4 ms·

Sounds like the use case is perfect for a hybrid which does 30 miles electric.

neogodless 3y ago
I think that's why the article suggests exactly that.
krallja 3y ago
Love my 38-mile summer / 31-mile winter PHEV for exactly this reason. I’ve bought maybe a dozen tanks of gas over the past two years.
bsder 3y ago
It was called the Chevy Volt. GM discontinued making them because the Bolt is sooooo much cheaper to produce. Everybody knows that hybrids are a stopgap and will go obsolete. Consequently, there is negative motivation to produce hybrids. The problem is that nobody knows when hybrids will go obsolete. If you recommend manufacturing them and they go obsolete during your corporate political tenure, you're screwed. Govenments need to start subsidizing charging stations just like they subsidized filling stations along interstates and turnpikes. That way we can just make the jump to pure electrics.
- wlesieutre 3y ago
  Have you seen the new Prius Prime? I’d probably take that over a Volt. I wanted to test drive one but when I was car shopping last year they were selling used for thousands over MSRP.
- StillBored 3y ago
  Govenments need to start subsidizing charging stations just like they subsidized filling stations along interstates and turnpikes. 100% no, this is one of the problems I have with the recent climate legislation in the USA. This is the equivalent of taking more money out of the pockets of the middle class and giving it to the top 10%, same as the subsidies on electric vehicles which cost > $75K. It does close to nothing to actually encourage people to buy electric vehicles. The charger situation will solve itself once enough people have electric cars, because there will be demand for the service. Right now at least in the US, the model is just throwing money at gas stations and other commercial interests to go against their economic interests. Either the chargers have sufficient demand or it is a giant waste of money. So, if you want to encourage people to actually buy electric vehicles a better plan is to make it so inexpensive to charge them with actual carbon free energy that they cost less to own and operate. AKA spend the money on making the power grid provide cheaper power, and the charger problem will solve itself as people compare the price of a new electric vehicle vs a gas one. I still believe in the dream from the 1960's that started with the catch phrase "electric too cheap to meter". And given the state of the US economy (and may other energy driven markets) it would actually have even farther reaching positive economic impacts beyond convincing people to buy electric cars. Ex: many fundamental industries run away from expensive energy. Its also why the global economy tanks when oil prices spike, or countries go into recession when their energy rates go above their neighbors.
- standardUser 3y ago
  Biden got $7.5 billion for exactly that in the US, but construction has been slow to start.
RHSeeger 3y ago
We looked at getting a hybrid this past fall when buying a car, but couldn't find one that suited our needs. We didn't even look at an EV, because of the range issue (our relatives all live 2+ hours away, visits to them are frequent, and we can't charge it where they live).
- NewJazz 3y ago
  Your relatives don't allow you to charge your car where they live?
  - wharvle 3y ago
    Electric drier plugs aren’t always conveniently located (and some won’t have any—apartments and certain types of assisted-living sorts of situations might not). Normal outlets take forever to charge. Days from, say, 20% charge to get to full. Better not be using it for any other driving while you visit. May have to kick one of their cars out of a garage, in either case, to reach any outlet. Some people really hate having their car outside.
    - Rebelgecko 3y ago
      Dunno how long your trips are, but if you're staying 2-3 days an L1 charger should do the job even if you drive around town a bit while you're there. I also keep an extension cord in my car, which works well for running under garage doors.
      - RHSeeger 3y ago
        Generally, we're driving out, hanging out for a couple hours to have a meal, and driving back. There's no garage to plug the car in; the car area is about 100 feet from the house. Overall, it's just not realistic to plug a car in while visiting them.
  - scaryclam 3y ago
    If you came to visit me, you couldn't charge your car where I live. I don't have private parking, and the places you can park near me do not have any access to a plug socket. Not everyone is lucky enough to have appropriate infrastructure around them.
GnarfGnarf 3y ago
The hybrids are still saddled with all the reasons to ditch ICE and go EV: pistons, spark plugs, crankshaft, fuel pump, oil pan & pump, radiator, water pump, distributor, valves, timing belt, fuel injection, transmission, god it's a miracle that stuff ever worked :o)

I think that's why the article suggests exactly that.

