Its A Rivian!!!

[FryDog62]

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

While I do agree with that sentiment, an 8100 pound trailer is ridiculously heavy.  I'd be interested in knowing what the mileage range is when towing a more reasonably-weighted boat like half that size.

I remember hearing some guy taking his boat 1000 miles with his new Rivian and having to stop every 100 miles to charge. Couldn’t find the article, but yeah - trade-offs with these vehicles for sure!

[casts_by_fly]

6 hours ago, DogBone_384 said:

Our first house cost $45K and we built new on the same lot in '00-01 for under $150K.  A tear-down around here is north of $500K now.

 

A friend has a Tesla Y.  I love it and am all in for electric, but I'd need a full size with longer range than what's available. We have solar and went 7 months w/o an electric bill last year, so it'd work for us.

 

Rivians look like Honda's Ridgeline to me.  Nice, but too small for me. 

 

i agree on the ridgeline look.  Kinda a cross between a ridgeline and a new bronco.  Not my thing, but hey ho.  The rivian has a lot more space in it and if you want to use the pass throughs and other hatches you can also fit long and big stuff.  Its clever.  still not my thing though.

 

We have an X which is a bit bigger than the Y.  For a family of 4 its PLENTY big even if you have car seats (we are just two of us plus two dogs).  There is a ton of storage in places you can't see.  Interior space is comparable to similar full sized SUVs.  We have put 5 adults in our 5 seater for 1-hour type trips.  Our previous was the 7 seater and the third row is cramped, but you can put 5 adults and 2 kids in with no problems.  7 adults for short trips (aka Rick being DD and picking up the drunk wife and friends from the bar).

 

6 hours ago, DaubsNU1 said:

I have done a lot of research on electric vehicles...I am not a fan.

• Not as environmentally friendly as advertised
• Huge batteries requiring loads of rare minerals
• What happens to batteries when you are done?
• Range
• Capability (i.e., towing a 12,000lb. 5th wheel?)
• Access to charging stations

They are cool. They are super fast. Don't see one in my future any time soon. 

 

Electric vehicles certainly aren't for everyone and a 100% electric vehicle country (eliminate all gas and diesel vehicles 1:1) isn't a reality in any of our futures. Big heavy towing is one for sure, LONG trips is another.  But your questions above are largely solved and they will be the future for the majority of people.  The rare minerals you're referring to are primarily lithium.  Some batteries use cobalt, manganese, and others, but the technology is shifting to LiFePo (same as boat lithium batteries) which is much safer and more friendly.  There is plenty of lithium in the world and its not concentrated in 'bad' places (bad meaning poor environmental records, hostile governments, etc).  The US has the 4th highest reserve and Australia the fifth last I knew.  The batteries are recyclable.  Recycling for lithium batteries exists now but is hit or miss because most lithium batteries are smaller and spread over many consumers (think handheld devices).  It also relies on consumers recycling them and not sending them to landfill.  A car is different.  The scrap value for a 1988 Chevy cavalier (which people will sell to scrapyards now) is FAR lower than the scrap value of a lithium battery powered car.  There is no reason to think that when Li battery cars are at end of life they won't get scrapped and recycled.

 

Range is a thing for now, but always getting better.  For most people its not an issue.  I forget the statistics, but I think its an average of 30 or 40 miles per day for the bulk of people.  With a 300 mile range you can commute all week without plugging anything in.  As more charging infrastructure is built, it will be imminently convenient to stop for 5 minutes and top up.  And, if you're so inclined you can put a charger at home (we have) which eliminates all standard driving concerns about range in daily use.  Also, ranges are steadily increasing.  Top of the market right now is around 350 miles, but the only limiting factors are size and cost.  The new Ram EV truck is forecast to be 500+.  I suspect that's because the truck is a good bit longer than a normal car so they have added a 50% longer battery.  Obviously that gets you more range, but it also cuts charging time for a fixed range (i.e. if you need to add 200 miles range it will be faster in a 500 mi capacity battery than a 300 mi capacity battery).  Charging station infrastructure is steadily increasing depending on the area.  If stations are not in your area or at your workplace, then I can see an electric not being for you.  But, infrastructure will continue to grow and the stations being put in now are higher powered and faster than previous generations. The last two trips we took we used chargers that were charging at nearly 1000 mi range per hour charge.  For our 350 mile battery we added a half charge in about 10 minutes.  For a single stop trip (aka 500 miles) you'd do the same with a gas vehicle.

