Gas Prices - Page 8

WarrenC12 · #**141** Posted **May 14, 2018, 6:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by twoNeurons

Man... I'm waiting on the less expensive Model 3 to come out... They contacted me saying I could order... one of the more expensive ones.

I was originally thinking of waiting, but long range is key IMO. Remember you shouldn't regularly keep the battery above 80%, so I'm told.

I also told my wife we are making a ton of road trips now instead of flying because of the money being sunk into this car.

Bigger battery will go further (duh) and charge faster at the SC.

I wasn't convinced on having to shell out for the premium upgrade, but the glass roof is really nice, and it will be fun to have a good stereo again. I didn't shell out for any of the autopilot stuff though.

Alex Mackinnon · #**142** Posted **May 14, 2018, 6:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

I was originally thinking of waiting, but long range is key IMO. Remember you shouldn't regularly keep the battery above 80%, so I'm told.

I also told my wife we are making a ton of road trips now instead of flying because of the money being sunk into this car.

Bigger battery will go further (duh) and charge faster at the SC.

I wasn't convinced on having to shell out for the premium upgrade, but the glass roof is really nice, and it will be fun to have a good stereo again. I didn't shell out for any of the autopilot stuff though.

You don't need to do anything the keep that battery within it's ideal charge range. I believe that Tesla has all that taken care of automatically. You don't get a full charge unless you instruct it specifically to go past the buffer.

My Volt on the other hand completely locks off 40% of the battery. I can only use between 20-80% of the theoretical maximum charge. On the upside, the car has had no noticeable loss of charge in 5 years...

aberdeen5698 · #**143** Posted **May 14, 2018, 10:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Mackinnon

Waiting for a 3 to arrive or did you splurge and get an S/X?

Not directed at me, but I'm a hatchback buy so last year I took the plunge and bought a Chevy Bolt. I'm really loving it, it's got way more power than any of my previous cars, super quiet and smooth, and I can drive all I want without spewing out any cr@p.

I had been strongly considering a Volt for a couple of years but I was pretty disappointed in the sedan form factor with the lousy rear seat accommodations and rear visibility. The Bolt is exactly the kind of car I prefer.

moosejaw · #**144** Posted **May 15, 2018, 2:18 AM**

I still like the original model s
I was going to get a 3 but saw the option list and finally saw one in person and then put it off in hopes of getting a S
Until then Ill keep putting 36 gallons every two weeks into my raptor.

WarrenC12 · #**145** Posted **May 15, 2018, 4:46 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Mackinnon

You don't need to do anything the keep that battery within it's ideal charge range. I believe that Tesla has all that taken care of automatically. You don't get a full charge unless you instruct it specifically to go past the buffer.

My Volt on the other hand completely locks off 40% of the battery. I can only use between 20-80% of the theoretical maximum charge. On the upside, the car has had no noticeable loss of charge in 5 years...

No you need to set a max charge in the Tesla app. But it's simple enough. Set to 80%, if you're starting a big road trip tomorrow, set to 100% and let it top up overnight.

The point is though that the "short range" version at 200miles is really 160miles for daily usage.

WarrenC12 · #**146** Posted **May 15, 2018, 4:49 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

Not directed at me, but I'm a hatchback buy so last year I took the plunge and bought a Chevy Bolt. I'm really loving it, it's got way more power than any of my previous cars, super quiet and smooth, and I can drive all I want without spewing out any cr@p.

I had been strongly considering a Volt for a couple of years but I was pretty disappointed in the sedan form factor with the lousy rear seat accommodations and rear visibility. The Bolt is exactly the kind of car I prefer.

The Bolt is nice. However I just couldn't see how to do a decent long road trip with the infrastructure available to it. It's limited to 50kW L3 charging at this point

aberdeen5698 · #**147** Posted **May 15, 2018, 6:34 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

The Bolt is nice. However I just couldn't see how to do a decent long road trip with the infrastructure available to it. It's limited to 50kW L3 charging at this point

Here in BC we've got a lot more of those 50kW chargers than Tesla Superchargers. The DC fast charging infrastructure is really building out here. There are even several on the Island now.

