Thinking about an EV (nvm, bought one)

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The Mach-E is, from everything I've heard, a good option. It should especially appeal to those who prefer having more physical controls in a more conventional setup. Someone with one should come through Nashville and we can take turns driving each other's car to compare. So far, I've only seen them from a distance.



I hear a lot of good things that them. Really nice charging curve for road trips. I'd want to wait until they finish the switch to NACS.



It's as easy as installing an electric dryer outlet. The most expensive part of the installation is the wire and that will depend on the location of your electric panel. If cost is a concern, a 240v/30A circuit is fast enough for almost anyone. For a bit more, thicker wire, you can do 240v/50A or 240v/60A for a faster charge.



The key to avoiding an EV fire in your garage is to have the charging equipment installed correctly. Other than the faulty Bolt batteries, from a few years ago, a charging car isn't going to burst into flames. The fire is most likely to start from cheap, or improperly installed, electrical connections catching the garage on fire and then spreading to the car. Tesla, and probably others, now have thermal monitoring in their "chargers" (EVSE) which reduce charging rate when things get too warm. Make sure your EVSE has that feature.



I've never driven a Model S and don't know a lot about the earlier models, like yours. If that's how it performs, I understand why you have such negative views on taking it on road trips. In late-model Teslas, if you need to Supercharge for 45 minutes you're doing something wrong. Eddie's plan didn't even have 45 minutes of total charging for the entire trip. His longest stop was 16 minutes.
It’s an old pack that’s been throttled back over the years from software upgrades. It’s free though so there’s that.

 
What a relief they specified that it's groundspeed....

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I do all of my own vehicle maintenance and oil changes are due for both of our cars. Getting on the ground (or even on my creeper) in these cold temps is miserable. My next vehicle will be electric just to avoid oil changes all together. The number of electric vehicles available expands each year, so when we are ready for our next car purchase in a couple of years there will be even more options - both new and used. I'm retired, so don't have any commute and I live in a small town, so everything is close. An EV makes tremendous sense for my wife and I. On the rare occasion we travel farther, we either use our plane, or fly commercially. An electric car really has no downside for us. I'm actually looking forward to the change.
Cheaper solution is to get a car lift installed. No more getting on the ground, lol.
 
Anyone know anything about the Lyriq? I've only seen one in the wild, and while I'm stalled by analysis paralysis in the market for a 3-row ICE, I wonder if I could make that work as a 2-row EV instead. It looks similar in size to my Outback, or maybe a pinch smaller.

Super Cruise is very appealling to me, and has been for an age, and the recent price chops seem to have brought this thing closer to reality in its pricing (while everything else has floated up to insane)
Only thing I can add is that I've seen both the Lyriq and Celestiq in person on the road, and the Celestiq is hideous but the Lyriq is better-looking.
 
I have a comparable amount of oil at the GA house as well. And yet I STILL sometimes don’t have the grade I need!

Not going to happen in my lifetime, but there will surely come a time when this will be seen as the ”dark ages” of ICE.

This part does get a bit annoying. Let's see, if I go through things to see what's required:

- Bus: 15W-40, 10 gallons (I think they sell Mobil or Valvoline is preferred) - old bus was 5 gallons of Cat 10W-30 or 15W-40
- Ram: 15W-40, 3 gallons (Rotella or Delo as I recall)
- Alfa: Pretty sure that one is 0W-40
- R1250GSA: 5W-40 motorcycle oil
- R1150GS: 20W-50 motorcycle oil, although I've been doing 10W-50 Yamalube and I like that better
- Moto Morini: 20W-50 motorcycle oil

I can't even remember what my lawn equipment takes, and then that doesn't include the different grades of fluids required for hydraulic brakes, transmissions, gearboxes, power steering, the list goes on.
 
I would love to not have to deal with oil ever again!

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I have a comparable amount of oil at the GA house as well. And yet I STILL sometimes don’t have the grade I need!

