My choice is probably not what you think.
A few years back I really wanted an electric car. Now, when I say a few years back, I mean before you could buy one from a factory. I really had my heart set on a VoltsRabbit, a VW conversion. It would not have been practical, but I wanted one. Nowadays, with LFP batteries, it might even make it to town and back.
The golden age of EVs is over, I think. We pay a tax on gas and diesel to pay for the roads and we don’t if we drive an EV. States are now figuring this out and you can bet the Feds are, too.
Furthermore, all the many of the supposed benefits just are not there. They are dirtier to build than a gas car. There may or may not be enough electricity to charge the thing and that electricity is probably made from gas or coal. 100 years ago, you had the choice of gas, steam or electric to power your car. Gas won. Electricity is slowly making a comeback with new tech, but it has a way to go.
A lot of people who bought EVs are disgruntled and going back to gas. I think a lot of that has to do with expectations, usually over range and charging. Frankly, I have no sympathy for some of those folks. I read the sad, sad story of the Nissan Leaf owner who complained about how hard it was to make a cross country trip. The Leaf is a 40 mile car, for crying out loud! Then there was the Ford Lightning owner who whined that he only got half the range when pulling a trailer. Well, guess what? I have an ancient Dodge turbobeast 2500 for my serious trailer pulling and when I hook up, it goes from 20 mpg to 10 mpg. More work requires more power. I think the Lightning would be awesome for a contractor or someone who covers a limited range and needs job site power. Furthermore, you can carry a gas generator in the bed to extend the range.
As far as the new Tesla pickup goes…no thanks. It just looks goofy.
Now don’t think I am totally down on EVs. They have their places and I am heavily invested in stocks of companies that build EVs and the minerals that go into the batteries. Here are some of my picks for practical EVs.
The Barbie Jeep. Not kidding. It will get your kid all over the yard and provide hours of fun at a reasonable cost. Range and speed are appropriate for its purpose.
Golf cars! They are not just for golf anymore. I have two converted to mini trucks. Cars with turn signals and taller gearing are called Neighborhood Electric Vehicles. With 25 mph speeds and 30-50 mile range they are practical and all the rage in retirement communities, resort towns and gated neighborhoods.
Forklifts are super EVs. They can do heavy lifting and operate all day within their short range. Hmm, I think I have been had. That looks like a propane tank on that lift truck, but you get the idea.
Electric delivery vehicles that operate on a known route that fits the vehicle range are a super use of EV tech. An exception would be electric school bus. I recently saw the pricing on them and OMG. The specific one was a bus destined for Alaska, where it won’t work because EVs don’t work well in the cold. I think E-trucks and vans will be a thing and I have invested in 3 companies that make them. Oh, Amazon does NOT send the electric van to my neighborhood. Too far. The new Post Office EVs won’t handle my route, either.
Commuting vehicles would be good. If you have that Nissan Leaf and live 10 miles from the office, you are good to go. Just don’t expect to take it on a cross country vacation.
There are some longer range vehicles, but don’t expect them to go as far as advertised. The charging issue is being addressed as more vehicles will be able to be charged on Tesla’s large network. There is also word that the car makers are getting together to build a charging network. That has been a big bottleneck.
Best of all, massive amounts of R&D are going into battery technology. Toyota, which has balked at building EVs before the technology and infrastructure are ready, has announced that they have a fast charging 900 mile battery that will be available in a few years. You get me an affordable 900 mile car and you get a customer, I think. Meanwhile, if my wife’s car dies, I will probably replace it with a plug-in hybrid. As for my trucks, long live the Turbobeast!
They are coming, no doubt about it. At the rate the gummint has decreed? Probably not, but they are coming. If you have your own home and are planning to go with solar, don’t forget the extra capacity for the car.
–Neal
