Isn't the cold a bigger issue than the heat for lithium ion? Would need a battery warmer if anything, to try to bring the battery up to like 25C or so for optimal performance. Also need to be above 0 for charging to avoid damage.
That is being tested using sub zero liquid cooling. Problem is, it takes are charging station with a sub zero cooling system and the connectors and tubing to recirculate that in the battery module. Odds are that may only make it into the niche transport area - the momentum for installed air cooled systems is just to high.
@pcgeek11 What year is your Highlander model? If it's 2001-2007 it's probably a lot cheaper/ easier to maintain than the newer ones.
Thing is, from what I've seen, the rates (if you have to pay) are pricey. This one review I saw had it at 49 cents per kWh. That's going to be rough compared to $3 gas, esp in the cold. Remember that the Government is taking 40-50 cents of that $3 gas that (I assume?) the EV chargers aren't paying.
I assume the free chargers you see are mainly SV Techbros trying to fleece "Investors"/The Government and have no real business model.
My wife's Highlander is a 2010. The only repairs I've had to do are front struts last year, TPMS Sensor (batteried died) and then regular maintenance oil filters maintain fluids, tire replacements etc...
Oh I forgot we replaced the brake pads in 2023 also.
Glad your wife won the lottery of a good highlander with no oil leaks I guess.. mine was a lemon with those batteries, alternators and sensors going bad every year!
Which car are you driving?
BTW I'm glad my shoddy amateur work isn't worthy of being on this channel:
Also, how many people here own >1 vehicle? If yes, use EV for everyday use and you still have the gas powered one for the rarer needs.Those of you who push for the over 200 mile range are daft in the head. Daft.
Make a log for a year and report back the days you put in more than 200 miles "around town" where charging would be inconvenient.
My roomie does in home visits across 2 counties, taking care of pets last day in their home. He drives his ass off all over and a bad day is 150 miles. A typical day is 100.
So you work 80 miles from your home? Don't be stupid, move closer to work.
Or plug in at work how about that?
Can't do that? Fuck that company.
FFS quit making perfect the enemy of excellent.
/Rant off.
I had two years of trip data recorded by an OBD device before my first EV purchase. My wife drove all over the NY/NJ/CT area visiting clients and even still the data said public charging would only be necessary 1-2 days a year. This has proven to be accurate, we almost never publicly charge.Those of you who push for the over 200 mile range are daft in the head. Daft.
Make a log for a year and report back the days you put in more than 200 miles "around town" where charging would be inconvenient.
My roomie does in home visits across 2 counties, taking care of pets last day in their home. He drives his ass off all over and a bad day is 150 miles. A typical day is 100.
So you work 80 miles from your home? Don't be stupid, move closer to work.
Or plug in at work how about that?
Can't do that? Fuck that company.
FFS quit making perfect the enemy of excellent.
/Rant off.
We have three. My diesel beetle which is a bad car to compare anything to, My wife's nice tiguan, and the 3500 ram truck with a diesel engine.Also, how many people here own >1 vehicle? If yes, use EV for everyday use and you still have the gas powered one for the rarer needs.
We have three. My diesel beetle which is a bad car to compare anything to, My wife's nice tiguan, and the 3500 ram truck with a diesel engine.
There's no analog for the diesel truck.
We could go to directions either replace the Tiguan with a nice new electric vehicle, or my idea is to ditch the beetle and get a mostly depleted leaf or whatever I sit in comfortably.
I see those going all the time for three or four grand.
Either way, the electric vehicle would do most of the driving.
Our PUD at the new home location has a really high meter reading charge, and one of the lowest cost per kilowatt hour in the state.
I'm pretty sure we're going to get something that plugs in.
By the same token, solar panels don't pay off here nearly as well and I'm probably going to forgo those.
I may go with solar hot water collection and use that to heat the hydronic floors.
I can get the same 30% tax write-off for those, and it saves a conversion.
People give Diesels a bad reputation, but if you are one of the folks who holds on to your car forever, they are a good choice. Ultimately, keeping the same car for years and years makes your cost of ownership per year a LOT lower. Diesel fuel already has about 30% more energy than gas, so up front you get more miles per exhaust generated, and more miles driven per gallon of fuel used.
And since Diesel fuel has heavier oil based properties, it also lubricates things better. My uncle had 2 Diesel vehicles that ended up with over 500,000 miles. On one of them, the only real issue was that the floor rusted out. You could sit there and put your feet down and touch the ground, but the engine still started and ran just fine. It sort of reminded me of the cars on the Flintstones.
My first vehicle was a VW Rabbit Diesel, with manual transmission. I got 46 miles per gallon on highway driving. For a while I kept an extra 2.5 gallon fuel container in the back, giving me over 500 miles range between fill-ups. The thing had a tiny heater for the engine in cold weather, with an electric plug dangling down. Several of my friends joked that I needed a "long electric cord".
Yeah, the cost of L3 charging is very high. If public charging is your only option you aren't saving any money compared to gas.Thing is, from what I've seen, the rates (if you have to pay) are pricey. This one review I saw had it at 49 cents per kWh. That's going to be rough compared to $3 gas, esp in the cold. Remember that the Government is taking 40-50 cents of that $3 gas that (I assume?) the EV chargers aren't paying.
I assume the free chargers you see are mainly SV Techbros trying to fleece "Investors"/The Government and have no real business model.
I would like to build a electric go cart, but my wife isn't really onboard with it.I grew up using a GE Elec-trac riding mower, and my dad converted a motorcycle to electric at one point. I like the IDEA of an electric car, but I want a very basic one - no sensors or computers to record data to the builder. Crank windows, manual transmission. And I get to choose the batteries myself. Maybe I just need to build a go - cart, then work up to a car from there, or retrofit our old 2000 Metro to electric.
That only matters if you are planning to use them a lot.
I'm honestly not sure whether you're joking, or if you haven't looked at the modern e-bike market. There are dozens of e-bike manufacturers making hundreds of models like that. Almost all the ones made for the US market go at least 20mph. (Europe has lower speed limits.) If your Velosolex looks like this:I wonder how difficult it would be to electrify my old 1973 Velosolex moped? It goes about 20 miles per hour, and currently gets about 40 miles per quart/ aka 160 miles per gallon.
I imagine with modern batteries, I could probably actually get the range INCREASED from 40 miles per fillup, considering the low total vehicle weight.
In theory I would, given that I live in a condo. Don't think the Association would be all that interested in spending the money to put in chargers let alone dealing with maintenance and the cost of usage of said chargers.
OK. Companies make conversion kits too, though I wouldn't consider them worth the price.Looks interesting, but most of the fun for me would be in adapting the existing 1973 Velosolex that I already own. - and yes, it does look like that, except it is black.
I'd be a little worried about buying a rental, they always charge to 100% and many were used as Ubers, being charged to 100% with rapid chargers multiple times a day. Also at least in my experience since COVID rentals are treated even worse than before.We absolutely want to get one this year. Our Sienna loser cruiser wheelchair van is 12 years old and starting to show its age. It's way past time to get a grocery getter/ kids taxi cab for my wife.
I am all set for the charger as we have a 240v 30 amp circuit in my garage.
Hertz is dumping a portion of their EV fleet. Contemplating those as well as buying new.
I'd be a little worried about buying a rental, they always charge to 100% and many were used as Ubers, being charged to 100% with rapid chargers multiple times a day. Also at least in my experience since COVID rentals are treated even worse than before.