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  1. #1
    Site Sponsor SolarPoweredRV's Avatar
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    Electric Tow Vehicle, the Ultimate Range Assist feature

    It has finally happened, Airstream has just announced their "E-Stream trailer. This trailer is equipped with an 80kw battery pack and two hub motors to assist your EV tow vehicle with it's range. Additionally, this trailer can park itself via a BlueTooth app.

    Once you are at the camp site you can use the remaining energy in this huge battery to power all your camping needs.

    What this means is that if your EV tow vehicle is rated for 400 miles, you can get 400 miles of range before you need to re-charge. This E-stream drive system eliminates the towing penalty (of up to 50%) you would otherwise experience.

    Video Demonstration:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdUM4LBzvKs
    David and Peggy
    2019 Ford F350 Lariat, 6.7L Diesel, Dually, Long Bed
    Running with 20k Reese Goosebox (Love It) and Ford Factory "Puck" system.
    Stopping with 8,000 lb Disc Brakes and Titan Hydraulic over Electric Brakes system.
    Powering all this fun with 1200 Watts of Solar, two Tesla, Model S, battery modules, 24 volt Victron Inverter.
    2018 Solitude 310 GK

  2. #2
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    I watched a guy talk about EVs today on CSPAN. He was from organization that works with the fed gov on EV's and recharging stations. As he was talking qnd taking callers questions, I started thinking about these issues:

    1. Non-standard proprietary EV power connections.
    2. Battery replacement cost (one caller mentioned his replacemnt cost was $15k!)
    3. 30 minutes for every 100 miles to charge.
    4. Number of available propreitary power stations.
    5. Eventual upgrade for faster charging stations costs. Also, backwards compatibility?
    6. Will charge stations be large enough to handle large electric vehicles and/or trailers?
    7. Will there be enough charging stations for all at a site to use who need it in that area, and what about the wait time in line on top of the charging time?
    8. Some complained about the charging stations not accepting their credit cards.... readers were broke or not functioning. Then what?

    I am definetly for reusable energy, but, I just cant get my head around the above issues. The new EV F150 has been advertised as 300 miles fully charged, but what about when towing a trailer behind it. Also Ford mentioned using it as a emergency backup for your house or camper electricity, not sure I want to call a tow truck to charge or tow it once the juice runs out and no pole power too? When seeing how cool they said the new EV F150 was, I started thinking about those TV commercials advertising a new generation tv's picture and showing how crisp and nice the picture would be while your watching it on your own TV!

    IMO hybrids make more sense in the short term until some of these issues are resolved.
    Last edited by trailrydr; 01-20-2022 at 01:07 PM.
    Jim and Annette
    2019 Reflection 150 295RL
    US Army Veteran
    Missouri (AKA Misery)

  3. #3
    Seasoned Camper 4x4dually's Avatar
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    Um, ya...no thanks. Can't trust OEM's to wire receptacles correclty....but now we are gonna trust them to help push? Hayallll-no.
    2021 Reflection 367BHS
    2009 Dodge 3500 4x4 Longbed MegaCab
    Electrical Engineer/Musician/Rancher
    Habbitial facebook jail inmate and soon to be banned from here

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    Not really a product announcement. It’s a concept product.

    Batteries in the trailer is a promising idea. I’ve though before that trucking could go that way so a trailer could sit at a charging station while drivers moved cargo that had charged batteries.
    John & Kathy
    2014 F250 Lariat FX4 6.2L SBCC
    2014 Reflection 303RLS
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  5. #5
    Seasoned Camper RoJoSo's Avatar
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    I can picture someone on the side of the road with their generator charging their TV for 30 mins just to go another 100 miles.
    Its not truly reuasble enery, something has to power the charging stations. We cant rely on the power grids which we already
    have just to power our homes.
    I'll wait on the technology to improve and do my part by using my solar setup for off grid.
    2020 Grand Design Reflection 303RLS 5th Wheel
    2013 Ford F250 Super Duty, King Ranch, 6.7 Diesel, HD Tow Package
    B&W Companion Slider RVK3405
    Timbren Rear Suspension Enhancement System R250SDG
    Titan 50 Gallon Fuel Tank

