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Huntn

macrumors Core
May 5, 2008
23,968
27,051
The Misty Mountains
Never lived anywhere hot! But cold is not great. I thought batteries liked to be hot from what I remember from physics.
I’m relying on my personal experience and the guy at the shop who said I was lucky to get more than 2 years out of car battery in Texas, with a annual 4 month period of 90F+ weather.
 
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jaymc

macrumors 6502a
Nov 10, 2012
511
269
Port Orchard, WA
Replacing batteries or ready to sell a 10 year old car whose $5k (or more) batteries just **** themselves. :)

When traveling using a super charger, how long does a full charge take?
Never had a problem with my batteries; don't know what you mean. When traveling, it takes about 30 minutes to go from 20% to 90% charge - newer cars are much faster. But since my travel (using superchargers) is less than about 2% of my usage, I don't care. How long do you spend at the gas station each month? I have a full tank every morning.
 

Huntn

macrumors Core
May 5, 2008
23,968
27,051
The Misty Mountains
Your guy at the shop is misinformed.
Well this was a auto repair manager who replaces regular car batteries for a living, and my personal experience replacing battiies since moving to a hotter climate. Am I misinformed too? ;) However, I already made a distinction between standard car batteries and EV batteries, and already stated I don’t know if the same parallels exist between the two types of batteries when it comes to a hot climate.
 

jz0309

Contributor
Sep 25, 2018
11,318
29,878
SoCal
Well this was a auto repair manager who replaces regular car batteries for a living, and my personal experience replacing battiies since moving to a hotter climate. Am I misinformed too? ;) However, I already made a distinction between standard car batteries and EV batteries, and already stated I don’t know if the same parallels exist between the two types of batteries when it comes to a hot climate.
have been living in CA for the past 25 years and owned many cars, never had to replace the 12V battery before age 5 (years) or later, but admittedly, TX is way more humid than CA ...

I've owned hybrids for over 10 years, in CARB states the warranty for the (traction) batteries is 10 years as they are part of the emission system. I also know that many Prius's go for well over 200k miles without (traction) battery issues.

For charging, I'm happy to charge at 110V overnight as a full charge for that takes ~ 6hrs (8A), but that is a plug-in, for an EV you need 220V.

As for charging infrastructure, if you don't drive a Tesla, you're still in a bad place, even here in CA. I was considering an EV at the time I got my plug-in but I was doing frequent 400mi 1-way trips and those would have been extended by several hours, plus, there are no "local" charging stations even at hotels, well, very few ...
 
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PracticalMac

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 22, 2009
2,857
5,243
Houston, TX
No way. Too long to charge between drives. Then there is the battery liability issue. :)
Full charge in 15 min, about same as gas car.

Or plug into typical house socket and charge overnight.

No liability, that was resolved years ago (after all, electric cars have existed 100 years or more).
Replacing batteries or ready to sell a 10 year old car whose $5k (or more) batteries just **** themselves. :)

When traveling using a super charger, how long does a full charge take?
Some EV and Hybrids are over 10 years, still going.

The formula for the car Li-ion batteries is for charge cycles, not energy density. They do loose capacity over time, so far looks to be in 70~80% capacity after 10 years.

Basically, better than expected, the book is being written.
 

PracticalMac

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 22, 2009
2,857
5,243
Houston, TX
I’m relying on my personal experience and the guy at the shop who said I was lucky to get more than 2 years out of car battery in Texas, with a annual 4 month period of 90F+ weather.
That is Lead-Acid, and must be incredibly poor ones. Mine get 4.5 to 6 years life (and I live just down the road).

Li-ion are more stable and longer lasting.
 

PracticalMac

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 22, 2009
2,857
5,243
Houston, TX
For charging, I'm happy to charge at 110V overnight as a full charge for that takes ~ 6hrs (8A), but that is a plug-in, for an EV you need 220V.
Negative. You can charge on 110v.
Never heard of an EV that is only 220v

As for charging infrastructure, if you don't drive a Tesla, you're still in a bad place, even here in CA. I was considering an EV at the time I got my plug-in but I was doing frequent 400mi 1-way trips and those would have been extended by several hours, plus, there are no "local" charging stations even at hotels, well, very few ...
On road charging stations is a challenge, but doable.

Regardless, on must look at his driving habits to see how well he/she can drive and charge.

