[UmmYeahOk]

Originally Posted by Divine 59

@Ummyeahok- Current Texas electric grid gets 23% of power from renewable energy. Do you realize natural gas is lumped in with all other "fossil fuels"? Burning natural gas still counts against the "carbon footprint".

I do not understand the current faulty logic to justify the purchase of an EV. Most electric grids still get the majority of their fuel to generate electricity from carbon based sources. Seems like a shell game. Moving carbon use from gasoline (a carbon based fuel) to electricity (still a majority carbon based power source).

This is from two years ago, so I’m sure that data has changed since then. The company I use only buys some of its electricity from ERCOT. ...which probably explains why we weren’t completely blacked out last February. Also, solar doesn’t include people who have panels on their home, unless ERCOT themselves are paying for them to farm it.

One of the big political things going on right now is the need to invest in our nation’s infrastructure. Instead of trying to prop up the already failing coal industry, we need to invest in renewable energy. Right now, there is mass migration to areas like Texas. Even without an arctic snow storm, our current grid will not be able to handle all the people moving here, as the number of people relocating here keeps exploding every year. Now throw in the need to charge the EVs of the people already living here. This is why it’s so important that EV owners that have the means, like the ones in this thread, offset their usage with solar of their own. Its no different than the early days of automobiles where early adopters of ICE needed a place that would sell them that gas. There weren’t stations on every street corner. And if there’s not enough gas to fuel all the cars, will, I wasn’t alive in the 70s, but I think I know a little about how that went. I’m sure it probably was a little like that.

Originally Posted by burnin oil

I was thinking about this the other day. I don't mind a functional electric vehicle but I don't view the current ones as overly functional. When you live in an area where a round trip is easily over 4 hours not going over the most efficient terrain it makes the current crop of electrics seem pretty dismal and we have not discussed batteries loosing capacity either. I figure in the next couple of years we will see these regs dropping as it's figures out by most that the target is unobtainable. The electric grid can't hold and supply that many electric cars and having worked on power lines I don't see the infrastructure catching up that fast. Even using solar technologies won't do well as most are manufactured in China as is the elements for battery storage and the purposed electric vehicles. Honestly the auto manufacturers won't be able to make the target as electronics and batteries are needed for the fleet of new cars at the same time as the energy sector needs them. Now let's factor in the global supply chain issues and all I can see is a roll back in full implementation. Another aspect that isn't discussed is the need for plastics which predominatly come from oil. Globally we will have to keep drilling for quite some time to support those needs and gasoline will stay around as a by product of the plastic production. We are locked into oil dependency for a long time in one form or another until viable solutions are found and able to meet plastics needs for a good part of the earths population. Short of the world collapsing into Mad Max I think that gas is here to stay through our lifetimes and that the politics trying to remove it in our country will essentially shrink. People will make some consessions for their beliefs but most are not willing to become self reliant and live off the land because they can't afford to live in society. Medium term I honestly think that places like the west coast will try and go ultra green and that you will just see an exodus of people until the coast has to change its political views. I think a whole lot of things will change as they try and get rid of gas motors at all levels and this will be a bumpy ride. Hopefully I skirted the politics of the issues and stayed with facts and opinions on this.

On a related topic I still can't figure out why we haven't gone to diesel electric like a locomotive in cars. My gas Honda generator runs 4 hours on a gallon of gas. Seems to me that 150mpg would be pretty obtainable and not need the battery storage capacity.

Good point on the continuing need for plastics. Oil will remain a necessity. Supply will just need to balance with demand. As far as the supply chain for everything else, trying to avoid the politics, I do wanna bring up “MAGA.” By this, I mean building battery factories HERE, solar panel factories HERE, all that stuff. Lower middle class wages for American factory workers who did not need to get a 4 year college degree just so they can flip burgers. Businesses need federal and state incentives to create and keep these jobs local. We do not need to be dependent on foreign technology just so we aren’t dependent on foreign oil.

As far as needing to commute 4 hours round trip. That’s not normal. People like you don’t need and can’t use an EV. These are vehicles for city dwellers (once charging at home or work becomes a possibility) and suburbanites who can charge at home while they sleep just like it were their cell phone. Imagine leaving home every day with a full tank, and not even worry about having to refill on your commute to or from. That’s what it is like owning an EV.

Right now companies like Tesla are trying to create high mileage vehicles like semi trucks. It is interesting to see how successful they can become because that will be the true test of practicality. Right now, I can take a cross country trip, but with the current infrastructure, I will have to stay on major highways, and take 30-60 minute breaks, which isn’t as much longer as an ICE if you consider how long a family takes with their bathroom pit stops and dining.

Originally Posted by 57tailgater

Like this?

Because no ICE vehicle has ever been caught running out of gas. That’s essentially what this is. It’s someone being rescued, who did not pay attention to their gauges. Happens more often to ICE vehicles. It’s like whenever an EV catches fire. It’s super rare, but the pictures and headlines are everywhere. Not really news worthy when an ICE catches fire or runs out of gas. ...or explodes. It’s just something that happens.

As for battery capacity over time. Modern EVs are setup so they don’t charge at full capacity, or can be drained completely. Much like modern ICEs, when your fuel gas is at empty, and there is a stupid warning light, and a chime, because somehow you’ve ignore the gauge completely and therefore need these things... ...you can still go a few more miles before becoming completely stranded.

You have a cell phone, or even something like an iPod that you allow to drain until it’s dead. Eventually that battery is going to last 30 minutes. We have a 2015 and 2014 EV. So 7-6yo batteries. They don’t seem to have a shorter capacity. The belief is that after a decade they lose 10%. That means if your vehicle gets 200 miles, after a decade, that’s 180 miles. How far can your 20th century classics go in a single tank?

Now then, let’s say you need to replace a battery cell. They can be refurbished, and older batteries can be recycled. There are still important resources in these batteries, like lithium, that need to be reclaimed and reused. That’s a growing market that should be looked into, and for those companies wishing to go public, seem like a good investment.