real world EVs review

gulfcoastguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2012
Location
MS Gulfcoast
TDI
TDI sold, Mazda 3 purchased
I would say we need an exponential growth of on-the-highway reliable EV charging stations to spur a similar exponential growth of EV sales in Continental USA.

The horse needs to go in front of the cart.
The horse just got shot in the current federal spending bill. The federal NEVI program got canceled, federal tax credits no matter if the EV is US made are gone, the federal grants and loan guarantees for building US battery plants are gone, and a $250 a year EV road tax was added.
 

El Dobro

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Location
NJ
TDI
2017 Bolt EV Premier, 2023 Bolt EUV Premier
NEVI wasn't any great shakes to begin with. The Federal EV Charger Program May Die. It Was Just Starting To Pay Off

Despite NEVI, charging stations are still being built. You have Travel Centers of America putting up BP Pulse stations, Pilot/Flying J Centers are installing EVGo stations, as mentioned before, Walmart is getting into the act and you have IONNA, which consists of eight auto manufacturers, is putting up charging stations and lounges around the country. You also have the Tesla network. And, like at least 80% if EV owners, you can charge at home.
 

gulfcoastguy

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2012
Location
MS Gulfcoast
TDI
TDI sold, Mazda 3 purchased
Pilot and Travel Centers were planning on using NEVI money. Have been “coming soon” for 2 years in my state but no actual construction. We will see if Ionna will build in Flyover Country or not. At the new Buck-ees today I found a Tesla monopoly. Technically when ever you buy an adapter you can use it also and fund Elmo.
 

gearheadgrrrl

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2002
Location
Buffalo Ridge (southwest Minnesota)
TDI
'15 Golf DSG, '13 JSW DSG surrendered to VW, '03 Golf 2 door manual
Most all of the new chargers are government funded, once that funding disappears new installations will be rare. The installed base of chargers will slowly disappear as they fail and are not repaired. Much as happened in the early days of wireless internet access, whole fleets of chargers may be abandoned in place as their network dies.
 

tikal

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2001
Location
Southeast Texas
TDI
2004 Passat Wagon (chainless + 5 MT + GDE tune)
And, like at least 80% if EV owners, you can charge at home.
Excellent for the average person commuting in the city. You leave home with a "full tank" and you come home, on the same day, before "the fuel light comes".

Now you want to take your new VW Buzz to go from New Orleans, LA to El Paso, TX or from Albuquerque to Helena, Montana, with you+family+luggage, going 75 MPH, spending around 15 minutes recharging to 80% every 300 miles or so = No Go!

If I want to buy today a new vehicle, for the above, that is both good for the environment and my sanity, it would be a hybrid minivan without any doubt.
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
I don't know, a fifteen minute break every 4 hours or so doesn't sound all that horrible.
 

El Dobro

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Location
NJ
TDI
2017 Bolt EV Premier, 2023 Bolt EUV Premier
Most all of the new chargers are government funded, once that funding disappears new installations will be rare. The installed base of chargers will slowly disappear as they fail and are not repaired. Much as happened in the early days of wireless internet access, whole fleets of chargers may be abandoned in place as their network dies.
There were a lot of charging stations popping up before government intervention. There was Tesla, EVGo. Chargepoint, Volta and Electrify America, to name some around here. Even car dealers have them. The government was involved with EA though, but in a different way. VW had to put the stations up because of penance due to the diesel emissions scandal. Theirs are the worst for reliability. Although, if there's an issue, they tend to turn the other stations on for free charging.

There's also a link I posted above showing how NEVI worked out.
 

tikal

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 18, 2001
Location
Southeast Texas
TDI
2004 Passat Wagon (chainless + 5 MT + GDE tune)
The point I was trying to make with the statement above (post # 3815) is that, with the current battery technology and on-the-highway charging stations infrastructure, if you wanted to buy a VW Buzz to do enjoyable multi-day road trip(s) with the family and luggage, going highway speeds, is not doable for the average family in North America.
 

El Dobro

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Location
NJ
TDI
2017 Bolt EV Premier, 2023 Bolt EUV Premier
The point I was trying to make with the statement above (post # 3815) is that, with the current battery technology and on-the-highway charging stations infrastructure, if you wanted to buy a VW Buzz to do enjoyable multi-day road trip(s) with the family and luggage, going highway speeds, is not doable for the average family in North America.
Personally, I would just rent what I need for how long needed, then just turn it back in when done. I wouldn't buy a pick-up truck for the day I might need one to pick up a bed load of sod, I would rent then return.
 

kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
My baby brother sold his when he moved to NYC for law school. Said it's absolutely pointless there, but that's an outlier to the rest of the US.
My cousin did the same. Got tired of having to get up around 4 am just to switch the car from one side of the street to the other.
 

kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
Personally, I would just rent what I need for how long needed, then just turn it back in when done. I wouldn't buy a pick-up truck for the day I might need one to pick up a bed load of sod, I would rent then return.
We've owned a pickup of one type or the other for about 35 out of our 43 years. Maybe it's an Iowa thing. Right now, I usually have my tailgater on so I can throw the bikes over whenever we want to head out for a ride. I'll get several loads of mulch a year and add in all the other garden stuff (dirt, rock, tiles,...). Don't have to think about where and when I'll pick up a rental and return it. There have been times when the load of dirt sat in the truck for several days.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
I've never owned a truck, have never wished I had one. I'm happy to have stuff delivered. And honestly, anything that's too big to fit in IBW is probably too heavy for me to get out of a truck on my own anyway.
 

turbobrick240

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 18, 2014
Location
maine
TDI
2011 vw golf tdi(gone to greener pastures), 2001 ford f250 powerstroke
Just drove 65 miles with 4 40"x80" solar panels in the back of my golf. They hung out the back about a foot but were secure on a 2x4 frame I tossed together. The guy I bought them from was surprised I showed up in a little hatchback.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
I need my trucks to rescue all the neglected broken cars I save, since many of them cannot make it home on their own. Although when I had my tow dolly, I did drag plenty home with the Golf. But the truck/trailer is sometimes easier.