 

The primary remaining issue is power grid.  We're still reliant on fossil fuels.  That said, 1 watt put through your tires to the pavement which was delivered to you produced from FF at a power plant is more efficient than 1 watt put the ground through your tires delivered in a gas engine.  And the power grid will evolve over time as more solar and wind charging comes on line which will only make it better.  The fossil fuel supply chain has largely maxed out on efficiency.

 

 

4 hours ago, FryDog62 said:

I had heard how fast they are and tremendous torque for towing... but also heard once you tow - you'll need to re-charge which takes a long time approx every 100-150 miles!  Below is a related article from a Motor Biscuit magazine review: 

 

"The Rivian electric truck, like all current electric vehicles, has an Achilles Heel: its range. Towing a trailer can slice its range in half, and recharging is often slower than advertised. It is not great at towing for long distances.

 

The specific Rivian R1T that TFL Truck tested had a 280-mile driving range. When they hooked the truck up to the 8,100 pound trailer it used about twice its normal power to drive around town: the R1T’s estimated range fell to 135 miles."

 

A low tow range is a deal-breaker for those of us that go a fair distance to our favorite lakes. 

 

Any vehicle is going to lose range when towing, especially an 8100 trailer.  A normal truck will get 15-20 mpg on the highway.  Towing you're going to drop to 8-12 depending what you're towing.  That's in line with the same range drop on the electric vehicles.  Of course the difference is how fast you can fill that range back up.  For a single stop/charge trip it isn't going to make a significant difference to your travel time.  A single charging stop is going to take you 15-20 minutes depending on how far you need to charge and which vehicle you're in.  When we charge, you park, plug in, and run into the store for a bathroom/drink break all while you're charging.  If we've ordered an MTO then the car is ready by the time we're back in it.  If you're filling up a liquid tank, most gas stations are going to take 5 minutes at least to do that and then you're going to run in, get your MTO/bathroom, and go.  So for a single stop isn't not much difference.  When you go for multiple stops then for sure you're adding time.  If there were charge points at the ramp though, you drive 150 miles to the lake, plug in, and drive 150 miles home.    I don't see that happening any time soon though.

 

[throttleplate]

18 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

i agree on the ridgeline look.  Kinda a cross between a ridgeline and a new bronco.  Not my thing, but hey ho.  The rivian has a lot more space in it and if you want to use the pass throughs and other hatches you can also fit long and big stuff.  Its clever.  still not my thing though.

 

We have an X which is a bit bigger than the Y.  For a family of 4 its PLENTY big even if you have car seats (we are just two of us plus two dogs).  There is a ton of storage in places you can't see.  Interior space is comparable to similar full sized SUVs.  We have put 5 adults in our 5 seater for 1-hour type trips.  Our previous was the 7 seater and the third row is cramped, but you can put 5 adults and 2 kids in with no problems.  7 adults for short trips (aka Rick being DD and picking up the drunk wife and friends from the bar).

 

 

Electric vehicles certainly aren't for everyone and a 100% electric vehicle country (eliminate all gas and diesel vehicles 1:1) isn't a reality in any of our futures. Big heavy towing is one for sure, LONG trips is another.  But your questions above are largely solved and they will be the future for the majority of people.  The rare minerals you're referring to are primarily lithium.  Some batteries use cobalt, manganese, and others, but the technology is shifting to LiFePo (same as boat lithium batteries) which is much safer and more friendly.  There is plenty of lithium in the world and its not concentrated in 'bad' places (bad meaning poor environmental records, hostile governments, etc).  The US has the 4th highest reserve and Australia the fifth last I knew.  The batteries are recyclable.  Recycling for lithium batteries exists now but is hit or miss because most lithium batteries are smaller and spread over many consumers (think handheld devices).  It also relies on consumers recycling them and not sending them to landfill.  A car is different.  The scrap value for a 1988 Chevy cavalier (which people will sell to scrapyards now) is FAR lower than the scrap value of a lithium battery powered car.  There is no reason to think that when Li battery cars are at end of life they won't get scrapped and recycled.

