EVs - New Hampshire gets it right

[BodeMiller1]

Nope I'm going to go with Hydrogen...........the Japanese have got this covered. We just need our government/Big Oil to get the F out of the way!!!!!

There has to be a catch with cold fusion. Any one know if cold fusion takes place any where in the known universe? (With out manipulation)
Japan did a nice with their GE reactors. Except for dumping the radioactive water in the sea. Butt, yeah lets leave our motoring in their hands...

 

[Newpylong]

Until EVs can be charged in a comparable time to ICE vehicles and have similar range coupled with price, they will not fully replace ICE vehicles anytime soon due to how rural our country is.

There are Tesla's in town here, but they are owned by doctors who dependably go from point A to B every day. They aren't a good fit here and that likely won't change unless all of the criteria above are met.

 

[deadheadskier]

Until EVs can be charged in a comparable time to ICE vehicles and have similar range coupled with price, they will not fully replace ICE vehicles anytime soon due to how rural our country is.

There are Tesla's in town here, but they are owned by doctors who dependably go from point A to B every day. They aren't a good fit here and that likely won't change unless all of the criteria above are met.

If you look at things rationally, the charging time is of minimal significance. The average person drives 13,5000 miles a year. So, 259 miles a week. That is basically the typical range of an EV. The average person will never even need to use a roadside charger. They plug in their car overnight one evening and they're good to go for the week.

I drive about 50k miles a year due to work. Cover all of New England. Unless I'm going to Ft Kent, Caribou Presque Isle or Calais, I could make it to basically every hospital I do business with one overnight charge. I bet even with my heavy mileage habits, there are less than ten days a year I exceed 250 miles travel in a day. Those ten days aren't enough to turn me off to the car type. Time the charge at lunch. No big deal.

Increased adoption will occur with increased variety and affordability first and foremost. Once you start seeing several mid sized SUV options with 300 mile ranges and sale prices around 40k, the adoption rate will start to take off. And that price point will happen. EV cars are easier and faster to build than ICE. Economics of scale will make them cheaper to produce than ICE vehicles eventually because of what goes into them.

I'll go back to the point I've made already. ICE vehicles are about 25% efficient vs 75% for EVs. EVs are cheaper to build for the manufacturer and cheaper to maintain for the consumer. Hell the amount of time I waste getting tune ups in a year easily eclipses whatever time I'd waste at a roadside charger. It's pretty obvious where this story is heading because of these realities.

The only reason why I don't have an EV already is because I get a van provided to use for my work and my wife's car is a manual, which we both prefer to automatic transmissions. More fun to drive and it's not available with an EV. Once that car dies, there are no AWD wagons left being made with an MT, so we will get an EV. I'd estimate around 2027 and I fully expect a lot of choices with vastly improved ranges by then.

 

[cdskier]

If you look at things rationally, the charging time is of minimal significance. The average person drives 13,5000 miles a year. So, 259 miles a week. That is basically the typical range of an EV. The average person will never even need to use a roadside charger. They plug in their car overnight one evening and they're good to go for the week.

There are many people that own cars but don't necessarily have a spot to plug it in overnight. Unless you're going to put a charger in every parking spot along every street...overnight charging "at home" is not an option for a good number of people. And that would be a nightmare to maintain plus who is going to pay for that infrastructure? Newpy is right that a fast charging solution is absolutely needed before EVs can become mainstream.

 

[BodeMiller1]

If you compare the size of gas powered cars and trucks to EVs, the gas powered are much larger and can handle a larget payload.
Sure, if you're just hauling yourself an EV can pull it off.
I have a friend who I've helped clear land for. He wants to take down some large oaks so he bought a battery powered chainsaw. It's the same thing, the saw has enough power to put the trees on the ground, but you'd have to swap batteries or recharge - pain in the a$$. Told him get a cheap ($250) chainsaw and in a couple hours it will be done. No way I want an under powered tool, way too dangerous.

 

[deadheadskier]

There are many people that own cars but don't necessarily have a spot to plug it in overnight. Unless you're going to put a charger in every parking spot along every street...overnight charging "at home" is not an option for a good number of people. And that would be a nightmare to maintain plus who is going to pay for that infrastructure? Newpy is right that a fast charging solution is absolutely needed before EVs can become mainstream.

As of 2017, 2/3rds of the residential units in this country had a garage or designated carport. In the latter situation where carport means a space in a communal lot, I'm sure landlords will start putting in power at each spot to remain competitive. It will become a selling feature.

So, you are really talking about only a third of the country that won't have access to charging at home. And what percentage of those people don't have a vehicle at all and fully rely on public transportation?

