Road trips, mini-vans and EVs

[h2ofun]

We were seriously considering the ID.4 to replace the wife's Leaf coming off lease next year. But for reasons that include what you mention, we have a MY on order for her to join our SR+. Charging infrastructure is particularly important for her replacement as it will be our family trip vehicle.

Family trip car? This is why I would never get one. Drove to Disneyland and back with 7 folks and luggage in a minivan. 3 gas stops, total like 5 minutes each. NO way we could do that with ANY EV on the market.

Toyota exec: Not everyone should drive a battery electric vehicle

Many people are passionate about climate change, but not everybody should drive a battery electric vehicle as a means to combat climate change, Toyota Motor Corp Chief Scientist Gill Pratt said on Thursday at the Reuters Events Automotive Summit.

www.reuters.com

 

[iPlug]

Family trip car? This is why I would never get one. Drove to Disneyland and back with 7 folks and luggage in a minivan. 3 gas stops, total like 5 minutes each. NO way we could do that with ANY EV on the market.

Toyota exec: Not everyone should drive a battery electric vehicle

Many people are passionate about climate change, but not everybody should drive a battery electric vehicle as a means to combat climate change, Toyota Motor Corp Chief Scientist Gill Pratt said on Thursday at the Reuters Events Automotive Summit.

www.reuters.com

Yep, family of four which is the typical American size. We’ve done this 400-600mi+ trip each way a couple times including all the way down to San Diego in our SR 3+. Model Y LR on order has more range and substantially more room for comfort.

The amount of time saved by not ever having to go to a gas station at home makes up for the little bit of extra time on family trips by a few orders of magnitude. Considering bathroom stops and eating, has never been a significant problem for us.

Environmental issues aside, we could never go back to having a gas vehicle with how much time is wasted at the pump compared to a Tesla EV.

 

[h2ofun]

Yep, family of four which is the typical American size. We’ve done this 400-600mi+ trip each way a couple times including all the way down to San Diego in our SR 3+. Model Y LR on order has more range and substantially more room for comfort.

The amount of time saved by not ever having to go to a gas station at home makes up for the little bit of extra time on family trips by a few orders of magnitude. Considering bathroom stops and eating, has never been a significant problem for us.

Environmental issues aside, we could never go back to having a gas vehicle with how much time is wasted at the pump compared to a Tesla EV.

I could make it town on one tank, and back on another. 5 minute process. How many hours to recharge the batteries to get home. I have 7 and luggage, do you buy and drive 2 cars? Time wasted pumping gas? I could turn around and drive right back home, could you?

Its great it works for you, I am just tired of some trying to say it works for everyone.

 

[iPlug]

I could make it town on one tank, and back on another. 5 minute process. How many hours to recharge the batteries to get home. I have 7 and luggage, do you buy and drive 2 cars? Time wasted pumping gas? I could turn around and drive right back home, could you?

Its great it works for you, I am just tired of some trying to say it works for everyone.

Thank you for sharing your more atypical anecdotal experience. As you say “tired of some trying to say it works for everyone.”

No downtime to recharge our electric vehicles over the last 10 years at home. Contrast that with dozens of hours commuting would’ve spent driving to fill up, wait, actually fill up, and leaving the gas station to get back to where we were going over those years. As you say, “I could turn around (just not do that) and drive right back home, could you?”

On those road trips timed and untimed with bathroom breaks and restaurants; total round-trip wait maximum 30 minutes. Don’t forget, also always start with a full battery each way.

 

[jsight]

Family trip car? This is why I would never get one. Drove to Disneyland and back with 7 folks and luggage in a minivan. 3 gas stops, total like 5 minutes each. NO way we could do that with ANY EV on the market.

Toyota exec: Not everyone should drive a battery electric vehicle

Many people are passionate about climate change, but not everybody should drive a battery electric vehicle as a means to combat climate change, Toyota Motor Corp Chief Scientist Gill Pratt said on Thursday at the Reuters Events Automotive Summit.

www.reuters.com

In a typical gas car, you have at least 350 miles of highway range. Did you really only stop for fifteen minutes over 1,050 miles? No stop for food and your bathroom breaks were that fast... That sounds miserable.

 

[h2ofun]

In a typical gas car, you have at least 350 miles of highway range. Did you really only stop for fifteen minutes over 1,050 miles? No stop for food and your bathroom breaks were that fast... That sounds miserable.

I get 500 miles in my mini van, so its like 450's to Disneyland. So yep, I could do just 1 fill up when there if I wanted. We generally make a stop a little sooner for cheap gas, then eat at the same time. I hit a few rest stops for a break. Bottom line I never have to worry about finding a charging station that hopefully works and is open. Again, for folks that an EV work for its great, and I would love one. One of these days if technology changes, and charging station locations are like gas stations today, I might own one.

 

[orion2001]

I get 500 miles in my mini van, so its like 450's to Disneyland. So yep, I could do just 1 fill up when there if I wanted. We generally make a stop a little sooner for cheap gas, then eat at the same time. I hit a few rest stops for a break. Bottom line I never have to worry about finding a charging station that hopefully works and is open. Again, for folks that an EV work for its great, and I would love one. One of these days if technology changes, and charging station locations are like gas stations today, I might own one.