 

Range is a thing for now, but always getting better.  For most people its not an issue.  I forget the statistics, but I think its an average of 30 or 40 miles per day for the bulk of people.  With a 300 mile range you can commute all week without plugging anything in.  As more charging infrastructure is built, it will be imminently convenient to stop for 5 minutes and top up.  And, if you're so inclined you can put a charger at home (we have) which eliminates all standard driving concerns about range in daily use.  Also, ranges are steadily increasing.  Top of the market right now is around 350 miles, but the only limiting factors are size and cost.  The new Ram EV truck is forecast to be 500+.  I suspect that's because the truck is a good bit longer than a normal car so they have added a 50% longer battery.  Obviously that gets you more range, but it also cuts charging time for a fixed range (i.e. if you need to add 200 miles range it will be faster in a 500 mi capacity battery than a 300 mi capacity battery).  Charging station infrastructure is steadily increasing depending on the area.  If stations are not in your area or at your workplace, then I can see an electric not being for you.  But, infrastructure will continue to grow and the stations being put in now are higher powered and faster than previous generations. The last two trips we took we used chargers that were charging at nearly 1000 mi range per hour charge.  For our 350 mile battery we added a half charge in about 10 minutes.  For a single stop trip (aka 500 miles) you'd do the same with a gas vehicle.

 

The primary remaining issue is power grid.  We're still reliant on fossil fuels.  That said, 1 watt put through your tires to the pavement which was delivered to you produced from FF at a power plant is more efficient than 1 watt put the ground through your tires delivered in a gas engine.  And the power grid will evolve over time as more solar and wind charging comes on line which will only make it better.  The fossil fuel supply chain has largely maxed out on efficiency.

 

 

 

Any vehicle is going to lose range when towing, especially an 8100 trailer.  A normal truck will get 15-20 mpg on the highway.  Towing you're going to drop to 8-12 depending what you're towing.  That's in line with the same range drop on the electric vehicles.  Of course the difference is how fast you can fill that range back up.  For a single stop/charge trip it isn't going to make a significant difference to your travel time.  A single charging stop is going to take you 15-20 minutes depending on how far you need to charge and which vehicle you're in.  When we charge, you park, plug in, and run into the store for a bathroom/drink break all while you're charging.  If we've ordered an MTO then the car is ready by the time we're back in it.  If you're filling up a liquid tank, most gas stations are going to take 5 minutes at least to do that and then you're going to run in, get your MTO/bathroom, and go.  So for a single stop isn't not much difference.  When you go for multiple stops then for sure you're adding time.  If there were charge points at the ramp though, you drive 150 miles to the lake, plug in, and drive 150 miles home.    I don't see that happening any time soon though.

 

[casts_by_fly]

1 hour ago, throttleplate said:

 

Ha!  Its actually not that complicated and its just like a regular car.  You have a total range and you drive it.  You just have to be at a charger (gas station) before you get empty.  If you're towing it takes more energy (gas).  The main differences to a regular car is that electrics are more affected by freezing temps (the battery spends energy to keep itself warm) and it takes a little longer to fill the tank sometimes.  Those two things might matter for you or might not depending on how you drive and where you are.

[Darth-Baiter]

I drove friggen far yesterday for work.  drove my work Tesla model 3.  which is the cheap model.  270 mile range.  I had to stop to refresh.  it took 20 minutes and I was on my way.  I had some hot soccer mom taking to me and asking me when my job got them.  I joked with her and..nevermind.  you had to be there.  charging is fun, and we chat with total strangers.  

