Tonite on youtube a PBS Newshour story came up. Talking about EVs in general and why they arent practical yet, and various enviro concerns. I couldnt believe how many things they got wrong, and how much they emphasized negatives without mentioning hardly any positives of driving elecftic. The 'lowlight' was when they said EVs arent practical for long distance travel, but at the same time showed a video of a driver at a Tesla Supercharger!!!! The words 'Tesla' and 'Supercharger' were not used in the video (at least the 80% of it i could stand to watch) I wont bother you with more details. Since comments are turned off, i sent my comment to [email protected] Got a computer response. Yes, i know i am probably wasting my time. But, maybe, just maybe, if enought of us email then PBS might wake up a little.
The current hurdles to putting more electric vehicles on the road
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PBS Newshour story says EVs cant be driven cross county - while it shows a person charging at a Tesla Supercharger!!
- Thread starter Wilber
- Start date
An individual's definition of "practical" is very subjective. I recently had a conversation with a couple who claim they make about a 700 mile trip a few times a year and do it with one 5 minute stop, and that doing it in an EV would be unbearable. I used to travel like that. When I got a Model Y and started doing the Supercharger routine for long distances I realized how much more pleasant a road trip could be.
Tam
Well-Known Member
You do realize that at the current, none of Tesla Superchargers can charge a ChaDeMo or a CCS?
It might be convenient for Tesla drivers using Tesla Superchargers but not for others that don't have a car with the brand name Tesla.
Even in the future, when drivers can use ChaDeMo or CCS at a Tesla Supercharger, it's still not convenient to stop by and visit Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City, KS. You can travel about 150 miles to Supercharge in Lamar, Co in the west or Wichita, KS in the east.
If it is now practical, there's no need to build any more charging stations anymore.
Others have driven non-Tesla BEVs across the country. Most aren't documented (at all or well) or publicized.
A Chevrolet Bolt EV Set a Cannonball Run Record and No One Noticed | Torque News was done in 2019.
I didn't follow the trip at ARob's Spring 2022 Cross Country Bolt Trip Thread but from that and ARob's Spring 2022 Cross Country Bolt Trip Thread, it seems they started KS and had gone all the way to DC and So Cal.
A Chevrolet Bolt EV Set a Cannonball Run Record and No One Noticed | Torque News was done in 2019.
I didn't follow the trip at ARob's Spring 2022 Cross Country Bolt Trip Thread but from that and ARob's Spring 2022 Cross Country Bolt Trip Thread, it seems they started KS and had gone all the way to DC and So Cal.
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Then they should make that stipulation rather than grouping all EVs together.
If you start putting a bunch of asterisks next to every statement about EVs people will become disinterested. I'd argue that ANY new model gasoline car is more convenient to drive across the country than even the most convenient EV. Not necessarily more comfortable, but it will have full range on every fill up and the fill ups will take a fraction of the time of the EV. The difference is the person who's operating these vehicles and if the speed of long range travel is important to them.
I remember some people from Europe drove an iMIEV across the US circa 2009. They stopped at people’s homes and asked to plug in, including a stop in Amish country only to find Amish don’t have electricity!
IDK, gas cars probably are more convenient for some people, but not for me. My cars charge during my stops for meals and restroom breaks. I don’t have to wait for the car to charge. If I was still driving gas cars, then I would have to make an extra stop at a gas station.
GSP
This is accurate.
I’d generally point out re: the OP that the yardstick of driving across the country is maybe an obvious one for a reporter to reach for but is irrelevant for higher-range EVs.
Probably fewer than 1/10 of one percent of the public will ever do that. And if you did? Lumping through the charging sessions for a one-time move or whatever just isn’t a big deal.
More realistic are the 300-700 mile trips that many people might tackle once a year or whatever. A couple of stops of 15 minutes just isn’t a serious concern for those.
I do that about once a month on average...Even if I was doing something like that a come of times a month it still wouldn’t feel like a bother.
