, but he owns a lot of weird cars so I wouldn't be surprised, and you're aping his speaking style almost perfectly.)

Haha no idea who that is. I will look him up!

Re: Driving 1725km in an electric car in 2 days

#270

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except you just turned a 2 day drive into 3 days. 24 hour drive from DFW->LA. That takes 1 overnight stay now in sane driving conditions for a solo driver. You now just kicked it into a 2nd overnight. >running in to pee while the pump is running anyone doing this deserves to be ripped off for leaving an authorized pump to do whatever someone wants to do while you're not there. no different than leaving the keys in th…

> anyone doing this deserves to be ripped off This is theft. Plain and simple theft. I dream of a world where everybody can leave the keys in the ignition and the doors open because nobody steals. Thieves are caught and are given a stern warning and therapy. It's an utopia.

It is a crime of opportunity that "you" created. Had "you" not been lazy, the situation would not have existed for the thief to thieve. "You" did it to "yourself"
Post reply on HN