🚘🚗 What Is YOUR OPINION on Electric Vehicles?

[Anonymous]

(1) Do you OWN one now or in the past? 

(2) ✔️ IF yes, we would luv to hear YOUR story! 😉

(3) ❌️ IF NO, interested? 🤔

[Tempest332]

Yes, but one place I'm not going to! 

[Anonymous]

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[Tempest332]

You changed your namesake, again?? 

[Tempest332]

There will not be an EV in my driveway anytime soon if fact likely never in my lifetime.  Just too pricy, & no charging facilities in my garage.  They need to figure out making the batteries standard & universal, perhaps easily replaceable (imagine the labor.)  I drive very little (although I'm still working every day). < 6K year now. Short trips the electric would be ideal for at least one of my vehicles. 

Lordstown Motors was in here about a week ago marketing their electric truck for fleet sales, nice though the market is becoming saturated with 4 Door Pickups, pretty much competing with the Rivan Start-Up, me thinks they should have went with a small van... Mail Truck?  

Hybrids, too much to go wrong & these engines that shut down at stops.... 😕

[Echorider]

Well I don't think you have any experience with hybrids.  I own three hybrids.  One is 15 years old, 190k miles - has never been in for service - though I have worked on it a bit and the problems were normal wear/tear (nothing to do with the hybrid system), it has the original traction battery and it is still going strong. Standard maintenance.    The other two (6 and 7 years old) have 130k miles and 40k miles respectively.  No problems, just tires, original traction batteries.  All three of these shut down at stops, but you don't even notice it - it is a very smooth transition.  Great cars, great mileage, quiet driving.  Can't wait to get an EV!

[Tempest332]

I can't say I have, nor have I never known anyone personally long term, that actually had one. (though I see them around on the road)... just some research into the subject of vehicles & the batteries, Hybrids are very complex animals.   

You must live in a warm(er) climate, cold diminishes a battery life (batteries always failed in the dead of winter) & I'm kind of wondering about the types of cycling as well on battery.  My vehicle(s) may sit for days which is not good either.  You may be treating your vehicles for their optimum performance which is working out great for you. 

If you are also buying a used Hybrid/EV always figure in the cost of a replacement battery too, as that may be the reason it's on the selling block. 

I stated in another post, an electric may be ideal for myself as I drive short trips, but for as little as I drive there is no way I'm plunking down 50+ G's on a vehicle. 

[Echorider]

Actually I live in a cold climate.  I have owned my hybrids since they were new.   I bought them because I have a very long commute, I have driven them in all sorts of weather, heavy snow, ice, heat, rain, hail, you name it.  As long as you take good care of the gas engine, change the oil, keep the fluids up, and put good tires on it, you're gonna be fine. They have a normal 12V battery, that has to be changed once in a while, but the traction (hybrid) battery will last hundreds of thousands of miles. If you buy used, then just like any other used car, you might be buying someone else's problems.

Some Tesla's (Model 3?) are running about $42k right now, but with the 7.5k government tax credit, that's about $35k.  Pretty much the same price as a regular ICE car, even without the tax credit.  I'm waiting for a small EV pickup truck that will fit into my garage, and you're right, I'm not paying $80k for one.

[Tempest332]

Lordstown Endurance I looked at runs @ $62K, but not avail to the general public's as individual (this is where they miss).. To me it looked loaded, to a typical truck buyer they aren't (hear crying about no heated seats or steering wheel).  No incentive on the Tesla 3, though that's the only Tesla I'd consider, though even $35 is out of my range, plus there is a yearly plate surcharge on EV's,. Hopefully I'll never need another vehicle, but if I do, I dread that day. 

Yeah, those batteries weigh, & low center of gravity, eh? 

[MsStretch]

My next vehicle will be a hybrid or an EV if I get another one.  I hate driving and only do so when necessary.  Not hard to find a charging station around here.  Our local Walmart has had 10 for several years.

@GailL1 , I have a friend whose brother also got a Tesla and loves it.  He has a charging station at home, too.

Personally I'd like to see a totally autonomous world since too many humans prove they don't know how to drive or care, but alas... not in my lifetime.  Close... but not close enough. 

[Echorider]

If you just make short trips around town, it may not be worth the extra money for a hybrid because they only kick into hybrid mode after about 10 minutes of driving.  You won't get any mileage or emissions benefit it you just do short trips.

The emissions system has to warm up for about 10 minutes before it is functional (same as on any gas car), and the engine has to run for it to warm up.  Hybrid cars are programmed not to go into hybrid mode until the emissions system is running normally.

If you are making longer trips, it might be worth it - I have hybrids because of my long commute.  If it were me and I had plenty of charging stations nearby, I would seriously think about an EV if I could afford one.  Low maintenance too.

[Tempest332]

Well there is something I didn't know, many of my trips are only around 10 min or less. 

