You can't road-trip in an EV...hold my beer

[Hammered]

Except that BEVs aren’t new. They’ve been around just as long as gas powered cars.

And the same problem over 100 years ago is the same problem today- the battery.
false - producing the latest tech in the US is the problem.
If anything, we are still all clutching to our horses and oil lamps. This is all super old tech.

We need a better fuel source than gasoline and batteries to power our cars in the future.
false - there is nothing wrong with fossil fuels
100+ years of battery innovation and they still kinda suck- heavy, expensive, slow to refuel and take lots of rare metals that are hard to mine.
false - the latest battery tech is well ahead of anything currently being sold in the US
I don’t think batteries are the wave of the future as much as they are clinging to our past mistakes.
Try not to expend energy on thought, it's not your forte
Hydrogen fuel cells for example are more thinking of the future than stupid old batteries.
fuel cells have reached their peak, neither they, nor their fuel are cost competitive, or needed for that matter.

To advance technologically as fast as possible requires using ALL means of energy to the fullest extent possible. It blows my mind that the education system has failed so many for so long. Cheap abundant energy, followed by education, are the 2 most critical things restricting the people of this planet. These 2 points continue to diminish the utility of the average American to society.

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[YunniorO]

If you want proof of how much more ridiculously complicated and burdensome it is to take a long road trip with an EV than an ICE... look no further than all the videos proclaiming that it's no big deal.

You don't see ICE drivers posting videos on this topic, because no ICE driver ever even thinks about this stuff.

True. Sure it can be done, I can also drive around on a bike with one wheel. Does that mean that it’s not going to be challenging and stressful? Nope.

Maybe that’s a bad analogy but the point I’m making is that we still have a lot of room for improvement and we’re only going to keep getting improvement if we keep turning the heat up on it.

 

[Mach1E]

Sorry, that's just not true, I typed in bacon cures obesity and this is what I got;

"The answer is: probably not. Bacon is high in saturated fat, making it more likely to contribute to weight gain than weight loss. However, bacon has no carbohydrates, which, for some people, is an important criterion for their weight loss diet." ? ? ?

To be fair, you didn’t play right. Obesity isn’t a disease ?

And yet you still got some data to support the claim. Internet for the win!

 

[nvabill]

To be fair, you didn’t play right. Obesity isn’t a disease ?

And yet you still got some data to support the claim. Internet for the win!

"The American Medical Association (AMA) designated obesity a disease in 2013. As a result, the idea that obesity is caused by insufficient willpower, lack of discipline, and bad choices began to transform." ?

 

[mkhuffman]

You can try to sugar coat it with stories of cat naps, weak bladders and some idea that people will start doing yoga and push ups while charging.

I just want to say that every time I DCFC, I do push-ups.

I plug in and drop. And then I notice the charger didn't start and has an error. So I stop doing push-ups and disconnect. Then I use the FP app or Charge Assist app to try to start the charger. Then I realize the charger is down. All the other chargers are occupied so I sit there, looking around, picking my nose. And then finally, that stupid Bolt finishes its 42-hour charge and I pull into that charging space.

I plug in and get another error. I call EA. They say I should activate the charger using the app first. Oh yeah, stupid me! So, I pull up the app and activate the charger. Oh, I forgot to unplug. So, I have to do that first and wait for it to reset. Then I can activate it. I plug back in and it starts! Awesome!

I drop again and start doing push-ups. As I am pushing along, I look up and notice the charge speed is only 30 kW. Crap. This must be one of the almost broken EA chargers. You know, the ones that work but only work slowly. Darn. I guess my push-ups are going to last a lot longer than I planned.

I look over my shoulder and see all the ICE vehicles pulling in an out of gas pumps, having a very stress-free time refueling. Little do they know how buff I am getting because I own a BEV. If only they knew....

 

[thekat03]

Well said. Making the same trip Thursday ( Lenexa Ks) . I think most that post on here are big city folk that have a difficult time believing that places like the flint hills that we will drive through exist.

