The Electric Vehicle (EV) discussion thread (Merged) (13 Viewers)

[UncleTrvlingJim]

I have no idea. I know nothing about taxes. I let my wife handle that and she can only do it because she has a sister who was an IRS auditer that helps her. But, I will look into it. Thanks.

Definitely look into it. Basically, if you pay more than $7500 in federal income tax, you should qualify for the break.

I want a SUV over a Sedan. Sedan's aren't really practical on New Orleans streets anymore. But, I would honestly rather something on a truck frame for the same reasons. I've done some light looking and none of the normal gas cars excite me at this point or really fit what I need. I guess I like the idea of a 4Runner or a 4 door Jeep the most at this point, but a 4Runner is kind of bigger than I want and Jeeps seem like they are over priced. But, I'm old and grumpy and haven't looked at car prices in years.

That's why the EV/Hybrid appeals to me. There would be a reason to spend extra for something like that. If the tech is now good enough for them to make sense.

I assume you're looking for ground clearance? Jeep is going to be offering a plug-in hybrid version of their Wrangler very soon. It seems a bit over-priced to me though.

I think Volkswagen's id4 has good ground clearance and all wheel drive is offered.

you could also go with Hyundai's Ioniq 5 or Kia's EV6. They have ok ground clearance and all wheel drive. The Ford Mustang's Mach E has all wheel drive, but the ground clearance is not great.

 

[Maxp]

The base Ford Maverick is a hybrid that gets almost 40mpg, but it's not body on frame.

 

[St. Widge]

The Grand Cherokee comes in a hybrid model as does the four door Wrangler. I gave up on Hybrid/EV this go around due to availability mainly.

Thanks. Yeah, I'm kind of worried that given all the supply chain issues and demand due to gas prices, it could be hard to get them. But, I do have time to wait so I could just use the time to save more money and increase my down payment.

 

[St. Widge]

Definitely look into it. Basically, if you pay more than $7500 in federal income tax, you should qualify for the break.



I assume you're looking for ground clearance? Jeep is going to be offering a plug-in hybrid version of their Wrangler very soon. It seems a bit over-priced to me though.

I think Volkswagen's id4 has good ground clearance and all wheel drive is offered.

you could also go with Hyundai's Ioniq 5 or Kia's EV6. They have ok ground clearance and all wheel drive. The Ford Mustang's Mach E has all wheel drive, but the ground clearance is not great.

Thanks. Yeah, I'm looking for ground clearance (in part due to street flooding) and something that has a tough enough suspension to handle driving over pot holes.

 

[Cage1]

So, maybe this has already been covered but are there any decently priced options for any EV or Hybrids these days?

I'm not in the market yet, but I might soon be in the market. I'm probably looking for something that can handle some light off road driving since I live in New Orleans and my commute involves driving over roads that are often only slightly worse than the average dirt road. I like the idea of an EV or Hybrid, but the prices seem high and I'm not sure how you use a pure EV for a daily commute without having to install a charging station at your house. Or what kind of cost that has.

Anyway, I guess I'm curious on the consensus regarding whether the tech is at a point where it works well enough and is cost effective enough for the average person. My main issue in the past, other than cost and charging options, for EV and Hybrids is that they always seem to feel the need to make them look like ugly old people cars instead of just making a nice car that happens to have an electric motor or be a hybrid. Like why make the Prius so ugly when you could have just made it look like a Camry?

There's plenty out there that is affordable and there is plenty out there that have sufficient range (my definition - 350 mi EPA range). I have not yet found both. That Fisker Ocean may hit that if it's ever released. But I think we're a year plus out from good options for both.

 

[superchuck500]

There's plenty out there that is affordable and there is plenty out there that have sufficient range (my definition - 350 mi EPA range). I have not yet found both. That Fisker Ocean may hit that if it's ever released. But I think we're a year plus out from good options for both.

Curious as to why you have decided that 350 miles is sufficient range.

 

[St. Widge]

There's plenty out there that is affordable and there is plenty out there that have sufficient range (my definition - 350 mi EPA range). I have not yet found both. That Fisker Ocean may hit that if it's ever released. But I think we're a year plus out from good options for both.

I'm honestly not that concerned about range. My commute is around 5 miles per day. But, I would likely need an option to be able to go further distances for the occasional work trip. I guess a hybrid could be a better option for me since it would have the option of using the gas engine for long trips.

 

[UncleTrvlingJim]

Thanks. Yeah, I'm looking for ground clearance (in part due to street flooding) and something that has a tough enough suspension to handle driving over pot holes.

OK - I haven't done a ton of research with that in mind (I do have an order for the Fisker Ocean which will have an off-road option and will retail for about $50K, but won't be out for a year or so). The Rivian and Ford F-150 lightning will do nicely for that, but they are bigger cars and expensive.

Here's a video of the ID 4 on an off-road test. It wasn't designed for it, but this might indicate it would be ok in New Orleans:

Watch VW ID.4 Attempt The 'Out Of Spec' Hill Climb Challenge

Kyle Conner just launched a new channel: Out of Spec Overlanding. The ID.4 is the first EV featured on the channel. Watch it hit trails and try to climb hills.

insideevs.com

 

[Cage1]

Curious as to why you have decided that 350 miles is sufficient range.

It's not a particularly interesting, or universally applicable answer. I believe I need to have the ability to get from Dallas to Houston (240 mi) or San Antonio (275 mi) on a charge. I've heard the EPA rating is not particularly accurate, and you can lose miles based on conditions and weight and battery degradation, so just to be safe and give me a few years, 350 is what I cam up with.

 

[zatsnzapps]

I think Widge needs a Volvo. They're boxy, but they're good.

Please tell me you were intentionally referring to this.

Please, please tell me that 0:58 is why you decided on the Jag.

And, please, please, please tell me you gained some weight so that you can get your free plant.

 

[superchuck500]

Please tell me you were intentionally referring to this.

Please, please tell me that 0:58 is why you decided on the Jag.

And, please, please, please tell me you gained some weight so that you can get your free plant.

Yes
No
Yes

 

[zatsnzapps]

Yes
No
Yes

I love that movie.

I haven't watched it in forever, so I'm not sure how it holds up over time, but it was so funny back in the day.

 

[superchuck500]

It's not a particularly interesting, or universally applicable answer. I believe I need to have the ability to get from Dallas to Houston (240 mi) or San Antonio (275 mi) on a charge. I've heard the EPA rating is not particularly accurate, and you can lose miles based on conditions and weight and battery degradation, so just to be safe and give me a few years, 350 is what I cam up with.

I ask because I think the range issue is interesting. Some people presume they need range when they really don't. If you don't typically drive from Dallas to Houston (or equivalent 240 miles) and if you have a second ICE vehicle for when you do need to do that, you don't really need 350 miles of range on your EV. But, if you do actually need that range for regular use or there's only one vehicle in the fleet, I do agree that range remains an issue.

 

[Cage1]

I ask because I think the range issue is interesting. Some people presume they need range when they really don't. If you don't typically drive from Dallas to Houston (or equivalent 240 miles) and if you have a second ICE vehicle for when you do need to do that, you don't really need 350 miles of range on your EV. But, if you do actually need that range for regular use or there's only one vehicle in the fleet, I do agree that range remains an issue.

Yeah in fairness I rarely make the trip. I just want to have the flexibility. And we have a gas vehicle but I don’t want to be driving a minivan to meet clients. I could do with a shorter range, but I don’t wanna.

 

[Cage1]

Not that I could afford a Lucid, but after reading about how they are backed and controlled by Saudi oil interests, I'm even less interested in pursuing one.