Battery based electric vehicles of today and tomorrow.

[California]

Subaru and Toyota just announced twin EV 'crossovers', small SUV's. I love my go-anywhere 99 Outback and thought for a second this new Subaru EV would be a great replacement. But no. The range of 220~250 miles, far less if towing even a small tent trailer, isn't sufficient to get back home after many of our weekend offroad adventures, (Example). I want an EV but this new Subaru isn't it. I'm trying to decide whether to spend a lot of money on a late model Forester or something, or just run the Subaru until it quits - possibly in a remote place. And have an EV as our primary car.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Subaru and Toyota just announced twin EV 'crossovers', small SUV's. I love my go-anywhere 99 Outback and thought for a second this new Subaru EV would be a great replacement. But no. The range of 220~250 miles, far less if towing even a small tent trailer, isn't sufficient to get back home after many of our weekend offroad adventures, (Example). I want an EV but this new Subaru isn't it. I'm trying to decide whether to spend a lot of money on a late model Forester or something, or just run the Subaru until it quits - possibly in a remote place. And have an EV as our primary car.

Toyota Will Focus On EV Price, Not Range

Apparently Toyota thinks the smaller the EV battery the better because it makes the car cheaper.

Towing a full load with the F-150 lightning seems to cut the range by 40 to 60%. This is in line with our 2010 f150 at interstate speeds.

 

[RoyJackson]

Toyota Will Focus On EV Price, Not Range

Apparently Toyota thinks the smaller the EV battery the better because it makes the car cheaper.

For the market Toyota is going after (urban/suburban and short trips), this probably makes sense

 

[Agvg]

When I was a kid, a car was worn out at 70,000 miles. Then the Japanese taught the world how to build reliable vehicles. Today, any vehicle will run 200,000 miles without major repairs, and many make it 300,000+ miles. That's pretty good for a machine that takes a beating. In the US, the average age of passenger vehicles is 12.1 years.

Plastic is a big weight reduction. It costs money to haul metal around.

An old Mercedes diesel would normally do over a million km without to much repairs, the newer don't so it's not always right that newer is better.

And the point of reducing plastic is to increase recycling and durability, plastics don't age well Vs steel and aluminium. And it's difficult to repair.

 

[Agvg]

For the market Toyota is going after (urban/suburban and short trips), this probably makes sense

Well, range is one of the most important issue for buyers, both Honda and Mazda have ideas like this and it doesn't appeal to customers, think Toyota will have no better luck.

The Japanese manufacturers don't really like EVs, even Nissan haven't done much except making the leaf, not really done much to keep the lead they had as a pioneer in EVs. Will see how many of these brands will survive the next decade.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

For the market Toyota is going after (urban/suburban and short trips), this probably makes sense

Especially with them forging for batteries.

 

[Agvg]

Norway’s Oil Boom Is Only Just Beginning | OilPrice.com

While Norway is a major clean energy power, it is also the largest oil and gas producer in Western Europe and its revenues from oil and gas production hit a record high this year

oilprice.com

IT sounds like Norway plans to help fill the energy gap for decades to come as non fossil fuel energy options are found and implemented. Transportation is just one use of fossil fuels that makes modern life as we know it today possible.

Well, it's hard to kill a industry that prints money on a ridiculous high rate, and the tax on profit from oil and gas production is over 70% so without it the Norwegian state would be in serious financial trouble.

 

[RoyJackson]

Well, range is one of the most important issue for buyers, both Honda and Mazda have ideas like this and it doesn't appeal to customers, think Toyota will have no better luck.

The Japanese manufacturers don't really like EVs, even Nissan haven't done much except making the leaf, not really done much to keep the lead they had as a pioneer in EVs. Will see how many of these brands will survive the next decade.

I'm not so sure about that...guess it depend on how much range one needs and, of course, the price of the vehicle
I live in a fairly rural area but most of my trips (other than going to work (50 miles one way)) are probably under 10 miles (groceries, dump runs, things like that) and are on secondary roads with 30-50 MPH speed limits. I'd have no problems going with a relatively short range (100 miles range) EV.
Of course, I'm a lot older (72 next month) and most of my running about is behind me except when there is a need

 

[Agvg]

Here I live EVs is the normal and very few wants short range EVs, many would have enough range with these but it seems most pepole want medium range EVs. And in real urban areas cars ar not an option anyway.

 

[RoyJackson]

Here I live EVs is the normal and very few wants short range EVs, many would have enough range with these but it seems most pepole want medium range EVs. And in real urban areas cars ar not an option anyway.

What's considered "medium range"?
When I wrote "short range", that would be 100-125 miles (160-200 Km). That would require recharging once, maybe twice, a week