Once again, I’ll mention that I am not against EVs. Heck, for most of my driving one would serve me well. It’s only on those trips to the beach or up to NJ that would be a problem. Like this
Electric cars are quick, quiet, and kind to the planet, but limited range and lengthy charging times mean road trips aren’t exactly their strong suit.
That’s what I learned when I took Toyota’s new bZ4X SUV from New York to Washington D.C. one weekend in early April. The 500-mile journey wasn’t some epic coast-to-coast adventure, but rather the kind of long-haul drive someone might casually take a few times per year and not think twice about — if they’re behind the wheel of a regular gas car.
In a battery-powered vehicle, though, things aren’t always that simple.
Here we go
Every EV has a maximum charging rate, expressed in kilowatts (kW), that governs the amount of power it can accept from roadside fast chargers. For the bZ4X AWD Toyota provided, that’s an uncompetitive 100 kW. The higher an EV’s rating, the faster you can hypothetically charge — so long as you find a charging plug whose rating is equal or greater.
And the faster it can charge the more expensive the vehicle is. Most of what is considered “affordable”, in the $30K range, can take an hour at a fast charging station.
But you don’t always achieve that max charge rate due to the charger, the temperature of the battery, or, in my case, settings built into the vehicle itself. During my trip, the car never got close to 100 kW, leading to some excruciating charging times.
Or, you can pull up to a gas station, put your card in, put the pump in the filling spout, take 5 minutes or so, and you’re on your way, regardless of anything, except possibly waiting for an open pump. You can run in and grab a drink and snack and be on your way.
On the way down to DC, I pulled into an Electrify America station with a 37% charge, looking to add just enough energy to make it the rest of the way. The Toyota refused to pull more than 35 kW, so just getting to 74% took a full 45 minutes of waiting around — not exactly something you want to do at night when you still have hours of driving ahead of you.
That stint added 95 miles of range, according to the SUV’s estimates. But highway speeds sap energy quickly, so in real-world terms, it was probably more like 75.
I get 33mpg in my Civic Hatchback EXL. 90% of my driving is around town, so, I know I’ll get much better on the highway. I do not have to worry about losing a lot. Here we go
Total it all up and charging stops added two hours of travel time on top of the roughly nine-hour trip.
And, as the article continues, you realize just how much you have to plan and keep an eye on things for long drives. Maybe the climate cultists should back off and push for more non-plugin hybrids.
But the electric future seems inevitable at this point, so we might as well learn to live with it.
Why should we have to learn to live with it when it’s not ready for prime time? Last I check, America is the land of freedom, and we do not have dictators.
Our distinguished host wrote:
Translation: the elites who are pushing these things don’t care quite as much about charging rates, because their charging times are reduced.
Gasoline-powered vehicles are very egalitarian, in that gasoline pumps pump out fuel at the same rate for a Porsche and a Pinto.
Reminds me of back in 1909 trying to drive our flivver from North Springfield to Joplin on the old dirt trail. Had to carry gallons of petrol and got stuck a dozen times in mud ruts. Fortunately the folks on horses were passing us and helped us out of the ruts! No more early adoption for us!!
But by 1920s we had some paved roads!! Progress!
Dear Elwood:
And what are those “paved roads” that will end the EV’s problems?
Come now. Be specific. Tell us the names, the cost and the availability.
Oh, you can’t? Thought so.
I won’t do your homework!
Come now, do your own research. Be specific.
Here are some options. Improved batteries. Improved chargers. Improved infrastructure capacity.
Since this is coming – you should insist that the nation do this, like I did in the early 1900s to get paved roads! It’s not hopeless.
Oh, you won’t? Thought so.
Dear Elwood:
Nope. Ain’t gonna play. You made the claim. You provide the evidence. Be specific.
It’s the American way.
But all you can do is mouth generalities.
The fact is this. You don’t have any specifics. You don’t know the cost.
Then we’re at an impasse, Grumpy. I take no orders from the likes of you!
And to be more precise, I told you a story. YOU made the claim.
Dear Elwood:
Nope. You claimed: “Here are some options. Improved batteries. Improved chargers. Improved infrastructure capacity.”
Show some specifics.
But you can not.
OK. You win. Now take your nap.
They may be quick and quiet but the dirty little secret is they are most assuredly not kind to the planet. Neither are they kind to the people, mostly children who are used as slaves to mine the rare earth materials for their construction. They are wasteful and polluting during manufacture and once the battery is no longer useful they once again create a giant pollution problem with waste. In fact, if you really love our planet you would actively fight against this destructive propaganda.
Secondly, there is no reason why our vehicles need to be a political subject. If EV’s are desired the public will buy them, if not screw it. Having these govmint assholes involved in our transportation is stupid and just asking for trouble. They know nothing.
Arguing over EVs is pretty stupid. Other than the massive subsidies to make them look price competitive, and their battery life, and the zero resale value, they are still just a vanity purchase for wealthy people. Wealthy people normally have more than one car and only drive the EV when they need to virtue signal to the neighbors. They still use their Maserati or Mercedes SUV for weekend trips. The only people who get stuck in long wait times for recharging are stupid poor and middle class people who try to use them as their only car.
The Chevy bolt costs 27000 (1/2 of what the average new car dells for in the USA)
It’s max rate of charge gives 80% in less than 1hour
Your mileage msay very.
Bladder endurance of cause depends on the bladder ability of the weakest occupant. 4hours?
