3 ms·

> If, OTOH you are able to switch to a mindset where you keep your energy status in the back of your mind (and an EV car helps you with this a great deal) then

> If, OTOH you are able to switch to a mindset where you keep your energy status in the back of your mind (and an EV car helps you with this a great deal) then you might be ready. Honestly that's a huge turn off for me. I have enough things on the back of my mind, tracking my "energy status" would have a significant opportunity cost by displacing more productive things.

toomuchtodo 5y ago
Understandable, but with governments banning new combustion vehicle sales, the electric transition and need to shift how vehicles are used will occur eventually. I don't think EVs will reach the exact UX of combustion vehicles, nor do they have to (most charging can occur at home at night, people rarely road trip and need to charge from 0 to 100 SOC in 5 minutes), but people will have to be accepting that the experience might be different than they're use to. Something to keep in mind is that electricity is ubiquitous in the first world, and the number and density of EV chargers will only increase over time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-out_of_fossil_fuel_vehicles#Places_with_planned_fossil-fuel_vehicle_bans https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-out_of_fossil_fuel_vehic...
- admax88q 5y ago
  Totally, I definitely intend for my next vehicle to be electric despite my naysaying. I wish that EV vendors would let you "test drive" a vehicle over the course of a week. It's hard to imagine what your day to day charging experience would be by just driving around for an hour. For most people, myself included, I bet the charging will actually be a non issue, probably even more convenient than gas, but it still feels like a big leap to take.
  - toomuchtodo 5y ago
    I agree with you entirely. My Model S has spent more time lent out to friends, family, and others so they can have the experience you describe. Manufacturers must improve on this at scale, as individual efforts alone will be insufficient. Definitely a complex inflection point we're at, but I have hope! (disclosure: I do not recommend buying a Tesla currently due to their QC and support failings).
  - dreamcompiler 5y ago
    I used Turo.com to rent a Model S for several days in SoCal a couple of years ago, and took it for long drives that required supercharging. I'd probably never have bought a Tesla otherwise. Turo is a more expensive than an ordinary rental car because not only are Teslas expensive, but with Turo you really should buy the insurance. (I'd read that personal insurance won't cover you in a Turo car like it will in a normal rental. Haven't verified this. Decided not to risk it.) But even with the expense it was a good way for me to get an idea of what Tesla ownership was like.
- kingsuper20 5y ago
  I'm currently assuming that the inertia is towards EVs. Apply enough engineering money and economy of scale and it becomes more and more reasonable. Honestly, that's the only type of new car I would buy at this point. I think we are hitting peak ICE complexity at this point and would just as soon not be involved with the mechanical magic that's been introduced to achieve that last bit of marginal improvement with emissions or mileage.
rconti 5y ago
I also track my fuel range in the back of my head when driving my ICE vehicles.
- frosted-flakes 5y ago
  I don't. I drive it until it beeps at me that it's low on fuel (typically at the 900 km mark, after which I still have 100 km reserve). Then I fill up at the next service station I happen to come across and pump $50 of fuel into the tank in 2-3 minutes. I never seek out a service station. For this reason, ICE cars effectively have infinite range.

toomuchtodo 5y ago

Understandable, but with governments banning new combustion vehicle sales, the electric transition and need to shift how vehicles are used will occur eventually. I don't think EVs will reach the exact UX of combustion vehicles, nor do they have to (most charging can occur at home at night, people rarely road trip and need to charge from 0 to 100 SOC in 5 minutes), but people will have to be accepting that the experience might be different than they're use to. Something to keep in mind is that electricity is ubiquitous in the first world, and the number and density of EV chargers will only increase over time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-out_of_fossil_fuel_vehicles#Places_with_planned_fossil-fuel_vehicle_bans https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-out_of_fossil_fuel_vehic...

admax88q 5y ago
Totally, I definitely intend for my next vehicle to be electric despite my naysaying. I wish that EV vendors would let you "test drive" a vehicle over the course of a week. It's hard to imagine what your day to day charging experience would be by just driving around for an hour. For most people, myself included, I bet the charging will actually be a non issue, probably even more convenient than gas, but it still feels like a big leap to take.
- toomuchtodo 5y ago
  I agree with you entirely. My Model S has spent more time lent out to friends, family, and others so they can have the experience you describe. Manufacturers must improve on this at scale, as individual efforts alone will be insufficient. Definitely a complex inflection point we're at, but I have hope! (disclosure: I do not recommend buying a Tesla currently due to their QC and support failings).
- dreamcompiler 5y ago
  I used Turo.com to rent a Model S for several days in SoCal a couple of years ago, and took it for long drives that required supercharging. I'd probably never have bought a Tesla otherwise. Turo is a more expensive than an ordinary rental car because not only are Teslas expensive, but with Turo you really should buy the insurance. (I'd read that personal insurance won't cover you in a Turo car like it will in a normal rental. Haven't verified this. Decided not to risk it.) But even with the expense it was a good way for me to get an idea of what Tesla ownership was like.
kingsuper20 5y ago
I'm currently assuming that the inertia is towards EVs. Apply enough engineering money and economy of scale and it becomes more and more reasonable. Honestly, that's the only type of new car I would buy at this point. I think we are hitting peak ICE complexity at this point and would just as soon not be involved with the mechanical magic that's been introduced to achieve that last bit of marginal improvement with emissions or mileage.

rconti 5y ago

I also track my fuel range in the back of my head when driving my ICE vehicles.

frosted-flakes 5y ago
I don't. I drive it until it beeps at me that it's low on fuel (typically at the 900 km mark, after which I still have 100 km reserve). Then I fill up at the next service station I happen to come across and pump $50 of fuel into the tank in 2-3 minutes. I never seek out a service station. For this reason, ICE cars effectively have infinite range.