For the record, I drive a gas guzzling 2020 Ford Ranger, but I would
totally buy an electric pickup truck as my next vehicle if they were
affordable enough and suited my needs.
Also, none of this has to do with Tesla specifically, but rather the
current state of vehicles as a whole.
On 12/30/23 20:50, Jim via PLUG-discuss wrote:
> I don't like electric cars. IMHO they're not ready to replace the
> internal combustion engine. They don't have the range of a car with a
> gas tank and it takes hours to charge one. If you can find one of
> those fast chargers, and not have to wait in line for it, you can get
> it charged in 45 minutes or a bit longer depending on how depleted the
> battery is. Imagine driving from the Valley to Yuma in one during
> the summer. You'd have to have the ac on. That would seriously eat
> into the range. Would you be able to make the round trip on one
> charge? I wouldn't want to risk it. Imagine being stuck on the side
> of the road in the summer long I 10 between Yuma and Gila Bend. With
> a car that burns liquid hydrocarbons, the tank can be empty and still
> you can fill it in a few minutes.
I see a lot of hyperbole in this.
A fair number of (relatively speaking) affordable electric cars these
days have enough range to take you from central Phoenix to Yuma fairly
reliably, but long-distance driving is not what they are meant to be
used for. A VERY slim number of people are going to make a daily trip
from Phoenix to Yuma, and even fewer are going to make a daily round
trip from Phoenix to Yuma and back. Those that are, are not going to
drive an electric vehicle.
Recharging a high capacity electric vehicle isn't *that* long when you
think about it. 45 minutes is fine for most people on long trips as long
as the support infrastructure (restaurants, convenience stores, etc) are
also there. Which...they are.
Planning a long distance trip in an electric vehicle will require people
to carefully plan ahead of time. Either carefully your rest stops, or
else find a different way to get where they want to go (like flying,
train, renting a gasoline car, etc).
To be fair, the only reason a lot of gas guzzling vehicles (like my
Ranger) can make a trip from central Phoenix to Yuma is because the fuel
tank is extremely large. If you ask your typical gas guzzler to make the
same trip and NOT stop to refuel, you'd get worried looks too.
> Right now an ev might be good for someone who's driving to work and
back every day who can charge it at home overnight. It cuts down on air
pollution and if you drive one, you don't have to stop at a gas station
on the way home.
Precisely, and this is the main target audience for electric vehicles:
city commuters. And also keep in mind that the urban planning in Phoenix
and its suburbs is *awful* compared to most major cities.
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