As a second car for neighborhood trips it is a no-brainer.
As a primary car, and/or long trips then a serious study is needed.
 
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jz0309

Contributor
Sep 25, 2018
11,318
29,878
SoCal
Negative. You can charge on 110v.
Never heard of an EV that is only 220v
I worded this poorly, yes, you can charge an EV at 110V, but, you're not getting a whole lot of range if you are charging overnight, eg my Prius Prime takes ~ 6hrs to get 25-30 miles for a full charge on 110V, on 220V it takes ~ 2 1/4 hrs. If you can live with that range, that's fine
 
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sjsharksfan12

macrumors 68020
Jun 29, 2020
2,041
2,507
San Jose, CA
I bought a Honda Accord 5 years ago and I do like the car. I do think the next car I buy will be electric though, but I really wish they would all increase the range before the next charge. I have seen charging stations up in a few areas, but they really need to grow it before I can feel comfortable getting one. If I can't make it from San Francisco to LA on one charge for an electric vehicle, than I'm not sure they are fully ready yet.
 

raccoontail

macrumors regular
Jul 5, 2007
241
153
I plan on a plug-in hybrid next. I can charge at work and home (with the 120v outlet already in my garage), so almost all my local miles will be electric. I live in a really cold climate and take a fair number of road trips through isolated areas - a fully electric car isn't that practical yet. Consumer reports recently reported PHEV's typical maintenance costs are lower than either full electric or gas cars. Surprising because of the added complexity, but I guess PHEV engines don't run as much, and if the large battery in a fully electric car gets damaged it costs a fortune to replace.
 

jz0309

Contributor
Sep 25, 2018
11,318
29,878
SoCal
I bought a Honda Accord 5 years ago and I do like the car. I do think the next car I buy will be electric though, but I really wish they would all increase the range before the next charge. I have seen charging stations up in a few areas, but they really need to grow it before I can feel comfortable getting one. If I can't make it from San Francisco to LA on one charge for an electric vehicle, than I'm not sure they are fully ready yet.
But to be fair, you can’t make that trip without getting gas in most gas cars either.
When there is network of fast chargers other than Tesla, where you can get 80% charge within 15 min, then it will be ok imho, but we are still far away from that network and that imho is the real issue.
Making long trips in an EV must be as easy as with a gas car…
 

sjsharksfan12

macrumors 68020
Jun 29, 2020
2,041
2,507
San Jose, CA
But to be fair, you can’t make that trip without getting gas in most gas cars either.
When there is network of fast chargers other than Tesla, where you can get 80% charge within 15 min, then it will be ok imho, but we are still far away from that network and that imho is the real issue.
Making long trips in an EV must be as easy as with a gas car…

That's true and I think that's a more realistic goal. Electric Stations should be as prominant as Gas Stations, especially if goals are expected to be met in the next 5 to 10 years. I just don't want to be stranded going over the mountains on the way to LA because my car ran out of charge and there were barely any charging stations in sight.
 

annk

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 18, 2004
15,208
9,652
Somewhere over the rainbow
I had a Mitsubishi iMiev for a couple years and absolutely loved it. Perfect for driving and maneuvering in the narrow Oslo streets and got me easily to and from the small towns 30 km away, even during winter.

I ended up selling it because our situation changed and we didn't need two cars. My husband sold his Tesla model S and we got a used Tesla Model 3, which I like a lot more than the S. The S was too big to drive in town in my opinion (though my husband didn't think so). I felt like I was driving a tank, especially compared to the peppy little iMiev. The 3 is more the size of a regular car in my opinion.

We've had EVs for years now, and driving eight hours across Norway to my husband's hometown with only a 30 min stop to top up the charge is really nice. You have to plan a bit, since there are fewer charging stations than fuel stations, but there are really a lot of charging stations over here now.

Originally I had a bright red Buddy, which I loved. But I outgrew it eventually. I would love to have one again, you can park them anywhere.

Not me in the pic but it shows the size of the thing.

1621272748385.png
 
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Apple fanboy

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Feb 21, 2012
56,894
55,830
Behind the Lens, UK
I had a Mitsubishi iMiev for a couple years and absolutely loved it. Perfect for driving and maneuvering in the narrow Oslo streets and got me easily to and from the small towns 30 km away, even during winter.

