4 ms·

The point about the range of most cars meeting maximal needs reminds me of when some people buy a vacation home vs renting. People are willing to pay a premium

by p_roz 7y ago

The point about the range of most cars meeting maximal needs reminds me of when some people buy a vacation home vs renting. People are willing to pay a premium to know for certain that something is available for them to use on a whim, even if they would never do so. There’s something about the increased flexibility and redundancy afforded by long range capability.

leetcrew 7y ago
I don't think it's quite the same as buying a vacation home. I think having everything in the house be "the way they left it" is a much bigger motivation than being able to visit whenever they want. at least, this is what people with second homes tell me. this is actually closer to why I would want a car with a longer range. I realize I could just rent something if I need to drive a longer distance, but I like my car and it wouldn't be there when I arrived.
- jacobush 7y ago
  Yep - we get more utility out of our stuff than is easy to explain. Many things give comfort and are not just about miles or money.
m463 7y ago
But people make huge strategic mistakes in their life because of "might". Basically it's hoarding behavior. I might need this kayak, so it'll take up space in my life as I move it from apartment to condo to home for the next 20 years. Storage units are full of these mistakes. I think some EV manufacturers (Fiat?) tried to alleviate this by offering rental cars for a certain number of days per year to people who bought their cars. (that said after driving an electric car renting a gas car seems sort of like copping out - silly strategy)
- ggm 7y ago
  that said after driving an electric car renting a gas car seems sort of like copping out - silly strategy) If you meant "they should rent high range bigger battery stack cars" I agree. The heinous cost of owning huge kWh battery for occasional use is silly. But fits MAKE ice cars so a cheap coverage for range is rental of an ice for the agency doing this model.
  - hodr 7y ago
    A little bit larger battery lets me catch-up on charging during the weekend or days off from work without the need to get a level-2 charger.
  - m463 7y ago
    > The heinous cost of owning huge kWh battery for occasional use is silly I thought like this in the beginning, and there's a fallacy in there. Think not about huge kwh battery, think of (range of a battery in miles) * (battery cycles) That gives you the projected car mileage. First generation evs from other manufacturers with ~20kwh batteries will have to replace their battery in just a few years. They might cycle their battery once a day while a tesla might be once a week or more. Many many leafs got new batteries after their range decreased significantly 50% within 5 years.
jdietrich 7y ago
Most American households have two cars. Pure EVs aren't right for everyone, but most of those two-car households would be very well served with an EV and an ICE or PHEV.

by p_roz 7y ago

leetcrew 7y ago

I don't think it's quite the same as buying a vacation home. I think having everything in the house be "the way they left it" is a much bigger motivation than being able to visit whenever they want. at least, this is what people with second homes tell me. this is actually closer to why I would want a car with a longer range. I realize I could just rent something if I need to drive a longer distance, but I like my car and it wouldn't be there when I arrived.

jacobush 7y ago
Yep - we get more utility out of our stuff than is easy to explain. Many things give comfort and are not just about miles or money.

m463 7y ago

But people make huge strategic mistakes in their life because of "might". Basically it's hoarding behavior. I might need this kayak, so it'll take up space in my life as I move it from apartment to condo to home for the next 20 years. Storage units are full of these mistakes. I think some EV manufacturers (Fiat?) tried to alleviate this by offering rental cars for a certain number of days per year to people who bought their cars. (that said after driving an electric car renting a gas car seems sort of like copping out - silly strategy)

ggm 7y ago
that said after driving an electric car renting a gas car seems sort of like copping out - silly strategy) If you meant "they should rent high range bigger battery stack cars" I agree. The heinous cost of owning huge kWh battery for occasional use is silly. But fits MAKE ice cars so a cheap coverage for range is rental of an ice for the agency doing this model.
- hodr 7y ago
  A little bit larger battery lets me catch-up on charging during the weekend or days off from work without the need to get a level-2 charger.
- m463 7y ago
  > The heinous cost of owning huge kWh battery for occasional use is silly I thought like this in the beginning, and there's a fallacy in there. Think not about huge kwh battery, think of (range of a battery in miles) * (battery cycles) That gives you the projected car mileage. First generation evs from other manufacturers with ~20kwh batteries will have to replace their battery in just a few years. They might cycle their battery once a day while a tesla might be once a week or more. Many many leafs got new batteries after their range decreased significantly 50% within 5 years.

jdietrich 7y ago

Most American households have two cars. Pure EVs aren't right for everyone, but most of those two-car households would be very well served with an EV and an ICE or PHEV.