Going from EV back to ICE

[AnxietyRanger]

My upgrade plan is a new roadster in 7 years give or take. I love my S but really wish I had picked the pano roof as I am a big convertible fan.

The Model S panoramic roof is nice, but in reality it is nothing like driving a convertible, so don't worry.

(I have had many a panoramic roof, but none of them have been anywhere near a convertible - especially ones that really open like cabriolets.)

 

[Doug_G]

EV solves almost all needs EXCEPT track day usage. Track day capability just isn't there for even a sustained lap or 2, let alone a 20min session.

Agreed. The only thing I use an ICE for these days is having fun at the track.

 

[Ciaopec]

I blame myself for taking a test drive on a whim. I drove the car home overnight and let my wife share the experience. We ordered the next day. That was 14 months and 55,000 miles ago. Just making sure we made the right decision. So far, so good. Feel bad for the performance hybrid in the driveway; was once the most enjoyable car I had ever driven. Now, I could use the description of the OP's pickup truck to describe that vehicle.

 

[30seconds]

The Model S panoramic roof is nice, but in reality it is nothing like driving a convertible, so don't worry.

(I have had many a panoramic roof, but none of them have been anywhere near a convertible - especially ones that really open like cabriolets.)

nothing like driving a cabriolet.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

EV solves almost all needs EXCEPT track day usage.

Agreed. The only thing I use an ICE for these days is having fun at the track.

I still say BEVs also fulfill open-top driving inadequately. I get it there is the Roadster, but that by definition is very limited due to seating as well as a Targa-type of car being a different open-top experience than a cabriolet. The Roadster is also rather old and limited in other ways.

Nothing to do with BEVs inherently, of course, but just the reality of what is and is not available on the market.

Pondering this topic more generally (not responding to you guys):

I would put it generally, something like this: Even if we assume Supercharging to solve long-range sufficiently (which it does not for all), ICE still has its uses for leisure cars as well as for heavier utility (e.g. pickups etc.) at this time. And for many it is also still needed for long-range or certain long-range applications.

In-between these extremes, BEV certainly is already very useful.

 

[mmd]

I think the poll is flawed. Why do these have to be a love/hate relationship? Everything isn't binary.
I find both enjoyable. But then. I'm not racing teenagers and punks at traffic stops, and would rather make up the time on freeways at higher speeds with little to no time stopping to refuel.
The OP should try out towing with an electric truck for fun

The big disadvantages of electric cars are still range and recharge time on the go. Cost is a third major factor.
Would waiting in line for 4 hours to recharge while driving long distance be fun for anyone? Following happened just today.

Sorry didn't out the location in the title, just in the message. After almost 4 hours of wait im charging now.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

The big disadvantagse of electric cars are still range and recharge time on the go. Cost is a third major factor.
Would waiting in line for 4 hours to recharge while driving long distance be fun for anyone? Following happened just today.

For me in addition to inadequate charger and Supercharger coverage, the biggest issue with BEV long-distance driving is indeed the schedule, when there is a schedule. The leisurely roadtrip is one thing, but when one travels for work, it is very hard to suddenly plan around very long charging delays - even optimal ones, let alone delayed ones.

I do it on occasion when there is clearly an A to B meeting, with a Supercharger halfway between A and B, and only one meeting that day, preferably so that I can get from A to B to meeting and back to Supercharger with my home charge so I don't risk a full charger on the way there and risk missing the meeting (I can risk missing dinner in the evening)...

But even then it ends up being a whole day commitment usually, because the charge has to be factored in and I can't usually just combine multiple business hours movements intra day, if they require charging in the middle... When things become any more complicated than that, it has been ICE time for me and still is.

 

[mmd]

For me in addition to inadequate charger and Supercharger coverage, the biggest issue with BEV long-distance driving is indeed the schedule, when there is a schedule. The leisurely roadtrip is one thing, but when one travels for work, it is very hard to suddenly plan around very long charging delays - even optimal ones, let alone delayed ones.

I do it on occasion when there is clearly an A to B meeting, with a Supercharger halfway between A and B, and only one meeting that day, preferably so that I can get from A to B to meeting and back to Supercharger with my home charge so I don't risk a full charger on the way there and risk missing the meeting (I can risk missing dinner in the evening)...

But even then it ends up being a whole day commitment usually, because the charge has to be factored in and I can't usually just combine multiple business hours movements intra day, if they require charging in the middle... When things become any more complicated than that, it has been ICE time for me and still is.

