EVs - New Hampshire gets it right

[ghughes20]

Going north, Exit 19 off the thruway has a charging station next to the highway with a nice/big convenience store. There’s also a charging station in Albany in Colonie Center Mall. Lots of food options there but a bit out of the way. Once you get past Albany, there‘s nothing but slow chargers the rest of the way.

 

[MadPadraic]

I find the anti-tesla stuff amusing. It's political more than anything else. Elon Musk is very rich, and very weird. An easy target. But, IMO, Tesla make the best EVs and the dealer experience is way better than legacy brands. I will be a repeat customer.

The Musk/Tesla situation is super weird. I think it's pretty obvious that his cult of personality really boosted the company up through a year into the Model 3 launch (maybe more). Then it seemed like Tesla sales kept on rising as his behavior became more erratic due to (1) the obvious benefits that EVs provide for certain consumers (*), (2) Tesla's super charging moat, and (3) legacy manufactures ineffectiveness. Frankly, we would have bought a Tesla when our last car lease expired, but our condo in VT doesn't yet have charging capabilities (**).

Musk's erratic behavior has now turned us off from the brand. I still suspect that a Tesla's quality is higher than other EV makers, but I worry that Musk will decide one day that. say, east coast skiers offend him and send an OTA update to reduce milage on a said customer's cars (completely contrived example). My concern here is a combination of (1) Tesla still controls the cars even when they are fully owned by the consumers (2) Musk and Tesla don't seem to think the laws apply to them and (3) his erratic behavior.

Anyway, to get back to the weirdness of Musk/Tesla, I might be in the minority in terms of being paranoid about the car, but I think that his weird behavior has to be hurting the brands rep with their initial consumer base. I thought the anti-woke crap was a ploy to broaden his market, but based on the comments in this thread I don't think it has worked. Honestly, it's probably best for the company if he just goes off to play with his rockets and whoever is still on twitter, err X.

* benefits include greeny stuff, virtue signaling and convenience.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Those spots charge at the same pace as the outlet in my garage, nowhere near as fast as a Tesla Super Charge

Probably a good thing, because supercharging a cold EV battery is pretty bad for the battery. If Stratton, (or any other freezing place) does get a Supercharger, you'd be better off taking your car for a 20 minute drive to the grocery store or somewhere, and then supercharging on your return when the battery's been warmed up.

 

[ghughes20]

Probably a good thing, because supercharging a cold EV battery is pretty bad for the battery. If Stratton, (or any other freezing place) does get a Supercharger, you'd be better off taking your car for a 20 minute drive to the grocery store or somewhere, and then supercharging on your return when the battery's been warmed up.

The car is smart when en-route and will pre-condition the battery before you get to a charging station - provided the stop is part of your navigation to your final destination. Also, the car will let you know if you won’t make it to your destination and will automatically plan the stop.

That said, any fast charging station in a parking lot for a ski mountain would be complete overkill. Say the car fills its battery in 1 hour, no one will want to come back to the parking lot and move the car after skiing for an hour. And if you stay in the spot all day you’ll be charged for your idle time and will block access to others.

Regarding driving in cold weather, every now and then the battery pack makes a loud banging sound occasionally from beneath the driver seats. This happens when it’s very cold, say below 20 degrees. This can be very unsettling if you’re not used to it. However, the situation is common among Tesla’s, probably other EVs too.

Funny story about someone I met with a Tesla Model X. This is the SUV with the gull wings. Anyway, I met this guy with a wide windsurfing board mounted on the top of his X with a roof rack. I asked him how the rack was compatible with the gull wings. Basically, it isn’t. He needs to disable the back doors when he uses the rack. Also, since the car is not designed to have a rack that attaches to the frame of the roof, this rack attaches with only large suction cups gripping the roof!!! I wasn’t sure if the rack was OEM or after market, but still, I would not be comfortable with a rack attached via suction cups. I have a fixed roof rack attached to my Y.