  6. #6
    Site Sponsor SolarPoweredRV's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by trailrydr View Post
    I watched a guy talk about EVs today on CSPAN. He was from organization that works with the fed gov on EV's and recharging stations. As he was talking qnd taking callers questions, I started thinking about these issues:

    1. Non-standard proprietary EV power connections.
    2. Battery replacement cost (one caller mentioned his replacemnt cost was $15k!)
    3. 30 minutes for every 100 miles to charge.
    4. Number of available propreitary power stations.
    5. Eventual upgrade for faster charging stations costs. Also, backwards compatibility?
    6. Will charge stations be large enough to handle large electric vehicles and/or trailers?
    7. Will there be enough charging stations for all at a site to use who need it in that area, and what about the wait time in line on top of the charging time?
    8. Some complained about the charging stations not accepting their credit cards.... readers were broke or not functioning. Then what?

    I am definetly for reusable energy, but, I just cant get my head around the above issues. The new EV F150 has been advertised as 300 miles fully charged, but what about when towing a trailer behind it. Also Ford mentioned using it as a emergency backup for your house or camper electricity, not sure I want to call a tow truck to charge or tow it once the juice runs out and no pole power too? When seeing how cool they said the new EV F150 was, I started thinking about those TV commercials advertising a new generation tv's picture and showing how crisp and nice the picture would be while your watching it on your own TV!

    IMO hybrids make more sense in the short term until some of these issues are resolved.
    Let's take your points one by one:

    1. Non-Standard adapters: There are 4 adapters in use in the United States. One is the proprietary Tesla adapter, only Teslas use this adapter and all Super Charging stations are equipped with this adapter. Tesla has announced that they will open up their charging stations to all EVs eventually (currently testing in Norway). You will be able to purchase an adapter that will let you charge your other manufacturers vehicle using the Tesla Super Charger network, or Tesla will equip all their chargers with a second cord that will fit the CCS adapter.

    There are two other "Fast" charging standards, one is CCS and the other is CHADEMO. CHADEMO is widely used in Japan and that is the standard Nissan used on the Leaf. For all practical purposes, CHADEMO is dead. CCS is the Standard that will survive. All new cars and trucks are being produced with CCS adapters (except Tesla). Interestingly, Tesla has adopted the CCS(2) standard in Europe and their vehicles are equipped with both the Tesla port and the CCS(2) port. I believe it is only a matter of time until Tesla adopts the CCS standard for the US/North American market.

    The 4th charging adapter is the J-1772, this port is used for AC charging (usually at home, or at hotels) and this is for slower charging from a 120 or 240 volt outlet. This port is actually part of the CCS port so it is universal (almost) to all EVs.

    Bottom Line: CCS is the US/North American Standard for DC, Fast, charging and J-1772 is the standard for AC charging. Tesla will probably have an adapter available soon for CCS to Tesla charging.

    2. Most EVs have an 8 year, 100k mile warranty. Battery has not been a big issue for most of the mass produced EVs, with the exception of the early Nissan Leafs. Nissan chose to have an air-cooled battery and in hot climates the batteries could not stand the heat.

    As more and more EVs are built the batteries are getting better and more reliable.

    With an 8 year/100k mile warranty battery replacement will not be an issue for most people. For those who it might become an issue for are really no worse off with an EV versus a Gas car; if your engine dies you need to decide to fix it or replace the car. Same goes with an EV; if the battery dies do you replace the battery or replace the car?

    One word about battery failures in an EV, the batteries don't usually catastrophically fail one day, they just get weaker and weaker over time giving you reduced range. Given that most people drive less than 40 miles a day this shouldn't be a problem most of the time.

