I thought you just slapped some AA batteries in.
I’d like 10,000 AA batteries, please.
You may have to line up for a charge, but it’s not because you need new batteries that were made in China. The Chinese don’t control electricity generation. Yet.
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When you open up an EV battery, that’s literally what it looks like.
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I’m thinking of cancelling my eTron GT order for this instead:
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So speaking of EVs…had a conversation with a Tesla owner on Saturday night. I asked about mileage and efficiency and such, and he was less than complimentary. He has both an EV and a regular ICE engine vehicle. He says the first question he has to ask is, how far am I going. The Tesla is advertised at 240 miles per charge, or whatever, but that’s the test-track brochure mileage, not the driving in 100-degree heat in Houston on the freeway mileage. He said basically, you can cut that mileage in half before you have to think about your next charge. In reality, he gets about 120-150 miles per full charge, under normal daylight driving conditions. He says the air conditioner drains battery life like crazy. When I mentioned Limey’s point about leaving the AC on while parked so the car is cool when you return, he burst out laughing. Then said “no, I can’t drive to Galveston for the day and back without planning a charge in there”.
Another good reason not to go to Galveston.
I like Galveston. I’d like to live there, but Mrs Hawk doesn’t.
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I’d have to fly naked to keep below the maximum pilot weight.
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Boo this man.
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This is pretty much exactly what they do. Except they’re rechargeable.
I bet it’s hell finding which one you put in the wrong way.
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Sounds like a typical Christmas
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The EPA ranges quoted are stupid because they’re calculated using gas-powered car scenarios. If you’re driving an EV in stop/go traffic - using regenerative braking - the battery lasts a lot more miles than it does going 70mph on a freeway. Basically the reverse of when a gas-engine is at it’s most efficient.
As to range, if 240 miles is the EPA estimate, then you have to take 70% of that as useable range, so that’s 168 miles before you turn on the A/C. This is part of the learning curve with EVs, in that that you rarely want to charge it above 80% and, for your sanity, don’t want to be on the road with less than 10% unless you know exactly where your next charge is coming from. So 10% to 80% is the sweet spot, and you have to get an EV with enough range so that this 70% band works for you.
FYI, the LFP batteries can be charged to 100% without any long-term damage. NCAD batteries can be charged to 100% on occasion, but it’s better to avoid this as much as possible.
Lastly, who on Earth has ever got anything close to the EPA calculated mileage out of a gas engine? They’re not real world numbers, they’re standardized test results to be used for comparison only.
Right. I’m just saying that reports one can drive a full day of 120 miles on a single overnight charge are disputed by real-world owners, and that because charging infrastructure is significanly less developed currently than gasoline retail, it’s an issue for some.
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I was standing in a parking lot near a stream one day putting on waders, and a guy pulled up next to me in a Tesla, the big one, and I asked him how it was for road trips, thinking I was asking what’s it like driving 2 or 300 miles. He said it was perfect, thinking I was asking how was it driving from his house 50 miles away. He said he could turn on the automatic pilot and use the time to tie flies.
Your friend says he can do 120-150 real world miles on a single charge. Unless you’re driving a long way across country regularly - a rarity for almost anyone - you’re going to be fine with that kind of range on a daily basis (the average driven commute in the US is < 50 miles round trip). If you’re not, then (a) pay extra for a bigger battery or (2) don’t buy an EV.
FYI, regarding the “leaving the A/C on” thing, I wasn’t suggesting that you leave it on all day parked in the sun at the beach. If you did that with a gas-engined car you’d come back to a dry tank too. But with an EV you can leave it on while you go to the grocery store, for example, so that the car is nice a cool when you come out 30 minutes later. Unless you’re a maniac, you would leave your gas engine running and walk away from the car for that length of time.
Teslas specifically have a “dog mode” that not only keeps the climate controlled nicely for your fur baby, but it displays a big message to this effect on the screen. This stops some do-gooder smashing your windows because they think your dog is cooking.
I’m referencing your friend the real estage agent who routinely drives 120 miles per day. You suggested that was the “sweet spot” for an EV. I’m simply commenting that an actual EV owner has told me “yeah, that’s a big negative”.
I thought everyone having an EV and driving ICEs out of the equation was the goal?
I thought running the legacy automakers out of business was the first goal?
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I think that’s just the fringe benefit.
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