 

[ghughes20]

The Musk/Tesla situation is super weird. I think it's pretty obvious that his cult of personality really boosted the company up through a year into the Model 3 launch (maybe more). Then it seemed like Tesla sales kept on rising as his behavior became more erratic due to (1) the obvious benefits that EVs provide for certain consumers (*), (2) Tesla's super charging moat, and (3) legacy manufactures ineffectiveness. Frankly, we would have bought a Tesla when our last car lease expired, but our condo in VT doesn't yet have charging capabilities (**).

Musk's erratic behavior has now turned us off from the brand. I still suspect that a Tesla's quality is higher than other EV makers, but I worry that Musk will decide one day that. say, east coast skiers offend him and send an OTA update to reduce milage on a said customer's cars (completely contrived example). My concern here is a combination of (1) Tesla still controls the cars even when they are fully owned by the consumers (2) Musk and Tesla don't seem to think the laws apply to them and (3) his erratic behavior.

Anyway, to get back to the weirdness of Musk/Tesla, I might be in the minority in terms of being paranoid about the car, but I think that his weird behavior has to be hurting the brands rep with their initial consumer base. I thought the anti-woke crap was a ploy to broaden his market, but based on the comments in this thread I don't think it has worked. Honestly, it's probably best for the company if he just goes off to play with his rockets and whoever is still on twitter, err X.

* benefits include greeny stuff, virtue signaling and convenience.

Agree with most of this. Any corporate entity that wades into social issues risks alienating a chunk of their potential customers.

Most corporations don’t have a figure head as identifiable as Musk. In history, he’s up there with Jobs, Gates, etc when it comes to name recognition. He’s under a magnifying glass.

Say what you will about Musk, but he’s the first to create a lasting market for EVs. He didn’t invent the EV, but he created the first sustainable market. I don’t think the ICE manufacturers could have done this. Too many legacy issues in manufacturing and distribution. It had to come from someone on the outside.

I use twitter/X everyday. I don’t post, but I follow my favorite sports teams on the platform. I find X to be the fastest way for news to spread. It’s also very easy to ignore the political stuff that I find offensive. My usage of X hasn’t changed since Musk purchased the company.

In general, I find political/social discourse on the internet to be predictable and boring. Too little time to dwell on things that aren’t interesting and It’s hard to be offended by things that just aren’t surprising.

Is it snowing yet?

 

[1dog]

I've had a Model Y for 22 months. Given that this was my first EV, I went with a lease. Once the lease expires in 14 months, I will be buying another Model Y. (Oddly, I don't have the option to buy the Model Y at the end of the lease. That wasn't an option when I signed the lease).

I like the car a lot.

I have FSD and have seen it improve dramatically since I've owned the car. FSD on the highway is very reliable. It does make long drives more relaxing, especially on the highway. My wife's ICE car has a lane assist system that isn't nearly as good, but does help. We take her car to VT about 50% of the time. Her car is bigger.

There have been a few recalls, but the Over-The-Air updates takes care of them. OTA updates are one of the best parts of owning the car. I get new features all the time.

I installed a 50amp outlet in my garage for charging. I rarely charge away from home. Though I do when I go to VT in the winter. More on that below...

I live in NJ (don't judge me), and ski almost exclusively at Stratton (don't judge me!!!). The trip is about 190 miles each way. The stated range of the car is approx 320 miles. That said, driving at highway speeds in the winter significantly impacts range. Using the heat depletes the battery fast, and the Model Y has a heat pump and is probably one of the most efficient heating systems in an EV. Winter range driving to VT is probably about 220, if I had to guess. So, if the car is charged up to 85% or higher, no worries. If not, I would need to plug into a Tesla Super Charger for 10 mins or so to add enough range to get to the mountain. There are several Super Chargers en route that are convenient. Once at Stratton, they have approximately 10 charging spots in parking Lot 1 and 3 by the visitors center. Both locations are walking distance to where I stay, so very convenient. Those spots charge at the same pace as the outlet in my garage, nowhere near as fast as a Tesla Super Charger, but given that I'm there for the weekend there's plenty of time to charge the car. Also, if you're only there for the day skiing, you'll have 6+ hours which probably adds 150 miles of range for most EVs.