    3. Different manufacturers will have different charging rates for their vehicles. If Fast charging times are a priority for you then you will purchase a vehicle that is capable of getting to 80% charge (SOC) within 30 minutes or less (they are available today). If like me, you are a two car family, and your wife only drives her car to work and back, overnight charging is perfect. We would have a second car for longer trips with faster charging.

    By-the-way, 80% charge is the "magic" number where the batteries are getting full and the charging rate really slows down. So, you would only charge up to 80% before heading to your next charging station. Note: 80% of 300 miles is 240 miles this easily translates into a 500 mile day, more than enough drive time for most people.

    4. Most fast charging stations have CCS fast charging, many have CHADEMO charging available. Other chargers (at hotels, super markets and malls) have J-1772 chargers available for use while you are shopping, or staying the night. Tesla has the only proprietary network in the US/North America and they have publicly stated that they will open up their Super Charger network (they are actively opening the network in Norway).

    5. Technology is making faster and faster EV charging available. Simultaneously, EVs are being manufactured with higher and higher fast charging capabilities. Yes, older charging stations will need to be replaced with faster and newer chargers, but not at such a fast pace as the old charging stations are obsolete in a few years. The market will adapt to the newer charging capabilities and replace the old chargers in an economically viable manner.

    6. Admittedly, the majority of charging stations have been designed around the car. However, there are some stations that have been designed to accommodate a Tow Vehicle and a trailer. Now, I don't know whether this was on purpose or not, but I suspect not. As more and more EVs start towing there will be better designs for EV charging while towing. I suspect Truck Stops will be the first to install Tow Friendly charging stations.

    7. Depending on when you travel your wait times will vary. It is no different than traveling now, if you are traveling on Christmas day or the day before Thanksgiving, you are going to face long lines at the gas pumps. Many EV charging stations are working on the issue. Tesla has created charging stations with over 50 stalls and they have portable stations they can bring in on a truck for those high volume days.

    8. Yes, this is an issue and the charging industry is working on it. The key is to not need a credit card, just let the car talk to the charging station and automatic billing takes place through the car. This is how Tesla does it, you have a credit card on file on your Tesla account and when you plug your EV in the charging station talks to the car and you get billed. This should all happen seamlessly, just like it does with Tesla. Things will get better over time.

    When it comes to towing, how do you expect the manufacturers to give you a range when towing when they don't know what you are towing and the drag your towable will create on the entire rig.

    The best number I have seen when towing is ~ 50% range reduction when towing. This 50% number came from a video produced by Rivian during towing tests they performed in AZ. Obviously, your range will vary based on the wind profile your towable presents as well as, wind intensity and direction both will definitely be a factor.

    As far as using your F-150 to power your house during a black-out. Presumably, your F-150 would have been plugged in and charging when the lights go out, this would give you some time to make a plan as to how long you can sustain your house from the F-150. Also, you would want to cut off any high draw loads like the dryer and shut off all unnecessary lights throughout the house. How you proceed from those preliminary steps really depends on the nature of the black-out. Is this a storm related black-out? Or is this a local black-out where a transformer blew up? If the black-out is from a natural disaster, like a hurricane, you would have prepared and had the truck fully charged and you only operate the critical appliances and lights throughout the house. After a day or two you will want to start to look for a nearby area that did not loose power where you could drive the truck to to get it charged back up. Then come home and plug the house back into the truck. This is no different than you running low on gas for the emergency generator, you hop in the car (or truck) and go find a gas station that is open and has fuel (you are just searching for electric fuel).

    As far as cars and light duty trucks go, the time for the hybrid has passed. Manufacturers are only putting enough batteries to drive a few miles (often less than 25) on pure electric. This makes no sense, people will just fill the car up with gas and forget about the plug-in portion of the vehicle.