Not going to happen in my lifetime, but there will surely come a time when this will be seen as the ”dark ages” of ICE.

As an aside, you can also see our Tesla Mobile Charger, plugged into that “piggy-backed” L14–30R receptacle. The charging is done outside. We just have to be sure not to try to raise/lower the hangar door while charging.
Not really needed in your case, but someone on a thread was showing a plug in piggy back for a dryer that would automatically not charge the car while the other plug is demanding power. You could get one of those if you really want to make it foolproof. As I get a few years on me, I am starting to design things to work without having to know anything for the wife/kid/dumber future me to encounter.
 
Anyone know anything about the Lyriq? I've only seen one in the wild, and while I'm stalled by analysis paralysis in the market for a 3-row ICE, I wonder if I could make that work as a 2-row EV instead. It looks similar in size to my Outback, or maybe a pinch smaller.

Super Cruise is very appealling to me, and has been for an age, and the recent price chops seem to have brought this thing closer to reality in its pricing (while everything else has floated up to insane)
why settle. Just take on a few more consulting gigs and get this https://www.mbusa.com/en/vehicles/class/eqs/suv

Or the Rivian SUV is 3 row as well. We have friends with one and they love it
 
why settle. Just take on a few more consulting gigs and get this https://www.mbusa.com/en/vehicles/class/eqs/suv

Or the Rivian SUV is 3 row as well. We have friends with one and they love it

I can't even fathom the looks I'd fetch when I rock up to a prebuy in an EQS and start unloading my oily meyer jacks and HFT air compressor :D I had hoped that a Lyriq, being something nobody has ever heard of, might be stealth enough to justify.
 
I just did an oil change on my Frontier, or more specfically I watched it being done while I drank coffee in the heated lounge at the dealer ... ;)
Lol, I need to do the fuel filters on the Excursion but am not willing to get an arm covered in diesel laying under the frame rail in single digit temps. I'll wait a few weeks for warmer weather!
 
On the plus side, the Fort Valley SuperCharger is at a Buc-ee’s!

Love them Beaver Nuggets!

That said, here’s that trip for our Model 3 Long Range from near Knoxville:

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Fewer, shorter stops, every couple of hours. We’ve made that trip or similar many times, and have never found the charging times problematic. I challenge anyone to get into and out of a Buc-ee’s in 16 minutes!

There are superchargers at the Buc-ees in Sevierville as well. It also is the home of the world's longest car wash, at 255 feet. My daughter and I were returning from Snowshoe, WV, and our car was covered with every road deicing substance known to man. My daughter is a Buc-ee's fan and wanted to stop, and while we were there we took them up on the car wash. You get treated to multicolor foam, and naturally they beam their rodentious mascot onto your windshield, kind of like the Bat signal in reverse.

img.jpg


(not my vehicle)

It did a fine job of removing all that crud. $13 with a 20 cents per gallon discount on your gasoline purchase.
 
I drove a Prius once when a friend had to borrow my truck to take the elk he shot home from our ranch. I had to sit down to take a pi$$ for a week.
If you ever need a guy with a truck to cull the herd...
 
There are superchargers at the Buc-ees in Sevierville as well. It also is the home of the world's longest car wash, at 255 feet. My daughter and I were returning from Snowshoe, WV, and our car was covered with every road deicing substance known to man. My daughter is a Buc-ee's fan and wanted to stop, and while we were there we took them up on the car wash. You get treated to multicolor foam, and naturally they beam their rodentious mascot onto your windshield, kind of like the Bat signal in reverse.

img.jpg


(not my vehicle)

It did a fine job of removing all that crud. $13 with a 20 cents per gallon discount on your gasoline purchase.
This almost makes me cry. Poor paint!
 