So the story’s approach over-emphasizes an issue that isn’t particularly serious.
I guess if your IRL range is much lower than a 3 or Y LR, this could get more important, but if you decide to buy an inexpensive EV with basically good range for commuting then the best option might be panning to rent a car for those rare major long hauls. That’s how my two friends in Bolts think of their driving plans.
Never said that an EV was more convenient than a gas car for travel for refill speeds. But to make it sound like that travel outside of a couple states is terribly inconvenient for all EVs and networks, is disingenuous. Simply sloppy and inaccurate reporting.
Yeah, I think in the case of reporters who aren’t familiar with EV’s and aren’t especially good with technical subjects, it’s more about just not understanding than it is intentional, or sloppy. But the effects are the same.
But it got you to talk about it and share their video. So it was effective in its task.
It's no longer about accurate reporting. The only thing that matters is getting people to look at your content so you can sell ads. And if you can piss someone off you'll get more attention.
Just wish they would interview actual EV owners to get a better understanding of a topic since they are putting themselves as the “defacto” expert when writing these articles.
One of the things I would do when being a paid volunteer (there’s a better word for that) at a Guest Drive is - put my old address in NJ into my Model Y’s Nav and show the trip planned out from Flagstaff or Tempe to Titusville NJ. Sure, more stops than a gas car where the occupants have strong bladders but still easily do-able and more so every day that passes.
The weird thing is how much people worry about long trips when they just don’t do them often. They will even admit as much without prompts. Reminds me of not going outside because of lightening strikes or swimming because of shark attacks.
Regardless, if what the OP says it true that is unfortunate. Someone show invite the reporters to Tesla Road Trippers page on Facebook. Yes- we’ll take longer to get somewhere but not that much longer. Especially with new cars. A friend of mine went from a 2014 Model S to a refreshed S with 402 mile rated range. He travels from Phoenix to the California coast a few times a year and just having more range and faster charging has knocked hours off his trip.
The weird thing is how much people worry about long trips when they just don’t do them often. They will even admit as much without prompts. Reminds me of not going outside because of lightening strikes or swimming because of shark attacks.
Regardless, if what the OP says it true that is unfortunate. Someone show invite the reporters to Tesla Road Trippers page on Facebook. Yes- we’ll take longer to get somewhere but not that much longer. Especially with new cars. A friend of mine went from a 2014 Model S to a refreshed S with 402 mile rated range. He travels from Phoenix to the California coast a few times a year and just having more range and faster charging has knocked hours off his trip.
Being a new Tesla owner (less than a week) and owner of a Chevy Bolt for several years, not all EV owners have it as good as Tesla owners. The 3rd party charging networks can be hit/miss for CCS and the range estimates and how long it takes to charge varies wildly from Model to Model. The other manufacturers and the available charge network just aren't as far along as Tesla's.
One of the main reasons I bought a Tesla is the more mature and dependable charge network. A Chevrolet Bolt can only charge at about 50kWh and that's assuming the CCS charger you pull up to is working. I bought the Tesla for the occasional long trip but the Chevy is great for around town or to the next town and back in a single charge.
One of the main reasons I bought a Tesla is the more mature and dependable charge network. A Chevrolet Bolt can only charge at about 50kWh and that's assuming the CCS charger you pull up to is working. I bought the Tesla for the occasional long trip but the Chevy is great for around town or to the next town and back in a single charge.
What percentage of Americans drive across the country every day of the year? I mean, c'mon.....
Not sure what you’re eating on road trips but I have never seen a SC or any other Charger at or walking distance to any healthy eatery options that isn’t a nasty fast food or Walmart joint. I wish Tesla would collaborate with someone like CaVa at its main SC stations along popular interstate pull offs for Tesla owners to have a healthy food option while charging.
Yes, better choices would be nice. As a workaround, I'm going to try getting takeout anywhere before stopping to charge, and eating while charging. But we're not usually in a rush, so L2 charging and a sit-down meal is ideal for us.