    I am a little the more open when it comes to the heavier duty vehicles because of their towing requirements. If the manufacturers provided enough batteries to get decent range say 300 miles and the ICE only acted as a generator to extend the range when towing, then I am okay with the hybrid. However, I think if they worked a bit harder at it they can build a heavy duty truck that can get good range even when towing (300+ miles).

    Overall, I think EVs are here to stay and I think you are going to be amazed at how fast Gas/Diesel cars and light duty trucks fall out of favor. Many predict that you won't be able to give ICE vehicles away in 2030, others say it will happen in 2028.

    If the demand Tesla, Ford and GM are currently seeing for their EVs is any indication, I am leaning toward the 2028 number myself.

    FYI: Tesla has over a million pre-orders for their Cybertruck. Ford blocked their pre-orders for the F-150 after they reached 200,000. GM sold out the Silverado and Cadillac pre-orders in less than 20 minutes. Additionally, Ford is having problems with their dealers charging $10,000 to $30,000 over list for the Mustang Mach 1 and F-150 Lightening. Mercedes Benz just had a customer buy a Lucid because they wanted $50,000 over list on their EQS.
    Last edited by SolarPoweredRV; 01-20-2022 at 05:24 PM.
    David and Peggy
    2019 Ford F350 Lariat, 6.7L Diesel, Dually, Long Bed
    Running with 20k Reese Goosebox (Love It) and Ford Factory "Puck" system.
    Stopping with 8,000 lb Disc Brakes and Titan Hydraulic over Electric Brakes system.
    Powering all this fun with 1200 Watts of Solar, two Tesla, Model S, battery modules, 24 volt Victron Inverter.
    2018 Solitude 310 GK

  7. #7
    Big Traveler
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    Quote Originally Posted by SolarPoweredRV View Post
    Let's take your points one by one:

    1. Non-Standard adapters: There are 4 adapters in use in the United States. One is the proprietary Tesla adapter, only Teslas use this adapter and all Super Charging stations are equipped with this adapter. Tesla has announced that they will open up their charging stations to all EVs eventually (currently testing in Norway). You will be able to purchase an adapter that will let you charge your other manufacturers vehicle using the Tesla Super Charger network, or Tesla will equip all their chargers with a second cord that will fit the CCS adapter.

    There are two other "Fast" charging standards, one is CCS and the other is CHADEMO. CHADEMO is widely used in Japan and that is the standard Nissan used on the Leaf. For all practical purposes, CHADEMO is dead. CCS is the Standard that will survive. All new cars and trucks are being produced with CCS adapters (except Tesla). Interestingly, Tesla has adopted the CCS(2) standard in Europe and their vehicles are equipped with both the Tesla port and the CCS(2) port. I believe it is only a matter of time until Tesla adopts the CCS standard for the US/North American market.

    The 4th charging adapter is the J-1772, this port is used for AC charging (usually at home, or at hotels) and this is for slower charging from a 120 or 240 volt outlet. This port is actually part of the CCS port so it is universal (almost) to all EVs.

    Bottom Line: CCS is the US/North American Standard for DC, Fast, charging and J-1772 is the standard for AC charging. Tesla will probably have an adapter available soon for CCS to Tesla charging.

    2. Most EVs have an 8 year, 100k mile warranty. Battery has not been a big issue for most of the mass produced EVs, with the exception of the early Nissan Leafs. Nissan chose to have an air-cooled battery and in hot climates the batteries could not stand the heat.

    As more and more EVs are built the batteries are getting better and more reliable.

    With an 8 year/100k mile warranty battery replacement will not be an issue for most people. For those who it might become an issue for are really no worse off with an EV versus a Gas car; if your engine dies you need to decide to fix it or replace the car. Same goes with an EV; if the battery dies do you replace the battery or replace the car?

    One word about battery failures in an EV, the batteries don't usually catastrophically fail one day, they just get weaker and weaker over time giving you reduced range. Given that most people drive less than 40 miles a day this shouldn't be a problem most of the time.