I ended up selling it because our situation changed and we didn't need two cars. My husband sold his Tesla model S and we got a used Tesla Model 3, which I like a lot more than the S. The S was too big to drive in town in my opinion (though my husband didn't think so). I felt like I was driving a tank, especially compared to the peppy little iMiev. The 3 is more the size of a regular car in my opinion.

We've had EVs for years now, and driving eight hours across Norway to my husband's hometown with only a 30 min stop to top up the charge is really nice. You have to plan a bit, since there are fewer charging stations than fuel stations, but there are really a lot of charging stations over here now.

Originally I had a bright red Buddy, which I loved. But I outgrew it eventually. I would love to have one again, you can park them anywhere.

Not me in the pic but it shows the size of the thing.

View attachment 1776173
Outgrew it? When you were about 11 I should think! That thing looks like a toy. Or is your friend massive!
 
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raccoontail

macrumors regular
Jul 5, 2007
241
153
When there is network of fast chargers other than Tesla, where you can get 80% charge within 15 min, then it will be ok
My gas car can get to a 100% full tank in under 5 minutes, and then drive 450 highway miles. Even a Tesla using superchargers (not all of which can charge at full speed) would take 3 charges of 15 minutes each to get that range assuming highway speeds on a cold day. For multi-car families it can make sense to have one electric car, but if you only have one car, a PHEV is going to be a much better choice for most people.
 

annk

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 18, 2004
15,208
9,652
Somewhere over the rainbow
Outgrew it? When you were about 11 I should think! That thing looks like a toy. Or is your friend massive!

Yeah, it looks like a toy. The guy in the pic isn't someone I know, but he's likely a perfectly normal sized adult.

I hadn't driven for 17 years at that point and was getting back into driving in a new country. The little Buddy cars were perfect, they are so easy to get around in. Though my husband wouldn't agree. He went with me when I test drove one. I was ecstatic - I loved very minute and knew that it was made for me. He on the other hand braced himself against the dash the entire way with a terrified look on his face LOL. He couldn't believe I actually wanted one.
 
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Apple fanboy

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Feb 21, 2012
56,894
55,830
Behind the Lens, UK
Yeah, it looks like a toy. The guy in the pic isn't someone I know, but he's likely a perfectly normal sized adult.

I hadn't driven for 17 years at that point and was getting back into driving in a new country. The little Buddy cars were perfect, they are so easy to get around in. Though my husband wouldn't agree. He went with me when I test drove one. I was ecstatic - I loved very minute and knew that it was made for me. He on the other hand braced himself against the dash the entire way with a terrified look on his face LOL. He couldn't believe I actually wanted one.
I’d love to cut down to one car, but Mrs AFB won’t drive a big car like my VW Golf (lol), and I’m not going to drive around in a little car like her Kia Picanto.
 

bunnspecial

macrumors G3
May 3, 2014
8,352
6,495
Kentucky
Full charge in 15 min, about same as gas car.
"About the same" ?

It takes 3 minutes for me to put 12 gallons(3/4 tank) in my car, and that includes a minute of messing around with paying and saying 3 times I don't want a car wash.

I've timed myself at 10 minutes total before to do a pit stop-that was time taking the exit off the interstate to back on, and included a bathroom break. I don't usually do that fast, but when you're in a hurry, it can be done.
 
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Killbynumbers

macrumors 6502a
May 29, 2019
578
565
Next car in 3-4 years. I bought a new 2019 CR-V last May and two weeks ago bought a used 2019 Accord. Maybe when I'm ready to do the next trade in, Honda will have every model available as electric.
 

jaymc

macrumors 6502a
Nov 10, 2012
511
269
Port Orchard, WA
My gas car can get to a 100% full tank in under 5 minutes, and then drive 450 highway miles. Even a Tesla using superchargers (not all of which can charge at full speed) would take 3 charges of 15 minutes each to get that range assuming highway speeds on a cold day. For multi-car families it can make sense to have one electric car, but if you only have one car, a PHEV is going to be a much better choice for most people.
You forgot the part where your card is declined, go see the attendant, wait for the crack addict to purchase lottery tickets, go back and pump your gas, then back to get your change.
 

Killbynumbers

macrumors 6502a
May 29, 2019
578
565
You forgot the part where your card is declined, go see the attendant, wait for the crack addict to purchase lottery tickets, go back and pump your gas, then back to get your change.
I don't trust them to leave my card with them while I pump so I pay at the pump. All stations here now have the chip reader so it's secure doing so.
 
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