Electric and Hybrid Car Thread

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by SumAznGuy

I heard Tesla raised their charging rates on their super chargers.
How much does it cost to charge now?

Also, who's driven an EV Kona/Niro?

The lease on my Leaf is over next year and thinking of switching to a Kona/Niro since I'd like a little more room in the car and the bigger battery/range for a commuter car.

Since moving to Pitt, I am doing 25-30K km's a year between commuting to work and back to Burnaby to play hockey.

I've test driven it. Interior is really shitty.

[SumAznGuy]

Originally Posted by JDMDreams

Such a big claim and they didn't give you a courtesy car? I would raise hell. Even ICBC is covering all gas costs for those getting a gas courtesy if their EV is in the shop.

West Coast Nissan said they sold a big chunk of their courtesy car fleets.
I need to call them today as it's been 2 weeks since the motor was ordered so I should be getting a rental car.

I'm going to push for gas, insurance and lease costs since I can't drive the car.

Heck, maybe I will tell them to give me $$$ and they can keep the lease, fix it and sell it for profit since their lot was completely empty.

Also hearing stories of ICBC writing off cars because of the cost to fix + how long they would need a rental car for. Times are different.

[JDMDreams]

Yea, I test drove a leaf a few years back and we were surprised how low the ceiling in the back was, we're like average height and we barely fit in the back. The model 3 has way more rear headroom, let alone model y.

[radeonboy]

Originally Posted by SumAznGuy

I'm curious how roomy the Kona's are. I guess the Soul and Kona/Niro uses the same platform?
How's the tech in the car? how good is the infotament?
I hate how Nissan cheaped out with a VGA moniter

All 3 share the same platform, but they have different dimensions. The Kona and Soul EV are very close in size (Soul EV sits taller), while the Niro has a longer wheelbase and overall length.

The infotainment got a graphical update for MY2022 and is in line with the rest of the Hyundai Kia lineup. It's snappy, stable, and hasn't crashed on me at all (unlike my experience with Volvo / Honda / BMW). No wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto but I prefer wired anyway. I don't know its display resolution but it doesn't look pixelated IMO.

I have the base Soul EV so I don't have all the tech features, but I have Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control, Cross Traffic Alert, and Blind Spot Monitoring.

Before I decided on the Soul, I consumed a ton of content from the Kia Hyundai YouTube channel. I don't know all of the nuances between the different models, but the guy from that channel has a ton of content on them. Also happy to show you the car if you like.

https://youtu.be/a1lCp-YjLwc

https://youtu.be/zX3B7YiIZmY

[Koflach]

Originally Posted by SumAznGuy

I heard Tesla raised their charging rates on their super chargers.
How much does it cost to charge now?

Also, who's driven an EV Kona/Niro?

The lease on my Leaf is over next year and thinking of switching to a Kona/Niro since I'd like a little more room in the car and the bigger battery/range for a commuter car.

Since moving to Pitt, I am doing 25-30K km's a year between commuting to work and back to Burnaby to play hockey.

in the last year I haven't used a supercharger once as I just charge from home and we haven't done much travelling out of town. That being said, even if the cost of supercharging is raised to be on par with gas it really shouldn't be a big deal for most Tesla owners as the SC network is not meant to be your main source of charging anyway.

[68style]

I was surprised to see how much the supercharger costs... we got some Model 3's at work and 30 minutes is almost $30.00 after tax and 30 minutes is only good for about a 70% charge?

I know it's still cheaper than gas of course, but a lot more than I expected. Definitely should only use it when necessary.

[JDMDreams]

I recall like a year ago 30 min charge was like $5

[CorneringArtist]

Pending info on the CX-70, I’m getting pretty close to putting my name down for an i4 to get it in 2024. I don’t think gas prices are coming down and the 40e has decent range.

[JDMDreams]

I saw a ix5 on the street and I was like

[Badhobz]

if i buy an EV there better be a free tromboner in the back seat

YouTube

[CorneringArtist]

For the EV owners, what are your public charging use habits like? I currently live in an older townhouse complex with no access to even a wall outlet so all my charging will have to happen from public sources when the time comes. I’m assuming when you’re running errands somewhere you just plug in and go?

[whitev70r]

^ I can't see how that would be sustainable or viable if u have no way to charge, not even a snail wall plug. I think a hybrid may be more your cup of tea. Friend in similar situation got a Hyundai Elantra hybrid and he says he gets like 45-50 mpg. That's pretty damn good!

