Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Driving 1725km in an electric car in 2 days

tbray.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

271–280 of 300 posts

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

#271

Post by gambiting »

Tagbert wrote: post #261
masklinn wrote: post #193

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. 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…

>>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.

Ha, that's literally me. It's like a game - you have to keep the needle in the EV range when driving normally, pushing it a bit too much and making the ICE start feels like losing. Obviously as long as there is any charge in the battery, if I'm driving long distance then it really doesn't matter, but it's cool to see the ICE shut down every time I lift my foot off the throttle.

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

#272

Post by clouddrover »

238475235243 wrote: post #265
clouddrover wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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...

The sales numbers exactly follow my generous assessment. Most of the BEV market worldwide is not Tesla and Tesla's market share is falling. In the last year it has gone from 28% to 23%.

This isn't surprising. It's a direct consequence of other automakers ramping up BEV production and selling more BEVs.

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

#273

Post by perl4ever »

lowbloodsugar wrote: post #267
perl4ever wrote: post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

>If its a hybrid, it has all the environmental impact of having two complete power systems, the negative effects of a battery etc

No, it doesn't. This is a popular thing to say, but I wish people would think about it for a minute.

My car has a ~1.2 kWh battery. A Bolt or a Leaf has 40-60 kWh.

I don't understand why people don't get this. With a gas engine, you have 98% less battery. So you are not just adding complexity for super long trips. That's not the equation at all.

If batteries get better, it doesn't change the proportion of 50:1.

And batteries also become harder and harder to get perfect the larger they get. So there's no question in my mind of more chance of a defective one on an EV.

https://insideevs.com/news/342671/my-chevy-bolt-is-on-third-...

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

#274

Post by linsomniac »

midasuni wrote: post #174
linsomniac wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's also tiring on the other side hearing how bad a 30-40 minute charger stop is. C'est la vie. However... Add up all the time a gas car spends at the pump, that an EV does not (charging at home), and I'd guess most people will spend less time waiting for the EV than for gas. And the charging time is coming down. My older Tesla is limited to 100kwh charging, the modern ones can use chargers in the range of 250kwh.

> My older Tesla is limited to 100kwh charging What does that mean? kWh is a measure of energy not power. Does the charge stop after delivering 100kWh? How long does it take to do that?

You're right, wasn't thinking about the numbers just what I remember on the displays. It's charging at ~100kW, (usually in the range of 90-120), and new ones can deliver power ~2.5x as fast.

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

#275

Post by linsomniac »

dylan604 wrote: post #160
linsomniac wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It really depends... The EV travel is a different cadence, for sure. Whether that's a bad thing or not will depend on the individual. The 30-40 minute stops every couple hours that I have experienced in my older Tesla (60kwh, later upgraded to 75kwh), is nice to nap, visit attractions, eat and use restrooms, walk the dog... It definitely makes for a different trip than screeching to a stop at the pump, running in to…

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…

Can't speak specifically about DFW->LA (looks like 1,400 miles), but in my Tesla I can do Denver to Wilmington with 0 overnights, sane, as a solo driver... 1,800 miles. Precisely BECAUSE of the charging, I can get in a "power nap" while charging, doing the recommended 25 or 50 minutes to fit with sleep cycles. Usually around 24 hours in I need to take an extra 50 minute nap in there.

Again, it really depends on the individual. This works for me.

As far as leaving the pump goes, I was painting a picture of some of the "death march" drives I've done, didn't necessarily say I was solo. I, personally, wouldn't leave the pump while pumping, not because of theft but because, you know, of the spewing of gasoline if something went wrong.

As far as your original point... I've done that math multiple times, I have 2 gas cars and the EV, and continue to pick the EV over the ICE. But, again, that will vary by individual. My personal experience, coming as a gearhead who has taken quite a few non-stop road trips both solo and with others, is that the EV for long trips (I've done 5-6 1,800 mile trips in it), are better in my EV than ICE cars, and that's with 5 year old tech. A current Tesla will have fewer, shorter stops.

Your speculation is perfectly valid, of course. Doesn't sound like you've had an EV, which is why I call it speculation. The point I'm making is that I've actually had that choice, 1,800 mile trip where I can take a EV or a ICE, and I've chosen the EV on multiple occasions.

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

#276

Post by linsomniac »

jacquesm wrote: post #161
linsomniac wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Different people react differently to long car trips. I can drive the 1,800 miles to my wife's family in one shot, especially given time to nap while charging and the driver automation taking up the slack for being tired. I can then have a normal nights sleep and be fine. My wife, on the other hand, being a passenger for such a trip, she arrives and then is wasted for 2 days. But if you really want to be miserable on…

You probably are a danger to others on the road, yourself and your family. More than 8 hours behind the wheel in a single day is irresponsible.

Am I? Because in another part of this thread we're talking about how terrible EVs are for long trips because they force you to stop so much for so long... Which is it, am I given adequate time to rest, making EVs unsuitable for long trips, or are EVs not terrible for long trips, wearing out the driver? :-)

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

#277

Post by garyrichardson »

ansible wrote: post #122
drewg123 wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've done multiple ~1000mi road trips in my Model X, and I've peed in a lot of bushes too. A lot of the newer chargers (at least on the east coast) are located at WaWa's, and have 24hr restrooms. But the chargers at malls are a pain. Either the mall is closed, and you need to pee in the bushes, or the mall is open and the traffic is terrible and the chargers are ICE'ed in. There is one charger in Hardee SC thats in t…

I've taken multiple long trips in my Toyota Prius, and never once had to pee in the bushes. 600 mile range on a single fill-up, but after driving for a few hours I'm usually ready for a 5 minute break. I totally get how cool EVs are, and how much fun they can be to drive. And if you're spending 90+% of your time just commuting to work, it can potentially save you money on gas. But I would definitely not subject mysel…

My experience with hybrids and long trips is that you're stopping more frequently for gas. They've got small gas tanks and small batteries. Both of which are burned through quickly when you're on a freeway and not touching the brake pedal.

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

#278

Post by garyrichardson »

gambiting wrote: post #182
throwawayboise wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most recent long drive was 725 miles in a gasoline-fueled Volkswagen. Took about 12 hours with one 10 minute fuel stop.

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…

As an electric car owner, the thought of paying for batteries and oil changes sounds terrible. I looked into the hybrid jeep to replace my aging one, but I know how much the maintenance on my gas beast is. I'll pay a premium to add a electic drive train and still have to take it back to the dealership every several months. Awful. I'll just wait for the fully electric version.

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

#279

Post by thioordc »

carcostthrow wrote: post #150
thioordc wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All good points! However one thing EVs have is much cheaper maintenance! Having no oil changes adds up in savings.

Already factored into the $200/yr maintenance. Oil changes at dealerships nowadays are essentially loss leaders for them; $75 to $80 for full synthetic change, oil filter replacement and windshield wiper fluid top off, and most include shuttle service nowadays to and from the dealership itself. Only other items that are ICE specific I can think of off the top of my head is engine air filter and fluid changes for the…

Yep yep that insurance rate is nasty! I just think it’s interesting that oil changes are slowly disappearing!

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

#280

Post by 4wsn »

gambiting wrote: post #182
throwawayboise wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most recent long drive was 725 miles in a gasoline-fueled Volkswagen. Took about 12 hours with one 10 minute fuel stop.

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…

The best part about things not working in Germany is seeing the lengths they'll go to to blame you for the failure and refuse to admit the system in question is anything other than the Best Thing Ever That Never Breaks.
Post reply on HN