An EV??????`

[Hay Dude]

I don’t own one because it’s not suitable for my uses, living 35 miles from town and frequently taking long trips of 600+ miles. But when I do go into the city, I see more and more people driving EVs. They are commonplace now in urban areas.

Then make urban people own them, but leave the rest of us in fly over/forgotten man part of the country alone.

EV’s are not “one size fits all”. Not everyone lives in the DC Beltway.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Depends on what your definition of “real work” is. If you mean hauling trailers and heavy cargo, then those duelies can’t be beat. For snowplowing or muddy roads, single rear wheels are far better.

Yup. That's why I use tractors and other things for plowing and such, and a 3500 for OTR towing - which may become a 4500 or 5500 as the 3500 is on the ragged edge for a 39,000 lb. CGVWR in the hills here.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Hmm, come to think of it, there is a way my girlfriend could use an EV. It would be easy enough to build a small trailer with a generator on it, making the lack of range less of an issue.

Unfortunately, she absolutely refuses to tow anything with her 1/2-ton, so I seriously doubt she'd accept having a trailer behind a little car.

 

[kozal01]

I hope I can put this in a way that will sink in: An EV would not work for us, at all.

Okay, we have joked about getting one to go to the post office with since it's close, but one would fail miserably for any other of our regular uses.

In the case of my girlfriend, her driving is primarily for normal shopping and such. A trip to Costco, for example, is about 160 miles. One way. Considering the elevation changes and that there are no chargers at Costco, that just isn't feasible for an EV even if it was a perfect 70 degrees, instead of the -10 or -20 it can be.

Yes, there are stores much closer (some 70 and 100 miles away), but while those could be reached with an EV, those pesky elevation changes, and potentially also temperatures, makes it questionable to make it back home again.

Please keep in mind that while we're only somewhat rural, the nearest stoplight is about 70 miles from here. Thankfully, charging stations are all over the place. NOT.

For me, most of my driving is a minimum of 300 miles one way, and towing anywhere between a little empty 5,000-lb. trailer (10K GVWR) to a larger one totaling 25K lbs.

In the past couple of weeks I've driven some 3,300 miles between two trips. Filled up twice, stopped for sleeping for two hours on one of the trips.

Basically, an EV would be beyond a joke for me, and only potentially feasible for some of my girlfriend's driving. Being that she has six cars as it is, she's not about to buy an EV.

Where we live? It's 10 miles to the nearest village of 1,300. As mentioned, not very rural, but at least real rural.

None of this will register with him, don’t waste your time. Reason and logic are lost on him.

 

[shooterdon]

Hmm, come to think of it, there is a way my girlfriend could use an EV. It would be easy enough to build a small trailer with a generator on it, making the lack of range less of an issue.

Unfortunately, she absolutely refuses to tow anything with her 1/2-ton, so I seriously doubt she'd accept having a trailer behind a little car.

Put it in the bed. Get diesel generator though

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Good news for full self driving in ICE vehicles in TX.

Self-driving 18-wheelers being tested on North Texas roads

CBS News Texas was allowed to ride on one of Aurora's test drives with two operators whose only job is to make sure the self-driving truck does its job.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Jstpssng]

None of this will register with him, don’t waste your time. Reason and logic are lost on him.

He obviously likes his EVs and it's his choice to use them. As they get more prevalent, I am sure more people will buy them. I wouldn't mind onecas a third vehicle, but it would have to be affordable. It's the viewpoint by many that because it works for them, everybody should drive one is what I disagree with.
I don't let my fuel tank get below 1/2; running a battery dry, then waiting all night for it to charge doesn't sit well with me.

A vehicle here starts rusting out after a decade. There's no way I'm spending 70k for a Tesla or any other vehicle.

 

[TimberFarm]

As I recall it was determined that the car in question had no gas cap on it...the driver had used self-serve gas before the incident and had forgotten to put it back on. Also, the location of the gas tank in Pintos wasn't any different than anyone else's subcompact car of the era, it just happened to be Ford that got sued over it. Not sure I'd want to be in a front end collision in a VW of that era either.

Anyone remember the tv news show on the so-called exploding gas tanks on GM pickups where it was determined that the whole thing was staged?

Just like all crash tests. Hard to have a video camera and record real life crashes to see it as it happens.
Look at the insurance institutes crashes. They are all "staged". Manufacturers themselves "stage" crashes on their own vehicles.

 

[Oaktree]

It’s a religion at this point.

Don't generally agree with much that you say but I think you nailed it with this. The True Believers here seem to think that EVs are the greatest thing since sliced cheese and anyone who doesn't buy the hype is a hater.

The same fanboys seem to be under the illusion there's a super charger on every corner too. Dunno about where they live but AFAIK the nearest one to me is an hour and a half away. If there's one closer I've yet to see it.
I'm not saying that there aren't some drivers for whom an EV is a good choice, but it's not for everyone any more than any other type of vehicle is right for everyone.

 

[TimberFarm]

My electrician knowledge is limited but I have a friend that has worked for a electrical utility for the past 25 years. He told me that in his subdivision where he lives if a 1/3 of the folks that live there were to try and charge an EV around the same time the grid would not handle the load. He’s not an EV hater either.

Good Lord. What kind of utility company is that? What do they do, string Romex on tree branches from house to house?