It always comes down to them not growing in popularity as fast as predicted (or, perhaps, hoped for), but certainly not ever decreasing in popularity by any amount.
Poll: Do you have, or plan to get, an electric car?
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Look like my next car won't be electric. I'm aiming for a Z4 soon, with a manual. Maybe in a decade or so they'll exist in electric. Or that new MG will come stateside. Or the new MR2 will eventually exist and also not actually be priced as a Boxster competitor. Or the Tesla roadster will drop to 1/4 the price. Or the Caterham will sell outside the UK. Miata goes electric. The GR86 or BRZ do. etc. Eventually for my 2nd car I will be able to choose an EV that's fun to drive in a manner other than it being fast off the line.
If I replace my X3 in the next 5 - 10 years it'll almost certainly be an electric. But the little fun cars available thus far are unfortunately a figment of my imagination.
If I replace my X3 in the next 5 - 10 years it'll almost certainly be an electric. But the little fun cars available thus far are unfortunately a figment of my imagination.
When exactly did acceleration become synonymous with "fun to drive" anyway? A friend had a '68 Mustang until a tree fell on it a few years ago. So he got himself a new Mustang. When I asked him how he liked it he said, "Well it's really fast, but I can't get it to do anything."
Crazy top speed and acceleration is wasted on today's roads. The Volt I just traded off, this Bolt, and my current Jeep all have sport modes. How often do you think I get to use them? Almost never. They're useless.
Speak for yourself lol
But then again, I live in NJ. Cruise around the speed limit for a few minutes and someone who caught you picking your nose at a red light, in a junkbox will tick you off enough to use that acceleration.
But then again, I live in NJ. Cruise around the speed limit for a few minutes and someone who caught you picking your nose at a red light, in a junkbox will tick you off enough to use that acceleration.
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People do stuff on the road that ticks me off too. Especially, tailgating (I've been rear-ended twice due to someone else messing up badly).
The quick anger that comes with driving is curious. When I gestured to someone that he could "go next" in an ambiguous situation, he did -- and flipped me off. Probably best if we could magically all be more chill at the wheel.
Now that I have an EV that comes off the dime fast, I no longer care much about such things. Once in a while, though, it's quite handy -- limited really by the ultra-low rolling resistance tires that break free easily when I punch it, even on dry pavement. So, no wild hi-jinks for me and my BoltEV. Teslas don't seem to come with skinny tires...
Not to say my next daily driver won't be electric, but my current "toy" car, a Jeep Wrangler with a manual, will not disappear from my garage when I replace my daily driver, even if the replacement is electric. I can totally understand the desire to have a quick little roadster that you can change gears and run it through its paces without getting to "kill me" speed in less than 2 seconds... I'd love to have an Ariel Atom as my "toy" instead of the Jeep, except for what you see in my reply to @Kent88 below--it would not end well on several levels.
When I replace my daily driver a lot of the decision will come down to (as @Airborneguy mentions) my charging situation plus my commute situation.
I've realized that I shouldn't own fast cars. It's not that I can't handle them... It's that I want to stretch their legs...
And that can attract a certain bit of legal attention that I'd prefer to avoid lol...
Yep. Bought a fast coupe sports car years ago. Looked great, sounded great, and it demanded to be pushed. I think only one ticket while I owned it. I could not drive it slow.
Days have changed with my truck and mostly worrying that I might be driving too slow. Slow is far better for the psyche too. I don't commute, so no pressure there.
I don’t want to say it and jinx myself, but… you guys can assume. 
You're a Taylor Swift fan? Really, no idea what you're saying.I don’t want to say it and jinx myself, but… you guys can assume.
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Checking out some videos of the R2S... that looks pretty nice.
BEV tech is getting interesting again...
https://electrek.co/2024/03/27/worlds-first-mass-produced-900v-ev-drive-system-rolls-out/
https://electrek.co/2024/03/27/worlds-first-mass-produced-900v-ev-drive-system-rolls-out/
Saw a Dodge Hornet PHEV in the wild earlier this week. I'd forgotten they were a thing. Looking them up, Dodge didn't make it to be environmentally friendly, they made it to take advantage of instant torque.
It's an interesting approach that I don't think anyone else is doing for under $50k. I bet they're fun to drive.
It's an interesting approach that I don't think anyone else is doing for under $50k. I bet they're fun to drive.
wow, that's barely better quality than the bigfoot photos...
It’s my phone recording off the car’s screen. When i download the videos (rarely), they’re clear.
Trust me, it's better that it's blurred for your protection. Looking at that monstrosity for too long can cause severe eye damage.