 

once you wrap your brain around it is no big deal.  my wife's Tesla is the long range versions and it is more enjoyable.  it goes 300 miles before we recharge.  and that is about EXACTLY how far my tacoma goes before we refuel.  our Tesla we just plug in at home and go to sleep.  It is ZERO inconvenience.  I would argue, going to Costco to buy less expensive gas is the way bigger PITA.  by a mile. 

[casts_by_fly]

1 hour ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I drove friggen far yesterday for work.  drove my work Tesla model 3.  which is the cheap model.  270 mile range.  I had to stop to refresh.  it took 20 minutes and I was on my way.  I had some hot soccer mom taking to me and asking me when my job got them.  I joked with her and..nevermind.  you had to be there.  charging is fun, and we chat with total strangers.  

 

once you wrap your brain around it is no big deal.  my wife's Tesla is the long range versions and it is more enjoyable.  it goes 300 miles before we recharge.  and that is about EXACTLY how far my tacoma goes before we refuel.  our Tesla we just plug in at home and go to sleep.  It is ZERO inconvenience.  I would argue, going to Costco to buy less expensive gas is the way bigger PITA.  by a mile. 

 

We have a model X and my ram 1500.  For anything that is running around and most trips up to 400 miles or so we take the tesla.  The cost is roughly 1/3 if you charge at a supercharger vs the fuel for my truck (at 18 mpg highway).  Charging at home is even cheaper.  We take my truck for long trips that would add a lot of charging time like NJ to outer banks or Atlanta because it has a 500+ mile range on a tank and we can pick our stops more conveniently.

[TnRiver46]

3 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

Ha!  Its actually not that complicated and its just like a regular car.  You have a total range and you drive it.  You just have to be at a charger (gas station) before you get empty.  If you're towing it takes more energy (gas).  The main differences to a regular car is that electrics are more affected by freezing temps (the battery spends energy to keep itself warm) and it takes a little longer to fill the tank sometimes.  Those two things might matter for you or might not depending on how you drive and where you are.

And the price 

[casts_by_fly]

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

And the price 

 

They are comparable for comparably equipped non electric vehicles.  There isn't a 'cheap' electric on the market and that will limit uptake still.  The model 3 was going to be tesla's attempt.  The base model 3 with rear wheel drive, no autopilot, and base battery (272 mi range) is $43k without any incentives (currently $7500 to bring it down to $36k but that is ending soon).  Most states do not charge sales tax on electric vehicles.  That's a mid/full sized 4 door sedan with leather.  A chevy malibu with leather but no other upgrades is $32k plus tax.  So with the incentives the prices are close but if the incentives are not in place its a significant difference.

 

At the top end, a model X long range (350 miles range) with no added autopilot is $99,990.  Again, no sales tax in most places.  No incentives possible on these.  Similar size, performance, and comparable vehicles are BMW X7 ($103k), Range rover ($106k), Mercedes GLE ($98,925) all plus tax.  For some of those the refinement, performance and size might be better in the tesla or the 'other' option but they are all in the same bucket.  We came out of a Mercedes in the UK (which we chose over the BMW) and considered the Range rover and Mercedes here before going to the Tesla.  There is zero chance my wife chooses against the tesla in the future and we are on our second one now.

 

I'm curious to see the Ram electric.  The comparable truck for performance will be the TRX which has an $86k base.  There isn't much released on the REV to know what's standard or not but if the top end REV comes with a sunroof and the various electronic features that are standard on most high end EV now, then the comparable TRX is going to be about $97k.  I think the REV will be in that same ballpark, probably just a little more.  

[Darth-Baiter]

7 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

They are comparable for comparably equipped non electric vehicles.  There isn't a 'cheap' electric on the market and that will limit uptake still.  The model 3 was going to be tesla's attempt.  The base model 3 with rear wheel drive, no autopilot, and base battery (272 mi range) is $43k without any incentives (currently $7500 to bring it down to $36k but that is ending soon).  Most states do not charge sales tax on electric vehicles.  That's a mid/full sized 4 door sedan with leather.  A chevy malibu with leather but no other upgrades is $32k plus tax.  So with the incentives the prices are close but if the incentives are not in place its a significant difference.

