All-electric households?

[SmileyDude]

We just got rid of the 2018 GMC Sierra we had here, so for at least my wife and I, we're all electric (just the one MME). We do have a spot in line for a F-150 Lightning, but that seems like it won't be until late 2023 at this point.

I will admit, there is a bit of trepidation about going all electric. We didn't get the extended range battery and we are still using a 110V/15 AMP outlet to charge with (which was fine in the warmer months and when we had a ICE backup vehicle). Trying to get our Ford Connected Charger installed sometime before the ground completely freezes up here, but that will certainly help with some of the range anxiety

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[JamieGeek]

LOL of course I've been posting off topic on this thread but as far as the main topic:

We still have a few ICE's (and the RV) but all the lawn tools are electric: Edger, Mower, Snow Blower, Leaf Blower, etc. Got rid of the gas can years ago. (My first electric Mower had lead acid batteries in it and was very heavy.)

 

[67 Stang Convertible]

I love the idea of going total electric however the wife is not on board. When I ask her why, she can't give me a solid answer......I'll keep working on her. We have a year before empty nesting & new car time.

 

[TTT]

So happened we had a several day power outage recently, and she said she never wanted to be all EV.

Solar may or may not be a good fit for you depending on your location, your roof, etc. You can get a lot of the same benefits of solar however by just putting in a powerwall/battery backup however. You can switch to a time of use power plan and charge the battery up ant night when rates are low and use it during the day to run the AC and power the house when rates are higher - its like virtual solar panels.

Where it gets really interesting is when you have that power outage again. Sure, in the Zombie apocalypse the electricity will be down everywhere, but I have not had a power outage - even during the Northridge quake in '93, where even though my power was out there was still power available within 20 miles or less, usually within a mile.

Now, if you had that F-150 lightning you would be set! Sure, your buddy next door with an F150 lightining would be in pretty good shape too, you could both head out to a DCFC and fill your battery, but your house would stay powered on because of your powerwall while his would go dark while he was gone - then you both get home and you replenish your powerwall with the F150 while he simply powers the house off it and can't drive anywhere.

Don't get me wrong - solar is the best investment I ever made. I have a crappy roof so my panels are facing North, East, West, and only a few facing South, but my system is paying me back with a 19% Return on Investment. Next year I'll have all my money back and I'll be just pocketing the savings. Not everyone can install solar though. Almost everyone can install a battery storage system however and still get tax benefits and use the system to lower your electric bill. Once coupled with the F150 Lighting aka the Mobile Powerwall - you'll be nearly invincible. Add solar panels to that and only a direct hit from the asteroid can stop you.

 

[Chudsaviet]

We are all-electric household in WA, Seattle area.
Buying "Green choice" energy mix from PSE, mainly from wind farms.

 

[Davedough]

This thread makes me want to knock the dust off my telescope (and convince myself I really need a 10" Dobsonian.)

 

[Maquis]

Only if you option up to the Black Label I think. Looking at each base PHEV model with zero options (Volvo Inscription vs Lincoln Grand Touring) the Lincoln is roughly $3500 more, and when I option them each the way I'd want them, the Lincoln is $1300 more. (I'm not a Lincoln shill, just a pedant.)

I went back and reconfigured both to make sure I was getting what I wanted. The Lincoln ended up $76445 and the XC90 $67,440. For the Volvo, I added the "Advanced" package to get 360 cameras. For the Lincoln, I added the package to get PAAK, CoPilot 360, etc. The Lincoln ends up being better optioned and may be worth the difference of $9K.

Another consideration is that I have a local Ford/Lincoln dealer (same one I purchased my MME from, who's been great) while the nearest Volvo dealer is 100 miles away.

Thanks for making me pay attention!!

 

[Davedough]

I went back and reconfigured both to make sure I was getting what I wanted. The Lincoln ended up $76445 and the XC90 $67,440. For the Volvo, I added the "Advanced" package to get 360 cameras. For the Lincoln, I added the package to get PAAK, CoPilot 360, etc. The Lincoln ends up being better optioned and may be worth the difference of $9K.

Another consideration is that I have a local Ford/Lincoln dealer (same one I purchased my MME from, who's been great) while the nearest Volvo dealer is 100 miles away.

Thanks for making me pay attention!!

I don't know how much you care about the parent company of Volvo being Geely, a Chinese company, but that seems to ruffle a lot of feathers too. To be fair though, my wife test drove a few Volvos before she bought her Explorer ST and they do ride quite nice. Not sure if it will ride as nice as a Lincoln, but they felt good inside.

 

[dtbaker61]

There would also need to be a switch to power out I would think. Sans that it is just a battery brick.

not a switch.... but a 'pure-sine Inverter' , which inverts 12v-DC from connection points ito 120AC or 240AC output. Fed from the HV battery pack thru the on board dc-dc voltage converter from 400v to 12v .

the dc-dc converter is what is the pinch point in the Mach-e... it has a limited 'thruput', which looks to be about 1500-2000watts max continuous. The f-150 is designed with high capacity dc-dc, and will have an available 7kW Inverter pre-wired.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

We're moving to solar for ~85% of our household energy needs. We have a tankless gas water heater and gas furnace. Once we have solar and a 3-day battery backup, we'll likely turn off our furnace and when the tankless water heater needs replacing we'll replace it with an electric water heater.

