Quote:
Originally Posted by footie
Nothing competes with diesel for mileage from a single tank, it's why it's the choice of most reps on the road but it's a completely different driving experience to an EV, especially a high powered one. There are advantages of an EV for most people in that you can charge at home so never having to go out of your way to fill up like you do with an ICE car and if you so desire can have a full tank every morning you leave the house, also home charging is a fraction of the price of regular fuel so again huge saving to be had.
I wouldn't recommend an EV to anyone who regularly drives a couple of hundred miles in a day, even if that is only once a fortnight, until the battery technology and infrastructure has reached a level that such journeys are only the equivalent to stopping at a filling station to top up which we are currently a long way from.
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I agree with everything you’ve said there. I’ve driven lots of EVs, including the original Tesla Roadster when it came out. The EV drivetrain is awesome in many ways that make a fantastic daily driver.
My cheeky comment was more or less just poking fun at those who are (usually) unintentionally pointing out the shortcomings of EVs.
I just got back from doing an Ottawa to Halifax round trip (~3000km/1860mi) in a Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid which is not a good long distance cruiser for many reasons, one of which is range. With winter tires and temps comfortably above freezing it has a range of about 500km/310mi.
Even though there are gas stations everywhere, when traveling long distances through sparsely populated areas they can be far enough between that by 1/8-1/4 tank you’re stopping at the next one, meaning you’re stopping every 400km/250mi or so.
That’s a burden. In an EV where charging stations are generally much less available, that burden becomes a necessary planning session and a lengthy stop for charging. A 16hr trip in an ICE car could easily turn into 20-25hrs, especially if charging stops are not conveniently ligning up with mealtimes.
I do realize how rare trips like that are for most people, but I couldn’t help thinking about it while watching the needle plummet so quickly in that Toyota. It is an efficient car but it has a laughably small tank, likely to make room for the hybrid system battery.
Anyway, EVs will get better and I do believe they will eventually replace gasoline ICEs. I do not believe mandating them by 2035 is practical, as my ridiculous government is attempting to do, for many reasons.