    3. Different manufacturers will have different charging rates for their vehicles. If Fast charging times are a priority for you then you will purchase a vehicle that is capable of getting to 80% charge (SOC) within 30 minutes or less (they are available today). If like me, you are a two car family, and your wife only drives her car to work and back, overnight charging is perfect. We would have a second car for longer trips with faster charging.

    By-the-way, 80% charge is the "magic" number where the batteries are getting full and the charging rate really slows down. So, you would only charge up to 80% before heading to your next charging station. Note: 80% of 300 miles is 240 miles this easily translates into a 500 mile day, more than enough drive time for most people.

    4. Most fast charging stations have CCS fast charging, many have CHADEMO charging available. Other chargers (at hotels, super markets and malls) have J-1772 chargers available for use while you are shopping, or staying the night. Tesla has the only proprietary network in the US/North America and they have publicly stated that they will open up their Super Charger network (they are actively opening the network in Norway).

    5. Technology is making faster and faster EV charging available. Simultaneously, EVs are being manufactured with higher and higher fast charging capabilities. Yes, older charging stations will need to be replaced with faster and newer chargers, but not at such a fast pace as the old charging stations are obsolete in a few years. The market will adapt to the newer charging capabilities and replace the old chargers in an economically viable manner.

    6. Admittedly, the majority of charging stations have been designed around the car. However, there are some stations that have been designed to accommodate a Tow Vehicle and a trailer. Now, I don't know whether this was on purpose or not, but I suspect not. As more and more EVs start towing there will be better designs for EV charging while towing. I suspect Truck Stops will be the first to install Tow Friendly charging stations.

    7. Depending on when you travel your wait times will vary. It is no different than traveling now, if you are traveling on Christmas day or the day before Thanksgiving, you are going to face long lines at the gas pumps. Many EV charging stations are working on the issue. Tesla has created charging stations with over 50 stalls and they have portable stations they can bring in on a truck for those high volume days.

    8. Yes, this is an issue and the charging industry is working on it. The key is to not need a credit card, just let the car talk to the charging station and automatic billing takes place through the car. This is how Tesla does it, you have a credit card on file on your Tesla account and when you plug your EV in the charging station talks to the car and you get billed. This should all happen seamlessly, just like it does with Tesla. Things will get better over time.

    When it comes to towing, how do you expect the manufacturers to give you a range when towing when they don't know what you are towing and the drag your towable will create on the entire rig.

    The best number I have seen when towing is ~ 50% range reduction when towing. This 50% number came from a video produced by Rivian during towing tests they performed in AZ. Obviously, your range will vary based on the wind profile your towable presents as well as, wind intensity and direction both will definitely be a factor.

    As far as using your F-150 to power your house during a black-out. Presumably, your F-150 would have been plugged in and charging when the lights go out, this would give you some time to make a plan as to how long you can sustain your house from the F-150. Also, you would want to cut off any high draw loads like the dryer and shut off all unnecessary lights throughout the house. How you proceed from those preliminary steps really depends on the nature of the black-out. Is this a storm related black-out? Or is this a local black-out where a transformer blew up? If the black-out is from a natural disaster, like a hurricane, you would have prepared and had the truck fully charged and you only operate the critical appliances and lights throughout the house. After a day or two you will want to start to look for a nearby area that did not loose power where you could drive the truck to to get it charged back up. Then come home and plug the house back into the truck. This is no different than you running low on gas for the emergency generator, you hop in the car (or truck) and go find a gas station that is open and has fuel (you are just searching for electric fuel).

    As far as cars and light duty trucks go, the time for the hybrid has passed. Manufacturers are only putting enough batteries to drive a few miles (often less than 25) on pure electric. This makes no sense, people will just fill the car up with gas and forget about the plug-in portion of the vehicle.

    I am a little the more open when it comes to the heavier duty vehicles because of their towing requirements. If the manufacturers provided enough batteries to get decent range say 300 miles and the ICE only acted as a generator to extend the range when towing, then I am okay with the hybrid. However, I think if they worked a bit harder at it they can build a heavy duty truck that can get good range even when towing (300+ miles).