By then we'll also likely have a 95% pure electric vehicle stable, with my motorcycle and our human-powered bicycles as the only exceptions.

 

[theo1000]

So are there any all-electric households out there in the rural midwest? Not counting you coastal people who have chargers on every corner. Personally, I would be OK with it, despite being a lifelong gearhead and mechanical engineer. Not worried about electrical service and rates, because ours is cheap and reliable. How about you?

I'm not quite rural MW but about 40 miles out of KC. Definitely charger desert. I do have a couple of Volts but I almost never drive them. Sold my Tundra as I wait for the lightning so essentially all EV family.

I mostly charge at home. Across my family and all our EV's We easily put 60,000 miles plus on our cars. During summer I drive our EV's down to the lake often. Charging access is a joke in these areas. I just take a 110v charger w/ 100' extension chord. The overnight boost has been enough to get me back home without issues. If I have to go several states over quickly I usually rent a ICE car. 1-2 times per year. The situation with DCFC or even L2 chargers is vastly better than 20-10 years ago when I got our first EV. Just make sure you can get on a 110v in a pinch would be my recommendation. Havn't seen any issues otherwise.

The one scare I had was when my wife blissfully took off towards Colorado rather than heading towards Missouri. Don't ask. Thankfully I remote spotted the mistake and guided her to the nearest EA station and then home....

 

[Cabel]

Our house is all electric. Both of our MMEs are electric.

My old British roadsters appropriately run on old fossils.

Mine (British stuff) too. Currently my wife drives a 2017 Volt that operates on average about 95% electric only. Last month the generator kicked in on a longer trip and it startled her. Works for her, as her daily commute is 0 miles and she only needs to do local stuff with an occasional trip outside the 52 mile EV range of the Volt, where the generator kicks in. When I get my GT, both her and my local everyday commuting needs will be fully met by electric range only.
But that doesn't take into consideration hauling a 7,000lb equipment/car trailer (I collect old tractors and British cars), pulling a 5th-wheel camper half way across the country, or helping one of my son's friends move two states away pulling a U-haul - EV's and the charging station designs just aren't up to that yet. How would I charge a Lightning, with trailer, at a Walmart now?
What I would love to see would be a new class of PHEV truck (like my wife's Volt in many ways). Think F-250/350 with a 2.0L to 2.5L diesel generator, EV only range of about 80 miles, crap-tons of torque and a large 110/240 job-site inverter, capable of maintaining highway speeds with a 5,000 load in tow for 500 miles combined diesel/EV, or powering a worksite or weekend cabin without needing to worry about depleting the battery out in the wilds. Perfect. I'd pay $150k for that in "Lariat" trim if Ford built it.

 

[DevSecOps]

The other day, my wife mentioned that she was glad we bought a 2021 F-150 PowerBoost instead of trying to get a Lightning, because when we get our MME, having a Lightning would make us all-electric, which she considers risky. We are Midwest dwellers, in a rural area, with scarce charging available. Now we plan to charge exclusively at home, but not having an ICE vehicle would make her uneasy. Hmmm.

So are there any all-electric households out there in the rural midwest? Not counting you coastal people who have chargers on every corner. Personally, I would be OK with it, despite being a lifelong gearhead and mechanical engineer. Not worried about electrical service and rates, because ours is cheap and reliable. How about you?

Preface: I live 30 minutes outside of the city and on 5 acres of property. While I'm in California and we have one of the most dense charging infrastructures in the country I would agree with your wife here.

Every year we lose power for 7-14 days during the winter. I do have a whole home generator that would easily power the entire home and charge the MME. Doing things like towing etc can be done with a lightening, but given that EV Trucks are relatively uncharted territory I would wait until there's more data and reviews on them for such tasks. If you're like me with cattle, horses, goats etc we have other equipment that is gas powered with no electrical alternatives. Since we have gas tractors etc we aren't going gas free completely so that's my rationale for agreeing with your wife.

 

[Maquis]

I don't know how much you care about the parent company of Volvo being Geely, a Chinese company, but that seems to ruffle a lot of feathers too. To be fair though, my wife test drove a few Volvos before she bought her Explorer ST and they do ride quite nice. Not sure if it will ride as nice as a Lincoln, but they felt good inside.

Yeah, I am aware of that. I was a Ford stockholder when they dissolved their “Premiere Automotive Group”, divesting Volvo, Jaguar, Aston-Martin, and Land Rover.
My sister has an XC90 and it rides nice, but the engine and road noises are sub-par, especially for the price range, IMO.

 

[Carsinmyblood]

How would I charge a Lightning, with trailer, at a Walmart now?

THAT... is an excellent question. Even without the trailer, the Lightning is long enough to foul up most of the places at which I've charged.

Charging architecture didn't contemplate an EV at 233". By comparison, the MME is 186" and the Leaf is 176" long, almost 5 feet shorter.

Just imagine being parked in a stall and having another FOUR FEET hanging out into the parking lot for 45 minutes while you go for a meal.

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