And since the cars taper the charge rate to protect the battery as it fills, there's not quite as much difference between Superchargers and 50kW chargers as you might first assume.

WarrenC12 · #**148** Posted **May 15, 2018, 3:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by aberdeen5698

Here in BC we've got a lot more of those 50kW chargers than Tesla Superchargers. The DC fast charging infrastructure is really building out here. There are even several on the Island now.

And since the cars taper the charge rate to protect the battery as it fills, there's not quite as much difference between Superchargers and 50kW chargers as you might first assume.

Sure but we're not talking dead battery to 100% here.

If I'm taking a road trip, I'm going to stop at a Supercharger at 10-20% charge and get 250+ kms of range in 30 mins and continue on my way. The Model 3 uses a bit less power, so the charging is "faster". It's common for people to report charging speeds of over 400mph. Another reason I went with long range (bigger battery).

I'd be lucky to get half of that range in the same amount of time with CHADEMO DCFC. And of course I can still use them in a pinch with a Tesla, but not vice versa.

Trainguy · #**149** Posted **May 17, 2018, 3:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Sure but we're not talking dead battery to 100% here.

If I'm taking a road trip, I'm going to stop at a Supercharger at 10-20% charge and get 250+ kms of range in 30 mins and continue on my way. The Model 3 uses a bit less power, so the charging is "faster". It's common for people to report charging speeds of over 400mph. Another reason I went with long range (bigger battery).

I'd be lucky to get half of that range in the same amount of time with CHADEMO DCFC. And of course I can still use them in a pinch with a Tesla, but not vice versa.

OK.. If I am driving from the West Coast to Edmonton to see family, where are all the charging stations that will get me there in a reasonable amount of time?

WarrenC12 · #**150** Posted **May 17, 2018, 3:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trainguy

OK.. If I am driving from the West Coast to Edmonton to see family, where are all the charging stations that will get me there in a reasonable amount of time?

Well, google maps says Edmonton is 1160 kms away. You'll need to stop twice to charge for maybe 45 mins each max. Pick 2 spots on the way:

https://supercharge.info/

Plus you'll probably want to sleep overnight.

That was a pretty easy google.

Trainguy · #**151** Posted **May 18, 2018, 12:24 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Well, google maps says Edmonton is 1160 kms away. You'll need to stop twice to charge for maybe 45 mins each max. Pick 2 spots on the way:

https://supercharge.info/

Plus you'll probably want to sleep overnight.

That was a pretty easy google.

Except that driving over several steep mountain ranges will suck the battery dry much quicker. Most electric cars realistically get maybe 300 km or less on a single charge in ideal conditions. In the mountains, not so. I think I will stick with my reliable V6 until things change dramatically in the electric world.

VancouverOfTheFuture · #**152** Posted **May 18, 2018, 3:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trainguy

Except that driving over several steep mountain ranges will suck the battery dry much quicker. Most electric cars realistically get maybe 300 km or less on a single charge in ideal conditions. In the mountains, not so. I think I will stick with my reliable V6 until things change dramatically in the electric world.

plus if you need to use A/C or heating such as rear window defrost, heated seats, etc.

all that stuff destroys the range of EV's. then add in the mountains as you mentioned. and what if you get to a place and have to wait in line for a charger? your coffee break turns into a lunch/dinner break. charging an EV takes longer than the 5mins it takes to gas up a car that is good for 400km's.

realistically i think hybrid's or EV with an engine a better idea. i would rather not have to rely on a technology that is relatively new and can be dramatically effected in the heat and cold and power flow

s211 · #**153** Posted **May 18, 2018, 3:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trainguy

Except that driving over several steep mountain ranges will suck the battery dry much quicker. Most electric cars realistically get maybe 300 km or less on a single charge in ideal conditions. In the mountains, not so. I think I will stick with my reliable V6 until things change dramatically in the electric world.

Indeed. I find it rather comical that anyone would use a google map to so simply conclude their opinion. Sheesh, there's almost no civilization nor zero cell coverage from Jasper to Kamloops and all of a sudden Highway 5 is an electric car superhighway?

aberdeen5698 · #**154** Posted **May 18, 2018, 3:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trainguy

Except that driving over several steep mountain ranges will suck the battery dry much quicker. Most electric cars realistically get maybe 300 km or less on a single charge in ideal conditions. In the mountains, not so. I think I will stick with my reliable V6 until things change dramatically in the electric world.

