EV in a hurricane evacuation

[dbsb3233]

Gas stations had generators, so they were up and running, but the refineries were down, so gas was limited.

Makes sense. Pros and cons to both but I would agree that gas offers more flexibility. When things really get tough, it's hard to beat a gas can and a syphon hose.

What I'd really want in a disaster is an F-150 hybrid Powerboost.

Sponsored

 

[Ghost Ryder]

Makes sense. Pros and cons to both but I would agree that gas offers more flexibility. When things really get tough, it's hard to beata gas can and a syphon hose.

Houston had a big problem with people stealing gas from other peoples cars after the hurricane.

 

[Mach1E]

IMO, unless you are trying to get 3 states away quickly before a natural disaster hits, I would rather have an EV than an ICE. No lines to fill up before the disaster, can last much longer when sitting still (like in a garage or stuck in traffic), can be turned on with the garage door still closed if needed for heat etc., can be charged (albeit inefficiently) via gas generator if necessary. If you have solar panels plus a home battery you are much better prepared to drive during or right after the disaster.

I live on the water, Tampa Bay, 5 feet up.

If we evacuate, NO question we are taking the Lincoln Aviator, not the Mach E.

Why? Significantly more range and way easier to refuel in an evacuation and after the storm.

Sure, some gas stations are out of fuel, but there are literally dozens within every few miles. And some will be without power after the storm, but many have generators and are priority #2 (after hospitals) for getting power back.

With a gas car? Way less likely to get stranded.

BEV? You aren’t going to find an open charger anywhere in FL right now or after the storm. Not taking that chance.

Worst case- Irma, Sebring Fl had no electricity for weeks. No gas stations working.

People brought gas in portable containers. Not happening with a BeV.

 

[MW1515]

There are few holes in your logic. If you're evacuating a Cat3 or larger there is a very good chance your solar will be in another county after the storm. Putting any surplus gas in an ICE would probably get you twice as far than running a generator to charge an EV.

Evacuating north from central Florida puts the average EV in a relatively poor charging area after depleting the initial charge. Plus its not one EVs but many EVs all looking for a charge in the same charging dead zone. ICEs the other hand will be much further north and more dispersed when they need a fill up.

Good points for that situation, although I was generalizing to many different types and strengths of storms (e.g. snow), and to states other than FL. I also said if I was trying to get far, far away before the storm I'd still rather have an ICE. But as long as your house isn't ripped apart by a hurricane, if you remain anywhere near your house or in your house during the disaster, I'd rather have an EV, and ideally solar plus battery backup.

 

[mjs020294]

I live on the water, Tampa Bay, 5 feet up.

If we evacuate, NO question we are taking the Lincoln Aviator, not the Mach E.

Why? Significantly more range and way easier to refuel in an evacuation and after the storm.

I think that really is the key with a Florida evacuation. An EVs 200-250 miles puts you in northern Florida which is pretty rural and there really isn't a good charging network. Many ICEs can go 500+ miles between fill ups and that gives you many more options.

 

[MW1515]

I live on the water, Tampa Bay, 5 feet up.

If we evacuate, NO question we are taking the Lincoln Aviator, not the Mach E.

Why? Significantly more range and way easier to refuel in an evacuation and after the storm.

Sure, some gas stations are out of fuel, but there are literally dozens within every few miles. And some will be without power after the storm, but many have generators and are priority #2 (after hospitals) for getting power back.

With a gas car? Way less likely to get stranded.

BEV? You aren’t going to find an open charger anywhere in FL right now or after the storm. Not taking that chance.

Worst case- Irma, Sebring Fl had no electricity for weeks. No gas stations working.

People brought gas in portable containers. Not happening with a BeV.

All true, if I were you I'd do the same. In MD, getting stuck on the highway trying to get home during a big snowstorm is much more likely than having to evacuate before a hurricane. I've never heard of people distributing gas with gas cans in the middle of a snowstorm, so I'd rather be in the Mach E than our ICE, although... our Odyssey DOES have a DVD player. ?

 

[DevSecOps]

Here's a video from a couple years ago in Kettleman City, California. There's ... wait for it ... 40, yes 40, superchargers plus 10 DCFC there and the line to charge was backed up on the freeway (Interstate 5 - a 70mph freeway) for a mile. This was over Thanksgiving weekend, not an evacuation. It was reported that people had to wait hours to charge. NO. THANK. YOU.

While gas lines can get long, they move through cars quickly. There's no moving quick at a charger. To add facts to this; In 2019, we had a 5% market share of EVs in California. Imagine what this would look like with a higher market share.

 

[mjs020294]

Apparently Florida has the second largest number of EVs behind California of course. The scarcity of chargers in northern Florida would be a major issue in an evacuation.