Yeah, I don't get everyone's insistence that EVs as they are today are good enough for everyone. I say this as someone who has an order for a MY LR pending (it will replace our sedan), but who will never get rid of our minivan until Electric minivans with 500+ real world range ratings are a thing. Like you, and unlike apparently everyone here, I dislike making unnecessary stops on long drives immensely. I don't need to stop every couple of hours and I will always drive full tank to empty followed by a quick pit stop to get gas, use restrooms and grab some food if needed. My wife, kids and dog also have no issues with this approach. I also have no interest in driving at 55-65mph on the highway to maximize range. That may change for me when L4/L5 autonomy is here, but not when I'm on the hook for driving.

Besides, a MY doesn't get anywhere close to having the room a Minivan provides for packing it to the brim for long vacation road trips. And lastly, but not less importantly, sliding doors for rear passengers are the bees knees, especially when you have young/old people you are ferrying around.

I can't wait to have the MY to replace my sedan so I can use it as our daily family car for trips around town or shorter day trips, but there is no way I am getting rid of my minivan till there is a viable electric alternative.

 

[jsight]

I get 500 miles in my mini van, so its like 450's to Disneyland. So yep, I could do just 1 fill up when there if I wanted. We generally make a stop a little sooner for cheap gas, then eat at the same time. I hit a few rest stops for a break. Bottom line I never have to worry about finding a charging station that hopefully works and is open. Again, for folks that an EV work for its great, and I would love one. One of these days if technology changes, and charging station locations are like gas stations today, I might own one.

I think that would only take two stops in a model Y, and it isn't like charging stations are lacking along that route.

I'm not sure what you mean about worrying about finding one or them being open. Tesla basically already solved that, and other ev makers really aren't even _that_ far behind.

If you think they should be "like gas stations", I wonder how much direct experience you have? Because the use cases are fairly different, and the best way to deploy charging stations is necessarily a little different too. The biggest gap right now is destination charging, imo, and that is something that looks really different from the old ICE/gas model, just as one example.

 

[dhrivnak]

Family trip car? This is why I would never get one. Drove to Disneyland and back with 7 folks and luggage in a minivan. 3 gas stops, total like 5 minutes each. NO way we could do that with ANY EV on the market.

Did you stop for meals? We try not to eat in the car and even fast food is typically 45 minutes and typically after 40 minutes the car is sending me texts saying it is ready to go. We have done many a 650 mile day in a Tesla.

 

[h2ofun]

I think that would only take two stops in a model Y, and it isn't like charging stations are lacking along that route.

I'm not sure what you mean about worrying about finding one or them being open. Tesla basically already solved that, and other ev makers really aren't even _that_ far behind.

If you think they should be "like gas stations", I wonder how much direct experience you have? Because the use cases are fairly different, and the best way to deploy charging stations is necessarily a little different too. The biggest gap right now is destination charging, imo, and that is something that looks really different from the old ICE/gas model, just as one example.

You can put 7 people and all our luggage and double stroller in your model Y?

WHy do so many just feel they need to shove down other throats what they are interested in?

 

[iPlug]

You can put 7 people and all our luggage and double stroller in your model Y?

WHy do so many just feel they need to shove down other throats what they are interested in?

Why shove your edge case down the throats of others, as you say? What if one wants to take 20 people. Can you put them and all their luggage in your vehicle?

 

[h2ofun]

Why shove your edge case down the throats of others, as you say? What if one wants to take 20 people. Can you put them and all their luggage in your vehicle?

Why shove your edge case down other throats?

 

[iPlug]

You started to "shove down other throats" as you say, discussing your edge case, please explain why.

Family trip car? This is why I would never get one. Drove to Disneyland and back with 7 folks and luggage in a minivan. 3 gas stops, total like 5 minutes each. NO way we could do that with ANY EV on the market.

Toyota exec: Not everyone should drive a battery electric vehicle

Many people are passionate about climate change, but not everybody should drive a battery electric vehicle as a means to combat climate change, Toyota Motor Corp Chief Scientist Gill Pratt said on Thursday at the Reuters Events Automotive Summit.

www.reuters.com

How does your edge case apply to the average family? Please bring some statistics if you care to double down. For example, what is the average U.S. family size?

 

[jsight]

You can put 7 people and all our luggage and double stroller in your model Y?

WHy do so many just feel they need to shove down other throats what they are interested in?

I don't think anyone meant to do that. Certainly, its fair to say that a compact crossover/SUV isn't the ideal vehicle for all use cases.

 

[MontyFloyd]

Yeah, I don't get everyone's insistence that EVs as they are today are good enough for everyone. I say this as someone who has an order for a MY LR pending (it will replace our sedan), but who will never get rid of our minivan until Electric minivans with 500+ real world range ratings are a thing. Like you, and unlike apparently everyone here, I dislike making unnecessary stops on long drives immensely. I don't need to stop every couple of hours and I will always drive full tank to empty followed by a quick pit stop to get gas, use restrooms and grab some food if needed. My wife, kids and dog also have no issues with this approach. I also have no interest in driving at 55-65mph on the highway to maximize range. That may change for me when L4/L5 autonomy is here, but not when I'm on the hook for driving.

Besides, a MY doesn't get anywhere close to having the room a Minivan provides for packing it to the brim for long vacation road trips. And lastly, but not less importantly, sliding doors for rear passengers are the bees knees, especially when you have young/old people you are ferrying around.

I can't wait to have the MY to replace my sedan so I can use it as our daily family car for trips around town or shorter day trips, but there is no way I am getting rid of my minivan till there is a viable electric alternative.

These are still the early days of EV's, who knows what the future will bring.

Right now I agree with you, and even 20 years in future there will still be a need for fuel vehicles.
How we should look at EV's is what % of drivers will an EV satisfy their yearly drive?
I think 50% of drivers an EV will be perfectly useable right now.