Love my 38-mile summer / 31-mile winter PHEV for exactly this reason. I’ve bought maybe a dozen tanks of gas over the past two years.

bsder 3y ago

It was called the Chevy Volt. GM discontinued making them because the Bolt is sooooo much cheaper to produce. Everybody knows that hybrids are a stopgap and will go obsolete. Consequently, there is negative motivation to produce hybrids. The problem is that nobody knows when hybrids will go obsolete. If you recommend manufacturing them and they go obsolete during your corporate political tenure, you're screwed. Govenments need to start subsidizing charging stations just like they subsidized filling stations along interstates and turnpikes. That way we can just make the jump to pure electrics.

wlesieutre 3y ago
Have you seen the new Prius Prime? I’d probably take that over a Volt. I wanted to test drive one but when I was car shopping last year they were selling used for thousands over MSRP.
StillBored 3y ago
Govenments need to start subsidizing charging stations just like they subsidized filling stations along interstates and turnpikes. 100% no, this is one of the problems I have with the recent climate legislation in the USA. This is the equivalent of taking more money out of the pockets of the middle class and giving it to the top 10%, same as the subsidies on electric vehicles which cost > $75K. It does close to nothing to actually encourage people to buy electric vehicles. The charger situation will solve itself once enough people have electric cars, because there will be demand for the service. Right now at least in the US, the model is just throwing money at gas stations and other commercial interests to go against their economic interests. Either the chargers have sufficient demand or it is a giant waste of money. So, if you want to encourage people to actually buy electric vehicles a better plan is to make it so inexpensive to charge them with actual carbon free energy that they cost less to own and operate. AKA spend the money on making the power grid provide cheaper power, and the charger problem will solve itself as people compare the price of a new electric vehicle vs a gas one. I still believe in the dream from the 1960's that started with the catch phrase "electric too cheap to meter". And given the state of the US economy (and may other energy driven markets) it would actually have even farther reaching positive economic impacts beyond convincing people to buy electric cars. Ex: many fundamental industries run away from expensive energy. Its also why the global economy tanks when oil prices spike, or countries go into recession when their energy rates go above their neighbors.
standardUser 3y ago
Biden got $7.5 billion for exactly that in the US, but construction has been slow to start.

RHSeeger 3y ago

We looked at getting a hybrid this past fall when buying a car, but couldn't find one that suited our needs. We didn't even look at an EV, because of the range issue (our relatives all live 2+ hours away, visits to them are frequent, and we can't charge it where they live).

NewJazz 3y ago
Your relatives don't allow you to charge your car where they live?
- wharvle 3y ago
  Electric drier plugs aren’t always conveniently located (and some won’t have any—apartments and certain types of assisted-living sorts of situations might not). Normal outlets take forever to charge. Days from, say, 20% charge to get to full. Better not be using it for any other driving while you visit. May have to kick one of their cars out of a garage, in either case, to reach any outlet. Some people really hate having their car outside.
  - Rebelgecko 3y ago
    Dunno how long your trips are, but if you're staying 2-3 days an L1 charger should do the job even if you drive around town a bit while you're there. I also keep an extension cord in my car, which works well for running under garage doors.
    - RHSeeger 3y ago
      Generally, we're driving out, hanging out for a couple hours to have a meal, and driving back. There's no garage to plug the car in; the car area is about 100 feet from the house. Overall, it's just not realistic to plug a car in while visiting them.
- scaryclam 3y ago
  If you came to visit me, you couldn't charge your car where I live. I don't have private parking, and the places you can park near me do not have any access to a plug socket. Not everyone is lucky enough to have appropriate infrastructure around them.

GnarfGnarf 3y ago

The hybrids are still saddled with all the reasons to ditch ICE and go EV: pistons, spark plugs, crankshaft, fuel pump, oil pan & pump, radiator, water pump, distributor, valves, timing belt, fuel injection, transmission, god it's a miracle that stuff ever worked :o)