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I think it would be easier to simply get EVs to the point where they have over 300mi of range on a charge and build out quick charge infrastructure. Waiting 20-

I think it would be easier to simply get EVs to the point where they have over 300mi of range on a charge and build out quick charge infrastructure. Waiting 20-30 minutes to quick charge after close to 300 miles of driving doesn't really seem that big of a headache to me. That's basically equivalent to stopping for food, gas, and a bathroom break which I'd do on long trips anyways.

Tempest1981 4y ago
Make it a destination, like Buc-ee's in Texas: https://sbj.net/uploads/original/20220125-114518-Bucees.jpg https://sbj.net/uploads/original/20220125-114518-Bucees.jpg
coffeebeqn 4y ago
The charge stations just need a bathroom and maybe some vending machines and a waiting area. Fancier ones can be more like the big road trip gas stations you sometimes run into
fr0sty 4y ago
I'd love to find a good number on the daily mileage of the median passenger car in the US. The average looks to be around 30-35mi/day but the median is probably a small fraction of that. Why would you want your battery pack to be 10x oversized for your typical day? I think a more efficient solution would be series-hybrids with small onboard generators for range extension. Minimize weight/cost of the battery pack while maintaining the ability to drive cross-country without frequent charging stops.
- lastLinkedList 4y ago
  One of the economies of battery scale is durability, no? What you gain in cost savings up front you lose by needing to replace the batteries more frequently than N times the larger battery pack size.
- deelowe 4y ago
  My understanding is that hybrids are more costly than simply putting in a larger pack. It's certainly an order of magnitude more complex.
  - fr0sty 4y ago
    PHEVs are certainly more complex, but a series hybrid like the BMW i3 only involves finding space for a small genset and some additional control software/electronics. I'm having trouble finding good numbers but this[0] article says the option added only ~$4k to the price. [0] https://insideevs.com/news/317236/first-bmw-i3-electric-car-test-ride-23-gallon-range-extender-option-to-cost-about-4000/ https://insideevs.com/news/317236/first-bmw-i3-electric-car-...
cptskippy 4y ago
That's pretty much how road trips in a Tesla play out today. After depleting the battery you want to get out and stretch your legs, use the bathroom, and get a snack. Most fast chargers are located near or at amenities. This is how it should be. I could see rest stops on the highway being outfitted with fast chargers in the future.
- deelowe 4y ago
  Only issue is that rest stops kind of suck for resting. :-)
  - cptskippy 4y ago
    The ones in Arizona are pretty horrific but Georgia's are pretty decent.
Fatnino 4y ago
That's nice for you that your 20 minute poop breaks are enough time to charge your car. On the other hand, every time I have traveled by car between the bay area and LA (~400 miles, 5-6 hours one way) , I/we never* made any stops longer than 10 minutes. *I say never, but there have actually been a couple times when I set out not well rested and on the return leg I needed to stop in the middle somewhere to catch some shut eye. But the vast majority of trips are on the road the entire time except one stop for 5 minutes to fill gas and empty bladder.

Tempest1981 4y ago

Make it a destination, like Buc-ee's in Texas: https://sbj.net/uploads/original/20220125-114518-Bucees.jpg https://sbj.net/uploads/original/20220125-114518-Bucees.jpg

coffeebeqn 4y ago

The charge stations just need a bathroom and maybe some vending machines and a waiting area. Fancier ones can be more like the big road trip gas stations you sometimes run into

fr0sty 4y ago

I'd love to find a good number on the daily mileage of the median passenger car in the US. The average looks to be around 30-35mi/day but the median is probably a small fraction of that. Why would you want your battery pack to be 10x oversized for your typical day? I think a more efficient solution would be series-hybrids with small onboard generators for range extension. Minimize weight/cost of the battery pack while maintaining the ability to drive cross-country without frequent charging stops.

lastLinkedList 4y ago
One of the economies of battery scale is durability, no? What you gain in cost savings up front you lose by needing to replace the batteries more frequently than N times the larger battery pack size.
deelowe 4y ago
My understanding is that hybrids are more costly than simply putting in a larger pack. It's certainly an order of magnitude more complex.
- fr0sty 4y ago
  PHEVs are certainly more complex, but a series hybrid like the BMW i3 only involves finding space for a small genset and some additional control software/electronics. I'm having trouble finding good numbers but this[0] article says the option added only ~$4k to the price. [0] https://insideevs.com/news/317236/first-bmw-i3-electric-car-test-ride-23-gallon-range-extender-option-to-cost-about-4000/ https://insideevs.com/news/317236/first-bmw-i3-electric-car-...

cptskippy 4y ago

That's pretty much how road trips in a Tesla play out today. After depleting the battery you want to get out and stretch your legs, use the bathroom, and get a snack. Most fast chargers are located near or at amenities. This is how it should be. I could see rest stops on the highway being outfitted with fast chargers in the future.

deelowe 4y ago
Only issue is that rest stops kind of suck for resting. :-)
- cptskippy 4y ago
  The ones in Arizona are pretty horrific but Georgia's are pretty decent.

Fatnino 4y ago

That's nice for you that your 20 minute poop breaks are enough time to charge your car. On the other hand, every time I have traveled by car between the bay area and LA (~400 miles, 5-6 hours one way) , I/we never* made any stops longer than 10 minutes. *I say never, but there have actually been a couple times when I set out not well rested and on the return leg I needed to stop in the middle somewhere to catch some shut eye. But the vast majority of trips are on the road the entire time except one stop for 5 minutes to fill gas and empty bladder.