That might be so now but will it stay the same as EV’s become more popular and more people switch over to EV’s?
They can, and they are. China is the US’s biggest coal customer. China does not give a flying #@$% what the world says or thinks.
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When my wife’s auto lease is up next June, I’m planning on replacing the car with an EV. Since she only drives locally, about 2,000 miles per year, the car will be recharged at home, overnight, weekly. I have a 220V line in the garage, and a 10kw charger is about $600 from Amazon.
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I can see solar panels being used at the soon to be larger public charging areas to help offset grid usage. In the right places in the US, with enough solar panels, the charging places might even be self sufficient. Right now solar has decent tax incentives for individuals who might be interested in installing them on their houses and businesses.
I had a 220V 40amp charger installed at my house to charge my car up. The actual draw is 8 amps- or 12amps if I want a higher risk of fire according to the options- and I can usually charge my car up in about 8 hours if I let it get really low. But that’s the benefit of having a home charger, I can charge it whenever I want and don’t usually have to worry about it having only 20 miles left before I “top it off”.
I try to charge up every 100 miles, which takes about 4~5 hours to fully charge. This leaves me with plenty of miles left if something happens and I need to stop charging and go somewhere. Another benefit too, if I want to only charge the car for an hour or two, I can, and not have to worry about much of anything.
As for condo/apartment buildings, talk with the landlord and see what they think of getting chargers put in at various parking spots. They might be more open with the idea than you think.
Another thing to help with the grid is buying more efficient items to reduce your bill even more. Smart thermostats, LED bulbs for your lighting, energy efficient appliances and more. You might even contact your electric provider to see if they have any programs to help you save money
MikeInNH is right, what I wrote earlier about the cost of using a public charging station is wrong, but not in a bad way. I obviously found a pro-EV article that cited the price at only 19 cents a Kw. After reading Mike’s Reply, I specifically searched for app-based public charging station and I found this EVgo Fast Charging, their web site is:
There are many other app-based public charging stations and systems, this just happens to be the first one I found that had a very user friendly interface and did not require me to register to use the site…
EVgo has listings for all over the country. Click on Pricing and then choose your state or region. I entered Virginia (where I live…) and found out that they charge not 19 cents a minute, but 30 cents a minute, for a maximum of 60 minutes, or 27 cents a minute with a $7.99 a month membership fee. Then; assuming Mike lives in New Hampshire (MikeInNH), I checked to app and they charge 35 cents a minute or 31 cents with membership.
If you do the math, an hour of charging is about $18.00 an hour in Virginia and $21.00 in New Hampshire. That’s some expensive “juice…”
I did enjoy some of the photos on their web site: a man playing catch with a child, a woman pushing a shopping cart back to her car while it charges, and folks (strangers?) just standing around talking while their cars charge.
Perhaps I am too cynical, I cannot remember the last time I’ve actually seen a grownup playing ball (a more realistic photo would have been the kids playing games on their phones and Dad checking his emails and text messages, the woman sitting in her car while it charges while a grocery clerk brings out her purchases, and the strangers all standing around checking Facebook, sending text messages, shooting TikTok videos of the other folks…
Mike, I know we need EVs, we cannot continue into the future the same way we lived in the past, but it is not going to be an easy journey.
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Most businesses work one shift each day, some work two, and few work three. Manufacturing and other commerce tends to use a lot of electricity, and matching their maximum daytime use with EV charging overnight requires a lot of cars. With many EVs going over 300 miles until depleted, charging might be needed once per week. My wife could go a month between charges. We have plenty of time to react to this before we run out. It’s worthwhile to think about the issue, but I think running out any time soon isn’t a problem.
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a mechanic near me suggests leasing a hybrid for people who have an overwhelming desire to “go green”.
based on :
–About 20% of EV owners have buyer’s regret. They feel that the real world range, specs, reliability, service, and charger availability do not match the marketing.
–Hybrid designs have a lot of saturation. The engineers are familiar with the quirks, the dealers are familiar with them, and if the (much smaller) battery fails, they’re usually easier and faster to replace than a large EV battery.
