For EV Drivers, Realities May Dampen The Electric Elation

[Big Blue]

Wow! It is really fun to watch how some of these threads progress. Reminds me of some of our groups lunch conversation when I was working. Just plotting the basic topics in a half hour lunch would get you dizzy with all the twists and turns. But, they always followed some kind of logical progression. Much more interesting than reading about transmissions or batteries or fuel in oil (which seems to be drying up lately).

With that being said, on the subject of globalization/deglobalization I have my own theories about it. I've thought for some time the move to a global economy would hit us in the US the hardest. We had as a mostly isolated economy had driven our standard of living so for beyond the rest of the world, that when we entered the global market we had nowhere to go but down. We went from a producing/exporting economy to a consuming/importing one. We loved the cheap imported goods, but still wanted the wages to produce the expensive goods nobody wanted to pay for. We priced ourselves out of the global market. I personally don’t blame either political party, we've done to to ourselves through our own greed.

Now back to EVs. As has been said here time again, EVs currently have their place, commuting. They are not ready for primetime yet. To many logistical and infrastucture things that need to be figured out first. Will it happen? Yes! When, in the next 5-10 years? I don't know, but doubt it. One thing I do know is our goverment (national or states) won't make it happen any faster. If or when we need to replace the wifes car, we will look at one. For me, for now, I'm keeping my ICE Ranger to tow my TT. Maybe a hybrid if the time comes.

I know this is mainly a NA/US forum. We really have not heard much from our ROW friends on this subject. What if anything is the EU doing about electrification of vehicles. I know from visiting Germany that they our very energy concious. They have acres and acres of solar panels powering their towns and villages.

Sorry for the long post. Just had to get it off my mind. Return to your ranting now. I'm done.

Sponsored

 

[AzScorpion]

Wow! It is really fun to watch how some of these threads progress. Reminds me of some of our groups lunch conversation when I was working. Just plotting the basic topics in a half hour lunch would get you dizzy with all the twists and turns. But, they always followed some kind of logical progression. Much more interesting than reading about transmissions or batteries or fuel in oil (which seems to be drying up lately).

With that being said, on the subject of globalization/deglobalization I have my own theories about it. I've thought for some time the move to a global economy would hit us in the US the hardest. We had as a mostly isolated economy had driven our standard of living so for beyond the rest of the world, that when we entered the global market we had nowhere to go but down. We went from a producing/exporting economy to a consuming/importing one. We loved the cheap imported goods, but still wanted the wages to produce the expensive goods nobody wanted to pay for. We priced ourselves out of the global market. I personally don’t blame either political party, we've done to to ourselves through our own greed.

Now back to EVs. As has been said here time again, EVs currently have their place, commuting. They are not ready for primetime yet. To many logistical and infrastucture things that need to be figured out first. Will it happen? Yes! When, in the next 5-10 years? I don't know, but doubt it. One thing I do know is our goverment (national or states) won't make it happen any faster. If or when we need to replace the wifes car, we will look at one. For me, for now, I'm keeping my ICE Ranger to tow my TT. Maybe a hybrid if the time comes.

I know this is mainly a NA/US forum. We really have not heard much from our ROW friends on this subject. What if anything is the EU doing about electrification of vehicles. I know from visiting Germany that they our very energy concious. They have acres and acres of solar panels powering their towns and villages.

Sorry for the long post. Just had to get it off my mind. Return to your ranting now. I'm done.

 

[FusedLogic]

What I'm opposed to is the forced adoption of EV. It's being legislated by government and not driven by the consumer market. California, other states and European countries have declared that "no more gasoline vehicles to be sold after 2030".

I have trouble keeping my golf cart charged. Once someone figures out how to make a wireless charger that's built into my garage floor, I'll be interested (kind of like a cell phone). Not sure if anyone is working on it but I read about an idea that wireless charging could be built into roads. How cool would that be?

 

[Trigganometry]

Just saw an article today Ford has shutdown the F150 Lightning line until a problem with the battery’s is sorted out. Seems it has the potential to catch fire and they don’t know why. There is no expected start projections at this time!

As far a Tesla sales go, well somewhat a bit of a cult and some yuppie thrown in for good measure all for saving the planet no matter how much it costs!

I said this before on other threads concerning EV’s. Our infrastructure cannot handle these in mass. They weight about 2000 more pounds than the same sized ICE vehicles on the road. Let’s use parking garages for example. Engineers designed these structures to support ICE vehicles weighing. So a fully loaded garage still has about 30% structural support beyond the load parked in it. Now everything is EV getting parked in it. It’s going to collapse because it was not designed to hold that much additional weight. Then the fire that starts because of the collapse will make the recent train wreck and the pollution caused kids play compared.