 

At the top end, a model X long range (350 miles range) with no added autopilot is $99,990.  Again, no sales tax in most places.  No incentives possible on these.  Similar size, performance, and comparable vehicles are BMW X7 ($103k), Range rover ($106k), Mercedes GLE ($98,925) all plus tax.  For some of those the refinement, performance and size might be better in the tesla or the 'other' option but they are all in the same bucket.  We came out of a Mercedes in the UK (which we chose over the BMW) and considered the Range rover and Mercedes here before going to the Tesla.  There is zero chance my wife chooses against the tesla in the future and we are on our second one now.

 

I'm curious to see the Ram electric.  The comparable truck for performance will be the TRX which has an $86k base.  There isn't much released on the REV to know what's standard or not but if the top end REV comes with a sunroof and the various electronic features that are standard on most high end EV now, then the comparable TRX is going to be about $97k.  I think the REV will be in that same ballpark, probably just a little more.  

I would say Teslas top end is the Plaid model.  $125k or something.  

[TnRiver46]

2 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

They are comparable for comparably equipped non electric vehicles.  There isn't a 'cheap' electric on the market and that will limit uptake still.  The model 3 was going to be tesla's attempt.  The base model 3 with rear wheel drive, no autopilot, and base battery (272 mi range) is $43k without any incentives (currently $7500 to bring it down to $36k but that is ending soon).  Most states do not charge sales tax on electric vehicles.  That's a mid/full sized 4 door sedan with leather.  A chevy malibu with leather but no other upgrades is $32k plus tax.  So with the incentives the prices are close but if the incentives are not in place its a significant difference.

 

At the top end, a model X long range (350 miles range) with no added autopilot is $99,990.  Again, no sales tax in most places.  No incentives possible on these.  Similar size, performance, and comparable vehicles are BMW X7 ($103k), Range rover ($106k), Mercedes GLE ($98,925) all plus tax.  For some of those the refinement, performance and size might be better in the tesla or the 'other' option but they are all in the same bucket.  We came out of a Mercedes in the UK (which we chose over the BMW) and considered the Range rover and Mercedes here before going to the Tesla.  There is zero chance my wife chooses against the tesla in the future and we are on our second one now.

 

I'm curious to see the Ram electric.  The comparable truck for performance will be the TRX which has an $86k base.  There isn't much released on the REV to know what's standard or not but if the top end REV comes with a sunroof and the various electronic features that are standard on most high end EV now, then the comparable TRX is going to be about $97k.  I think the REV will be in that same ballpark, probably just a little more.  

How much for a 2004 with some minor body damage? 

[gim]

9 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

The main differences to a regular car is that electrics are more affected by freezing temps

 I could foresee that being a problem up here in the winter. I presume anyone that has an EV also has a heated garage to park it in. People in the south or in Cali don’t generally deal with extended periods of bitter cold temps, so it’s not a big issue.

 

My wife and I just ordered a 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid last month. The salesman said the mileage does drop in the winter some because of colder temps. It’s expected to arrive in 4-8 months.

[Koz]

On 3/14/2023 at 8:44 PM, BigAngus752 said:

Sorry, but incorrect.  Rivian is only manufactured in Normal, IL.  I believe you may have their corporate offices however.  

They are currently building another plant in Morgan County, GA. Well, they are trying to build one. Between their financial problems and Morgan County residents protesting it isn't going that well. 

[Chowderhead]

45 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

My wife and I just ordered a 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid last month. The salesman said the mileage does drop in the winter some because of colder temps. It’s expected to arrive in 4-8 months.

We have a 2023 Toyota Venza (hybrid) on order since November. The MPG will fall in the cold weather. I will love getting 40+ mpg in warm months, and have fingers crossed we get 30+ mpg in winter. 

[gim]

14 minutes ago, Chowderhead said:

We have a 2023 Toyota Venza (hybrid) on order since November.