I find the anti-tesla stuff amusing. It's political more than anything else. Elon Musk is very rich, and very weird. An easy target. But, IMO, Tesla make the best EVs and the dealer experience is way better than legacy brands. I will be a repeat customer.

Thx GH,


Thats very useful info. Interesting that in two years you have that positive experience. Like others mention, it's gotta be a second car, and alternatives are always ICE.

And you have the sense of humor we appreciate on this forum.

My wife's ride is a Plug-In Hybrid and its not as efficient charging, only take it north occasionally- a 200 mile trip. 35MPG on highway w small turbo-charged 4 cyl. All electric under 35-40 MPG. Takes all night to charge from empty- no super charger ability.

11-12 gallons of regular @ $3.50 is $40 r/t. Large SUV we use gots close to 20 MPG so thats closer to $70-$75 r/t.

Still no calculation on the cost of electricity to run/charge over fossil comparison. ( where still, 40-50% of electricity emanates from)

Think it's more than politics, though that has influence. Back to energy density debate.

Chemical Energy Content of some Fuels in MJkg
Source: adapted from Energy density Extended Reference Table, Wikipedia.

 

[Harvey]

I think that his weird behavior has to be hurting the brands rep with their initial consumer base.

I know two drivers who went from "I love my Tesla" to now hoping it last long enough so others can catch up.

 

[ghughes20]

I know two drivers who went from "I love my Tesla" to now hoping it last long enough so others can catch up.

I‘m unlike most early adopters. The “Green“ angle wasn’t the main driver to get me to try an EV. I suspected at the time that electric motors were just a better way to move a car. EVs power trains have far fewer moving parts, they’re lighter, smaller, quieter, provide a smoother delivery of power, instant torque, simpler transmission, they’re much easier to design and build, far fewer moving parts, etc. And, they can also be stupid fast at a lower price. Tesla’s benefit from all of the above, so do other EV makers, but Tesla had a head start.

Power storage, as noted above, is a downside. I carry a lot of extra weight to get that 300+ miles of range and the batteries degrade over time. That said, with the current range and the charging network available in the North East, my Model Y isn’t a compromise 95% of the time, and in 10 years that might only go down to 80%.

Hydrogen can power electric motors, and do so today. But the distribution network isn’t as wide spread as electricity. Not using the gas station is a huge benefit. I charge at home 90% of the time. Could I do the same with Hydrogen? I have Natural Gas at home, but I suspect hooking into that source would be a lot more complicated than installing a 50amp plug in my garage. Let’s see what the future brings.

After 22 months, I’m convinced electric motors are best way we have to move a car. How they’re powered will certainly change and improve.

Biggest downside to owning a Model Y, there’s no physical button to open the glovebox. I have to tell the car “Open Glove Box”, or find a virtual button in the one screen menu. Luckily, I can still close it the old way.

 

[ericfromMA/NH/VT]

All New Hampshire residents that own an EV will now be subject to an excise tax to pay their fair share to maintain our highways. The tax will be added yearly when they register their EV, around $100 per year. I was irate when I heard the low rate. However, the report went on to say that is what the average gas vehicle owner pay each year. So, I guess it's fair. The state needs to do two more excise taxes/surcharges. NH EV owners need to be charged their fair share of the costs to install charging stations. I think an amount equal to the new EV excise tax around a $100 a year would be their fair share. Next, the state needs to charge the owners of out state EVs a similar excise tax/surcharge. This can be done through the RFID tolling stations on our NH highways, easily added to their toll by the VIN associated with all EVs.

Pretty sure the eecommerce claus will stop the tax on out of staters. Agree with your statement otherwise, and I live in NH.