Exactly. The recharge time becomes really critical during these long road trips for people who are on typical tight schedules. Even taking little detours cost extra time. Personally, I like the PHEV approach. Provides enough of instant acceleration and burns much less gas, yet doesn't suffer from the range and refuel time issues when on long road trips. Some of them also have really long ranges (over 600 miles). The instant torque of EVs is nice when new, but is not that useful for most people who aren't road racers.

It is commendable you are doing all those calculations planning your trips. Most people won't bother doing all that. They are used to filling up to 100% and driving how they want.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Yes @mmd, a PHEV would obviously be even better than ICE for the scenarios where I tend to resort to an ICE.

I am still a bit torn about what to do about future ICEs or PHEVs personally. Will I still buy more or use the ones I currently have for as long as I need to... I'm leaning on not buying more and just keeping at least one ICE until I'm confident enough I can manage without... but we shall see.

On other days I'm so wanting the new Audi A8. Something like that as PHEV would certainly be glorious for the load business roadtrips.

I think I'll just wait and see what 2018 and 2019 bring...

 

[Canuck]

That said, fast-forward three years and another high-performance Tesla later, and I don't dislike ICEs as much anymore.

Is that what they call damning with faint praise?

 

[AnxietyRanger]

That said, fast-forward three years and another high-performance Tesla later, and I don't dislike ICEs as much anymore.

Is that what they call damning with faint praise?

No, that's what they call my honest opinion. There's nothing unusual about intial excitement wearing of over time, as well as experience replacing ignorance, which results in different opinions down the road.

Part of my initial excitement regarding BEVs and dislike for ICEs was real, part was - turns out - hubris. And then there's of course the question of how my perception of Tesla the company has changed. Others have other experiences.

I still believe in a BEV future.

 

[kort677]

Would waiting in line for 4 hours to recharge while driving long distance be fun for anyone? Following happened just today.

waiting in line for four hours is a very unusual occurrence, for the most part long waits for chargers are mostly confined to CA. In my travels across the country I've never had to wait for a charging spot and have seen a crowd at a SpC just a handful of times.
hopefully tesla will see what you've experienced and continue to expand the SpC availability to help the owners in their largest market.
I know that doesn't help you today.

 

[KarenRei]

It's worth noting that US west coast travel problems weren't confined to EVs this weekend.

There have been widespread reports in Oregon of gas lines and fuel shortages. Drivers are being advised to not drop below half a tank in case there are problems at the next gas station, and due to time spent idling in traffic.

 

[OBX John]

I kept our Suburban for towing and trips, but have used it so seldomly that I had to jump start it last time.

And I always forget to lock it. Now I'm even forgetting to turn ICE cars off!

I've been lazy trying to sell our Mercedes 500 CLK convertible, thinking I might still use it for the drop top option... Nope! First time I got in it after driving the Tesla for a while, it felt so cheap and shaky, I had no desire to drive it even on a perfect convertible day.

 

[jaguar36]

I drive both a S85 and BMW 335i, and while the Tesla is a great family car, I find it lacking in many ways. It handles well for its weight, but its nowhere near as fun to drive as the BMW. I love the sound of the BMW, in the Tesla all I get is the obnoxiously loud AC. The seats, steering wheel, seating position, is all vastly better in the BMW. The manual transmission in the BMW makes it much more engaging to drive.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Well @jaguar36 certainly brought a different take on it all!

 

[gavine]

Would waiting in line for 4 hours to recharge while driving long distance be fun for anyone? Following happened just today.

This is eclipse-related and not the norm.

 

[jbcarioca]

I've long admired Mercedes SLs, Jag convertibles, 911s, and a number of others. I cant even dream about them anymore.

This is true. My spouse and I have fairly recently had a 4WD Porsche, Jaguar convertible, BMW 5-series as well as our now-detested BMW in Rio de Janeiro. We both now cannot stand the primitive way ICE reacts. Even tiny BEV's and primitive ones such as the BYD E6 (which we rent from time to time) are better than ICE. Now we end out renting cars from Turo when we travel so we can always get a Tesla. It costs more, but for us it's worth the expense.

 

[nime01]

We've been fully electric for the past 4 years, with shorter-range EVs.
Now we're waiting for our X and 3 and we're never ever going back to ICE.
Can't imagine how it would be to go back... it is just outdated.

 

[roblab]

EV solves almost all needs EXCEPT track day usage. Track day capability just isn't there for even a sustained lap or 2, let alone a 20min session.

Thankfully, there are a few track enthusiasts around to keep the track bills paid. I haven't been to the track for about 50 years. I'd rather head off to Yosemite or Grand Canyon. Different strokes....