Have you received it yet?

[Chowderhead]

2 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Have you received it yet?

Not yet, the dealer has been good to share the Toyota tracking details with us. We watched it progress from factory build in Japan, sail across the Pacific, travel by train to KC auto yards, and now hopefully on a truck for delivery to dealer. It’s looking like sometime in the next week or two. 

[casts_by_fly]

16 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I would say Teslas top end is the Plaid model.  $125k or something.  

 

Yes, I would agree with that, but then there isn't a comparable performance 'other' car in the market.  The standard Model X is a 3.8s 0-60 vehicle.  The GLE63S gets there at 3.7 (but that's the $125k model).  The X7 M60i is 4.5s at $103k.  I don't think there is another car on the market (let alone SUV) that does 0-60 in 2.5s like the plaid (the model S plaid does it of course).  The Lambo Urus performance is 3.3s but that's a $250k+ car.  A 911 Turbo is close at 2.6s (again $250k).

 

 

13 hours ago, gimruis said:

 I could foresee that being a problem up here in the winter. I presume anyone that has an EV also has a heated garage to park it in. People in the south or in Cali don’t generally deal with extended periods of bitter cold temps, so it’s not a big issue.

 

My wife and I just ordered a 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid last month. The salesman said the mileage does drop in the winter some because of colder temps. It’s expected to arrive in 4-8 months.

 

Garage storage isn't so bad, heated or unheated.  Even in sub zero outside temps the battery isn't constantly burning energy to keep warm.  It will keep it above a minimum threshold and if it isn't in the blowing wind then it stays warm on its own fine.  Driving in the frigid cold is another story.  For the battery to be able to output the wattage the motors are calling for it has to keep itself warmer than just sitting parked.  I normally plan for 30% reduction when the temps start dropping below freezing.  When we drove home for Christmas in the sub zero blizzard we just took my truck instead.

 

[Bankc]

I had seen my first Rivian about a year and half ago, just driving around town.  I thought by now that I'd be seeing a bunch, but that was really the only one.  I guess they ran into supply chain problems.  

 

There's another electric car company called Canoo that's supposed to be building a plant near me.  Actually, three plants.  But they've been saying that for years now, and don't seem to be making any actual progress.  My bet is that with the market contracting like it is, they'll probably go under before they get their first car off the assembly line.  But I'll keep my fingers crossed that they succeed, because we could use the jobs here.  

 

I briefly looked in to getting an electric vehicle two years ago when I got my last car.  But they're just too expensive to be practical right now.  Even if you factor in the price of fuel.  My brother bought a Model S Plaid though, and let me tell you, that thing will literally hurt your chest when you drop the hammer on it!  The best way I can describe it is to imagine driving 70mph and then slamming on the brakes as hard as you can, so that it tries to throw you out of your seat and into your seatbelt.  Now imagine that exact same feeling, only your seat is facing the other direction.  It's nuts!  And the punch is immediate!  

[Darth-Baiter]

our model 3 is fast!!  I can't imagine a Plaid.  my friends performance Y will give you goosebumps when you stomp on it. 

[TnRiver46]

11 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

our model 3 is fast!!  I can't imagine a Plaid.  my friends performance Y will give you goosebumps when you stomp on it. 

My stomping on it days are well behind me haha 

[Darth-Baiter]

24 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

My stomping on it days are well behind me haha 

honestly, I did it once.  maybe twice.  

 

right now my work Tesla accelerator is set on "chill" mode.  old dude mode.

[slonezp]

22 hours ago, gimruis said:

 I could foresee that being a problem up here in the winter. I presume anyone that has an EV also has a heated garage to park it in. People in the south or in Cali don’t generally deal with extended periods of bitter cold temps, so it’s not a big issue.

 

My wife and I just ordered a 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid last month. The salesman said the mileage does drop in the winter some because of colder temps. It’s expected to arrive in 4-8 months.

I pass a Tesla dealership going to work. During the winter, just about every morning it was below 10*, the alarms would be going off on almost every car in the lot

 

At least, with a hybrid, you have the gas back up.