This part does get a bit annoying. Let's see, if I go through things to see what's required:

- Bus: 15W-40, 10 gallons (I think they sell Mobil or Valvoline is preferred) - old bus was 5 gallons of Cat 10W-30 or 15W-40
- Ram: 15W-40, 3 gallons (Rotella or Delo as I recall)
- Alfa: Pretty sure that one is 0W-40
- R1250GSA: 5W-40 motorcycle oil
- R1150GS: 20W-50 motorcycle oil, although I've been doing 10W-50 Yamalube and I like that better
- Moto Morini: 20W-50 motorcycle oil

I can't even remember what my lawn equipment takes, and then that doesn't include the different grades of fluids required for hydraulic brakes, transmissions, gearboxes, power steering, the list goes on.
Everything at my place gets 15w-40 out of the bulk tank with the exception of the wife's van and my new pickup which are under warranty, and the Rocket which has a wet clutch and is very picky about its oil. Running the heavy diesel spec oil definitely decreased oil consumption in my older high mileage gas vehicles, as well as the small engines. I'm a little scared to try it in a modern engine that was originally designed around a light weight oil. Maybe I'll feel differently in 5 years when the 6.6L is out of warranty.
 
This part does get a bit annoying. Let's see, if I go through things to see what's required:

- Bus: 15W-40, 10 gallons (I think they sell Mobil or Valvoline is preferred) - old bus was 5 gallons of Cat 10W-30 or 15W-40
- Ram: 15W-40, 3 gallons (Rotella or Delo as I recall)
- Alfa: Pretty sure that one is 0W-40
- R1250GSA: 5W-40 motorcycle oil
- R1150GS: 20W-50 motorcycle oil, although I've been doing 10W-50 Yamalube and I like that better
- Moto Morini: 20W-50 motorcycle oil

I can't even remember what my lawn equipment takes, and then that doesn't include the different grades of fluids required for hydraulic brakes, transmissions, gearboxes, power steering, the list goes on.
The Ford and Subaru both take 5w30, and the Jeep requires 0w20.

The Goldwing uses 10w30, and for the DCT transmission the manual specifically calls for Honda GN-4 10w30, which I use. Luckily a gallon jug is still < $30, which is cheap for MC specific oil.

The BMW GS calls for 5w40, and I’ve been using Shell Rotella T-6 diesel oil, it’s only $22ish for a 5qt jug at Wally World and is JASO MA/MA2 rated.

Ted, back when I had an 1150 oilhead I used Mobil-1 red cap 20w50. It was fine and no clutch worries for as you know the 1150 is a dry clutch.

So, five vehicles, I stock four different types of oil.
 
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I thought about similarly categorizing what grade oils I have on hand and correlating them with which vehicles they go to.

But that’s exactly what I want to leave behind as more things go electric. So screw it!
 
Everything at my place gets 15w-40 out of the bulk tank with the exception of the wife's van and my new pickup which are under warranty, and the Rocket which has a wet clutch and is very picky about its oil. Running the heavy diesel spec oil definitely decreased oil consumption in my older high mileage gas vehicles, as well as the small engines. I'm a little scared to try it in a modern engine that was originally designed around a light weight oil. Maybe I'll feel differently in 5 years when the 6.6L is out of warranty.

Generally I prefer to stick to at least close to the same oil that's spec'd. The cold side thickness I don't like to make significantly thicker than asking. I've come to really like the wide spreads of synthetic, and 0W-40 is maybe one of my favorites in that regard. So I wouldn't want to go to a 15W-40 from, say, a 5W-20.

I've seen the hot side thickness getting thicker sometimes improve things. On a friend's Mini they went from the stock (I want to say 0W-20) to a 0W-40 and it lowered the oil temp and reduced an oil seep they were having. Oversimplifying here.
 
I thought about similarly categorizing what grade oils I have on hand and correlating them with which vehicles they go to.

But that’s exactly what I want to leave behind as more things go electric. So screw it!

Yup. Why I went electric on the lawnmower. Next car will be an EV (just do not drive enough to justify spending the cash).
When my current snowblower dies, I will also go electric for it....