Big city, eh? I live on a dirt road in the middle of the woods. Granted, I live in Maine, so east coast rural, not west coast rural, and definitely not middle of the US rural, but I haven't lived in a big city in 17 years. Honestly, I am not saying EV road tripping is doable for everyone. It isn't, and it won't be until infrastructure is far better even in middle of the US rural areas, and EVs are at least as efficient and fast charging as a 2025 Porsche Taycan. All I am saying is it is possible, at least in parts of the US and Canada. But maybe it's just possible for crazy people like me. ?

 

[21st Century Pony]

I just want to say that every time I DCFC, I do push-ups.

I plug in and drop. And then I notice the charger didn't start and has an error. So I stop doing push-ups and disconnect. Then I use the FP app or Charge Assist app to try to start the charger. Then I realize the charger is down. All the other chargers are occupied so I sit there, looking around, picking my nose. And then finally, that stupid Bolt finishes its 42-hour charge and I pull into that charging space.

I plug in and get another error. I call EA. They say I should activate the charger using the app first. Oh yeah, stupid me! So, I pull up the app and activate the charger. Oh, I forgot to unplug. So, I have to do that first and wait for it to reset. Then I can activate it. I plug back in and it starts! Awesome!

I drop again and start doing push-ups. As I am pushing along, I look up and notice the charge speed is only 30 kW. Crap. This must be one of the almost broken EA chargers. You know, the ones that work but only work slowly. Darn. I guess my push-ups are going to last a lot longer than I planned.

I look over my shoulder and see all the ICE vehicles pulling in an out of gas pumps, having a very stress-free time refueling. Little do they know how buff I am getting because I own a BEV. If only they knew....

Good for you to keep stepping it up. I prefer to amble.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

750 road-trip in my 2022 MME 4X

That's awesome, Nick! So glad to see the Mach-E on some adventures!

 

[Mirak]

Big city, eh? I live on a dirt road in the middle of the woods. Granted, I live in Maine, so east coast rural, not west coast rural, and definitely not middle of the US rural, but I haven't lived in a big city in 17 years. Honestly, I am not saying EV road tripping is doable for everyone. It isn't, and it won't be until infrastructure is far better even in middle of the US rural areas, and EVs are at least as efficient and fast charging as a 2025 Porsche Taycan. All I am saying is it is possible, at least in parts of the US and Canada. But maybe it's just possible for crazy people like me. ?

Right. But there’s a big difference between “possible” and “convenient / desirable.” That’s really the issue.

EV road charging just isn’t what it needs to be. Not yet. Hopefully in another 5-10 years this will be more palatable for mass adoption.

 

[Kotch]

750 road-trip in my 2022 MME 4X

I purchased my 2023 CART-1 MachE last November. My choice was the AWD with Extended Range Battery (91kWh). Before purchasing this vehicle I did research to make sure the range was rated at over 300 miles; The CART-1 was advertised at 312 miles range on a full charge. Since buying the vehicle I’ve taken a road trip to the Bay Area in CA And driven locally in Portland, OR. I had to charge 3 times after starting with a full charge to make it to Sonoma County (660 miles from my home in PDX). At no time did my MachE register 312 miles of range after charging, regardless how long or with different chargers (40 amp home charger - 12 hours to 100% with 278 miles range) nor with the Electrify America super chargers 150-350 amp. Every time the maximum range the vehicle registered on the dashboard was 278 miles of range at 100% charge. This was very disappointing and not what was advertised.

The Mach E is my third EV. Both the BMW i3 and Hyundai Kona charged to the EPA estimated range with the Kona actually exceeding the rated 258 miles of range routinely registering 300-330 miles of range and actually delivering nearly 300 miles each time I drove around town. I realize environmental conditions and driving habits impact the actual range of miles driven. That said, when the vehicle is fully charged should it not register 300-312 miles, as advertised? If the vehicle never registers over 300 miles of range how can it achieve 300-312 miles of driving range? Has anyone else had this experience, or a different experience with the extended range Premium or CART-1? When I took the car into the dealership for service and asked them to check this out they said they contacted Ford and gave me some malarkey about driving habits and the battery diminishing in strength - after 2600 miles? I thoroughly enjoy the car but frankly feel as though I was deceived by Ford’s literature as well as the salesperson who reiterated the fact this MachE with the purchased battery configuration would deliver over 300 miles of range.