–Hybrids and EVs will depreciate quickly once the warranty expires. The complexity, potentially dangerous electrical power levels, and proprietary diagnostic equipment mean few independent shops can repair or service them. Dealer only repairs, which could be hundreds of miles away.
–The end-of-lease turn in shields the buyer from these ballooning out-of-warranty costs.
Until nuclear fusion happens a lot of charging power will be petrochemical either way and gas pumps are everywhere.
I live in Texas and it’s not uncommon to see an old clunker caravan on I-35 on its way to Mexico.
Car storage space? If you have enough vehicles to need to rent a car storage space, you are not part of the solution to global warming.
Solar power IS nuclear fusion power.
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Not accessable at night when a lot of people are on the meter charging their EVs. These diversionary discussions disillusion ~ 20% of EV buyers.
EVs are not a viable solution for a one car family in the foreseeable future. Unless they never leave town. And don’t forget, not everyone lives in or near an airline hub or travels to one. Are we going to provide charging stations for all the public housing tenants?
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I disagree with that. There are a several apps for your smart-phone that show you where the closest charging station is. From as little as 5 years ago to now charging stations across the nation have almost tripled. Charging stations will grow as the market grows just like gas stations did 100+ years ago.
My wife and I are soon to be a one car family, and we travel out of town frequently. Since my wife will only drive locally, we will take a train for the shorter distance trips, and a plane for the longer ones.
I am going to go a little of topic What kind of voltage do EV’s battery’s have I don’t think that I have ever heard have I am asking because I know water and electricity don’t mix and I got to thinking about in some accidents the the car ends up in a river or lake most times the people can escape by themselves or some one on the bank swims out to help I was curious to know if the battery voltage from the EVs mixed with the water would be high enough to kill some one in the water close ti it.
The Car Storage business is one he’s built from the ground up in a part of Los Angeles where he felt there was demand for somewhere to store a car or two. He stores 3-4 cars on the quad stacker lift that’s just for his use. Others pay monthly fees to store cars on the other quad stackers or for easier access. Also has his podcast studio upstairs and a members lounge. Pictured are his Porsche and the Aston that’s really his dad’s and the Lambo that runs better the more he drives it.
The Mach E was purchased to have a daily driver for the family that was a regular car that wasn’t made in the 1980’s like most of the fleet. A Vespa is also used as his commuter. His fleet including the wife’s Delica is stacked on the right.
@Renegade I think you would have to touch both terminals of an EV to be shocked or electrocuted.
For the power coming into a house, there are normally three wires. One wire is attached to the earth. This is called the neutral wire. The voltage across the other two wires, called the hot wires is 240 volts. The voltage between each of the hot wires and the neutral wire is 110 volts. If you are standing in water such as bathtub or wet basement floor and touch a hot wire, the voltage does pass through you. If, under these conditions you touch the neutral wire, no current will flow through you.
In an EV, neither terminal of the battery is attached to the earth. Unless you touch both terminals simultaneously, you aren’t in danger.
How fortunate to live where there is usable passenger train service, something much of the country is without. My grandson is in Little Rock and to go to Chicago he has to go to New Orleans, A son lives in Green Bay WI, home of the national Rail Museum, No passenger service to anyplace and if you google intercity bus service, you get sites for Limo rentals.
The town I grew up on was served by 3 major railroads, most people in town worked for one of them and there were 2 roundhouses/locomotive repair shops. Most men in town worked for one of them and retired with golden Railroad passes that ate honored by Amtrack at 50%. That doesn’t matter much because there is now no passenger service.
I know the basics of electricity What I was wondering what would happen with the battery and terminals were under water with the water acting as a conductor.
Green Bay, WI is a small city by most standards, (105,000 residents) there would be no interest in building light rail from Green Bay to the neighboring farm communities. I don’t believe the car dealers in Green Bay will attempt to sell electric cars, they don’t need them, there are 39 million customers in California that are a better target.
Many areas populated by millions are waiting for rail service, it is difficult for rail service to compete with air travel. Today there was a 20 mile traffic back-up for those returning to California after the holiday. Light rail service would make for an easy trip but will passengers pay $100 for a 200 mile trip by rail?