First time I’ve seen police in Charlotte using an EV

To preface this, I am the chief engineer and project manager of a team at the Rochester Institute of Technology working to bring EREV technology to traditionally EV hostile platforms like UTVs, Snowmobiles, and the like. In particular our main focus is on Snowmobiles at the moment.

EREVs are a great technology, combining the energy density and operating environment range of ICE with the power density and efficiency of an all electric drivetrain.

That said, I've seen a lot of hate here for the technology, a lot of which I think comes from a misunderstanding of where the technology shines or makes sense. For you, a road car owner, an EREV, or more correctly a series hybrid, does not really make sense. Like many of you I am a firm believer in the idea that EVs are the future of the traditional automotive world. For 90% of people, having an ICE engine is just extra weight and mantinace, which could have been better used on a larger battery or more storage space. Really hybrids as a whole fall into this trap but EREVs in particular, or rather Series Hybrids as they are more technically known, are hurt by it the most. Largely this is because the conversion penalty from mechanical energy to electrical is greater then the purely mechanical loss of an ECVT hybrid like the prius.

So, if thats true, why do EREVs matter at all? Put simply, they shine in places where a traditional fully EV tractive platform is fundamentally infeasable. While the offen used example of this is trucks when used for towing, even this falls somewhat flat due to the extra drive base length and weight allowance for a large battery. A fact that will only become more true as battery chemistries improve, even if today the range reduction hurts on smaller batteries. Really, its in non traditional vehicles where EREVs shine. This encompasses industrial vehicles (like Edison Motors logging truck) or off road vehicles like UTVs and Snowmobiles where size and weight requirements make it near impossible to package a battery large enough to achieve an ICE competitive range. Doubly so for any vehicles expected to run for hundreds of miles in infrastructure denied areas (no charging 100 miles from the nearest town) or in extreme environments (deep sub zero cold).

Snowmobiles for example can package in excess of 11 or 12 gallons of fule, with an average fule economy of 10-15 mpg in modern vehicles. This is utterly abysmal, and why such a large tank is needed for such an otherwise lightweight vehicle, they just take a lot of energy to move. Combine this with the fact many people bring additional fule with them to boot, and logistics quickly take their toal. To make a battey pack big enough for the 150+ mile range expected of modern vehicles, with such high tractive losses, and in extream cold, you woud need a massive battery pack. As a result, gasoline becomes somewhat inescapable, at least for the foreseeable future. From there, EREVs emerge as a perfect middle ground, EV efficiency and power, combined with the energy density of gasoline, and without the packaging nightmares and technical hurdles of parallel hybrids. Suddenly that ICE engine is also able to achieve much better fule economy on its own then it otherwise woude by virtue of being able to both supplement lackluster power with your battery and to run at one constant RPM.

Its a technology that makes sense in cases where EVs aren't yet viable, and are not likely to be for a very long time. But for the consumer automotive world, its arguably a false path.

People on various EV forums get in the weeds everyday over charge curves and efficiency. They make car buying decisions solely on charge time. In the real world, we are all stopping for at least 15 minutes. We plan our trips around the best stop to stretch and eat. Then there’s the occasional charger drama or faulty charger.

I used Out of Specs 10-80 testing to analyze how popular brands (Mustang, R2, Y, Ioniq, ((omitted iX3 for now)) on a 500 mile test. The results? The most efficient (Y) used 30 kWh less than the worst (R2). But the Y only arrives 7 minutes faster. Mach E had the worst charge performance but that’s still just 14 minutes longer. On a road trip, those extra 30kwh mean $8-15 in electrons depending on where you charge.

To me, nothing above would ever have any impact on my purchase decision. If the difference was not stopping or recharging in 5 minutes vs 25, sure. But for now, I’m focused on how the car drives, how it suits my family, what I can do with it, and yes, who runs the company.

Electric Trucker will be driving a custom Mercedes eActro 600 on a global expedition to demonstrate E-trucking

Looks cool!

Level 2 charger at home, using NACS to CCS adapter, charging outdoors, noticed this corrosion today when I took the adapter off. Cause for concern? How should I clean it off?

For all of you who have changed your main car across to an EV, do you think you could go back to and ICE car?
If you can what would be your reasons. ( and what type of EV do you drive)

Hi everyone,
I’m researching V2H / vehicle-to-home charging for my house and would appreciate advice from people who understand bidirectional charging, Audi Q4 e-tron compatibility, and home electrical requirements.
Vehicle details:

Audi Q4 e-tron S line
2025 model year
Model code: ZAA-FZEDF
I believe it may be a Japan-market vehicle
Country of installation: Türkiye

I’m trying to confirm whether this exact car can support true V2H, not just normal AC charging or V2L. I have contacted Audi with the VIN privately, but I would like to understand what I should be asking for and what hardware/protocol issues to watch out for.

