Want to buy an electric pickup?

[Mark in Ottawa]

The big problem with EVs is that the hype implicitly assumes that the electric power to charge them is somehow and always from a source that is environmentally friendly and that the vehicle itself is as well. That is not always true. If your area gets its electricity from hydro or nuclear than indeed the source is "green" but if the source is based on a generator that uses coal, then the hype fails. In addition, there are apparently going to be a lot of problems with the disposal of the batteries. I am not sure if or how they will be recycled.

At this point, I am unlikely to buy an EV, partly because of the range issues, partly because of the recharging issues and partly because of the financial costs. In ten years I expect things to have improved a lot but in ten years I will be so old that I'd be a menace on the road and probably won't be driving

[Allen]

If your area gets its electricity from hydro or nuclear than indeed the source is "green"

Nuclear not very green when you consider the nuclear waste that will eventually occur.

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In ten years I expect things to have improved a lot but in ten years I will be so old that I'd be a menace on the road and probably won't be driving

I'm retired. I don't think I'm a menace on the road yet but sure don't drive much any more, perhaps 20+ miles a week. A new $70,000 electric truck would never pay for itself in my case. I currently drive a pickup that gets about 14mpg. It wouldn't matter if it got 4mpg as little as I drive now. I drive what I like. It has plenty of power, has 4x4 if needed and can fill it up anywhere most any time.

[dryheat]

The other day I saw a grown man riding an electric scooter. The kids "drive" electric skateboards.

[Johnny P]

At the present state of battery development an electric truck is more a deluxe golf cart. Good for driving into town and back, but not ready for actual truck duties.

[oscars]

Just out of curiosity, tell me how many of those hyper loaded King Ranch F150’s (also known as Cowboy Cadillacs) never leave pavement.

[togor]

Guys this is coming whether you like it or not.

Electric machines are so much simpler to manufacture than internal combustion engines plus transmissions PLUS transfer cases PLUS DIFFERENTIALS.

Put a motor on each wheel and let the computer adjust the torque. The number of engineering problems that this eliminates is too many to count.

[Roadkingtrax]

Infrastructure and fast charging is what I would want to be a consumer.

One observation on the austere environments...do we send internal combustion engines to other planets? Pretty sure it's battery technology, and not the guts of a GTO...I could be wrong though.

[dryheat]

Just out of curiosity, tell me how many of those hyper loaded King Ranch F150?s (also known as Cowboy Cadillacs) never leave pavement.

Or jeep Renegades with the requisite Big Jack on the back and a lot of fancy lighting.

[Mark in Ottawa]

Nuclear not very green when you consider the nuclear waste that will eventually occur.

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I'm retired. I don't think I'm a menace on the road yet but sure don't drive much any more, perhaps 20+ miles a week. A new $70,000 electric truck would never pay for itself in my case. I currently drive a pickup that gets about 14mpg. It wouldn't matter if it got 4mpg as little as I drive now. I drive what I like. It has plenty of power, has 4x4 if needed and can fill it up anywhere most any time.

One of the things that surprised me when I retired was that I was driving more than ever. Apart from driving 1,600 miles to Florida every year, even with the COVID lockdown we seem to be going somewhere every day and with the current price of gas, I feel every mile in my wallet.

[lyman]

Infrastructure and fast charging is what I would want to be a consumer.

One observation on the austere environments...do we send internal combustion engines to other planets? Pretty sure it's battery technology, and not the guts of a GTO...I could be wrong though.

battery, solar and IIRC a few had small Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs)

hard to run a GTO on the moon,

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Just out of curiosity, tell me how many of those hyper loaded King Ranch F150?s (also known as Cowboy Cadillacs) never leave pavement.

most around here don't even hit a gravel driveway

ditto the Range Rovers, Land Rovers and Land Cruisers

[Allen]

One of the things that surprised me when I retired was that I was driving more than ever. Apart from driving 1,600 miles to Florida every year, even with the COVID lockdown we seem to be going somewhere every day and with the current price of gas, I feel every mile in my wallet.

Everyone's situation is different. I use to drive 110 miles a day to work. Now, I just go to the local stores and gas stations which are 2-3 miles away.

