Hitch Rack and Battery Drop?

[OldEVGuy]

If a hitch won’t work, I wonder if something like this might?

https://www.thule.com/en-us/bike-rack/trunk-bike-racks/thule-raceway-platform-pro-2-_-1685475

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[ChasingCoral]

When you look at that thing in Europe, it looks like a "ball mount", and not a standard 2" receiver mount. I'm still keeping my Escape with my hitch for those times I want to go to a trail that is not rideable to, but would really like to see what you come up with @dtbaker61 . I'm not at the confidence level of ripping off the bumper myself.

Yes, the EU system is a ball mount without a receiver.

 

[jhalkias]

If a hitch won’t work, I wonder if something like this might?

https://www.thule.com/en-us/bike-rack/trunk-bike-racks/thule-raceway-platform-pro-2-_-1685475

Oh, I am sure that will work, but, I would NOT want to do it. I have a Saris "bones" rack too - similar to that before I got my Saris hitch rack. One time I was taking off the rack and forgot I had my key in my pocket. My foot went under the bumper and the hatch started to open. You see those clips that attach the straps? They try to make them so they won't damage your car or the paint, but they are not ideal. The hatch started to open after I had the bottom straps released, and the clip at the top was still in the panel gap of the hatch. I still have a "bend" in the top of the panel gap of my Escape where that clip got stuck as the hatch was opening. I was NOT happy.
A receiver mounted hitch rack is more stable, safer, and easier to get bikes off and on than one of these.
This is the one I had:
https://www.saris.com/product/bones-ex-2

This is the one I have now . . . GREAT rack.

https://www.saris.com/product/superclamp-ex-2

 

[OldEVGuy]

Oh, I am sure that will work, but, I would NOT want to do it. I have a Saris "bones" rack too - similar to that before I got my Saris hitch rack. One time I was taking off the rack and forgot I had my key in my pocket. My foot went under the bumper and the hatch started to open. You see those clips that attach the straps? They try to make them so they won't damage your car or the paint, but they are not ideal. The hatch started to open after I had the bottom straps released, and the clip at the top was still in the panel gap of the hatch. I still have a "bend" in the top of the panel gap of my Escape where that clip got stuck as the hatch was opening. I was NOT happy.
A receiver mounted hitch rack is more stable, safer, and easier to get bikes off and on than one of these.
This is the one I had:
https://www.saris.com/product/bones-ex-2

This is the one I have now . . . GREAT rack.

https://www.saris.com/product/superclamp-ex-2

Thanks for the advice, and your story.

I‘m really hoping for a hitch for the MME. I’ve been using an early version of the Kuat NV 2.0. It accepts both a 1.25” or 2” receiver. It’s a great rack too.

https://www.kuatracks.com/product/nv-2-0/

 

[jhalkias]

Thanks for the advice, and your story.

I‘m really hoping for a hitch for the MME. I’ve been using the first version of the Kuat NV 2.0. It accepts both a 1.25” or 2” receiver. It’s a great rack too.

https://www.kuatracks.com/product/nv-2-0/

Wow, that is a really NICE rack. I like how it pivots out, and how it has an integrated repair stand. I wouldn't want to lose being able to use that.

 

[jhalkias]

And I don't usually use "Nice rack" in that context . . .

Now I will get a ticket from @GoGoGadgetMachE

 

[macchiaz-o]

And I don't usually use "Nice rack" in that context . . .

Now I will get a ticket from @GoGoGadgetMachE

I heard he'd just issue a warning if you speak Klingon to him. Sort of a soft spot. He might even hand over an axe or something if your accent is good.

 

[jhalkias]

I heard he'd just issue a warning if you speak Klingon to him. Sort of a soft spot. He might even hand over an axe or something if your accent is good.

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

And I don't usually use "Nice rack" in that context . . .

Now I will get a ticket from @GoGoGadgetMachE

Context is for kings, and we're mostly kings here. So you're okay.

I heard he'd just issue a warning if you speak Klingon to him. Sort of a soft spot. He might even hand over an axe or something if your accent is good.

Lies. Slander.

 

[ChasingCoral]

Lies. Slander.

Jatlh!

 

[dtbaker61]

When you look at that thing in Europe, it looks like a "ball mount", and not a standard 2" receiver mount. I'm still keeping my Escape with my hitch for those times I want to go to a trail that is not rideable to, but would really like to see what you come up with @dtbaker61 . I'm not at the confidence level of ripping off the bumper myself.

if/when I get my car, I'll post whatever I come up with.....

