LeftieBiker said:
GRA said:
It's as if I and not WetEV were writing the above posts about the trips we still cannot take in a BEV, or can only do if we plan the entire trip around charging and allow for loads of extra time to do so.
Is there some reason you can't be driving a Volt, Hyundai PHEV, Honda Clarity PHEV, or some other PHEV? What are you driving these days?
Considered them, but aside from the lack of AWD (only available for now on the Crosstrek and Outlander, neither of which meets my requirements), I'd use more gas on my typical trip than if I just bought a higher mileage HEV. Right now the only AWD semi-affordable one available is the Prius AWD; if they offered it on the Prime I might consider it, even though the Prius's driving dynamics fall well below my requirements.
As I have no desire to buy another car burning fossil fuels, it makes more sense for me to just keep my current gas-burning Forester until such time as a ZEV meets my requirements, assuming that I even buy another car. I'm hoping that ZEV MaaS will become available in the interim, and I can simply rent an appropriate ZEV when needed, but as WetEV points out, it's not just the cars alone; the infrastructure's equally important.
We're just now starting to see a semi-nationwide non-Tesla charging network (EA) that covers the major interstates. Unfortunately, most of the places I want to drive to (national parks, monuments and similar wilderness areas) are usually a long way off the major interstates, and there's very little infrastructure in those areas, nor is there likely to be any time soon. I monitor and report on the development of charging networks closely for that reason, because that along with the availability of the right car(s) will determine when I can make the switch.
I am playing around with the idea of leasing something like a Niro BEV for a few years, although I've never leased a car before (always paid cash). I'd probably keep my ICE for those trips the Niro just can't do in anything approaching a convenient manner (trips beyond about 250 miles one-way, winter), but as that covers all of my beyond-weekend trips plus a fair number of the weekend ones, how much use would the car actually get?
It makes no economic sense compared to just continuing to use my current car sparingly as I already do (and trying to always do trips with at least two people, doubling the pax. mpg), so do I want to spend thousands of $ just to make a statement? And how do I, as a single person household, justify tying up the resources and space needed by two cars, neither of which will see much use?
A Nexo FCEV comes closer to meeting my operational requirements although it too lacks AWD, and the infrastructure is even more limited (although it needs less given its longer range and ability to routinely use the entire range without degradation plus rapid refueling), plus it's a lot more expensive given how little I'd drive it (daily commuting is a different matter. With the manufacturer paying for the fuel and the $5k CA. rebate, a Nexo may have a lower TCO than a BEV if leased, e.g.
Alex On Autos Has No More Soul: Final Thoughts On Long-Term Soul EV
https://insideevs.com/reviews/358890/video-long-term-soul-ev-final-thoughts/
What's needed is a semi-affordable AWD BEV with 300+ mile EPA range, the appropriate infrastructure plus the ability to charge to at least 80% in no more than 30 minutes, with 15 minutes or less desired. I don't know that we're a decade out as WetEV guesses, but as most estimates put BEVs which are cost-comparable with ICEs around 2025, I've probably got several years to wait. In the meantime, now that I've finally got a smartphone I'll rent a ZEV on Turo occasionally, just to try them out on my shorter trips where the infrastructure already allows them to be used.