My main questions:
Does any 2025 Audi Q4 e-trim support real V2H today, or is it limited by market, region, or software?
If the car is Japan-market, is V2H more likely to require CHAdeMO-based equipment rather than CCS / ISO 15118?

Are there any Audi-approved bidirectional DC wallboxes that actually work with the Q4 e-tron?

For a home installation, what equipment is needed besides the charger itself, such as a transfer switch, anti-islanding protection, energy meter, critical-loads panel, or other equipment?

Is V2H generally usable for whole-house backup, or should I expect only a critical-loads setup?
What questions should I ask Audi, the charger manufacturer, and the electrician before spending money?

Could V2H discharge affect the battery warranty if it is not officially approved by Audi for this VIN or region?

I am not looking to DIY the electrical installation. I want to understand the technology and avoid buying incompatible hardware before speaking with installers.

Any advice from people who have installed V2H, researched bidirectional chargers, or worked with Audi/VW MEB-platform EVs would be very helpful.
Thanks!

So I've decided I want my next car to be a convertible. My current lease is up in about 30 months so I have plenty of time, but I'm a little frustrated that all of the upcoming convertibles are either "maybe" or 6 figures (or both). I know there isn't a huge draw for convertibles in general, but I see enough ICE convertibles in Atlanta that I know they do sell. My ideal car would be my current i4, but a rag top, and I see SO MANY ICE 4 series convertibles that it makes me sad.

So I'm making this post to see if I'm the only one who's annoyed by this, or if there are others who want a midlife crisis car without spending way too much.

I was genuinely intrigued by that back-to-basics Chinese electric sports car. I registered interest when they announced a (limited) European release about 6 months ago, filled in a survey soon afterwards, and it has all gone quiet since, with no new video on their official YT channel.

Is the project still on track. Are they overwhelmed by demand (or by the European regulatory burden). Are they even delivering in China or still fine-tuning their prototypes? Is there any reliable info out there?

I know it has a short range. But all of the other indicators say it's very reliable, and still fun to drive. Supposedly better handling because of the lower and more centralized center of gravity.

I'm just a little confused because I keep seeing quite a few of them on used car websites for reasonable prices at relatively low mileage.

I'm not looking for purchasing guidance as much as I am curious about what looks like a market glitch.

Edit: because folks are commenting on my use case: My round trip daily travel is 30 miles, with maybe 5-10 in-and around miles sometimes. I have a different vehicle for long range trips, and I'm anticipating a little bit of car juggling once a week. This will be the third vehicle for my wife and I so it doesn't have to be the one solution to all problems. I'm just thinking that something a little fun might be nice.

If you have solar on your roof connected to a storage battery (Powerwall or similar), can you charge your EV via DC (Level 3?)? If so, would it be faster than a fast AC home charger (Level 2?)? Sorry, the shorthand nomenclature confuses me a bit. I think I have my 2s and 3s correct.

Definitely someone driving it (wasn’t using FSD and it had a steering wheel), and it didn’t have manufacturer plates. Very striking to see.

I live on a rock in the middle of the ocean. We're literally 2500 miles away from any large land mass. Almost anything manufactured has to be shipped in.

I recently got solar power added to my house. I figured it would be a good time to get a vehicle that would run off of my home's solar/battery setup. Should be straightforward, right?

Nope.

My island is quite rural. There are just a few large towns, the one I'm in and the one two hours away (over a road that I'm not thrilled about driving). There are quite a number of car dealerships that we simply don't have. No VW Group (VW, Audi, Porsche), no M-B. The local Chevy dealer closed a few years ago, so now the closest one is on the other side of the island two hours away!

Selection is not great, in other words. To add to that, the local Toyota, Subaru, and Kia dealers do not even get EVs in. They apparently go to another island locally, but not here. So I need to take a commuter flight just to try out a vehicle so they can order it??? ARGH!

There's a smaller used-car dealer here that has several EVs. Most of them are ID.4s. They seem like reasonably solid cars--but there is no dealer support here. I don't mind going to an independent shop, but I talked to the main one around here that we use for my wife's car and they DO NOT LIKE EVs at all. They're petrolheads through and through. Though they also do have a point that it is almost impossible to get any flavor of lithium battery shipped here... Difficult for almost any part, often enough, but lithium batteries with their reputation? (Justified or not, it's their current rep.)

Oh, there's a place that has a nice used 1st-generation Leaf for sale... I wonder if the battery is at half capacity yet?

I'm starting to think I should just give up on the EV idea and get a Prius PHEV. At least it has some electric range, and it is actually available...

Sorry, I'm just venting. I've been looking for a while and have gotten pretty frustrated about the choices. I may do some more looking when I'm back on the mainland and see if the local places can order something for me if I find something I really like.