ICEs on the other hand would have the range to get as far as Atlanta on one tank, plus they would have the option of going west to Alabama before needing a fill up.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

Good points for that situation, although I was generalizing to many different types and strengths of storms (e.g. snow), and to states other than FL

This brings up what is key to understanding some of the varied response in this thread. Some folks only know hurricanes from tge news. Others live in areas where they are an ever present, though not routine, threat. Some have easy evacuation routes, others not so much.

I look at this as a resident of an island. There are 200,000 residents plus military and tourists here. There is no evacuation. It’s not possible. So shelter in place is a required thought process. Given my situation with pve and batteries, that “drives” my desire to ensure I gave a fully charged ev plus a week of supplies for each household member. Others will definitely vary.

 

[Mach1E]

Here's a video from a couple years ago in Kettleman City, California. There's ... wait for it ... 40, yes 40, superchargers plus 10 DCFC there and the line to charge was backed up on the freeway (Interstate 5 - a 70mph freeway) for a mile. This was over Thanksgiving weekend, not an evacuation. It was reported that people had to wait hours to charge. NO. THANK. YOU.

While gas lines can get long, they move through cars quickly. There's no moving quick at a charger. To add facts to this; In 2019, we had a 5% market share of EVs in California. Imagine what this would look like with a higher market share.

Getting a high market share of BEVs evacuated…….. easy, as long as you only need to go 200 miles.

How to get them home? No clue. Will take weeks probably and a hot mess. The DC charging grid may never be prepared to charge EVERYONE. Home charging will likely be the primary source of charging into the distant future.

But in a major hurricane vs Florida situation, it’ll feel like too many lifeboats on the Titanic.

200 miles? I’m still in the path of the hurricane.

Think Irma 2017. Whole state evacuated. Had to go well into Georgia to be safe.

Now imagine they were all driving BEVs.

How would you get everyone safely to Georgia then back home in a timely fashion?

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

Apparently Florida has the second largest number of EVs behind California of course.

Last stats I saw had California, followed by New York the Florida. Either way, there are a lot of ev’s there. Same study shows as a percentage of the car market the top 10 are:

California
District of Columbia
Washington
Oregon
Hawaii
Colorado
Arizona
Nevada
Maryland
Massachusetts

Only one of those is routinely under a hurricane threat. The issue of evacuating with BEVs isn’t going to get easier to solve.

 

[billy_at]

I think that in general there's issues with emergencies and EVs. Not necessarily or exclusively for a hurricane, but let's say that you return home from a vacation and your SOC is at 5% (10-20 miles). You get a call when you get home that your grandmother fell and needs help, but she's 40 miles away... you'll have to wait until the car can charge. I have an ICE vehicle just for these reasons and others (towing etc). My grandmother is 93 years old and I take care of her more than her own kids. Today she called and said she needs help ASAP because the dishwasher is leaking all over the floor, so off I go...

In this case, I would just make a 20-minute stop at a DCFC charger on the way, no different from having to gas up an ICE car if you notice the tank is low.

 

[billy_at]

If you just returned from vacation and have two BEVs, wouldn’t the one that stayed home still have 100 miles of juice in it?

just sayin’

Um, good point!

 

[mjs020294]

Last stats I saw had California, followed by New York the Florida. Either way, there are a lot of ev’s there. Same study shows as a percentage of the car market the top 10 are:

2021, which is the latest available, has Florida a clear second in total EVs. The percentage by market is a fairly meaningless number other than giving and indication of overall EV adoption.

https://electrek.co/2022/08/24/current-ev-registrations-in-the-us-how-does-your-state-stack-up/


With over 130,000 (sept 2022 guesstimate) EVs in the State that means there is the potential for thousands of EVs looking for a charge in north Florida which is a bit of a charging dead zone. Waiting in line at a charger for hours (possibly days) with a following hurricane would be an harrowing experience. Especially when you consider that I75 is not that far inland. Any change in the path of the hurricane and you could end up stranded in your car has a major hurricane passes over.

 

[mkhuffman]

Anyone who thinks they can excape a hurricane in a BEV and is relying on a DCFC stop is in for a world of trouble. I know this point has been made, but it seems like it isn't sinking in for some people.

Charger congestion is a real problem even on a normal day. More and more BEVs are getting released into the wild, and you can see them when you need to DCFC. Maybe Todd doesn't want to take his MME to see his grandmother because the 20 minute DCFC stop isn't a sure thing? Maybe there are people waiting at that charger and then it becomes a 2 hour "fast" charge.

If you are evacuating to a home that has power, and you can charge there, taking a BEV makes sense. But if you think your hotel will have a spare charger when hundreds of others are planning on the using those same two chargers, good luck. If you score one you should play the lottery that day.

Sponsored