Electric Vehicles

[Devstrike]

GMs 6.2L issues in the trucks are a sad ordeal. If I were to buy a truck today it would probably just be a 6.6L Gas 2500 Silverado or as said before the Hemi. I have been looking at what owners have been saying about it and they have been pretty happy with that setup. Probably one of the more reliable trucks you can buy right now. Almost all of the 1500 series trucks struggle now when it comes to reliability.




EDIT: Sorry for going off topic

[Martinjlm]

This is a very interesting video with a lot of real world EV truck towing and hauling tests. Some surprising results, but as I review it in retrospect, I can understand how he got what he got.

TLAGW:

1. Weight is not the issue when towing and/or hauling with an EV truck...AERO is the big issue. By a LOT.
2. Of the (3) trucks used in the testing (Silverado EV, Rivian R1T, Ford F150 5.0L) the Silverado was far more efficient and towed loads far more comfortably than the other two.
3. There is a huge cost advantage to fueling an EV truck over an ICE truck PROVIDED THAT the majority of the EV charging is done at home ($0.09/ kWh) and not at public DC Fast Chargers ($0.46 / kWh).
4. When empty, the Rivian was way more efficient than the Silverado EV.
5. When towing, the Silverado is way more efficient than the Rivian.

A year ago I would've been scratching my head over that last one. But I've had the benefit of spending some table time with retired engineers who developed the Chevrolet Volt and Bolt and the Chrysler Pacifica PHEV and early development of the Ram Ramcharger and so I get it.

The issue is that batteries are most efficient when they are in a specific range for State of Charge. Keeping a battery in that sweet spot makes it more efficient. That is the central theme around the PentaStar V6 used as a range extender in the Ramcharger. It is calibrated to maintain the sweet spot range for battery SoC). In this case in the video, the Silverado has a 200+ kWh battery. The Rivian has at most a 141 kWh battery. It will fall out of its SoC sweet spot much sooner than the Silverado.

Hope you take the time to watch the 26 minute video.

https://youtu.be/UmKf8smvGsA

[snizzle]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

There is a huge cost advantage to fueling an EV truck over an ICE truck PROVIDED THAT the majority of the EV charging is done at home ($0.09/ kWh) and not at public DC Fast Chargers ($0.46 / kWh).
https://youtu.be/UmKf8smvGsA

There is also a huge disadvantage. Try pulling into a public charger with a trailer. You may need to do so when your range is cut in half (yes I understand gas MPG is also reduced when towing). I wonder how long until we see configurations where you don't have to park, drop trailer, and then drive over to plugin.

[FarmerFran]

Originally Posted by snizzle

There is also a huge disadvantage. Try pulling into a public charger with a trailer. You may need to do so when your range is cut in half (yes I understand gas MPG is also reduced when towing). I wonder how long until we see configurations where you don't have to park, drop trailer, and then drive over to plugin.

They have a long way to go for towing with an EV

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by snizzle

There is also a huge disadvantage. Try pulling into a public charger with a trailer. You may need to do so when your range is cut in half (yes I understand gas MPG is also reduced when towing). I wonder how long until we see configurations where you don't have to park, drop trailer, and then drive over to plugin.

Definitely true for Tesla and any charging stations that try to emulate Tesla. If you look at what EVGo and GM are doing with Pilot / Flying J as well as what iONNA is doing, they accommodate pull-through.

[Devstrike]

Originally Posted by FarmerFran

They have a long way to go for towing with an EV

Yeah I don't see a reason to get an EV truck unless its that Ram one with the 3.6L engine in it to recharge that EV powertrain so you can just fill it with gas.

[snizzle]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

Definitely true for Tesla and any charging stations that try to emulate Tesla. If you look at what EVGo and GM are doing with Pilot / Flying J as well as what iONNA is doing, they accommodate pull-through.

Do these exist in the wild or just on paper (honest question)? I haven't seen them in my travels personally.

[FarmerFran]

I am curious to see how campgrounds are going to handle EVs

[Mr_Draco]

Originally Posted by FarmerFran

I am curious to see how campgrounds are going to handle EVs

Why?

None of the campgrounds around me have power of any kind. If you want or need electricity, it's on you to bring a generator. I don't see campgrounds spending millions of dollars to run power now just because ev's exist.

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by snizzle

Do these exist in the wild or just on paper (honest question)? I haven't seen them in my travels personally.

Pilot / Flying J has been around for decades. Over the past 3 years or so they have been working with GM and EVGo to install DCFC. I don’t know how many locations they have up and running, but they are growing them fairly quickly.

https://pilotflyingj.com/ev-charging

iONNA is just now in the rollout stages. If you look for it on YouTube you’ll see a lot of “first iONNA in <pick-a-state> is now open” videos. https://youtu.be/KVQOXdE77ZY?si=d63UWJA0q2DSzHbf

[FarmerFran]

Originally Posted by Mr_Draco

Why?

None of the campgrounds around me have power of any kind. If you want or need electricity, it's on you to bring a generator. I don't see campgrounds spending millions of dollars to run power now just because ev's exist.

Ok, you do realize though there are 1000s of campgrounds with full hookups. And you do not pay for utilities at campgrounds, just the nightly fee. So if people are charging thier EVs it is going to cost the campgrounds more money.

So I am curious if they impose an EV fee or just increases across the board

[snizzle]

Originally Posted by Martinjlm

Pilot / Flying J has been around for decades. Over the past 3 years or so they have been working with GM and EVGo to install DCFC. I don’t know how many locations they have up and running, but they are growing them fairly quickly.

https://pilotflyingj.com/ev-charging

iONNA is just now in the rollout stages. If you look for it on YouTube you’ll see a lot of “first iONNA in <pick-a-state> is now open” videos. https://youtu.be/KVQOXdE77ZY?si=d63UWJA0q2DSzHbf

LOL, I know Pilot/Flying J exists. I was speaking to a pull-through charger configuration similar to a typical gas station configuration. In other words, could you feasibly take a BEV truck + trailer on a road trip. It would take more than just knowing a charger exists at a location.

[FarmerFran]

Originally Posted by snizzle

LOL, I know Pilot/Flying J exists. I was speaking to a pull-through charger configuration similar to a typical gas station configuration. In other words, could you feasibly take a BEV truck + trailer on a road trip. It would take more than just knowing a charger exists at a location.

Hehe... one of many issues I see towing with an EV unless it is just local-ish, even then it can become an issue.

My truck goes 330 to 350 on a tank of gas towing. That is about their non towing range.

[Martinjlm]

Originally Posted by snizzle

LOL, I know Pilot/Flying J exists. I was speaking to a pull-through charger configuration similar to a typical gas station configuration. In other words, could you feasibly take a BEV truck + trailer on a road trip. It would take more than just knowing a charger exists at a location.

Every Pilot / Flying J that has EV chargers has the pull through arrangement. I should have said that. I just don't know how many of them are set up, but they've been adding them for about 3 years now.