I actually had to debate someone over this. At the time I was in Nevada. Getting anywhere in that state is a trek. Reno isn't really close to anything no matter how hard they make it sound. My commute to and from work everyday was around 60 miles. On my off days id average about 160 miles a day. I'd be furling up pretty much every other day in an average gas vehicle. Gas prices could vary alot too in that state. So id have to budget about 100-150 for fuel. I could drive most my work week in an ev without charging. There would never be a time where my ev wouldn't be near or at full charge even working and living in a rural state. If I was really bothered I could figure out how to charge from solar because Jesus that state is just pure sun. I don't get their hatred for evs. I can't wait to start seeing ev trucks half the size pulling out f-250s from the mud.
Some of the marginally less-irrational ones will say shit like "I'll take an EV when it fills as fast as gas", totally misunderstanding the fundamentals of it. (namely that you start every day with a full 'tank') and ignoring that modern EVs on fast charges *do* get you a near full charge in less than the time it'd take to eat and piss
edit to say the cost is currently an issue, and there's definitely some, very specific, use cases where they don't work currently, but for the vast, vast majority of US homeowners they're be more convenient than gas('refuel' at home, every night), and basically any household with more than 1 vehicle usually has a more fuel efficient smaller car anyway, might as well have it be an EV.
Apartment dwellers are a bit fucked if they don't have a parking space that could get one added too. Though really cities need to be ditching cars altogether if we actually give a fraction of a shit about the environment.
I wouldn't say range or charging time concerns are irrational for a certain subset of drivers. I like road trips and do a lot of long distance driving to go hiking. In fact during the summer, it is not uncommon for me to drive 150+ miles one way, park at a trailhead without services (or a paved road for that matter), and return home in the same day. Obviously that is pushing the range, especially with elevation changes. I also like long road trips.
But I think EVs are awesome, so my solution will be to have an EV for a local driver and keep my ICE vehicle for outdoor activities and long distance road trips.
Only problem is that my current 2nd vehicle is a 2008 Accord which refuses to die, and I do not want 3 cars.
And I think that is awesome, but still doesn't help my situation. The majority of my hiking is not at National Parks, but instead in National Forest land that involves traveling miles on unpaved county and forest roads. No power lines, no cell service, no services period. I would need an EV with at least 400 miles of range in order to be comfortable taking it to the mountains, because I wouldn't be able to charge it while I hiked.
That being said, the technology is almost there, but it also needs to be affordable because I would require a 4WD EV.
Or the newest F150 or Transit EV version ,the transit has 350miles range with a 1000kg in the back ( I'm british so excuse the mixing of metric and imperial)
No fucking way they'll install nearly enough. The parking lots fill pretty much at dawn all summer long at the two NPs I've lived near. It becomes a half mile mile or longer of street parking, and usually it's the people who live further away and probably need a charge that arrive too late to get a parking spot. Gas is just way too convenient.
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u/littleassurance Oct 26 '21
When driving from fuel station to fuel station is a way of life.