[JDMDreams]

Yea that would be annoying I wouldn't rely on public, unless at least your place has a shared paid charger.

[GLOW]

i would imagine it depends on the amount of travel/charge you require and what infrastructure is around you (and how busy it is).

i had asked my friend with a model 3 that lives in a condo if it's an issue, for him not as there are over 3 locations very close by that gives him charging options, and i don't think he does a lot of travel or long distance travel.

[JDMDreams]

Or a phev so you can plug in when you get the chance

[radeonboy]

I wouldn't go with a full EV if you don't have unrestricted access to at least a 110v at home. Yes you can charge at a public charger, but that time you spend at the station adds up quick.

[cafe22]

Originally Posted by CorneringArtist

For the EV owners, what are your public charging use habits like? I currently live in an older townhouse complex with no access to even a wall outlet so all my charging will have to happen from public sources when the time comes. I’m assuming when you’re running errands somewhere you just plug in and go?

I had to rely on public charging for about 4 months before my Strata finally allowed me to charge my i3 with the wall outlets.

During those 4 months, I had to rely on a few chargepoint/flo stations within a 400m radius. I would drive out to the charger, walk to a nearby cafe or grocery store and return about an hour later. Sometimes, the apps don't work property and I have to drive around to find an alternative EV station.

[Hehe]

Originally Posted by 68style

I was surprised to see how much the supercharger costs... we got some Model 3's at work and 30 minutes is almost $30.00 after tax and 30 minutes is only good for about a 70% charge?

I know it's still cheaper than gas of course, but a lot more than I expected. Definitely should only use it when necessary.

You should definitely check with Tesla if 30min charge is costing you $30.

Even with the latest price increase, where high speed (150kwh+) is $1.25 a min, I've never spent more than $25 on a charge. As a matter of fact, most charges were between 10-15 dollars. And these are for road-trips where some stretches, I was charging to 80%+

[68style]

Does it matter that they are Performance models?

It was $26 + tax both times

[CorneringArtist]

Originally Posted by whitev70r

^ I can't see how that would be sustainable or viable if u have no way to charge, not even a snail wall plug. I think a hybrid may be more your cup of tea. Friend in similar situation got a Hyundai Elantra hybrid and he says he gets like 45-50 mpg. That's pretty damn good!

Originally Posted by GLOW

i would imagine it depends on the amount of travel/charge you require and what infrastructure is around you (and how busy it is).

i had asked my friend with a model 3 that lives in a condo if it's an issue, for him not as there are over 3 locations very close by that gives him charging options, and i don't think he does a lot of travel or long distance travel.

With gas prices likely only increasing, the hybrid option hinges on what the Mazda CX-70 brings to the table. I’ve already had a hybrid in the past and I was over it pretty quickly. If the current global outlook didn’t cause a spike and knowing that greed won’t lower the price if and when it ends, I wouldn’t have moved up thinking about EV this quickly.

Originally Posted by radeonboy

I wouldn't go with a full EV if you don't have unrestricted access to at least a 110v at home. Yes you can charge at a public charger, but that time you spend at the station adds up quick.

Originally Posted by cafe22

I had to rely on public charging for about 4 months before my Strata finally allowed me to charge my i3 with the wall outlets.

During those 4 months, I had to rely on a few chargepoint/flo stations within a 400m radius. I would drive out to the charger, walk to a nearby cafe or grocery store and return about an hour later. Sometimes, the apps don't work property and I have to drive around to find an alternative EV station.

I’ve checked charge maps to get an idea of what’s around me, and I’m apparently within a kilometre of several charge stations. I could get some food and cover errands while waiting. And where I work has chargers as well so I could in theory charge while working. For the most part I feel like I’m covered, but the data points I’m getting here are giving me ideas on how to handle charging.

It’s one hell of a learning curve, but I’m grasping the idea of public only charging as annoying but manageable.

[dark0821]

^

lol, my family friend is in the same boat with a chevy bolt... older retired guy living alone.

All his commutes are super short, so he says he really only ever need to charge maybe once a week in the summer, or 3Xs every 2 weeks during the winter.

He bought an E-scooter that he would just ride home and go pick up the car with the scooter later... the only thing is... it is actually time consuming if you think about it...

imagine if you bought more than what you can carry on the scooter means:
1) drive home to drop off the items you have in the trunk
2) assuming the scooter is always loaded, you drive to a charge station hoping for a free spot.. if not you might need to hunt around
3) hop on your scooter to get home
4) hop on your sccoter a few hours later to go retrive the car

Now this is 3rd hand information, he is friend with my parents and this is what I heard from my parents...

