Car Talk

My next-door neighbors (the doctors) actually drive their Tesla down to Florida every fall. The car plans their route, and suggests stops where there are superchargers at restaurants and rest stops. So they eat or take a break while charging.
 
HecticArt said:
For most of my daily driving, I won’t ever come close to maxing out the electric range of a full electric. A plug in hybrid should use less than two gallons of gas a week for me. I go through a little more than 10 gallons a week now.
Click to expand...
I also like the idea of a hybrid or plug-in hybrid for a family car (not for my personal car, as I'm all set with that). I'm not an expert on the topic, but we've researched a few, and have friends that own them. The Ford Escape offers both, and Toyota has hybrid versions of the RAV4 and Highlander. And the Hyundai Ionic is rated pretty highly.

But there are a lot of compromises. The electric capacity is seriously reduced in the winter, between cold temps and running the heat. The regenerative brakes can feel wonky, and they often come with CVT transmissions, which can be like driving a hamster wheel. Also, they tend to put low-resistance tires on them, which is not good in snow. And of course, right now the prices and demand are nuts.
 
Does anybody want the electric Hummer?

2022 GMC HUMMER EV​


MSRP: From $108,700
Curb weight: 9,063 lbs
Range: 329 mi battery-only
Dimensions: 217″ L x 87″ W x 79″ H
Engine: Electric
Make: GMC
Battery charge time: 55h at 110V, 10h at 220V, 1h at 440V

gmc-hummer-ev_100787553_l.jpg
 
scotchandcigar said:
View attachment 7747

Tesla Supercharger (DC Fast Charging)​

The Tesla Supercharger network is a combined group of proprietary charging stations developed and implemented by Tesla. These Level 3 chargers abandon the alternating current (AC) methods to mainline power directly.

Currently, most Tesla Superchargers can now recharge up to 200 miles of range in just 15 minutes.
Click to expand...
So I need to buy the most expensive car, use a proprietary charging station, make sure the station is available where I need to go, make sure it has an opening, to charge my vehicle for 5 times the time it takes for a gas vehicle to get about 1/2 the range? Talk to me in 10-20 years.
 
IdRatherBeSkiing said:
So I need to buy the most expensive car, use a proprietary charging station, make sure the station is available where I need to go, make sure it has an opening, to charge my vehicle for 5 times the time it takes for a gas vehicle to get about 1/2 the range? Talk to me in 10-20 years.
Click to expand...
A Tesla Model 3 costs in the ballpark of the average new car. In this part of the country, every rest stop and major shopping area has Tesla chargers, and I've never seen more than a couple being used at any moment. The time it takes would be inconsequential for a planned trip.

But lets be real - most people these days buy some sort of SUV as a family vehicle. Teslas are primarily sedans. They make one model that's kind-of an SUV, but not really, and they don't sell many. So my point is that people are not buying Teslas for big adventures; they're buying them as 1-person daily commuters. And with a range of over 300 miles, you can drive to work and back without ever stopping to charge. That's why there's no line at the highway charging stations.

But for most people, a range of at least 300 miles covers 99% of one's need to drive. My neighbors with the Tesla S own 4 cars; 3 up here and 1 in Florida. They're the perfect candidates for a Tesla, because they have alternatives for other situations, where the Tesla might not be a good choice.
 
IdRatherBeSkiing said:
So I need to buy the most expensive car, use a proprietary charging station, make sure the station is available where I need to go, make sure it has an opening, to charge my vehicle for 5 times the time it takes for a gas vehicle to get about 1/2 the range? Talk to me in 10-20 years.
Click to expand...
You're going to quite a few concerts this year. Just charge your car at the venues problem solved. :celebrate1:
 
Went to the auto show last sunday. People were all over that bronco. Low pro show. Missing a lot of brands. All the cool cars.
 
geosync said:
Went to the auto show last sunday. People were all over that bronco. Low pro show. Missing a lot of brands. All the cool cars.
Click to expand...
Yeah, people like the Bronco. The last time I went to the auto show in Boston, there were better and newer cars in the parking lot than inside.
 
WolFyre said:
Does anybody want the electric Hummer?

2022 GMC HUMMER EV​


MSRP: From $108,700
Curb weight: 9,063 lbs
Range: 329 mi battery-only
Dimensions: 217″ L x 87″ W x 79″ H
Engine: Electric
Make: GMC
Battery charge time: 55h at 110V, 10h at 220V, 1h at 440V

gmc-hummer-ev_100787553_l.jpg
Click to expand...
Is that like a Cincinnati Bowtie?
 
scotchandcigar said:
I also like the idea of a hybrid or plug-in hybrid for a family car (not for my personal car, as I'm all set with that). I'm not an expert on the topic, but we've researched a few, and have friends that own them. The Ford Escape offers both, and Toyota has hybrid versions of the RAV4 and Highlander. And the Hyundai Ionic is rated pretty highly.

But there are a lot of compromises. The electric capacity is seriously reduced in the winter, between cold temps and running the heat. The regenerative brakes can feel wonky, and they often come with CVT transmissions, which can be like driving a hamster wheel. Also, they tend to put low-resistance tires on them, which is not good in snow. And of course, right now the prices and demand are nuts.
Click to expand...
The Escape is one I'm looking at. It's a little plain looking, but not too bad.

scotchandcigar said:
with a range of over 300 miles, you can drive to work and back without ever stopping to charge.
Click to expand...
If I'm going more than 400 miles or so, I'd rather fly anyways. No matter what, after driving 300 miles, I'd want to take a break and be out of the car for a little while.

I was a little surprised to see that there are free charging stations around. It looks like pay charging stations cost between $6 & $12.
That's still a lot less expensive than all gas.
 
That's not too bad. The Equinox is pretty good too.
They are all electric. It doesn't look like they have plug-in hybrids.
 
That Blazer almost looks like a lexus. Except the rims are worse than horrid. Who does GM have on wheel design?
 
Got to take a 2022 Honda Civic EX-L home overnight for test driving (returned it this morning).

Opinions please!

Pros:
Excellent safety score
Fun, tight, sporty drive with great steering
Third trim level has a lot of extras I wouldn't have in my original budget (heated seats, crash mitigation, lane guidance, rear cam, etc etc etc)
Looks great, great color

Cons:
Used (but only 1900 miles, someone bought it while watiting for the car they actually wanted, then traded it in, must be a company expense!).
Saleslady told me I can get 7 year/100K mile bumper to bumper warranty for cheap money, but the sticker has 'full warranty' unchecked and 'limited' is checked??
Only one USB port in the entire vehicle WTF? Can't plug in a USB stick for tunes and plug in phone at same time for maps.
Only one more power option (cig lighter). If I put SXM in it, which I use 80% of the time, no other power options. WTF? Only two inputs?!
Leather seats hot in the summer, frigid in the winter. Prefer cloth.
Hatchback
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom