Surprising number of EV owners switch back to gas power, study says

[rangerrebew]

Surprising number of EV owners switch back to gas power, study says

The study looked at owners in California specifically and found home charging was a huge factor in people dropping the EV lifestyle.
 
Sean Szymkowski
May 4, 2021 9:14 a.m. PT
 
For nearly one-fifth of EV owners, it was one-and-done.
Tesla

As so much of the world works to pivot away from fossil fuels and the internal-combustion engine, a new study from the University of California, Davis, published in the journal Nature Energy last week, showed some concerning signs for what the auto industry still needs to get right. According to this study, which looked at California EV owners specifically between 2015-2019, 18% of electric vehicle owners switched back to a gas-powered car. For plug-in hybrid owners, 20% of them flipped back to a car solely powered by an engine.

The major takeaway from the EV flip-flopping lands in the lap of charging -- specifically at-home charging. The lack of reliable Level 2 charging at home (that's a 240-volt plug) was a major factor leading to EV "discontinuance," as the researchers called it. That makes sense. If you don't have a place to charge reliably, it makes it a lot harder to enjoy the benefits associated with an EV, including an overall lower cost of ownership. Public charging infrastructure remains just OK, with many stations down for maintenance, or simply not close enough to drivers, even in California, where chargers are more common than the rest of the US. And charging times at a public station still aren't on par with gassing up a car.

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ev-owners-switch-gas-power-study/?TheTime=2021-05-18T05%3A48%3A22&PostType=link&ServiceType=twitter&ftag=COS-05-10aaa0b&UniqueID=A7ED027C-B79C-11EB-BF4E-972E3A982C1E

[thackney]

I am surprised it has not become common to build the charger into the car and use a standard 30A, 240V receptacle (like for an electric clothes dryer).

Faster charging from an outside unit could be available, but quit requiring a special electrical service for homes built without the capability.

[DefiantMassRINO]

How do you charge your electric car to escape a wildfire if the electric companies have shutoff the power to prevent even more wildfires?

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I am surprised it has not become common to build the charger into the car and use a standard 30A, 240V receptacle (like for an electric clothes dryer).

Faster charging from an outside unit could be available, but quit requiring a special electrical service for homes built without the capability.

i"m suprised they don't use a "swappable battery" type deal where you can just drive to a gas station like place and swap one out.

[thackney]

i"m suprised they don't use a "swappable battery" type deal where you can just drive to a gas station like place and swap one out.

Seems like a good way to replace your new battery with an old worn out one.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Seems like a good way to replace your new battery with an old worn out one.

I could see it being like a "propane tank" kinda deal, you never actually buy a new battery, just used ones, because swapping one out is infinitely cheaper. But what do I know?

Of course, I know nothing of the size of the batteries or the complications involved... and I do know the infrastructure just ain't there yet.

[HoustonSam]

i"m suprised they don't use a "swappable battery" type deal where you can just drive to a gas station like place and swap one out.

Industry will not be able to make enough batteries to even have one per EV at the projected number of EVs (which number I don't believe BTW); making enough extra batteries that they can be swapped routinely is simply not in the cards given the amount of rare earths necessary.

[thackney]

I could see it being like a "propane tank" kinda deal, you never actually buy a new battery, just used ones, because swapping one out is infinitely cheaper. But what do I know?

Of course, I know nothing of the size of the batteries or the complications involved... and I do know the infrastructure just ain't there yet.

Swapping out propane tanks is cheaper than owning and filling your own?  That was never my experience.

I do not see how it could be cheaper, just more convenient when traveling.

[GtHawk]

Seems like a good way to replace your new battery with an old worn out one.

I remember Musk thought it was a great idea back in 2013 and Business Insider did a 2015 story on how it wasn't working out.https://www.businessinsider.com/teslas-battery-swapping-plan-isnt-working-out-2015-6   

[Sled Dog]

I could see it being like a "propane tank" kinda deal, you never actually buy a new battery, just used ones, because swapping one out is infinitely cheaper. But what do I know?

Of course, I know nothing of the size of the batteries or the complications involved... and I do know the infrastructure just ain't there yet.