Or rural bridges, and a traffic jam. That should be fun eh. I can keep going but the forward though process has not been reviewed and the coming peril is a certainty!

 

[AzScorpion]

What I'm opposed to is the forced adoption of EV. It's being legislated by government and not driven by the consumer market. California, other states and European countries have declared that "no more gasoline vehicles to be sold after 2030".

I have trouble keeping my golf cart charged. Once someone figures out how to make a wireless charger that's built into my garage floor, I'll be interested (kind of like a cell phone). Not sure if anyone is working on it but I read about an idea that wireless charging could be built into roads. How cool would that be?

Fred they have that now in Sweden. It's been operational since 2018 and looks to be like a reverse trolly system.

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...ed-road-for-charging-vehicles-opens-in-sweden

The world’s first electrified road that recharges the batteries of cars and trucks driving on it has been opened in Sweden.

About 2km (1.2 miles) of electric rail has been embedded in a public road near Stockholm, but the government’s roads agency has already drafted a national map for future expansion.

Energy is transferred from two tracks of rail in the road via a movable arm attached to the bottom of a vehicle. The design is not dissimilar to that of a Scalextric track, although should the vehicle overtake, the arm is automatically disconnected. The electrified road is divided into 50m sections, with an individual section powered only when a vehicle is above it. When a vehicle stops, the current is disconnected. The system is able to calculate the vehicle’s energy consumption, which enables electricity costs to be debited per vehicle and user.

 

[AzScorpion]

Here's another one that researchers at Cornell University have been working on.

 

[FusedLogic]

Here's another one that researchers at Cornell University have been working on.

That's awesome! It really is the way to go, I think. But now that I see it, I'm wondering if there are any health risks driving over a charger. Oh well, it's always something!

 

[Dr_Strangelove]

If you want "real journalism" on the EV experience I recommend Rich Benoit. An owner who really well documents his EV ownership experience. And as a bonus if you like garage stuff - his experiences rebuilding them and refurbishing them from accidents and floods.




Some notes for folks that understandably don't want to watch a 50 minute video.

• He often has a hard time finding a place "off the Tesla grid" to charge his new Rivian.
• Many 3rd party chargers are out of service when he arrives at them.
• Most charges took over 1 hour. Some were closer to 3 hours.
• He almost gets stranded. (Rich has tons of experience with Teslas and EVs. I've watched his channel for years.)
• One single thrid party charge cost him over $80. His words "This was supposed to be cheaper!"
• He highlights EV dealer shenanigans. Of course.

 

[AzScorpion]

That's awesome! It really is the way to go, I think. But now that I see it, I'm wondering if there are any health risks driving over a charger. Oh well, it's always something!

Oh I'm sure there will be. But the studies won't show this until years later when it's to late.

 

[Dr. Zaius]

Oh I'm sure there will be. But the studies won't show this until years later when it's to late.

Or the first time someone with a pacemaker gets on the road...

 

[AzScorpion]

Or the first time someone with a pacemaker gets on the road...

That won't end well.

 

[got3fords]

I'll admit there are MANY on YouTube that are just clickbait videos. I don't watch podcast like Joe Rogan or Tim Poole etc either. I try to watch them from car guys like TFL (yes at times they're bias) and a few others. TFL did a road test with an ICE & EV both towing the exact same travel trailer. Now those are the comparison videos I like because they show real world results. Will the distances get better, they should. But at what expense and how will the average person be able to afford a $100K EV truck just so they can tow/haul with it like an ICE truck?

I'm not against EV's or advancement in technology but IMHO they're going about this all wrong. First they scared people into them by raising the prices of gas, yes this was done intentionally and anyone who thinks otherwise well that's another debate we most likely couldn't have here. Then the reality of having to spend BILLIONS to update our grid from coast to coast doesn't sit well when we're already TRILLIONS in debt, have reach our debt ceiling now and just gave the Ukraine another $460 BILLION while our elderly, Vets and homeless suffer here!!! Electricity rates will be so high that only the rich will be able to drive these EV's if all this ever happens. No I'm not wearing my tinfoil hat today either.?

Truth!

 

[got3fords]

Here's another one that researchers at Cornell University have been working on.

OMG! Just imagine the incredible amount of money and labor to institute this. Unreal! And the maintenance? I don't see this coming to frution for decades if ever.

 

[AzScorpion]

OMG! Just imagine the incredible amount of money and labor to institute this. Unreal! And the maintenance? I don't see this coming to frution for decades if ever.

I agree James! Great concept but probably way to expensive to ever be able to put it to good use.

 

[LostMy65]

Reality is for those that can't handle drugs.

Sponsored