Tim
 
Yup. Why I went electric on the lawnmower. Next car will be an EV (just do not drive enough to justify spending the cash).
When my current snowblower dies, I will also go electric for it....

Tim
I got an electric snowblower in 2016. We only occasionally get enough snowfall to warrant its use, but it does come in handy from time to time.


Do any EVs have *active* electric braking (in addition to regenerative braking) to reduce particulate emission from brake pads?
 
Do any EVs have *active* electric braking (in addition to regenerative braking) to reduce particulate emission from brake pads?

Not 100% sure what you’re asking, but Teslas give the option of automatically applying brakes when one-pedal driving if regen is not enough to get you stopped.

Full explanation here, with embedded videos:


Note: Tesla periodically adds/subtracts features via Over-The-Air updates, so some features and options regarding regenerative braking may have changed.
 
I don’t buy the high brake dust emission argument with EVs. No way they’re producing more brake dust than ICE. Even on my car, I’ve got it set to low regen and my brake use is a fraction of an ICE vehicle. Plenty of one pedal drivers out there that have 200,000 + miles on original brakes.

Now tire emissions? Yep. As heavy as they are an as aggressive as most EV drivers accelerate, you’re going through more tires than a typical ICE car. Especially with the S and X with the negative rear camber. I’m lucky to get 20K miles from my tires.
 
I don’t buy the high brake dust emission argument with EVs. No way they’re producing more brake dust than ICE. Even on my car, I’ve got it set to low regen and my brake use is a fraction of an ICE vehicle. Plenty of one pedal drivers out there that have 200,000 + miles on original brakes.

Now tire emissions? Yep. As heavy as they are an as aggressive as most EV drivers accelerate, you’re going through more tires than a typical ICE car. Especially with the S and X with the negative rear camber. I’m lucky to get 20K miles from my tires.

Brakes is brakes and tires is tires. Some brakes are just more dusty, and some emit almost zero dust - there's different formulas. Since generally dustier brakes are higher performing, I could see EV OEMs trying to minimize brake size/weight more and end up with more dust, but that argument seems fishy.

Tires, no reason why an EV should be harsher on tires than my wife is with any of her cars. Whatever she's driving eats through tires way faster than whatever I'm driving.

Well, motorcycles are different. I eat through a lot more rear tires on those.
 
I don’t buy the high brake dust emission argument with EVs. No way they’re producing more brake dust than ICE. Even on my car, I’ve got it set to low regen and my brake use is a fraction of an ICE vehicle. Plenty of one pedal drivers out there that have 200,000 + miles on original brakes.
Oh, I don't doubt that EVs produce less than ICE. I'm mainly wondering if you can drive that number to zero and get rid of the calipers completely. I guess you'd need per-wheel motors for that.
 
Brakes is brakes and tires is tires. Some brakes are just more dusty, and some emit almost zero dust - there's different formulas. Since generally dustier brakes are higher performing, I could see EV OEMs trying to minimize brake size/weight more and end up with more dust, but that argument seems fishy.

Tires, no reason why an EV should be harsher on tires than my wife is with any of her cars. Whatever she's driving eats through tires way faster than whatever I'm driving.

Well, motorcycles are different. I eat through a lot more rear tires on those.
Well, don’t tell the tree hugging Tesla fanboys this, but they emit more tire emissions than ICE.

 
Oh, I don't doubt that EVs produce less than ICE. I'm mainly wondering if you can drive that number to zero and get rid of the calipers completely. I guess you'd need per-wheel motors for that.
Well you’d still have to have normal brakes for emergencies but plenty of one pedal drivers out there. Only problem is, if you don’t use the brakes much, a lot of corrosion can build up. I use my brakes enough to at least heat them up and burn moisture off. I also removed the old semi-metallics and put in ceramic pads. Far less dust but slightly less effective braking.
 
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