I also scooped a load of topsoil in the F250's bed last weekend, after moving a Ford 8N for a friend. I don't drive them often, but when I do, they are great. Paid for and cheap to own.
 

El Dobro

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Location
NJ
TDI
2017 Bolt EV Premier, 2023 Bolt EUV Premier
Looks like charging stations are still going up.
 

jmodge

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 18, 2015
Location
Greenville, MI the winter water wonderland
TDI
More than I need, less than I want
Just used the K5 to bring home 4 1/2 yards of composted yard waste in the dump trailer from the city of Greenville.
Few annual miles, but I don’t see myself ever getting rid of it. Especially because I can live in it or sleep on the road when pulling an orphaned car home.
It will take me to the U.P. This month to the St Ignace Car Show week where I may or may not see an EV. But there will be about 900 mostly thirsty pieces of mostly Classic American Iron.
 

gearheadgrrrl

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2002
Location
Buffalo Ridge (southwest Minnesota)
TDI
'15 Golf DSG, '13 JSW DSG surrendered to VW, '03 Golf 2 door manual
Someday. Right now, they're working on places where there's traffic.
Paid $40K for my roomy small town house 15 years ago and got a 22 year old TDI ready to go in the driveway. Why would I give that up to pay 10 times as much for a house near chargers and too much traffic and even more $$$ for an EV with a 10 year life expectancy?
 

P2B

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 11, 2006
Location
Toronto & Muskoka, Canada
TDI
2002 Jetta, 2003 Jetta, 2003 Jetta Wagon
Paid $40K for my roomy small town house 15 years ago and got a 22 year old TDI ready to go in the driveway. Why would I give that up to pay 10 times as much for a house near chargers and too much traffic and even more $$$ for an EV with a 10 year life expectancy?
Lack of employment opportunities.
 

pkhoury

That guy with the goats
Joined
Nov 30, 2010
Location
Medina, TX
TDI
2013 JSW, 2 x 2002 Golf, 1995 F450 7.3L
That's very cool. Brian sounds like he was an awesome friend. Very unfortunate that he died so young. Did your uncle get his Rivian?

Congrats on the new land/ranch! Do you plan to do some sort of temporary housing out there until you build? You could toss up a Casita/tiny house pretty quickly I bet.
I'm necroing an old post; not sure if I mentioned it, but I got to test drive my uncle's Rivian last September when I spent a few days with him in Florida. I have to say, hands down, it's a f**king NIGHT AND DAY difference, to me anyways, than a Tesla. I like how it drove, loved how it accomodated us tall people (my uncle and I used to be the same height, but he shrunk an inch or so in the past few years, but still being over 6'2, I haven't yet found a Tesla that made me really feel comfortable in the front seats).

Still not practical for my purposes, given how rural I live, and the fact that I've lately been towing with my TDIs like 3 out of 5 trips (attaching different trailers to all three cars). Since I posted this, I do have electricity on the ranch, and I guess semi-related to the off-topicness of this thread, I've been investing in more LifePO4 batteries, and need to make another investment in panels, as while I'm connected to co-op power, I'd like to use solar as much as feasible, but build my own system (because installers are such a rip off).
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Paid $40K for my roomy small town house 15 years ago and got a 22 year old TDI ready to go in the driveway. Why would I give that up to pay 10 times as much for a house near chargers and too much traffic and even more $$$ for an EV with a 10 year life expectancy?
Here it would be more like 15-20x: house prices are crazy.
 

dieseldonato

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2023
Location
Us
TDI
2001 jetta
I'm necroing an old post; not sure if I mentioned it, but I got to test drive my uncle's Rivian last September when I spent a few days with him in Florida. I have to say, hands down, it's a f**king NIGHT AND DAY difference, to me anyways, than a Tesla. I like how it drove, loved how it accomodated us tall people (my uncle and I used to be the same height, but he shrunk an inch or so in the past few years, but still being over 6'2, I haven't yet found a Tesla that made me really feel comfortable in the front seats).

Still not practical for my purposes, given how rural I live, and the fact that I've lately been towing with my TDIs like 3 out of 5 trips (attaching different trailers to all three cars). Since I posted this, I do have electricity on the ranch, and I guess semi-related to the off-topicness of this thread, I've been investing in more LifePO4 batteries, and need to make another investment in panels, as while I'm connected to co-op power, I'd like to use solar as much as feasible, but build my own system (because installers are such a rip off).
Pencil the math out, before you heavily invest in batteries. I haven't found a turn key or diy approach that pays for itself in the life expectancy of the batteries for more them supplemental/ short term back up. I just recently looked into them again, adding solar to the shop later this summer and I still can't make the math work with our power consumption, production and how our net metering is structured to get batteries.
 
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