    Overall, I think EVs are here to stay and I think you are going to be amazed at how fast Gas/Diesel cars and light duty trucks fall out of favor. Many predict that you won't be able to give ICE vehicles away in 2030, others say it will happen in 2028.

    If the demand Tesla, Ford and GM are currently seeing for their EVs is any indication, I am leaning toward the 2028 number myself.

    FYI: Tesla has over a million pre-orders for their Cybertruck. Ford blocked their pre-orders for the F-150 after they reached 200,000. GM sold out the Silverado and Cadillac pre-orders in less than 20 minutes. Additionally, Ford is having problems with their dealers charging $10,000 to $30,000 over list for the Mustang Mach 1 and F-150 Lightening. Mercedes Benz just had a customer buy a Lucid because they wanted $50,000 over list on their EQS.
    Just to ensure we are posting about the same thing and given the fact that all EVs will typically require the same types of electrical maintenance, my post was about EV Trucks for pulling RV's over long distances, not about around town local transportation. In responce to your comments:

    "For those who it might become an issue for are really no worse off with an EV versus a Gas car; if your engine dies you need to decide to fix it or replace the car. Same goes with an EV; if the battery dies do you replace the battery or replace the car?"

    Agree.... however the cost is very different between the two at this time. The URl below is what I found on replacing a Tesla battery. Considering my Ford 6.2l (or any) gasser, I dont think replacing it would even come close to this cost.

    https://www.currentautomotive.com/ho...lacement-cost/

    "Technology is making faster and faster EV charging available."

    Being a retired IT engineer I agree, technology has and ALWAYS will continue to improve. However, my concern is not so much with the charging stations improved technology (but rolling it out could be a point for another discussion - costs/timing/etc), but with currently owned LEGACY (under warranty) EV's to accept new charging rates without updating existing EV software and/or hardware. If one wants to keep an EV for 8 years or 100k miles, and technology becomes better at the "pump" what does that mean for current owners? Buy up like a cell phione or latest computer/CPU/mainboard/monitor etc? Given technological advances, and replacement vehicle and/or legacy EV upgrade costs, I dont see a benefit for the 8 years or 100k lifespan other than WARRANTY issues.

    "there are some stations that have been designed to accommodate a Tow Vehicle and a trailer."

    I agree...... My exact point on CURRENT availability.

    "Depending on when you travel your wait times will vary. It is no different than traveling now, if you are traveling on Christmas day or the day before Thanksgiving, you are going to face long lines at the gas pumps."

    I agree that high travel days will be similar when refueling or recharging with other motorists. However, I dont agree the time and availability will be the same between the two. Time to charge vs time to refuel plus current availability of charging stations vs gas/diesel pumps for trucks pulling RV's was the issue I was refering too.

    "When it comes to towing, how do you expect the manufacturers to give you a range when towing when they don't know what you are towing and the drag your towable will create on the entire rig."

    I don't. But, I did say finding AVAILABLE charging stations could be a factor when pulling an rv. Bad enough finding a gas station that is accessible for an RV.

    "One word about battery failures in an EV, the batteries don't usually catastrophically fail one day, they just get weaker and weaker over time giving you reduced range. Given that most people drive less than 40 miles a day this shouldn't be a problem most of the time."

    You pointed out that as time goes on, EV's may lose their charging efficiency over time, possibly requiring more frequent stops? My gasser has been consistant for the last 75K pulling my RV with the recommended PM - not replacement BTW. Again making my point for available and accessible charging stations.

