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Electric Cars -- anyone own one?

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Let alone the fact that the electric grid is so old and undersized that this could never be accommodated without much more capacity in the grid and in generating power.
 
Let alone the fact that the electric grid is so old and undersized that this could never be accommodated without much more capacity in the grid and in generating power.
I would imagine in the future the grid will benefit from the EV. A big problem presently is the the renewables have is that there is no place to store the power generated to be used when needed when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing. I think that having 50 million EV's connected to the grid that will be able to share the load will be a plus. The utility will be able to charge and discharge the batteries to smooth out demand and lower their inplace equipment costs which is a large part of your bill.
 
I would imagine in the future the grid will benefit from the EV. A big problem presently is the the renewables have is that there is no place to store the power generated to be used when needed when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing. I think that having 50 million EV's connected to the grid that will be able to share the load will be a plus. The utility will be able to charge and discharge the batteries to smooth out demand and lower their inplace equipment costs which is a large part of your bill.
So what use is an EV with a drained battery if the utility decides to discharge it for load sharing/balancing?
 
The GM CEO Mary Barra just announced that GM has suspended all EV manufacturing.
Fake news

They're "moderating acceleration of EV production".

Then again, there isn't a single GM manufactured car I'd like to own, EV or ICE. They need to figure out how to make good cars, period.

"Toyota has been saying for years that the EV is not the way to go."

Err, no. They've been investing heavily in battery technology. They recognise they're behind and are hoping that solid state will propel them to an advantage. (Also, they just agreed to invest a further $8bn in their battery plant in North Carolina. According to the Financial Times "The newly announced funding would take the Japanese group’s investment in the plant — one of its largest outside Japan — to about $13.9bn by 2030. It would also add about 3,000 jobs to the site it calls the “epicentre of lithium-ion battery production in North America”, bringing the total to more than 5,000.")
 
No They are saying hydrogen is the answer but, they have claimed that the sloid state battery they are producing is way better than lithium ion. They are hedging their bets and the CEO says that in the long run hydrogen is the answer. They have to sell vehicles all over the world, not just to fools in California that think an EV is the answer.
 
Fake news

They're "moderating acceleration of EV production".

BusinessInsider.com (Oct. 26, 2023):

GM is "abandoning its targets to build 100,000 EVs in the second half of this year and another 400,000 by the first six months of 2024. GM doesn't know when it will hit those targets."

These recent announcements do not affect GM's entire EV development, but are sobering nonetheless:

Mercedes-Benz CEO Wilhelm: "I can hardly imagine the current status quo is fully sustainable for everybody."

Honda CEO Mibe: "After studying this for a year ... we are ending development of an affordable EV." Mibe in part cited challenges with getting adequate driving range.

Car & Driver (Oct. 26, 2023; emphasis added):

After just a year and a half, Honda has decided the collaboration on compact EV crossovers no longer makes business sense. Honda and General Motors will no longer codevelop a series of affordable compact SUVs.

Investor's Business Daily (Nov. 17, 2023; emphasis added):

Warren Buffett is known for holding onto his S&P 500 stocks forever. ... Buffett usually likes to add to positions when they're down, so it's interesting when he sells some losers. General Motors is the most telling example. Berkshire Hathaway unloaded 100% of its 22 million shares ... in the third quarter. That position was valued at $848.3 billion on June 30. Shares of GM are down 16% this year. That makes it the worst performer among all the stocks Berkshire Hathaway sold off completely in the period. GM, struggling to compete in electric vehicles, is expected to post 3.6% lower profit in 2023 and nearly 8% less in 2024.

I guess those massive government subsidies, grants, and tax credits to GM (over $65 billion since 2000) aren't feeding the bulldog.

I recently learned that EVs are most efficient when driving in cities or traffic, not on the highway. Actually, the absolute maximum range is obtained at a steady 20 mph! Depending on your vehicle, driving at a constant 70 miles per hour will result in a lower range than the official EPA estimate, which assumes a 45% / 55% mix of city and highway driving.

