Solution for EV range anxiety: a small trailer with a generator?

Please provide link for Ford going 100% electric, I tried Google, no luck.
BTW, Ford did not take a bailout in the 2000s, GM did.

1 Like

No, they didn’t. They had just sold almost all of their assets because their business was in big trouble before the real estate crash. It happened to coincide with the Great Recession. They were just plain lucky, and that’s OK.

Couldn’t agree more. That doesn’t necessarily rule out EV’s though. 30 years ago, my Corolla (new) cost about $11,500. Manual transmission, no A/C, which was exactly the configuration I wanted. $11,500 was quite affordable for me at the time. Don’t know what the current version of Corolla, Civic, Mazda 3’s are going for, but I expect they wouldn’t be nearly as affordable, esp with the skyrocketing cost of nearly everything, especially housing and medical care.

There’s no reason I know of an EV geared for local driving couldn’t be configured to be priced at the early 90’s equivalent of the Corolla, inflation adjusted. Electric motors are much simpler than IC motors. To achieve that price point the buyer might have to yield on functionality, like no A/C, no ABS, roll up windows, manual door locks, no cruise control, no tire pressure monitors, 12 second 0-60 time, 100 miles between charges, etc.

As I bicycle in my own neighborhood, looking at which cars people own, don’t see many cars like that. Not sure if they’d rather have lower car prices and accept the reduced functionality, or prefer all the modern car’s functionality and accept the burden of much higher car prices. At this point the reduced functionality option isn’t available, so the current choice is b/t new or used.

+1
My planned purchase… when Lexus finally gets around to posting 2023 model info on their website… is one of their plug-in hybrids. Yes, a plug-in hybrid is essentially a “belt and suspenders” approach to motoring in the new age, but I have always been a belt and suspenders guy in every area except for sartorial “stuff”.

2 Likes

Why do you need a new ev? They sell lots of gas cars. 275 million licensed cars in the us. Ain’t going away.

1 Like

$11.5k in 1990 would be just over $26k in today’s money.
Base model Corolla today starts at $20k, but good luck finding the most basic of basic models on dealership lots.

1 Like

A 1990 Toyota Carolla Base was 9218.00 and our 2018 Ford Fiesta with AC - Door locks - Power windows - Cruise - Backup Camera was 15600.00 . Me thinks I got the better deal.

1 Like

Still waiting for the link to support that statement.

1 Like

Good Lord, how you can you not find the THOUSANDS of articles about Ford’s EV plans?

Ford Going 100% Electric in Europe by 2026

vvvvvv

Ford USA:

The electric era is here, and Ford is in the midst of implementing an ambitious, comprehensive plan to make the transition to an electric lifestyle…

Ford is investing $22 billion in electrification through 2025… The company is electrifying its most iconic products – the Mustang, F-150 and Transit – with many more to come in the years ahead

Ford breaks down how it plans to reach its zero emissions commitment

We’re investing over $30 billion in electric vehicles, including battery production, over the next five years.

Ford is done with gas powered cars. In the USA, the transition will be slower because the unions are resisting.

1 Like

You missed an important part “in Europe”.
Unveiling of the 2024 Mustang, fortunately the exterior styling is evolutionary, not revolutionary, no mention, yet, of an electric, true, Mustang.
The F150 Lightning is pretty cool, though 200-300 mile range would be a hindrance for long distance traveling, though 45 minutes charging at a rest stop would be tolerable.

2 Likes

Dodge has scheme with fueled motor to run generator to extend range. All this crap to make it a long range ev. Since it has gas motor is it allowable in cali? I think I don’t like ev cars.

Maybe, they just want to stop BURNING things for energy: oil, gas, gasoline, kerosene, diesel, wood. I am looking forward to more charging stations (I know, “chicken-and-egg”…) and more used EV choices in my rural northern state.

But right now I have signed up to get ONLY sustainable, renewable electricity at home: wind, solar, hydro, and tidal. (Am installing electrical heat pumps for home use, to stop “burning” there too.) I can, and do, opt-out of gas, oil, and nuclear sources. Costs an additional $8.95 a month–worth it, I say.

The owners/distributors of charging stations will be smart to offer this option at their stations: “Add a dollar to get the cleanest fuel…”

My problem is I have taken such good care of my low mileage 2005 and 2007 vehicles (one a hybrid) that I am reluctant to leave them behind until an equally “break-even” price point, and a used EV becomes available to me.

Soon, though soon…

Like the Chevrolet Volt, first sold in MY2011.

Correct-- the US dollar between 1990 and now has risen to $2.27

So to buy that 1990 car now would cost about $ 21,000

Comparing apples to apples…more or less. The newer cars get better MPG and are safer, and still cheaper than then, I would rather drive a 2020s vehicle myself…

2 Likes

I know very little about EV’s. and being I just ordered a new ICE vehicle I won’t be getting one soon. but I do have a question.
does the charger convert A/C to D/C? or does the charger put out A/C and the car converts it to D/C. I would guess the first one would make more sense. thanks in advance.

Wonder if hearse they haul my butt to graveyard will be ice? I may demand it in my will.

2 Likes

For slow (level 1) and medium (level 2) charging, a cord applies AC to the cars port and AC to DC conversion is done in the car.
For fast charging the AC/DC conversion is done in the charge station and DC is applied to the car.
This is so the car doesn’t need to carry around high power (higher than what powers the motor) conversion circuitry.

2 Likes

You missed an important part “in Europe”.
I said Ford is going 100% electric and they are ASAP. Europe is first because they’re 100% insane. The USA will be a few years later because the unions see Ford is insane and are resisting going over the cliff.

The F150 Lightning is pretty cool, though 200-300 mile range would be a hindrance for long distance traveling
200-300 miles range is “theoretical”; 72 degrees, flat roads, NO HEAT, NO AC, NO TOWING. Car and Driver says, towing the maximum load, you won’t make it 100 miles. Towing a modest load is 100 to 125 miles…no mention if you run the heat/AC.

45 minutes charging at a rest stop would be tolerable
It takes 5 minutes to gas a car. A 14 pump gas station can fuel 168 cars in an hour.
14 charging stations can charge 19 cars per hour. You will need 124 charging stations to have the same hourly capacity as a 14 pump station. Sams Club sell gas, to charge EV’s it would require nearly the entire parking lot be converted to charging stations…lol…nope.

Your wait is going to be a lot longer than 45 minutes…ALL of the current gas stations do not have the room to get anywhere near the number of charging stations required for everyone to “Drive up and fill up” without wait.

Hybrids make the most sense. Smaller batteries cost less, weigh less, and much less environmental damage.

1 Like

An 8 year old Ford EV; they’ve already abandoned replacement batteries.

Family Shocked by Ford Focus Electric Battery Replacement Costing More Than the Car

In China, the resale value is proving to be disastrous; cars going salvage because no one wants the expense/liability of that dead battery.

Chinese EVs ‘worthless’ when it comes to resale

The Chinese EV with the highest value at one year was a sports utility vehicle from Roewe, a subsidiary under state-run SAIC Motor, while for many popular brands it’s under 35% <<<65% depreciation at the 1 year mark!

According to a report in Quartz, a Tesla’s residual value — basically the future value of a car after a certain amount of use — at one year is more than 70% of its original price <<<<Tesla’s losing ~30% of value in 1 year!