Does anyone know why Chevy stopped making the Bolt? Seemed like a good option for commuters. My neighbor has one and is very satisfied w his.
Because they hate selling vehicles? I don't know. I bought one a few months ago and I'm pretty pleased with it. Thankfully they're bringing it back some year.
Stress tested my Bolt on a road trip to see family recently. On one half of the trip I dealt with a fierce headwind that really sucked the miles away, but besides that the only EV-related issue was that DC charging took about 20 minutes each way longer than I would have liked.
I understand that Bolts are one of the slower vehicles when it comes to DC charging, so this trip makes me optimistic for whatever we might get if I can convince my spouse to go full BEV instead of PHEV for whatever vehicle replaces our jeep that we usually road trip with. Obvious statement that I'll say anyway: An extra station or two on the route, a boost in range, and a faster in-car charger are all reasonable expectations I can have of the available BEVs (and the environment they drive in) next time we're looking for a vehicle to take that role, so I feel pretty good about how it's going.
I understand that Bolts are one of the slower vehicles when it comes to DC charging, so this trip makes me optimistic for whatever we might get if I can convince my spouse to go full BEV instead of PHEV for whatever vehicle replaces our jeep that we usually road trip with. Obvious statement that I'll say anyway: An extra station or two on the route, a boost in range, and a faster in-car charger are all reasonable expectations I can have of the available BEVs (and the environment they drive in) next time we're looking for a vehicle to take that role, so I feel pretty good about how it's going.
They are rolling in FL, so I guess if it sells...
... but will it play in Peoria
... but will it play in Peoria
I’m starting want one…
It reminds me of the pinewood derby cars from Boy Scouts.
Given the propensity for the untreated stainless steel used on the CT to show all kinds of detritus I think I'd prefer a wrap or even a paint job...
Before you buy, @Airborneguy, (hey, a poem!) have a look at this: cybertruck bricked by carwash?
This is an insult to 99% of all the Boy Scouts who ever built a Pinewood Derby car.
Bilsch
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Yea what kind of crazy car company would include a disable button to stop the rain sensing wipers in a car wash.
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If you want people to stare at you, a face tattoo is cheaper.
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At some point I'll need a replacement daily driver. We started looking at used EVs about 2 years ago, but the market was trash. We looked at a Bolt, but there was something wrong with it. With my commute, I need a 50 mile range. it was at about 90% capacity, but something like 30 miles left.
We saw a cyber truck in the wild this weekend. My wife just said WTF???
We saw a cyber truck in the wild this weekend. My wife just said WTF???
Two cuts, no mas.
Ingo
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I have a KIA Niro EV.
Top trim and it's super nice. I live in Iceland and electricity is cheap.
But I also have a diesel Mercedes SUV. Wouldn't wanna be without that one
Top trim and it's super nice. I live in Iceland and electricity is cheap.
But I also have a diesel Mercedes SUV. Wouldn't wanna be without that one
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2024/04/23/electric-vehicles-motorsports-formulae/
For consumers, EV range anxiety — concern about a car’s ability to go the necessary distance without recharging — is one of the factors tempering all-electric growth. In Formula E, a version of this tension defines every race.
The cars file behind the starting line with only about 60 percent of the energy they need to finish the race. If drivers go full-on, pushing the gas pedal through every turn, their allotted energy quickly peters out. So instead, they play what one driver, Jaguar’s Nick Cassidy, described as the “efficiency game.” They bunch together in a pack to cut down on wind resistance. They focus obsessively on decelerating and braking — measures that in an EV spin the motor in reverse, forcing current back into the battery. A driver’s goal — the prerequisite to winning — is to regenerate power and cross the finish line as the car’s energy ticks down to zero.
Emphasizing range and efficiency is a deliberate focal point of the sport. For every race, Formula E drivers are given energy limits lower than their actual battery capacity; they could race more all-out, if they were allowed to. And even the batteries could grow in capacity by several times, to match commercial EVs, if the sport so wished. The top road EVs can go more than 400 miles without recharging. The race in Italy was a mere 58.8 miles.
But the move to limit energy usage is meant to both entice automakers and challenge them to innovate, in service of their commercial fleets. Several years ago, after a Formula E breakthrough, Jaguar offered an over-the-air software upgrade to drivers of its I-Pace SUV. Its range immediately increased by 10 percent.
“The developments in battery technology are still so fast and developing so quickly,” said Jeff Dodds, the Formula E CEO. “The internal combustion engine is over 100 years old. So they are at the limits of the capability of that technology. We’re nowhere near that.”