I knew that EV batteries perform better in moderate temperature than in the cold. But InsideEVs.com found that EVs lost an average of 18.5% of their range in temperatures below freezing, at -2 degrees C (28.4 degrees F).

So your EV's EPA estimate grossly overestimates your range on a long Interstate cruise in winter. Then there's summer, assuming you prefer to run A/C on a long cross-country trip ...
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From the 95+ days of summer to the 75 and lower temperatures of autumn, I have lost around 40 miles of range.

in short, during the summer, my Bolt EUV would charge up to 270 miles for the full charge. Now it reaches around 230 for full charge.

It’s no big deal for me, as my commute is 92 miles a day.
 
And that is more than double the need of the average male motorist in the US

Interestingly, I'm starting to see a lot of Rivian R1S on the streets here lately. Latest suburban kid transporter of choice? Certainly more 'interesting' than a poxy Tesla Y for carting kids and all their stuff around.
 
From the 95+ days of summer to the 75 and lower temperatures of autumn, I have lost around 40 miles of range.

in short, during the summer, my Bolt EUV would charge up to 270 miles for the full charge. Now it reaches around 230 for full charge.

It’s no big deal for me, as my commute is 92 miles a day.
Any idea what the full charge would be in the Midwest with a Ave temp of 32°?
 
And NOW for the "rest of the story"? (the fine print) :oops:
I recently learned that EVs are most efficient when driving in cities or traffic, not on the highway. Actually, the absolute maximum range is obtained at a steady 20 mph! Depending on your vehicle, driving at a constant 70 miles per hour will result in a lower range than the official EPA estimate, which assumes a 45% / 55% mix of city and highway driving.
You get YOUR EV to fit YOUR needs. ;) So, cross country driving isn't what it's made out to be?
Still thinking (just for fun) an all electric 32 Ford 2 Dr sedan or even a 3 window Coupe would be the bomb. :cool: Couple of hundred miles + or - on a charge would be doable. Plan your routes. :)
 
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And NOW for the "rest of the story"? (the fine print) :oops:

You get YOUR EV to fit YOUR needs. ;) So, cross country driving isn't what it's made out to be?
Still thinking (just for fun) an all electric 32 Ford 2 Dr sedan or even a 3 window Coupe would be the bomb. :cool: Couple of hundred miles + or - on a charge would be doable. Plan your routes. :)
How about a electric motor in 57 chevy? ProjectX did it. It didn't go over very well. They replaced electric motor with a ICE.
 
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Let's load up my 11000 lb capacity trailer with a Ford 2910 diesel tractor and a bush hog and tow it to my property in north Florida and mow for 2days. Neighbor saws his Ford lightning won't make it without a charge on the way up and on the way back. I love the idea but not at this time with this technology.
 
How about a electric motor in 57 chevy? ProjectX did it. It didn't go over very well. They replaced electric motor with a ICE.
It's the thought that counts.
See where All Girls Garage was doing an older Volvo. Just picked up a little about it but it looked to be a Hybrid from a newer model Volvo? Something like a year old show? Thought it would be interesting. :)
EV's have their place. Like Jackie, fits HIS needs. :cool:

I remember way back in the early 70s, couple of dope grower Hippies coming into the shop with a VW Karmon Giah set up with an electric motor. Don't remember too much about it but I do remember driving it. Not sure how far it would go but at least they were trying. Reminded me of Primitive Pete in shop class.
Couple of outfits in the UK converting Exotics into EV's.
My guess? BIG $$$!! A VW Type II pick up converted for use as a shop truck. Not sure how far they would go.
Remember seeing a Pontiac Fiero at a car show in Nor Cal a few years back converted to EV. Must have greased EVERYTHING to get it all in there.
 
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This EV would fulfill a few of my 'needs'

 
Watched a blurb on a Tesla at the Drag strip. Push the "race" button and :eek::eek::cool::cool:. Don't know if he had enough volts to get back home.:)
 
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