When you go over a mountain pass you use up a lot of juice going up and then you use pretty much nothing and in many cases regenerate some of that juice going back down again. After a few trips I've come to the conclusion that I loose about 3 to 4 kWh going up to and then back down from a 5000 foot pass compared to driving the same distance on a flat road.

Since my car has a 60 kWh battery, that's a range penalty of about 5 to 7%. If I use 330 km as my range (that leaves me a pretty decent margin as the actual range is over 380km), that still gives me over 300km of very usable range going over a 5000 foot pass. That's a real number that actually works for me.

Price and "range anxiety" are the two biggest dealbreakers for most people right now. Range anxiety was a much bigger problem with the generation of EVs that could only (in theory) do 150 to 200km, but with the new longer range cars now becoming available it's not as big an issue. Prices are still high, but they are slowly and steadily coming down.

twoNeurons · #**155** Posted **May 22, 2018, 4:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Well, google maps says Edmonton is 1160 kms away. You'll need to stop twice to charge for maybe 45 mins each max. Pick 2 spots on the way:

https://supercharge.info/

Plus you'll probably want to sleep overnight.

That was a pretty easy google.

I think the burning question everyone wants to know... is how does one get to Saskatoon?

240glt · #**156** Posted **May 22, 2018, 5:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Well, google maps says Edmonton is 1160 kms away. You'll need to stop twice to charge for maybe 45 mins each max. Pick 2 spots on the way:

https://supercharge.info/

Plus you'll probably want to sleep overnight.

That was a pretty easy google.

Nothing on the preferred (fastest) route- hwy 5/16- so you'd need to take the TCH to Calgary and then drive up from there.

Long trips like that are exactly why electric vehicles are not practical for so many people. I can get to Vancouver on two fill-ups from Edmonton in our 4Runner if I leave with a full tank, so maybe a half hour downtime at most. No way I'd buy into technology that added hours to the trip or forced an overnight.

Alex Mackinnon · #**157** Posted **May 22, 2018, 6:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt

Nothing on the preferred (fastest) route- hwy 5/16- so you'd need to take the TCH to Calgary and then drive up from there.

Long trips like that are exactly why electric vehicles are not practical for so many people. I can get to Vancouver on two fill-ups from Edmonton in our 4Runner if I leave with a full tank, so maybe a half hour downtime at most. No way I'd buy into technology that added hours to the trip or forced an overnight.

You realize you're talking about roughly 1 hour of added downtime vs. your 4Runner. I'd imagine that would save you about $200 in gas.

Not bad for an hour...

CanSpice · #**158** Posted **May 22, 2018, 6:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 240glt

Nothing on the preferred (fastest) route- hwy 5/16- so you'd need to take the TCH to Calgary and then drive up from there.

Long trips like that are exactly why electric vehicles are not practical for so many people. I can get to Vancouver on two fill-ups from Edmonton in our 4Runner if I leave with a full tank, so maybe a half hour downtime at most. No way I'd buy into technology that added hours to the trip or forced an overnight.

It depends. When we drive up to places like Clearwater we typically stop in Hope and Kamloops for an hour or so anyhow. Gives us a chance to stretch our legs, have lunch, and let the kid run around.

240glt · #**159** Posted **May 22, 2018, 7:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex Mackinnon

You realize you're talking about roughly 1 hour of added downtime vs. your 4Runner. I'd imagine that would save you about $200 in gas.

Not bad for an hour...

I admit I have not kept up on EV technology... but you're saying that you could make a 1200km road trip on two 45 minute charges ?

WarrenC12 · #**160** Posted **May 22, 2018, 8:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by s211

Indeed. I find it rather comical that anyone would use a google map to so simply conclude their opinion. Sheesh, there's almost no civilization nor zero cell coverage from Jasper to Kamloops and all of a sudden Highway 5 is an electric car superhighway?

Uhm, what? I answered the question with facts. If you have some alt-facts to share, please do.