I guess it works for a retiree becaue
1) they have butt loads of time on their hands, so they will gladly trade time for $$ saving?
2) he is frugal to begin with, so I guess he is okay with the hassle to save a few bucks?

[radeonboy]

Originally Posted by CorneringArtist

I’ve checked charge maps to get an idea of what’s around me, and I’m apparently within a kilometre of several charge stations. I could get some food and cover errands while waiting. And where I work has chargers as well so I could in theory charge while working. For the most part I feel like I’m covered, but the data points I’m getting here are giving me ideas on how to handle charging.

It’s one hell of a learning curve, but I’m grasping the idea of public only charging as annoying but manageable.

A few things to consider:
- some charging stations are located in paid parking lots where you'll need to pay for both parking and charging
- if you haven't done this already, download a few charging network apps to get an idea on what's available near the areas you frequent. Flo will show Flo, BC Hydro, and ChargePoint stations. PlugShare will show all chargers and reviews from users which I use to see whether a station is working and what to expect).
- you should double check how fast the chargers are in your area you plan to charge. Most chargers are the J1772 type outputting 6.6kW, and all of the BC Hydro and ChargePoint DC Fast Chargers I've come across are 50kW. Haven't used Electrify or Petro Canada yet so I don't have experience with those.
- with DC Fast chargers, you don't get the max charge rate the entire time if you plan to fill up to max. For example, my Soul EV can accept <80kW, but at 50kW chargers I hover at 36kW more often than at 50kW
- also with DC Fast chargers, usually the stations only have 1 or 2 CCS plugs, and someone might be there already. In that scenario, you'll be waiting for that person to charge on top of your own charging time.
- cold winter weather can hurt your range, so plan accordingly based on what current owners say.

[Simplex123]

Originally Posted by CorneringArtist

For the EV owners, what are your public charging use habits like? I currently live in an older townhouse complex with no access to even a wall outlet so all my charging will have to happen from public sources when the time comes. I’m assuming when you’re running errands somewhere you just plug in and go?

We'll need to know your commute/rough kms you drive in a week to be able to better help you.

You mentioned you could charge at work, is that a public Lv 2 station, or a standard 120V outlet? I mean if you could charge for 7-8 hours at work and you're in there at least 2-3 times a week, then you really don't need a charger at home. Home charging helps to precondition your battery, but if you're in a covered garage, then the difference would be quite minimal even in the winter.

Originally Posted by radeonboy

A few things to consider:
- with DC Fast chargers, you don't get the max charge rate the entire time if you plan to fill up to max. For example, my Soul EV can accept <80kW, but at 50kW chargers I hover at 36kW more often than at 50kW

Definitely need to look at the charging curve of your vehicle. For myself I haven't used a public Lv2 charger once in my month of EV ownership. If I'm not charging at home, it's much more worth it for me to use DCFC rather than Lv2 if I need the top up, especially with the BC Hydro ones costing just $0.21/min. 2 hrs of Lv2 would cost $4 at most places but would not get me the same kWh charged compared to a 15-20 min charge.

e.g. this is the charging curve of my MINI Cooper SE. Although the max speed is only 50kW, it charges in the 40's for most of the curve up until 80%. With that, plus the small battery capacity (Net 28.9kWh), I could technically get by with 15-20 min charges at DCFC stations and not charge at home.

[SumAznGuy]

Originally Posted by CorneringArtist

For the EV owners, what are your public charging use habits like? I currently live in an older townhouse complex with no access to even a wall outlet so all my charging will have to happen from public sources when the time comes. I’m assuming when you’re running errands somewhere you just plug in and go?

It'll take a little bit of time to get used to where all the chargers are and the charging habits of the people using those chargers.
IE does the same car charge there every night.

For the most part, most EV owners know not to hog the chargers if it is free.

Get to know where the closest Superstore is. That DCFC is probably going to be your best friend as you can plug the car in and go inside to do your shopping and when you come out, you'll prolly have close to 80% charge @ $0.21 per min.

But as what a few others have said, a lot of it depends on how much you drive and where you go to get a better idea of your situation. And who knows, maybe in a few years, there will be more chargers.

[SumAznGuy]

Haven't seen it posted here but in case anyone doesn't know.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/nort...la-driver-fire

Get to know your Tesla. Learn how to manually open the doors.
And mod your rear manual exit so people in the back will have an easier time to get out in the event that there is no power.