 

[joshua segal]

Pretty sure the eecommerce claus will stop the tax on out of staters. Agree with your statement otherwise, and I live in NH.

We (I am an NH resident) get their "road tax" money at the toll booths, where we also get their money from our well-placed liquor stores.

 

[cdskier]

Thought this was interesting...just saw a post in one of our internal apps at work from someone asking who they contact to get more EV chargers installed in the parking garage at one of our offices. Not quite sure how I feel about the expectation of your employer installing EV chargers.

 

[Edd]

Not quite sure how I feel about the expectation of your employer installing EV chargers.

I love employers doing it but you can’t expect it, IMO. My workplace has maybe 6 stations and about 1000 employees/contractors soooo I couldn’t count on that myself.

 

[ghughes20]

Thought this was interesting...just saw a post in one of our internal apps at work from someone asking who they contact to get more EV chargers installed in the parking garage at one of our offices. Not quite sure how I feel about the expectation of your employer installing EV chargers.

Employees can act entitled. Most EVs have more then enough range to get you two and from work. Just charge at home. Why expect your employer to pay for your electricity? They (probably) don't provide gas money to other workers.

 

[Edd]

Employees can act entitled. Most EVs have more then enough range to get you two and from work. Just charge at home. Why expect your employer to pay for your electricity? They (probably) don't provide gas money to other workers.

Apartment dwellers mostly don’t have access to charging. That is the big miss on this whole EV push. I live in a large mill building and the idea of using an EV is a joke for us. And I live in a small town, I can’t imagine the amount of people in real cities that can’t properly charge an EV.

 

[cdskier]

Employees can act entitled. Most EVs have more then enough range to get you two and from work. Just charge at home. Why expect your employer to pay for your electricity? They (probably) don't provide gas money to other workers.

That was pretty much my take, but I didn't know if that was just me as a non-EV user being an a-hole

I know we do have a few EV chargers in that garage, but apparently they were taken by 7:30AM. So people want more.

I'm guessing maybe these people don't have access to charging at home. Not sure if that is due to where they live (i.e. an apartment/condo/etc where they have no control over installing one) or if it is their own choice to not bother putting one in. The former was an argument I made MUCH earlier in this thread about a major factor limiting EV uptake (and which some people in this thread told me wasn't as big of a deal as I claimed it was).

I love employers doing it but you can’t expect it, IMO. My workplace has maybe 6 stations and about 1000 employees/contractors soooo I couldn’t count on that myself.

That's probably about the same numbers we have for this particular site. Or at least the same ratio.

 

[BodeMiller1]

Concord has charging stationsat the rest areas, updated hotels, Killington is loaded for bear down around the base snowshed waht 30?

The when I turn the heater on,...

 

[Harvey]

Apartment dwellers mostly don’t have access to charging.

Every technology doesn't have to work for every person. Hybrids are good city cars.

 

[zyk]

Every technology doesn't have to work for every person. Hybrids are good city cars.

Hybrids are good everywhere, but in my experience the drag coefficient is noticeable above 45 mph or so. My truck gets the same (poor) mileage at 30 or 80. Also winter gas blend is more noticeable.

 

[ss20]

Hybrids are good everywhere, but in my experience the drag coefficient is noticeable above 45 mph or so. My truck gets the same (poor) mileage at 30 or 80. Also winter gas blend is more noticeable.

I think that's more because of a truck than anything. My mother has a *tiny* old lady car... a miniature Prius they only made for a few model years in the mid-2010s. Unless it's trying to do 55mph+ the hybrid engine makes a huge difference.

 

[BenedictGomez]

I know two drivers who went from "I love my Tesla" to now hoping it last long enough so others can catch up.

The only "angry at Musk" people I see on Twitter (errrr, X) are almost exclusively fairly far-left. And it's almost always that they're upset with Musk for exposing Twitter as a pro-Democrat political tool. It's akin to the fox being upset the chickens put a lock on the chicken coop.