[Echorider]

When you first start your car, the fuel/air mixture is set to a preset/fixed level - there is no feedback from the emissions system.  This is called "open loop" mode.  When the emissions system warms up ("closed loop" mode), then the computer looks at the sensors in your exhaust system and varies your fuel mixture to optimize your emissions (and this protects your catalytic converter from burning up).  It takes about 10 minutes to warm up - that is why you may smell gasoline coming from the exhaust of a freshly started car for a while, even if it is supposed to be a fuel-efficient car. 

[Tempest332]

I do know the short trips are not good for the vehicle, it's emissions, exhausts systems, likely I would not go into hybrid or electric mode often if at all.  I do remember the "13 month" exhaust systems of the cars from the pre mid 80's. 

The concept would not benefit me, or would I be willing to pay the premium for this.  I also found that some of the hybrids do not use the same suspension components as their full ICE counterparts.  Replacement parts & repairs may be pricier.  

I remember repacking bearings just for the fun of it, now that has become a major repair (on any vehicle). 

[Anonymous]

(2 comments) Hi @wilful , I do miss having a "landline" but do luv having a "cell" to travel with me....

Lol, I hope I have "gas" for the reminder of my driving years.

Will be 65 in September, not ready to turn in my driver's license as yet! 😉

Nicole 🙃

[MsStretch]

@Anonymous , you can still get a landline. ☎️ They aren't obsolete yet. 😁  I got rid of mine when broadband finally came to my area.  Dial-up really sucked.

[wilful]

No - I don't own one, and have never owned one.

I think eventually the EVs will be the norm/standard and our gas powered vehicles will be totally phased out.  Just like cell phones; they replaced the pagers.

[wilful]

I forgot to add:  The cell phones have also largely replaced land line phones.

[Tempest332]

Still have a landline (Now a VOIP), though if it came to giving up one or the other I'd probably give up my mobile phone... I hardly use it. 

[GailL1]

Suits my daughter and her hubby GREAT - based on where they live, their driving patterns - and for my daughter, her bad fueling habits - she drove around on fumes many times - diesel worse than regular type gas because not ever station had it.

They both bought new Teslas - Y series - this year.  They are both very tech savvy and have had few problems except one incident of which phone was in the top position and moving back and forth the drivers sear.  

They have a charging station at their home and with Tesla, charging stations are clearly marked on google maps.  

The only thing I have to say about these particular vehicles is the actual room inside - if you have more than (2) kids it is gonna be tight if the whole family is in it unless they are all small in stature or at least a mix of sizes.  

The trucks just don’t seem very practical at the moment IMO - at least not for the purposes people in my rather rural area use their truck.  

Rivians are gonna be built in my general area soon - once a few things are worked out.

Due to my age and since I just had to buy a new auto in 2021 since my 2000 Honda Accord EX needed a new computer system - I probably won’t be looking at EV’s - I drive little - new car is 1.5 years old and I just broke 4000 miles.

One thing one of the Tesla’s did - turned on symphonic music inside car and the car actually danced with all doors, wipers, lights in the dance movements - quite the spectacle.

[DaveMcK]

The retirement center I live in is not equipped with the charging stations needed.

I am not convinced that the battery's are as safe as needed to be stored in a large structure like ours with around 100 parking spaces. 

I can not justify the cost of a vehicle.

[GailL1]

But, Dave, you get that $ 7500 TAX CREDIT if you buy one that has been sanctioned by the US Government as to how and where major components were made.

Remember, folks, this $ 7500 TAX CREDIT is tax money that the US Treasury does not get and if you don’t have at least that much is tax liability then it is pretty worthless.

Yes, you can buy used EV’s and get some portion of a tax credit.

[Anonymous]

(3 comments) Nope, NEVER had one and NEVER getting one.

Lol, too "lazy" to REMEMBER to plug in and to locate a CHARGING STATION when traveling! 🙄

I also have "read" online the REPLACEMENT batteries sometimes cost more than the VALUE of vehicle. 😱

I am sticking with the other Old Lady (2006 Hyundai Elantra). 👍

Nicole 🙃

[nctarheel]

I am not looking forward to an electric vehicle either for all the reasons you mention but, at some point, you may not have a choice.... at least here in the United States.

[Tempest332]

EV's have been around at the turn of the 20th century (early 1900's), another surge in the 40's when they used electric Milk Trucks. 

This will swing the other way, they don't even know how to recycle the batteries yet.  The ICE is not going away anytime soon. 

The ONLY charging stations I have ever seen is at my local Meijer's, these were installed in '18 & I have not seen any, anywhere else.  

[Echorider]

This is true. Aside from the government push for lower emissions (which will change depending upon who is in charge), there is a significant profit motive for auto manufacturers to go electric.  Warranty claims on internal combustion engines are a huge drain on profits vs for electric motors.  Auto manufacturers are looking at Tesla's profits with envy.  It is the money, and not the government that will force the change.