Cars We Drive!

[jbarwick]

Question on EVs, if the optimal charging range is like 20%-80%, why even give the total range if it is bad for the car? Also is 80% truly 80% of the total claimed mileage, so if 200 miles is the given range, 80% is 160 miles?

 

[venividivicibj]

Question on EVs, if the optimal charging range is like 20%-80%, why even give the total range if it is bad for the car?

simply said... if you're in sales or marketing, wouldn't you want to put the highest possible number?

 

[UnFacconable]

Hmm, yeah that's a no-go (also would require you to max-charge and nearly max-discharge which is not good for the battery).

Could probably make it on a tesla X or long range Y or 3 and definitely on an S with 400mi range...but I forget that most of the other EV makers haven't pushed for as much max range (which is really not needed for most use cases).

Though if you could make it...you'd get a lot of free charging on the way back down. Was very interesting driving the Tesla in Maui and watching the charge % go UP for miles at a time as you dropped elevation coming down from the high country.

Was a good showcase for the integrated google maps nav and route planning--you could easily see yourself at 30% battery and think "uh oh, I'm not going to make it to my destination," but then you type it in and it says you'll actually arrive there with 40% battery.

Completely. I charged to 100 in Yosemite but the first few dozen miles are downhill so it stayed full for quite a while. A lot of EVs disable regen braking when you are at 100 so I was concerned it would just go into coast mode but it seemed to do fine.

Silly question but when MB, VW, Audi, etc. all switch over to NACS, won’t that put a massive strain on the Tesla SC’s?

I’ve only used them a handful of times but have never had to wait.

There will be some more strain, but the network is definitely still overprovisioned. I'm sure peak times at the most heavily used chargers will be stretched but as noted, most EVs are probably still Teslas and other charging networks are also improving over time. There have been some stories that the government-funded EV chargers still haven't come on line but will over the next few years and those will move the needle.

Question on EVs, if the optimal charging range is like 20%-80%, why even give the total range if it is bad for the car? Also is 80% truly 80% of the total claimed mileage, so if 200 miles is the given range, 80% is 160 miles?

It's "bad" for the battery if you always charge to 100 but you typically know when you need the extra range and only charge over 80 on those days. I think we've charged maybe 5x to 100 over the 6 months we've owned it. It's not instant death to the batteries by any means and it seems most modern cars do retain battery life better than people might have expected based on cell phones and computers. There are lots of stories of Teslas with hundreds of thousands of miles and 90%+ of the original range. Also, even 100% isn't really 100% since every company overprovisions their battery. On my EQB, the nominal capacity is 5-10% higher than the full charge.

Also, if you're leasing, you can let it rip every time. We still don't because our 80% charge (~200 miles) is more than enough for our daily driving and I don't see any reason to lower the battery capacity for whoever buys this car off lease. We typically only charge 1-2x per week.

 

[sugarbutch]

Our i3’s battery apparently isn’t big enough for BMW to have included a provision for charging only to 80%. It needs every electron for its max range. That said, I was charging it to full every night the first year I bought it because I was commuting, and I’m back to charging every night for my commute. Range has not budged since we bought it. The biggest factor is whether I’m driving it or my wife is driving it. I frequently get in the car after she’s driven it, and the range prediction will climb for the first 15-20 minutes of my drive.

 

[otc]

Finally bit the bullet and bought the stupid expensive ecohitch stealth receiver for the GTI. Had to peel off the bumper shell to install it, but it fully replaces the bumper crossbar which cuts down on weight and ensures ground clearance (vs some of the other kits that just bolt below it and/or hang really low beneath the car).

The receiver sticks out like an inch further than I'd prefer...but I guess it is entirely removable so I don't have to see it at all if I don't want to. Wish I had just gone ahead and done this a long time ago...

Also makes me wish I had paid extra for the EcoHitch kit for the wife's Tiguan. The build and finish quality is just so much higher than the Draw-Tite hitch. Pulling off the bumper wasn't *that* much extra work, and it is nice to get rid of the weight of the factory bumper bar.

 

[patrick_b]

I bought a Sea Sucker for my car. Works surprisingly well but we’re talking a single 15lb road bike. Took my bike with me on a couple of road trips for work to ME and VT.

 

[otc]

I have a roof rack and a tray that can hold a heavy bike (although my biggest bike overhangs…but it is probably fine…)

But putting the crossbars on the car takes time, the tray I have requires wheel removal, and there’s always the chance that you forget and drive into your garage

I mostly don’t mind the roof setup, but a hitch is undeniably easier. Unless you get rear ended in which case your bike is trashed.

 

[UnFacconable]

I haven't put my hitch rack on yet but I'm already annoyed thinking about it. I have a 4-tray rack and an older 2-tray rack. My old SUV is still living in Tahoe and historically has been the one with the hitch rack and it's been fine. But now that we have the jeep, Mrs. Unf will want the 4-tray rack on that one because she doesn't ever want to ride in the old SUV.

The 4-tray rack blocks my rear sensors (so I have to turn off features or they will constantly beep), blocks the reverse camera and of course blocks me from opening the tailgate unless I fold it down. Unfortunately, when I bought it I didn't consider spending up to get a tool-free version that would allow me to easily turn it from a 2 to a 4.

I could get a Quik'r rack or Kuat Piston Pro X which allow for tool-free changes to the tray number, but $2400 - $3k feels like overkill for this problem.

I've also thought about getting a vertical hanging bike rack but there's no guarantee that will solve my sensor and camera issues.

The other upshot is that most of the time I only need 1 bike and I will likely end up taking the old beast because it's less effort lol. It's pretty close to the point where someone might steal that thing purely for the value of the bike racks (Carvana tells me it's worth $300 lol).

 

[Piobaire]

I just toss mine into the back.

 

[Omega Male]

 

[patrick_b]

Surprised this beauty came to the states! Bunch of reviews just came out. Looks fantastic!!

 

[Jr Mouse]

NGL. This looks like a fun mod if you are into car camping.

Ventje turns VW’s ID Buzz into a very charming e-camper

If VW won’t build it, Ventje will.

www.theverge.com

 

[Jr Mouse]

Finally bit the bullet and bought the stupid expensive ecohitch stealth receiver for the GTI. Had to peel off the bumper shell to install it, but it fully replaces the bumper crossbar which cuts down on weight and ensures ground clearance (vs some of the other kits that just bolt below it and/or hang really low beneath the car).
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The receiver sticks out like an inch further than I'd prefer...but I guess it is entirely removable so I don't have to see it at all if I don't want to. Wish I had just gone ahead and done this a long time ago...

Also makes me wish I had paid extra for the EcoHitch kit for the wife's Tiguan. The build and finish quality is just so much higher than the Draw-Tite hitch. Pulling off the bumper wasn't *that* much extra work, and it is nice to get rid of the weight of the factory bumper bar.

Man those wheels stick off a crazy amount to each side.

 

[otc]

Man those wheels stick off a crazy amount to each side.

Eh, that’s just perspective.

My biggest bike (which is a bit longer than the one in the picture) sticks out past the body, but it is still not as wide as the mirrors.

 

[sugarbutch]

New commuter car for you middle class folks: