Grumpycat
Veteran Member
Nothing wrong with letting the fuel tank go below 1/4. The "overheating fuel pump" lore is provably wrong. Chintzy domestic automakers saved a few pennies by wiring the in-tank fuel pump direct to the ignition key. Letting the fuel pump run when there was not enough fuel to run the engine is what burns out the fuel pump. Modern vehicles will not run the fuel pump more than 20-30 seconds after the ignition is turned on without the engine running. This means if you run out of gas and the engine does not start quickly you might as well turn it off and try again because the fuel pump is not running. Could crank the engine for 30 minutes and it will never start.As a teenager I ran car on fumes...always running out of gas. Then I got smart and never let it go much below 1/4.
Try having a full tank every morning before you leave home.There are gas stations most places every few miles...not so with charging stations. I know this argument has been beat to death but of course charging stations will be everywhere in 10 years...along with power line towers everywhere and $Billions of taxpayer money and higher electric bills.
This view from my horse stable down to the barn won't look like this now since mountains will be clear cut, towers installed.
Try charging an electric car/truck in 5 minutes like I can with fuel.
Secondly, I know you can not turn off the road, pull up to a gas pump, buy 20 gallons, and drive off in 5 minutes. But I can park my Tesla in the driveway and have it charging in 15 seconds including the time to undo my seatbelt and open the car door. Then another outrageous 15 seconds to disconnect in the morning. All for about 3¢/mile. In a 5.4 seconds-to-60 car.