I do think faster charging will help adoption rates, but like people's concerns about range, I think the perceived inconveniences / challenges of EV ownership don't mesh with reality. It's anecdotal, but have you ever met an EV owner who regretted their decision? I haven't

 

[BodeMiller1]

I drive Mustangs, trade them when they get over 35,000 miles. They've never let me down. Four studded tires and traction control, awesome in snow and ice.
I cannot count the times I've been able to accelerate out of trouble. I realize EVs can also accelerate well, but if I'm in Maine off the Interstates and need fuel... further, In a head-on crash with an EV I "win".
They are time machines and very efficient. I get 35+ mpg even on back roads and they are close to as comfortable a Mercedes or BMW.

*** I am biased.

 

[cdskier]

As of 2017, 2/3rds of the residential units in this country had a garage or designated carport. In the latter situation where carport means a space in a communal lot, I'm sure landlords will start putting in power at each spot to remain competitive. It will become a selling feature.

So, you are really talking about only a third of the country that won't have access to charging at home. And what percentage of those people don't have a vehicle at all and fully rely on public transportation?

I do think faster charging will help adoption rates, but like people's concerns about range, I think the perceived inconveniences / challenges of EV ownership don't mesh with reality. It's anecdotal, but have you ever met an EV owner who regretted their decision? I haven't

The street in my neighborhood is literally full every single night with cars. And I'm in a residential neighborhood in the suburbs where every house has a driveway/garage. But the apartment buildings around the block have no parking lots/spaces. And the vast majority of homes on my street have more cars than fit in the driveway. Looking simply at the % of residences that have garages is not an accurate indicator of how many cars do/don't have access to a dedicated overnight charger. It is absolutely overlooking a rather significant portion of car owners. My experience is not unique to my neighborhood either. You'll see cars parked on the streets regularly in many/most towns in my area.

As for whether I've met an EV owner who regretted their decision? Can't say that I have...but I also know very few EV owners. I know more hybrid owners than pure EV owners. The only pure EV owners I can think of that I know are people that have multiple cars (so 1 EV plus an ICE or two). Not exactly a ringing endorsement if they're holding onto 1 or more ICE vehicles.

 

[zyk]

My 1 1/2 cents... If everyone woke up tomorrow with an EV what would happen? If everyone woke up tomorrow with a hybrid what would happen? I see hybrids as the stepping stone. An 900+ mile run to get a rescue in northern Maine in the winter... No EV for me yet.

 

[kbroderick]

If you compare the size of gas powered cars and trucks to EVs, the gas powered are much larger and can handle a larget payload.
Sure, if you're just hauling yourself an EV can pull it off.
I have a friend who I've helped clear land for. He wants to take down some large oaks so he bought a battery powered chainsaw. It's the same thing, the saw has enough power to put the trees on the ground, but you'd have to swap batteries or recharge - pain in the a$$. Told him get a cheap ($250) chainsaw and in a couple hours it will be done. No way I want an under powered tool, way too dangerous.

FWIW, for homeowner-type use, I love my 60V chainsaw. I have no idea how it compares to a modern gas saw, because I haven't used one, but compared to my dad's old saw, it's a whole lot better for occasional use. No worries about stale fuel, no need to deal with premix, etc. I doubt it'd be the right tool for felling large oaks—it's a 16" bar—but for the dead and dying stuff I've needed to clean up around the yard or on trail-work days, it works beautifully even when it hasn't been touched in months (assuming a fresh charge on the batteries, which I also use for power tools and normal yard work stuff).

 

[kbroderick]

My 1 1/2 cents... If everyone woke up tomorrow with an EV what would happen? If everyone woke up tomorrow with a hybrid what would happen? I see hybrids as the stepping stone. An 900+ mile run to get a rescue in northern Maine in the winter... No EV for me yet.

If everyone woke up tomorrow with an EV, maybe there'd finally be the political will to modernize the electrical grid and fully support homeowner-scale generation (which, based on the experiences of those I know who have installed solar, could well be a piece of the puzzle). The reality is that we need to deal with resolving the grid's inability to support modern (and predicted future) usage patterns, and EVs are only part of that.

 

[SkiingInABlueDream]

Hydrogen will go no where. As an energy carrier (it's not a fuel) it's insanely difficult to store and transport safely because it's a tiny molecule that escapes containers extremely easily, and is highly explosive when it does. Hydrogen is dangerous. And it's more energy intense to produce than gas and diesel. Hydrogen is worse than continuing with traditional ICE.

Edit. Shoot, the page that I had bookmarked a long time ago (whose blog post was what swayed me to the belief that hydrogen is a dead end) is no longer available. Trying to Google about hydrogen fuel cells just now brought up more sponsored links than anything else and since I don't feel like re-digging into that at the moment, I'll just let my post stand as my opinion.

