What’s the dumbest thing you’ve heard about EVs?

[daniel]

Teslas are designed to be used on the public roadways for transportation. They are not designed to be race cars. Therefore they have much more modest top speeds than some gasoline "muscle" cars. This is a design choice, not a limitation of the energy source.

... I still think the model S is the hardest car I have ever owned in terms of enter/exit).

I fine this amusing. The Roadster was my daily driver for about seven years. Lots of fun to drive. Not easy to get in and out of. If you try to get out of it the wrong way you can injure yourself.

One very real consequence to EV's is the inevitable end to the battery. Properly stored, an ICE car can be left for decades then restarted with little effort (I've done it several times). A Tesla left for decades will need a new battery pack. Over time as batteries become cheaper, that will be less of an issue, but it's still going to be roughly equivalent in cost and effort to replacing the engine in an ICE car. Mad Max will be screwed if all he can dig up is EV's.

There are some very real shortcomings to electric cars, mostly related to the charging infrastructure being in its infancy. There are trips that would be very challenging, if possible at all, in an EV today. And the need to plug in the car during extended storage is another very real issue. For that matter, there are neighborhoods without garages, and until there is curbside charging EV ownership in such neighborhoods is problematical.

But the point is that the infrastructure for EVs is growing as adoption increases and these issues are temporary. Not every criticism of EVs is dumb. But there is a lot of FUD out here, and apparently a lot of anger against EVs, though I never seem to encounter it. Guess I've always lived in places where people tend to be nice.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

thought I wrote end of Q2 not Q3. Sorry.

Q3 is also ok. History so far shows it is better to wait.

 

[Leafdriver333]

Q3 is also ok. History so far shows it is better to wait.

True for anything electronic.

 

[StealthP3D]

The red ones always go faster.

Due to a phenomenon called "red shift" it really depends on whether the cars are coming towards you or going away from you.

 

[Thomas Edison]

Due to a phenomenon called "red shift" it really depends on whether the cars are coming towards you or going away from you.

This is a funny post.

 

[tinm]

Toyota rep insisting to me at an auto show that their hydrogen cars are actually electric cars.

 

[MichaelP90DL]

There's a classic car show in my town in several days. I'm taking my 2015 Model S P90DL, but just to park in the lot while I check out all the old cars. I'll put a paper in the window outlining facts about the car (including Motor Trend's acceleration figures), and my text number so I can give rides around the block to anyone interested. I may get questions about gallons and AA battery replacement. Or not. Should be interesting. Taking folks for rides in that thing is seriously entertaining.

 

[TT97]

Toyota rep insisting to me at an auto show that their hydrogen cars are actually electric cars.

Well, he is right. The Mirai converts the hydrogen (with oxygen) into electricity which operates a DC electric motor. It's the energy storage that is different but still an EV (just not a BEV).

 

[tinm]

Well, he is right. The Mirai converts the hydrogen (with oxygen) into electricity which operates a DC electric motor. It's the energy storage that is different but still an EV (just not a BEV).

Oh I got that but it is still so pathetic, as is Toyota’s use of the phrase “self-charging hybrid.”

 

[Shock-On-T]

him: Why do you stop to charge it? Why not just put generators on the wheels and keep going?

me: Because generators consume more energy than they produce. It would reduce my range.

him: You're stuck in the old days. New generators are much more efficient.

me: Probably true, but not so efficient that they make more energy than it takes to turn them.

him: Well, you also probably think that I'm suggesting putting them on the drive wheels. Nope! You'd put them on the wheels that are otherwise just spinning and wasting all that energy.


I wish I were kidding.

This is the crux of the problem.
People just don’t understand the laws of physics.

 

[Shock-On-T]

HUGE net time savings. Sure there are some people who insist that filling an ICE car takes 2 minutes, but they are idiots. I'll take my 10 minutes a week savings and take a 1 hour hit on my long trips twice a year.

Totally agree.
Plus the charging time on a road trip is much more pleasant than pumping fuel. Having a bite to eat, getting a coffee, etc.

 

[Shock-On-T]

So yeah I was a little nervous, bought a software limited 60D, one year later after price reduction got the 75D,
was at like 45K when I did, range at 90% WAS 360 km. A year later was still 360, now at 102KM still 360. (as long as it's not like freezing).
So really not seeing ANY range degradation. I'm sure it will come, driving 40K+ a year, but not terribly worried. Even 10 Percent in 10 years seems unlikely now.

My 75D is at 375km down from 379km.
3 years, 103,000km on the clock.
I’ll take those numbers.

 

[lynnpt2001]

On a Joe Rogan podcast his counter part says doesn't the tesla carry about one gallon of gas in case you run out of charge.

 

[Kilotango74]

If you can push up your purchase date to the end of Q3 your tax credit will be $3750 instead of $1875. Big savings.

Its not that big of a savings to me. I'll have the Down payment

Q3 is also ok. History so far shows it is better to wait.

Yes want to time it for the end of a quarter and end of third allows me sufficient time for a hefty down payment.

 

[Leafdriver333]

Its not that big of a savings to me. I'll have the Down payment

Yes want to time it for the end of a quarter and end of third allows me sufficient time for a hefty down payment.

I admire your patience.

 

[TT97]

Oh I got that but it is still so pathetic, as is Toyota’s use of the phrase “self-charging hybrid.”

Oh, I agree. Toyota pissed me off with their self-charging ads. Hydrogen isn't a bad technology, it's just terrible infrastructure and more expense than operating an ICE vehicle. I'm in L.A. and I think there are just as many hydrogen fueling stations within 10 miles of me as there are "charging stations" in my garage (unless you start counting the 120V options as well).

 

[rossasaurus]

I had an EV shop for a while and I had many visitors explain to me how they could put a wind generator on an EV roof and generate their own energy Not Kidding! LOL’ing just remembering it

 

[themapdoctor]

Very early on just after I had made my Model 3 reservation my father expressed his concerns to me. He was under the impression that the battery was in the trunk area and that there'd be almost no cargo room.

I can see why: a few years ago I test drove a Ford Fusion Energi, which used 90% of the trunk space for their stacks of batteries. Horrible solution.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Not exactly EV specific I suppose, but I have heard a bunch of people say these Teslas are going to be self driving very soon.



I’ve also heard EVs won’t depreciate as much as ICE vehicles. Lol.

 

[HankLloydRight]

Due to a phenomenon called "red shift" it really depends on whether the cars are coming towards you or going away from you.

Also notice the relativistic length contraction as well (although not exactly accurate).