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> especially if it's an EV; I'm not taking that into the mountains, probably Why not?

by pcl 2y ago

mauvehaus 2y ago
Because being in a remote and sparsely served area is exactly the kind of place where it's vastly easier to ride your thumb to the nearest gas station and get a couple gallons of gas in an emergency than to arrange charging or a tow? Why would you be out of gas in the mountains in the first place? Because you got snowbound and ran the car every couple hours to get some heat out of it.
- everforward 2y ago
  Also ease of repairs in rural areas. Bubba’s Auto down the road probably has enough duct tape, clamps and experience to get most ICE cars semi-functional if they’re not totaled. A friendly home owner may even loan you tools to work on an ICE car. Nobody in Bumfuck, Nowhere is going to have the tools or technicians to try to repair an EV. It will likely be a long and expensive tow to somewhere that does. > Because you got snowbound and ran the car every couple hours to get some heat out of it. Complete tangent, but how do EVs handle low-traction surfaces? Seems like they might do better on average from the weight, but that’s a wild guess on my part.
  - kayodelycaon 2y ago
    It depends on the programming and what tires you have. Electric motors have an enormous amount of instant torque which is exactly what you don’t want in a low traction situation. The real danger on highways is traction control. It can hide how slippery the road is and allows you to easily outrun your braking ability. In the northern Midwest, you’ll see car after car in the ditch when it hasn’t snowed in a while.
    - mauvehaus 2y ago
      Early Priuses (Prii? Whatever) were notoriously crap on dirt roads because the traction control was too aggressive about cutting torque when the wheels started slipping, like even imperceptibly. On loose surfaces, you've got to allow some slip or you're unlikely to get anywhere, especially if it's uphill. As for people forgetting how to drive in the snow over the summer? That seems to be universal. Seen it in Ohio, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire.
toast0 2y ago
EV range drops at low temps and the mountains are usually low temps. EV range drops significantly going uphill. I can take gas cans to enhance range of an ICE, if conditions are marginal. There's no way to enhance the range of an EV.
- pulvinar 2y ago
  On the upside, even if you don't make it to the top you can always go back down, recharging as you go.
  - toast0 2y ago
    Sure, but if I wanted to be on the same side of the mountain I started on, there's an easier way to do it :P

> especially if it's an EV; I'm not taking that into the mountains, probably Why not?

by pcl 2y ago

> especially if it's an EV; I'm not taking that into the mountains, probably Why not?

Because being in a remote and sparsely served area is exactly the kind of place where it's vastly easier to ride your thumb to the nearest gas station and get a couple gallons of gas in an emergency than to arrange charging or a tow? Why would you be out of gas in the mountains in the first place? Because you got snowbound and ran the car every couple hours to get some heat out of it.

everforward 2y ago
Also ease of repairs in rural areas. Bubba’s Auto down the road probably has enough duct tape, clamps and experience to get most ICE cars semi-functional if they’re not totaled. A friendly home owner may even loan you tools to work on an ICE car. Nobody in Bumfuck, Nowhere is going to have the tools or technicians to try to repair an EV. It will likely be a long and expensive tow to somewhere that does. > Because you got snowbound and ran the car every couple hours to get some heat out of it. Complete tangent, but how do EVs handle low-traction surfaces? Seems like they might do better on average from the weight, but that’s a wild guess on my part.
- kayodelycaon 2y ago
  It depends on the programming and what tires you have. Electric motors have an enormous amount of instant torque which is exactly what you don’t want in a low traction situation. The real danger on highways is traction control. It can hide how slippery the road is and allows you to easily outrun your braking ability. In the northern Midwest, you’ll see car after car in the ditch when it hasn’t snowed in a while.
  - mauvehaus 2y ago
    Early Priuses (Prii? Whatever) were notoriously crap on dirt roads because the traction control was too aggressive about cutting torque when the wheels started slipping, like even imperceptibly. On loose surfaces, you've got to allow some slip or you're unlikely to get anywhere, especially if it's uphill. As for people forgetting how to drive in the snow over the summer? That seems to be universal. Seen it in Ohio, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire.

toast0 2y ago

EV range drops at low temps and the mountains are usually low temps. EV range drops significantly going uphill. I can take gas cans to enhance range of an ICE, if conditions are marginal. There's no way to enhance the range of an EV.

pulvinar 2y ago
On the upside, even if you don't make it to the top you can always go back down, recharging as you go.
- toast0 2y ago
  Sure, but if I wanted to be on the same side of the mountain I started on, there's an easier way to do it :P