Electric Vehicles

The Sandbox Software/Technology
3530

OK, we are doing an overnighter trip that involves a non-home charge.
What networks/apps are you guys set up with, and do you like it?
I signed up for this one called “Plugshare.” It might only be finding chargers and not necessarily hooking us up to use them.

Thanks in advance.

EDIT:
Googly A.I.'s says this:

Payment Method: Under California regulations, public chargers feature transparent pricing and contactless payment options (like a credit card credit/debit chip reader or NFC mobile payment) so mandatory network memberships are generally not required

OK. The Plugshare site does not include prices, which suhhhhcks.
Wait, it does, according to the Googly A.I.'s . Guess I should ty to use the app before opining on it.
Wait again: I see some have posted prices. Most don’t.
We are also visiting friends at a campsite, so there might be 220V outlets around there.

3531

Some campsites restrict EV charging even if they have 220V outlets. Check with the campsite before you depend on them.

3532

Cool design outside and inside.

Tiny screen though. Needs to be a bit larger.

3533

Looks like Ionna now has some CA chargers (see below). No app required and will let you tap your credit card. Chargehub has a good feature where you can filter by Level and/or by charging network.

Flying J will also let you charge by tapping without the app.

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3534

We are heading to the central coast.nothing there yet.
I prefer their business model.
The hope is that we stay at a hotel with a charger. Only need a few hours to get around and to get home.
Some at the Pismo outlets, so maybe we do a little shopping.
Vineyards need to catch up on this.

3535

Plugshare is just an informative app, and some of the info is sourced from users (crowd sourced), i think. It’s a terrific app, because it’s usually accurate. And it’s fairly complete, it won’t just show you brand-X.

Most places have a way for you to buy elections without seeing up an account. Maybe places are a little cheaper if you set up an account. But if you aren’t traveling often I’m your EV, it’s probably not worth the bother.

1 Like
3536

That is my thought as well.

Anywho, charged it to 100% last night, ready for a trip. Staying tonight halfway to our Final Destination Part 1. Will fill there, drive the next 54 miles, then should make it home after that assuming not too much driving around to vineyards and tasting rooms. Will make final maths calculation when we get there.

3537

Interesting typo.

1 Like
3538

Free juice!
No, not OJ. He dead.
Stayed at Chumash Casino, which closed their poker room some tome ago, so didn’t spend or make any money there.
But, after three attempts – two pumps not working – plugged in and we are at 100%!
Now, up to Pismo and can make it all the way back home.

2 Likes
3539

Nice to know they have charging there. I miss the big poker tourney they used to have every year. Like 750 entrants last time the ran it. Not bad for the po’.

3540

30 miles from Santa Barbara does not strike me as particularly po’. To be fair I did spend quite a bit of time in Wyoming and Montana a couple of weeks ago.

3541

Compared to L.A. or Vegas it’s a ghost town.

3542

And injuns!

Report: Barely made it back home. Granny-drove never over 70 (right lane). Might have had about 150 miles of range but it was only 120 home. Still, made it home running on “empty” for a good 3 miles, most of it uphill. Range Anxiety, indeed! Wife was mad that we didn’t stop at a charger when we were down to 30 miles with 25 to go.
But, got my Club pick-up, and picked a few more pinots in Enda Valley.

2 Likes
3543

It’s stressful when you get close to empty in the EV. On our recent road trip we ended up charging a bit more often than we had planned. Driving fast (like over 60 or 70) really kills the range.

I assume there is some built-in capacity after you get to “empty”. Just like there is about a gallon extra once the light comes on in our ice cars.

3544

Wait, you drove 3 miles uphill on 0%? Balls of steel!

Our vehicle is purported to have 9 miles (I’ve personally tested only one of those miles) at 0%. But that is on the flat and travelling slowly.

3546

I found this graphic educational for comparing the fuel cost of an EV vs gas powered car.

Not surprised that Vancouver is the most favourable given our cheap electricity and expensive gas.

Possibly a similar chart exists for US cities?

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3547

I don’t remember where, but I have seen calculators where typical results for different American locations were displayed as examples / clickbait fodder.

I remember, prior to recent trends in fuel prices at least, it was generally not possible to justify an EV over an equivalent ICV in Connecticut on purely economic grounds, for homeowners with only grid power. Generally CT and CA compete for most expensive electricity in the Lower 48.

The margin was enough that I suspect that’s still true today.

3548

You paying $6/gal for regular?

My old car broke. Was getting 23mpg (generous) at the time. (Also required premium, dude. Premium!! Duuuuude!!!)
That’s 26 cents per mile, disregarding ICE maintenance.

Replaced with a 3.8 miles per kWh EV.
kWh cost 26 cents at night when we charge. So, 7 cents a mile.

Granted, we needed a new car, and we did not have the choice of keeping what we had versus something else. Also, wife insisted it be a Toyota/Lexus and not a Prius. Could have bought a PHEV Camry, I guess, but they don’t make it yet.
Even the low-end Camry gets only 51 mpg. That’s still over 10 cents, plus whatever the dumbass in chief decides to do.

3549

Took the same trip yesterday. Started with 230 miles remaining on my display. About 60 miles in, I had 320 miles remaining. Fascinating.

3550

I could also be remembering the results based on my usage.

Today, the comparison would be an electric rate of 24 cents (down from a few months ago, as the state reversed some public subsidies that were loaded into the electricity bills, but also reflecting my having locked in a lower supply rate before electricity prices went up) vs $4.60/gallon.

However, I do have hauling considerations – my wife has a rollator, so the need to accommodate that with luggage and/or visitors eliminates most sedans and hatchbacks; we have a Forester – and these days we’re relatively low mileage. (I think this will be the first year since pandemic that we exceed 10k miles…and we won’t exceed it by much).

The comparison supposedly factored in maintenance costs, the then-existent price differential for ICE vs EV, and differentials for insurance and tax/vehicle registration.

The cost of adding home charging capability was not included. (We only have 100amp service, and utilities are underground back to the street, so… I haven’t had the courage to look into costs.)

I have the distinct memory of the calculator suggesting that in CT there was no mileage at which an EV would make sense for me, BUT my memory could be flawed on that point, and I didn’t explore their cost assumptions (although I did calculate the total electric rate from a bill). The insurance cost differential is likely overstated, as I’m still in an employee affinity group for auto insurance from a prior employer.

(If we’re exploring the possibility of flawed memory…it’s possible that it might have been a comparison vs plug-in hybrid, but I doubt it.)

This is something I would have looked at post-pandemic, as pre-pandemic my driving patterns and available chargers rendered EV as unsuitable for my needs. (I commuted between Hartford and Montréal at least once a month; chargers in VT or the Adirondacks were too sparse for me to feel comfortable attempting that, when combined with a desire to minimize driving on the Isle of Montréal.)

EDIT: Maybe this was last year? I have a recollection that the calculator came up in the context of tax credits having gone away.