 

 

I have to believe having to replace the battery pack every 7-10 years kills the trade in/resale. I keep my trucks an average of 10 years and 200,000 to 300,000 miles. Could one get 300,000 miles out of a battery pack? What's the value of a 10 year old EV with it's original battery pack? I will never be convinced that the EV market will flourish. The only EV that has withstood the test of time is the Tesla and it is only 2% of the automotive market. The entire EV push is reminiscent of the VW Bug and I won't go into that history. The EV market will eventually go by the wayside like every other EV already has, minus Tesla.  

[VolFan]

You forgot to tell everyone to get off your lawn… ?

[gim]

1 hour ago, slonezp said:

At least, with a hybrid, you have the gas back up.

I’m not ready to make the jump to full EV, especially in a cold climate. This hybrid will primarily be my wife’s vehicle. I still have a truck.

[casts_by_fly]

4 hours ago, Bankc said:

I had seen my first Rivian about a year and half ago, just driving around town.  I thought by now that I'd be seeing a bunch, but that was really the only one.  I guess they ran into supply chain problems.  

 

There's another electric car company called Canoo that's supposed to be building a plant near me.  Actually, three plants.  But they've been saying that for years now, and don't seem to be making any actual progress.  My bet is that with the market contracting like it is, they'll probably go under before they get their first car off the assembly line.  But I'll keep my fingers crossed that they succeed, because we could use the jobs here.  

 

I briefly looked in to getting an electric vehicle two years ago when I got my last car.  But they're just too expensive to be practical right now.  Even if you factor in the price of fuel.  My brother bought a Model S Plaid though, and let me tell you, that thing will literally hurt your chest when you drop the hammer on it!  The best way I can describe it is to imagine driving 70mph and then slamming on the brakes as hard as you can, so that it tries to throw you out of your seat and into your seatbelt.  Now imagine that exact same feeling, only your seat is facing the other direction.  It's nuts!  And the punch is immediate!  

 

2 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

our model 3 is fast!!  I can't imagine a Plaid.  my friends performance Y will give you goosebumps when you stomp on it. 

the best I can describe it to most people is a steel rollercoaster that shoots you out of the gate to start. It is instant g-force that pushes you through the seat into the back seat.

 

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

My stomping on it days are well behind me haha 

 

Mostly for me too, however it’s awesome for highway merging on short on ramps in traffic or pulling out on semi busy roads across a lane of traffic. Just put your foot down and go. Rolling from 20 to 60 mph is about a second.  If you don’t press the pedal fast enough you’ll be at speed before the pedal hits the floor. 

 

 

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

I’m not ready to make the jump to full EV, especially in a cold climate. This hybrid will primarily be my wife’s vehicle. I still have a truck.

this makes a lot of sense. We never need to drive two cars at the same time.  My wife is in the office three days a week but flexible and I’m at home. We have my truck for long trips or hauling or fishing. A PHEV hybrid is a great option, especially if it’s an around town and light commuting car. Most have a 30-40 mile electric only range which is fine for a lot of people. The fuel bill would be negligible. 

[softwateronly]

On 3/16/2023 at 7:13 PM, gimruis said:

 I could foresee that being a problem up here in the winter. I presume anyone that has an EV also has a heated garage to park it in. People in the south or in Cali don’t generally deal with extended periods of bitter cold temps, so it’s not a big issue.

 

My wife and I just ordered a 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid last month. The salesman said the mileage does drop in the winter some because of colder temps. It’s expected to arrive in 4-8 months.

Bought a used plug in hybrid in 2020.  Real winter, like temps in the teens, cuts the electric only range in half at minimum, maybe even more, if you need more than seat heaters.  Switching to hybrid or gas only is a button push away, so it still works for us, but electric has serious constraints up north, not to mention the economical/environmental/political impact of the rare earth metal supply chain.  When the weather is over 45 or so, I probably fill up on gas once a month though, so it still has a viable city role.

 

scott