So who do the survivors blame when the battery explodes and wipes out everyone in the car.

I can see how car manufacturers would want to stay as far away from that as possible.   

I can see how normal people would want to stay away from that, too.   I gave up my gas grill because I had no idea who had those tanks before and how they were used.   

[BassWrangler]

I am surprised it has not become common to build the charger into the car and use a standard 30A, 240V receptacle (like for an electric clothes dryer).

Faster charging from an outside unit could be available, but quit requiring a special electrical service for homes built without the capability.

That's exactly how it works on the Tesla.



The car comes with a Mobile Connector, which plugs into 110V. For a few bucks, you can buy an adapter for that that lets it plug into a standard NEMA 240V socket (there are several variants supported).

https://www.tesla.com/support/home-charging-installation/mobile-connector

This gets you typically to 240V 30A charging. If you want more than that, or want the convenience of a big robust cord and a place to wind it up, then you can buy their Wall Connector. This also requires a 240V circuit, but it can do higher current (mine is currently limited by the capacity of my existing breaker box - IIRC it's 40A).

[thackney]

That's exactly how it works on the Tesla.

Thanks, what is the amp rating of that circuit?

[BassWrangler]

Thanks, what is the amp rating of that circuit?

Check my post again - I added some detail.

[thackney]

Check my post again - I added some detail.

Thank you!

[Bigun]

And some of us will never buy one in the first place.

[BassWrangler]

And some of us will never buy one in the first place.

I'm sure in the early days of the automobile, as it started to supplant the horse and buggy, there were many that felt just as you do now, @Bigun.

[Ghost Bear]

I'm sure in the early days of the automobile, as it started to supplant the horse and buggy, there were many that felt just as you do now, @Bigun.

The automobile offers several advantages over the horse and buggy, whereas as far as I can tell the electric car has no advantages over the gas-powered car, and several clear disadvantages, such as shorter range, slower max speed, longer time to refuel. Why would anyone buy an electric car instead of a gas-powered car?

[Hoodat]

i"m suprised they don't use a "swappable battery" type deal where you can just drive to a gas station like place and swap one out.

The same could be done with a tank of sodium borohydride.

[BassWrangler]

The automobile offers several advantages over the horse and buggy, whereas as far as I can tell the electric car has no advantages over the gas-powered car, and several clear disadvantages, such as shorter range, slower max speed, longer time to refuel. Why would anyone buy an electric car instead of a gas-powered car?

Key words being "as far as I can tell". Drive one for a month and get back to me.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

The automobile offers several advantages over the horse and buggy, whereas as far as I can tell the electric car has no advantages over the gas-powered car, and several clear disadvantages, such as shorter range, slower max speed, longer time to refuel. Why would anyone buy an electric car instead of a gas-powered car?

Not needing to worry about the oil is one advantage i'd give them. Plus less maintenance need in general.

[dfwgator]

Duh!

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

So who do the survivors blame when the battery explodes and wipes out everyone in the car.

I can see how car manufacturers would want to stay as far away from that as possible.   

I can see how normal people would want to stay away from that, too.   I gave up my gas grill because I had no idea who had those tanks before and how they were used.   

It's not like gasoline powered cars are 100% safe either though. Cars kill plenty of people in the US, people still drive.

[Bigun]

I'm all for people being able to spend their money however they wish so if you want an electric car be my guest.  I'll pass.

[roamer_1]

I'm all for people being able to spend their money however they wish so if you want an electric car be my guest.  I'll pass.

Up in here they ain't worth having... They don't do so good in mountains, nor in bitter cold. My sis has a hybrid, and it hardly comes off the motor all winter long, and she took me for a ride down along the lake, and every hill, the motor kicked in. It don't make no sense.

[Bigun]

Up in here they ain't worth having... They don't do so good in mountains, nor in bitter cold. My sis has a hybrid, and it hardly comes off the motor all winter long, and she took me for a ride down along the lake, and every hill, the motor kicked in. It don't make no sense.

It's the same in lots of places but still if someone wants one and can afford it let them have it.