 

[thekat03]

Right. But there’s a big difference between “possible” and “convenient / desirable.” That’s really the issue.

EV road charging just isn’t what it needs to be. Not yet. Hopefully in another 5-10 years this will be more palatable for mass adoption.

Sure. But that's why I don't tell people it's convenient. It isn't, for most people. But it is absolutely possible, and possible enough that some of us do it regularly. It can even be more enjoyable for people whose brains are wacky and wired like mine. ? And I hope that we crazy EV road trippers will help prove the demand for better infrastructure and more capable road tripping cars, so that eventually, it will be more feasible for the masses.

 

[Tampamike]

Right. But there’s a big difference between “possible” and “convenient / desirable.” That’s really the issue.

EV road charging just isn’t what it needs to be. Not yet. Hopefully in another 5-10 years this will be more palatable for mass adoption.

So, you’re convinced that road-tripping sucks in electric cars ( and apparently trying to convince those that enjoy their roadtrips that they are horribly mistaken), yet you still drive one, even though, from a previous post, you road trip quite often and suffer through it. Should I even ask the question?

 

[21st Century Pony]

Hopefully in another 5-10 years this will be more palatable for mass adoption.

Based on what progress I saw across the country in the past 20 months, I'll give it 3 - 5 years.

 

[mkhuffman]

I purchased my 2023 CART-1 MachE last November. My choice was the AWD with Extended Range Battery (91kWh). Before purchasing this vehicle I did research to make sure the range was rated at over 300 miles; The CART-1 was advertised at 312 miles range on a full charge. Since buying the vehicle I’ve taken a road trip to the Bay Area in CA And driven locally in Portland, OR. I had to charge 3 times after starting with a full charge to make it to Sonoma County (660 miles from my home in PDX). At no time did my MachE register 312 miles of range after charging, regardless how long or with different chargers (40 amp home charger - 12 hours to 100% with 278 miles range) nor with the Electrify America super chargers 150-350 amp. Every time the maximum range the vehicle registered on the dashboard was 278 miles of range at 100% charge. This was very disappointing and not what was advertised.

The Mach E is my third EV. Both the BMW i3 and Hyundai Kona charged to the EPA estimated range with the Kona actually exceeding the rated 258 miles of range routinely registering 300-330 miles of range and actually delivering nearly 300 miles each time I drove around town. I realize environmental conditions and driving habits impact the actual range of miles driven. That said, when the vehicle is fully charged should it not register 300-312 miles, as advertised? If the vehicle never registers over 300 miles of range how can it achieve 300-312 miles of driving range? Has anyone else had this experience, or a different experience with the extended range Premium or CART-1? When I took the car into the dealership for service and asked them to check this out they said they contacted Ford and gave me some malarkey about driving habits and the battery diminishing in strength - after 2600 miles? I thoroughly enjoy the car but frankly feel as though I was deceived by Ford’s literature as well as the salesperson who reiterated the fact this MachE with the purchased battery configuration would deliver over 300 miles of range.

Some BEVs display an overly optimistic range when charged to 100%. The MME has always used driving history and local climate conditions to adjust the estimated range to something more realistic.

When I first got my car, it was a lot less optimistic. Now it is more optimistic, but still, it is using data to adjust it so you have a realistic estimate of your range.

If you drive like the EPA test, you will get EPA range. If you do not, you won't. That is how all BEVs work.

 

[Space_Pony]

I would do everything I could to avoid paying .64/kwh at that station. It looks like we're going from range anxiety to price anxiety.

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