 

[1dog]

I drive Mustangs, trade them when they get over 35,000 miles. They've never let me down. Four studded tires and traction control, awesome in snow and ice.
I cannot count the times I've been able to accelerate out of trouble. I realize EVs can also accelerate well, but if I'm in Maine off the Interstates and need fuel... further, In a head-on crash with an EV I "win".
They are time machines and very efficient. I get 35+ mpg even on back roads and they are close to as comfortable a Mercedes or BMW.

*** I am biased.

As long as they are ICE.

EV inventory problem: Ford Mustang Mach-E piling up on dealer lots or in transit - Autoblog

The company's sales numbers, amount of EV supply, and dealer sentiment all indicate Ford is sitting on more electric vehicles than it can sell.

www.autoblog.com

Hurry before its taken down:

 

[Smellytele]

On an EV road trip to promote green tech, the US Energy Secretary and her entourage couldn't find enough electric vehicle chargers

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm's road trip highlighted a major problem in the push for more electric cars: There are still not enough chargers.

www.yahoo.com

 

[cdskier]

On an EV road trip to promote green tech, the US Energy Secretary and her entourage couldn't find enough electric vehicle chargers

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm's road trip highlighted a major problem in the push for more electric cars: There are still not enough chargers.

www.yahoo.com

So the government while promoting EV uses an ICE car to reserve a charging spot...nice...

 

[BodeMiller1]

Hydrogen will go no where. As an energy carrier (it's not a fuel) it's insanely difficult to store and transport safely because it's a tiny molecule that escapes containers extremely easily, and is highly explosive when it does. Hydrogen is dangerous. And it's more energy intense to produce than gas and diesel. Hydrogen is worse than continuing with traditional ICE.

Edit. Shoot, the page that I had bookmarked a long time ago (whose blog post was what swayed me to the belief that hydrogen is a dead end) is no longer available. Trying to Google about hydrogen fuel cells just now brought up more sponsored links than anything else and since I don't feel like re-digging into that at the moment, I'll just let my post stand as my opinion.

Hmm, So you're telling me there's a chance?

 

[BodeMiller1]

FWIW, for homeowner-type use, I love my 60V chainsaw. I have no idea how it compares to a modern gas saw, because I haven't used one, but compared to my dad's old saw, it's a whole lot better for occasional use. No worries about stale fuel, no need to deal with premix, etc. I doubt it'd be the right tool for felling large oaks—it's a 16" bar—but for the dead and dying stuff I've needed to clean up around the yard or on trail-work days, it works beautifully even when it hasn't been touched in months (assuming a fresh charge on the batteries, which I also use for power tools and normal yard work stuff).

I had a craftsman electric (cord). Used it to buck branches in lawn and that kind of thing. It wasn't that good for chasing people with because the cord was only like 25'.

 

[cdskier]

Hydrogen will go no where. As an energy carrier (it's not a fuel) it's insanely difficult to store and transport safely because it's a tiny molecule that escapes containers extremely easily, and is highly explosive when it does. Hydrogen is dangerous. And it's more energy intense to produce than gas and diesel. Hydrogen is worse than continuing with traditional ICE.

Edit. Shoot, the page that I had bookmarked a long time ago (whose blog post was what swayed me to the belief that hydrogen is a dead end) is no longer available. Trying to Google about hydrogen fuel cells just now brought up more sponsored links than anything else and since I don't feel like re-digging into that at the moment, I'll just let my post stand as my opinion.

I did find an article yesterday, but you wouldn't like it as it states hydrogen is safer than gasoline. Doesn't address the storage/transport/efficiency aspect...only safety, so not saying your overall view is wrong.

Hydrogen Safety: Let's Clear the Air

When handled responsibly, green hydrogen is less dangerous than other flammable fuels that we rely on today. Moving forward, industry and government institutions must build on existing robust safety protocols and continue to make safety a key priority for investment...

www.nrdc.org

 

[Hawk]

Just watching this thread, it seems that some of you really don't like the thought of EV's. For some I think it is purely a political thing. EV simply means Liberal agenda so it is obviouly a no go. That is a very short sited view. I personally hope they figure out a way to make it work out efficiently. It has a lot of benefit.

 

[BodeMiller1]

Just watching this thread, it seems that some of you really don't like the thought of EV's. For some I think it is purely a political thing. EV simply means Liberal agenda so it is obviouly a no go. That isec a very short sited view. I personally hope they figure out a way to mesake it work out efficiently. It has a lot of benefit

There are many examples of new tech that will change the world. Then after a few decades you look back and it didn't live up to expectations.