Why are they mandated if they’re so good, Johnny? What’s hilarious is that for the most part weather is obviously unpredictable, so the cult wants our energy needs to be dependent on…….the weather
According to Chevrolet, the max range of a Chevy Dolt is 259 miles. Thus, charging to 80% means 207 miles.
I can fuel our vehicles in less than ten minutes, and they then have a range of a bit over 600 miles.
Dear H:
Actually the EV price you claim is not equipped like the ICE.
Apples and oranges dear H. Apples and oranges.
But you know that.
I’ll give the Bolt some props, the base trim (there are only 2 trims) has quite a few features for the price. However, only a max range of 259 miles, and it is a tiny car. My Civic Hatchback is 180 inches (regular sedan is even longer). The Bolt is 10 inches shorter. And I get about 370 miles for range. And it will have a better resale value. And Honda didn’t have to drop the price $5900 to sell them, which, according to a guy I know who works at Ford, means there is zero markup in the vehicles.
Teach
How many days per year do you use your car?
How many if those days do you drive over 250 miles? 6? 6 out of 365 days?
How many days each year would you be able to use the HOV lanes? How many mins per day might that save? 6?
I drive every day. Sometimes only about 15 miles. On a day off I might just drive to the gym and back. On work days, may 25-30 miles. Every once in a while I might drive to factory outlets in Smithfield or Mebane. I’ll go down to Wrightsville 3-5 times a year (2 hour 15 min drive). Maybe to the Nags Head (4 hour drive there). Maybe NJ once a year (I’m more likely to fly). Maybe to the mountains. Hence why I said an EV would mostly be fine for me. But, I want it to be MY CHOICE. Not government’s choice, especially when most who are pushing them are not driving them in their own lives.
They are mandated because the people elect the governments that pass the laws
Elections have consequences
We saw last winter in Texas that weather also affects fossil fuels when natural gas deliveries failed.
Jl no one is currently willing to finance construction of either coal or nuke plants.
The cost of renewable energy goes down EVERY year. Fossil fuel prices are set by the 2 biggest energy exporters your friends the Saudis and Russians. The USA is producing more oil now than when Trump left (pre pandemic) but your has pump is set not by domestic production (drill baby drill) but by the world market price. You pay what the Saudis and Russians tell you to pay. Fossil fuels are shipped to whomever pays the most, transport costs are low.
Bottom line is renewable energy costs are going down, fossil fuel prices are not
Dear H:
“Texas that weather also affects fossil fuels when natural gas deliveries failed.”
The compressors that keep NG pipelines working failed when the electric grid failed because the windmills quit and there was no back up.
You are just so uninformed.
So in other words they’re not mandated because of technology, but because a particular party is in power? That’s about what I thought you’d say, if and when you ever answered. So they’re really not that much cheaper, and definitely not any “greener”.
Sorry, Johnny-until EVs are built using only solar and wind power, you’re all just playing pretend.
“Cost goes down every year”. If you look at energy prices from Europe where there’s more renewables, that’s not so.
Poor Johnny, you still don’t get it-prices are set by the Saudis, Russians and the US
“You pay what the Saudis and Russians tell you to pay..” Good one-and who determines the price of the raw materials used to make your EV batteries? Obviously, mostly other countries like your friends the Chinese.
“No one willing to finance coal or nuke plants”. Wrong again, as there’s new coal plants being built in China and India every several weeks. Remember, the cult tells us it’s the total emissions that matter, not just ours. You think they’re building them because they’re expensive? They’re building them because they offer cheap, reliable energy
Reminds me of ‘the good ol’ days’ of the 55 mph National Speed Limit on the Great Plains Interstates…Geez…
Dana how many days each year do you drive more than 250 miles ? How many days do you drive less? Does your electric service provider have discount off hour rates?
Americans drive an average of 12000 miles per year, or 32 miles per day.
Of course the more you drive an EV the more you save.
Remember that EVs are improving significantly every year and that will continue. I think the original Nissan Leaf went 40 miles per charge
This is where Mr H veers into the weeds. He is doing what so many on the left do, tries to argue my judgements concerning what my family and I need. Perhaps, were he in my situation, would choose differently than I do, which is perfectly fine, for him. But, like so many on today’s left, he at least appears to disapprove not only of my individual choices, but my right to take my own decisions.
This is where the estimable libertarian, Mr Dana, does what so many on the right do; denying that in a society not everyone can do whatever they want whenever they want.
We elect representatives who make laws, at times creating departments authorized to create policies and regulations. The courts assure the policies and regulations are legal. The executive branch is responsible for executing the laws and regulations.
Because we are a complex nation of over 330 million policies and regulations affect people differently. I didn’t like sending troops into Iraq. I don’t like forcing young girls to have babies.
H’s Chevy Dolt has a listed range of 259 miles on a charge and does support ‘fast charging’. Allowing a safe reserve of sparktricity in the battery, that would indicate 2, possibly 3 charge stops depending on the availability of charge stations for the run described. My gas mid-sized domestic luxury would do it with one stop for fuel, food, and bathroom and do it comfortably. No concerns about gas availability. This cat should try a trip from Jacksonville to San Diego in his EV.
I’m neither pro nor anti EV, don’t own one and don’t see ownership in the future. Brandon be damned. The infrastructure needs to build out and there needs to be a profit incentive for it to be successful.
Gas pumps dispense fuel at about 10gpm, or 20MW in energy terms. A 200kW supercharger is 1% of that rate.
No EV charger anywhere will ever come close to that rate.
Carbon boy-“bottom line, renewable costs are going down”. Bottom line, they’re still unreliable