 

[Billyk24]

I think the notion of the "battery drop" for maintenance is perhaps a bit of a misunderstanding. The battery array is expected to last the life of the car. By analogy this is a bit like saying you might need to drop the engine out of an ICE vehicle for infrequent maintenance. The reality is that unless something has gone very wrong with the engine, it should never need to be pulled out of the car. The same is true for the EV battery array.

I have a 14 year old Prius and a 12 year old Escape Hybrid. Neither have ever had any kind of battery maintenance and batteries are still going strong (and these are NiCD batteries!).

I was invited to a Hybrid event at Ford (conveniently I live in Dearborn so it wasn't much of a drive... perhaps 2 miles) ... the chief engineer at the time explained that even with NiCD technology, if you never charge it more than 75% and you never allow it to be discharged to having less than 25% ... the battery will last forever (ok, I paraphrased that, she didn't technically say "forever" but she did say "the life of the vehicle" and that we should never expect to need to replace the batteries.) The computer controls the charge/discharge to keep it in that range.

I recall have cellphones with NiCD batteries and the whole "You have to COMPLETELY discharge the phone and the FULLY re-charge the phone or it will develop a 'memory' and make it more difficult to accept a full charge later." That turns out to not be true. My 14 and 12 year old NiCD battery cars are STILL going strong.



Now onto the hitch. I did hear that there may be a hitch offered and, in particular, for hitch-mounted rack systems for things like bicycles.

The very same Hybrid event I attended had some eye-opener slides presented. They told us they intended to make the slides available ... but that never happened. So while I don't have slides to share, from memory here are some of the things that were shared....

Merely having a bike rack installed on the roof of the vehicle would result in a 10% drop in fuel-economy while traveling at freeway speeds (no bike... just a bike rack). Having a BIKE on that rack would result in a 25% drop in fuel economy (at freeway speeds). Ford's recommendation was to use a hitch rack to "hide" the bike in the draft-zone behind the vehicle to minimize the aerodynamic drag.

They also shared data regarding other aspects of fuel economy. It was very important to regular check tire pressure. Underinflation will result in a reduction in fuel economy. For an ICE engine ... the SINGLE thing that will have the biggest impact on fuel economy is the air-intake filter. A dirty filter can reduce fuel economy by 10% ... just that one thing.

Turning on the rear-window defogger or running the fan on high (never mind the AC ... just the fan motor draw regardless of heat vs. cool) was a pretty big power draw.

Something she pointed out that ICE owners probably don't recognize is that in ALL electrical devices are really getting their power from the fuel. There is no free energy. If every electrical device (radio, fan, headlights, etc., etc.) are switched off then the generator doesn't present much drag to the serpentine belt. But if you have everything running, then it's very hard to spin the generator wheel and that drag costs fuel economy.

There were also comments about general weight. I don't recall the statistic they threw at us. But the take-away point was this: don't store things in the car that you aren't using. If you are driving around with your bowling ball, your golf clubs, your hockey gear, etc. because it's just 'convenient' to leave it in the car ... you are robbing fuel economy caused by the extra friction of moving all that weight around. (This was followed by some humorous comment that you should tell your spouse to go on a diet to save fuel economy (For your personal safety, I recommend you do NOT do that.))

My 2005 Escape Hybrid had symptoms of a dying battery starting late in 2018 and by the time I had to unload it in October 2019, the state of charge would be under 10% if it was not driven for three days. Remember, this vehicle was self charging and was designed to stay around 53% SOC. I had 199,000 miles on it when I had to unload it. The battery does not last forever.

 

[GoGoGadgetMachE]

Battery drop is something that happens to all BEVs of a certain age and it's nothing to be ashamed of.

 

[timbop]

Battery drop is something that happens to all BEVs of a certain age and it's nothing to be ashamed of.

"I swear to god, this has never happened to my BEV before!"

 

[Colorider]

How long did it take for your FEH to die? My MMH has been dying slowly for about a year but it only drops to 30% so far (2008 with 104k miles). My HCHII showed signs of the battery failing for about 3 years and it didn’t actually die before I traded it.

I figure I should have the MME by September and am counting on the MMH lasting until then.

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