We didn't travel much before. Our kids were in school, it took an act of congress to get time off from work and whatnot. Now, I have time but with all the covid, politics, illegals, crowds, price of gas and congested highways we don't go anywhere we don't have to go. Airlines have cut flights due to no one wanting to work so driving is the best option here and it sucks.

I just came back from the hardware store, about a 5-6 mile round trip. That will do me for a couple of days.

[Art]

Guys this is coming whether you like it or not.

Electric machines are so much simpler to manufacture than internal combustion engines plus transmissions PLUS transfer cases PLUS DIFFERENTIALS.

Put a motor on each wheel and let the computer adjust the torque. The number of engineering problems that this eliminates is too many to count.

That is true for most applications.

BUT, and its several huge buts.

Right now the cars, with some exceptions are out of most people's price ranges. The bigger problem is lack of infrastructure. Until we have a grid that will be up to the demand of providing power for an electric car in nearly every garage, and charging stations as common as gas stations the Ocasio-Cortez of the world can't get their wish. I've heard from people in the oil industry that by 2175 - 2200 most people will own an electric automobile which is how long they think it'll take to put in the infrastructure.

Rick Perry, who has some credibility, on the subject, said that without nuclear power and natural gas there will be no reliable. consistent power grid for the foreseeable future and he has that right. Unfortunately the environmental extremists, to whom environmentalism isn't a movement but a religion will never be down with that. California may learn a hard lesson about this this summer.

What the greens should be pushing now are plug in hybrids. These cars have a small engine whose only job is to periodically recharge the batteries. If you are driving locally and recharging every night you'll use no fuel. The only time the little motor kicks in is when the car's mileage exceeds its range during a day or on a trip. They use very little gasoline and solve the range problem. Of course the "greens" want everything all at once and if you have to suffer now....too bad.

[Allen]

most around here don't even hit a gravel driveway

ditto the Range Rovers, Land Rovers and Land Cruisers

Some years we get 300 days of rain (or close to it). 4x4 vehicles can come in handy with soft ground and mild flooding. Take a nice truck in the woods for hunting? Nope, that's what the Gators and Polaris side by sides are for.

Most folks I know only use 4 wheel drive when they are going down a wet gravel/dirt driveway or road to keep from tearing the road up. It's not that they are worried about getting stuck. Many find it handly when pulling boats up slippery slimy boat ramps.

I've never needed the use of 4x4 on my truck but just like my 50cal it is there if I need it.

[Allen]

What the greens should be pushing now should be plug in hybrids. they use very little gasoline and solve the range problem.

To me Chevrolet had the best of the best with the Volt.

It operated like a little train. You could charge it up at home, drive 40-50 miles (or so), when the batteries ran down the small gas engine in the car would kick in and start charging the batteries. You still ran with the elec motors, you just had a gas engine, basically a gas generator charging the batteries. You were never stranded due to lack of charge like the ones now.

I use to see these things all over, usually on the Interstate hauling butt. The batt powered range was short but still gave drivers a chance to drive that distance (short trips) using no gas.

They are no longer made. I think Trumps cheap gas took them out of business. They were expensive to start off with, then the govt subsidized some of the cost to bring them down. Still, with gas under $2 a gal I suppose there was no need at the time.

Maybe they will be re-introduced.

[Art]

Some years we get 300 days of rain (or close to it). 4x4 vehicles can come in handy with soft ground and mild flooding. Take a nice truck in the woods for hunting? Nope, that's what the Gators and Polaris side by sides are for.

Most folks I know only use 4 wheel drive when they are going down a wet gravel/dirt driveway or road to keep from tearing the road up. It's not that they are worried about getting stuck. Many find it handly when pulling boats up slippery slimy boat ramps.

I've never needed the use of 4x4 on my truck but just like my 50cal it is there if I need it.

Yup, we have an AWD Subaru Forester. It's far superior to a regular 2wd vehicle on slick roads too. The Forester did save my bacon once though. I had gone fishing in a little stream that's great for catfish when it rains hard and the water comes up. I fish over a little bridge when this happens. Well this time I pulled off the road and the front wheels sank almost to the axels. If I'd been in a conventional FWD crossover like a Toyota Rav 4 I'd have been calling the auto club. No sweat for me, the AWD hauled me out no problem.