The Doubters Just Don’t Get It

[ForeverFree]

Reminded of this afresh driving up the Eastern Sierra yesterday to Mammoth.

Swallowed all of our stuff, including golf clubs and skis quite nicely (albeit not as effortlessly as an S). Accommodated a full-size carry-on in the frunk.

Fast and flawless. Autopilot perfect. Averaged 280 kWh/mi ... at 74 mph ... while climbing 7000 vertical feet.

Minimal charging stop required. $6.50.

Used 356 range miles to cover 300. Adjusted for elevation gain, that’s about 290.

Amazing flying-path nav animation. Great sound system.

Ran into S100D owners from Florida doing a joyous lap of the country. Charging = non-issue.

What’s not to like? Why would we ever go back to ICE?

The whole thing reminds me of the switch from film to digital. Seemed to take forever to gather steam. For years, most people remained convinced that film photo quality was vastly better ... despite stunning evidence to the contrary. “But where do you get your prints?” = “But where do you charge?” And, then, seemingly all at once, the tipping point ... and the game was over.

The ICE dealers (such as the clueless MB folks discussed in the Model S forum) have lost, but they just don’t know it yet. Perhaps, they’ll be the last to know.

In the meantime, off to Yosemite!

 

[gavine]

The whole thing reminds me of the switch from film to digital. Seemed to take forever to gather steam. For years, most people remained convinced that film photo quality was vastly better ... despite stunning evidence to the contrary. “But where do you get your prints?” = “But where do you charge?” And, then, seemingly all at once, the tipping point ... and the game was over.

And when we first got our digital camera, we still printed our pictures out so it was a hybrid so to speak. Now, we are fully digital with no prints (and fully electric with our cars)

 

[cella]

If digital cameras cost twice of what comparable film cameras cost, could only take 10 pictures and then require 45 minutes to install a new memory card they wouldn't have caught on that fast.

Seriously, you're completely right that EVs can work very well in many situations, but it would be dishonest to claim that there aren't drawbacks.

 

[SageBrush]

And when we first got our digital camera, we still printed our pictures out so it was a hybrid so to speak. Now, we are fully digital with no prints (and fully electric with our cars)

I've noticed that most of my printing these days is related to dealing with government. Even they are coming around though; sometimes they accept e-documents.

 

[MXWing]

Did someone call a professional doubter? Here I am!

-Since it wasn't 35K you overpaid.
-Since it didn't have a speedometer in front of you, it was dangerous.
-It doesn't have as much room as Jaguar iPace.
-It's not a real spaceship.

 

[anticitizen13.7]

Seriously, you're completely right that EVs can work very well in many situations, but it would be dishonest to claim that there aren't drawbacks.

I don’t believe that ForeverFree claimed the above.

The Model 3 works well for them. Why do you feel the need to say things like that?

 

[cella]

Why do you feel the need to say things like that?

Why do people on this forum feel the need to say that people who e.g. may not want to spend $50,000 on a car, make frequent long-range trips, or don't have a place to charge at home "just don't get it" or are "clueless"? It's great to enjoy our EVs, but nobody should have any illusions that they can fully replace traditional cars for everyone at this point.

 

[SageBrush]

Seriously, you're completely right that EVs can work very well in many situations, but it would be dishonest to claim that there aren't drawbacks.

As opposed to ICE vehicles, that are perfect ?
Presumably that is not your argument, so you are saying that sometimes ICE are superior. I can think of corner cases, e.g. a place without electricity .. like the dark side of the moon.

 

[skitown]

As opposed to ICE vehicles, that are perfect ?
Presumably that is not your argument, so you are saying that sometimes ICE are superior. I can think of corner cases, e.g. a place without electricity .. like the dark side of the moon.

You don't let your ICE vehicle preheat in a closed garage? /s

 

[nvx1977]

there was a time where digital cameras had horrible resolution and didn't have enough memory for more than 20 or so shots. That's not the point. There's a clear evolution of technology underway. Finally.

 

[skitown]

there was a time where digital cameras had horrible resolution and didn't have enough memory for more than 20 or so shots. That's not the point. There's a clear evolution of technology underway. Finally.

What?? Now you mention this. I forget to look at the KODK shares in my portfolio for 5 years, and this happened!!!

 

[Woosie]

And when we first got our digital camera, we still printed our pictures out so it was a hybrid so to speak. Now, we are fully digital with no prints (and fully electric with our cars)

Lol - even my spouse has finally given up on printing everything!! It DOES take a long time for people to culturally change.

 

[anticitizen13.7]

Why do people on this forum feel the need to say that people who e.g. may not want to spend $50,000 on a car, make frequent long-range trips, or don't have a place to charge at home "just don't get it" or are "clueless"? It's great to enjoy our EVs, but nobody should have any illusions that they can fully replace traditional cars for everyone at this point.

They don’t.

What most people are saying is that electric cars are the future, and that the technology is viable for some people today.

I’ve never spent more that 20k on a new car. Somehow, I doubt you are “concerned” in the least about people like me.

 

[ai4px]

Thanks for the snicker guys. I’ve now seen it all. In most things we come up with a car analogy. But when talking about a car you use a camera analogy. Tee hee....

 

[Unpilot]

The gist of the story is spot on.
" The times...they are a changing "

 

[skitown]

I feel like a lot of threads on TMC these days could be retitled to: "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." -U. Sinclair

 

[SageBrush]

Averaged 280 kWh/mi ... at 74 mph ... while climbing 7000 vertical feet.
Minimal charging stop required. $6.50.
Used 356 range miles to cover 300. Adjusted for elevation gain, that’s about 290.

Awesome post, thanks !

Your data prompted me to try and calculate battery capacity using the car's wh/mile. I am interested because the recent hypermiler event found a discrepancy between official and calculated battery size and I'm wondering where the error is. (The most likely is the Wh/mile, but that is just a guess for now.)

So ...
$6.5 at $0.26/kWh = 25 kWh. Do I correct for charging losses here ?
EPA reported 100% battery capacity: 78 kWh (and change)
Presuming you started at 100% SoC (true ?), total kWh In = 78+25 = 103 kWh or 100.5 if charging losses

300 miles at 0.28 kwh/mile = 84 kWh
Did you have rated miles remaining ?
I can complete the calc when that is known

Thanks