For consumers, EV range anxiety — concern about a car’s ability to go the necessary distance without recharging — is one of the factors tempering all-electric growth. In Formula E, a version of this tension defines every race.
The cars file behind the starting line with only about 60 percent of the energy they need to finish the race. If drivers go full-on, pushing the gas pedal through every turn, their allotted energy quickly peters out. So instead, they play what one driver, Jaguar’s Nick Cassidy, described as the “efficiency game.” They bunch together in a pack to cut down on wind resistance. They focus obsessively on decelerating and braking — measures that in an EV spin the motor in reverse, forcing current back into the battery. A driver’s goal — the prerequisite to winning — is to regenerate power and cross the finish line as the car’s energy ticks down to zero.
Emphasizing range and efficiency is a deliberate focal point of the sport. For every race, Formula E drivers are given energy limits lower than their actual battery capacity; they could race more all-out, if they were allowed to. And even the batteries could grow in capacity by several times, to match commercial EVs, if the sport so wished. The top road EVs can go more than 400 miles without recharging. The race in Italy was a mere 58.8 miles.
But the move to limit energy usage is meant to both entice automakers and challenge them to innovate, in service of their commercial fleets. Several years ago, after a Formula E breakthrough, Jaguar offered an over-the-air software upgrade to drivers of its I-Pace SUV. Its range immediately increased by 10 percent.
“The developments in battery technology are still so fast and developing so quickly,” said Jeff Dodds, the Formula E CEO. “The internal combustion engine is over 100 years old. So they are at the limits of the capability of that technology. We’re nowhere near that.”
Range anxiety is an ICE driver’s malaise. EV owners quickly realize it doesn’t exist.
I think the highest speed limit I have encountered is 80mph. It isn't often that I can drive for more than 3 hours without stopping to deposit some fluid, maybe get some new fluid, stretch, have a bite to eat, etc. especially not now that I travel with tiny people.
There are plenty of BEVs with over 240 miles of range. There are plenty of BEVs that, when charged to 80% (what is usually recommended when DC charging), have a range around 240.
Range anxiety is the wrong term for it. I, and some others (probably not Airborne, and good for him, he has been driving a BEV for longer than I have) occasionally get charging anxiety, because there maybe aren't enough charging stations along our route. But with a little planning before we go it gets better.
That really is pretty exciting. More charging stations are being built, DC chargers can accomplish a lot in a half an hour, and BEV range can handle a few hours at high speeds on the highway before needing to recharge. BEVs can already handle a lot of Americans daily commutes, and short road trips. Lots of people can even make multi-day road trips work. Multi-day road trips are going to keep getting easier for everyone.
There are plenty of BEVs with over 240 miles of range. There are plenty of BEVs that, when charged to 80% (what is usually recommended when DC charging), have a range around 240.
Range anxiety is the wrong term for it. I, and some others (probably not Airborne, and good for him, he has been driving a BEV for longer than I have) occasionally get charging anxiety, because there maybe aren't enough charging stations along our route. But with a little planning before we go it gets better.
That really is pretty exciting. More charging stations are being built, DC chargers can accomplish a lot in a half an hour, and BEV range can handle a few hours at high speeds on the highway before needing to recharge. BEVs can already handle a lot of Americans daily commutes, and short road trips. Lots of people can even make multi-day road trips work. Multi-day road trips are going to keep getting easier for everyone.
Keep in mind also I’m in a Tesla. Superchargers are almost as prevalent as gas stations now. Well, that’s an exaggeration but considering they are only needed on road trips, its effectively true.
Once every EV can use superchargers, its game over. They will pop up like crazy. They are even being purchased by third party companies now. And besides sheer volume, they work reliably. I have only encountered a handful of broken chargers. Two that were actively being worked on, and occasionally the car will tell me beforehand “charger 6 is out” or something like that.
“Range anxiety” is a problem with those who have no experience with these cars and are likely influenced by all the false or old information constantly thrown in their faces intentionally or through the grapevine. It’s certainly a major hurdle for EV producers to overcome.
Once every EV can use superchargers, its game over. They will pop up like crazy. They are even being purchased by third party companies now. And besides sheer volume, they work reliably. I have only encountered a handful of broken chargers. Two that were actively being worked on, and occasionally the car will tell me beforehand “charger 6 is out” or something like that.
“Range anxiety” is a problem with those who have no experience with these cars and are likely influenced by all the false or old information constantly thrown in their faces intentionally or through the grapevine. It’s certainly a major hurdle for EV producers to overcome.
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