Plaid+ 0-60

[AdamMacDon]

ICE can't compete on performance, but I think the point is not going to be about performance. Even the lamest, standard rear wheel drive Tesla has more performance than what 99% of owners need. And except for the few dedicated performance buyers out there, no one will care much on the 0-60 times or the max speed beyond what any Tesla already has. The main fighting chance that ICE has is still quick and convenient fill ups everywhere and low cost of the car. ICE will die when and only when they can charge up as fast as filling a tank and prices come down to the sub $20K mark like the basic ICE cars.

Honestly how much time is spent driving on roadtrips versus daily commuting? I find about 95% of my driving is within the ~400km range of my car. That means at home charging which is 10x faster than going to a gas station (and cheaper). For the road trip elements, it's just a matter of building more infrastructure. With 250kW charging every 30 kilometers, you'd never have to worry about it. The time it takes to get a decent charge would be about the same as a bathroom break and maybe a quick visit to a fast food joint. The other big hurdle they have to solve is the different charge ports, billing models (everyone has their own damn app), WILDLY fluctuating prices (ranging from free to $0.75/kWh here). Those will come with time. I'd say ICE has another decade of superiority and then a decade or so of fairly rapid decline.

 

[serendipitous]

Honestly how much time is spent driving on roadtrips versus daily commuting? I find about 95% of my driving is within the ~400km range of my car. That means at home charging which is 10x faster than going to a gas station (and cheaper). For the road trip elements, it's just a matter of building more infrastructure. With 250kW charging every 30 kilometers, you'd never have to worry about it. The time it takes to get a decent charge would be about the same as a bathroom break and maybe a quick visit to a fast food joint. The other big hurdle they have to solve is the different charge ports, billing models (everyone has their own damn app), WILDLY fluctuating prices (ranging from free to $0.75/kWh here). Those will come with time. I'd say ICE has another decade of superiority and then a decade or so of fairly rapid decline.

You're right for those of us fortunate enough to have home charging. We're talking about the other 97% of ICE car buyers who may not own their home, may not be able to get convenient home charging due to lack of parking or other limitations. Buying an ICE car doesn't come with a laundry list of other (expensive) requirements to be able to own and fuel conveniently. Even normal commuting with zero road trips requires substantial home or workplace charging to be convenient, OR significantly faster and much more widespread DC fast charging to get close to gas station convenience.

 

[AdamMacDon]

You're right for those of us fortunate enough to have home charging. We're talking about the other 97% of ICE car buyers who may not own their home, may not be able to get convenient home charging due to lack of parking or other limitations. Buying an ICE car doesn't come with a laundry list of other (expensive) requirements to be able to own and fuel conveniently. Even normal commuting with zero road trips requires substantial home or workplace charging to be convenient, OR significantly faster and much more widespread DC fast charging to get close to gas station convenience.

I mean I am a condo owner, but I'm also not currently the target market for the Plaid Model S (if my portofolio doesn't crash in this bubble perhaps that will change, haha!) I may be stereotyping, but I assume most people who drop $150k on a car own a house. I believe the topic at hand is the luxury car market, not the average economy car.

Also, this is a distinctly North American issue, where as 220V outlets in other countries can rapidly charge a car, no expensive adapters or retrofits needed. Getting charging in my building wasn't cheap (for us as a building association), but it will be something that needs to be done in buildings across North America as more EV's show up. Eventually, I think it could be standard to have an electrical outlet at each stall, ideally on the tenant's meter. You can see this in Northern Canada already, where block heaters are needed to prevent engine damage in subzero conditions. Even 110V can be used for a majority of cases, but honestly, 220V is so much better.

 

[dark cloud]

You can see this in Northern Canada already, where block heaters are needed to prevent engine damage in subzero conditions. Even 110V can be used for a majority of cases, but honestly, 220V is so much better.

Well it is not about damaging the engine, but just getting it to start period. Motor oil is quite thick at -40 C, and a normal car battery, which is weaker due to the cold, doesn't have the cranking power to turn the engine over though this sludge.

Often in northern Alberta linehaul truck owners and busses will just let them run all night to make sure this doesn't happen in the morning. Now that is environmentally friendly.

 

[AdamMacDon]

Well it is not about damaging the engine, but just getting it to start period. Motor oil is quite thick at -40 C, and a normal car battery, which is weaker due to the cold, doesn't have the cranking power to turn the engine over though this sludge.

Often in northern Alberta linehaul truck owners and busses will just let them run all night to make sure this doesn't happen in the morning. Now that is environmentally friendly.

True, there is more to it than just risk of damage. However, if you don't keep up on your coolant changes, or it goes below -40C, you might see the freeze plugs pop. Not a fun situation.

In my time in Fort Mac, I've seen quite a few people just leaving their vehicles running in parking lots without outlets to plug into if they plan to be there a while. Not eco friendly at all. Thankfully, the outlets are fairly common and allowed me to survive with my Tesla despite the utter lack of charging infrastructure up north!