    "As far as using your F-150 to power your house during a black-out. Presumably, your F-150 would have been plugged in and charging when the lights go out, this would give you some time to make a plan as to how long you can sustain your house from the F-150. Also, you would want to cut off any high draw loads like the dryer and shut off all unnecessary lights throughout the house. How you proceed from those preliminary steps really depends on the nature of the black-out. Is this a storm related black-out? Or is this a local black-out where a transformer blew up? If the black-out is from a natural disaster, like a hurricane, you would have prepared and had the truck fully charged and you only operate the critical appliances and lights throughout the house. After a day or two you will want to start to look for a nearby area that did not loose power where you could drive the truck to to get it charged back up. Then come home and plug the house back into the truck. This is no different than you running low on gas for the emergency generator, you hop in the car (or truck) and go find a gas station that is open and has fuel (you are just searching for electric fuel)."


    Dont agree. The only way to keep the lights ON while waiting on the your utility company resume power is stored energy from a personal solar/windmill application or a fueled generator. And then use your EV/gasser/diesel to obtain more fuel if needed before the generator runs out of fuel. Otherwise disconnecting the power (in this case from an EV F150 and no generator) would not be advantageous with needs to use electricity at the house while your out.

    "As far as cars and light duty trucks go, the time for the hybrid has passed."

    Dont agree. Until a more efficient EV tow vehicle with more RV accessible charging station availability. I still bet on Hybrid technology for the foreseeable tow vehicle future when trying to reduce fossil fuel usage. The new F150 Hybrid is a very good start on bridging the gap between fossil fuel and full EV's when it comes to a tow vehicle. I believe we will see even more truck manufacturers/models doing it as well in the near future once trucks like the F150 Hybrid are purchased and used for towing.
    Jim and Annette
    2019 Reflection 150 295RL
    US Army Veteran
    Missouri (AKA Misery)

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by SolarPoweredRV View Post

    7. Depending on when you travel your wait times will vary. It is no different than traveling now, if you are traveling on Christmas day or the day before Thanksgiving, you are going to face long lines at the gas pumps. Many EV charging stations are working on the issue. Tesla has created charging stations with over 50 stalls and they have portable stations they can bring in on a truck for those high volume days.
    Very well-articulated post. The only point I'd make is on point 7. Consider fueling up at Costco on a busy day. By us, you might wait in line for 10-15 minutes as each car ahead of you takes between 2 and 5 minutes to complete their fillup. Now what happens if we're talking EV charging and the "average" amount of time each vehicle will need to spend at the "pump" is 15 minutes? To meet the same vehicular demand (throughput), the entire Costco parking lot would need to be EV charging stations. Maybe it'll happen someday. I'm pretty disappointed that the auto makers haven't instead adopted an industry standard, hot-swappable battery pack system.

  9. #9
    Setting Up Camp seanmi96's Avatar
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    Everyone,

    No one has brought up the issues on which is worse for the environment, gas engine or a electrical vehicle batteries. I work for a major internet provider and carrier and when we are done with batteries, its incredibly expensive to dispose of the battery and horrible for the environment in the chemicals and such that is left over from a used/dead battery. The batteries being used in all of the electrical vehicles are in some form of a VRLA (valve regulated lead-acid) gel-call battery. I know some of the new ones are lithium-Ion and there is newer version of that same thing on the way, but all-in-all, they are all forms of gel-cell batteries. Gel-cell batteries are prowned to thermal runaways, bulging, and basically battery breakdown / failure. This includes Lithium-Ion, and any other new forms of batteries that are Gel-cell. These batteries are only good for 3 to 5 years, maybe 6 years tops, in a stable conditioned environment. When you add extreme hot and cold temperatures, that lessens the life of the battery. This is just simple physics. Electric cars are making the news today due to a major push by our current government regulatory bodies, by forcbly raising gas prices, and shortening supplies on the manufacturing of gas vehicles. Electric vehicles are nice things for mom's, and dad's running to and fro to the grocery store, picking up kids and etc, but as a long term solution we have a looooooooooooooong way to go before that happens.

    Now lets talk about diminished returns. In regards to electric vehicles, just can't add more batteries for more drive time. The more batteries you add the more weight you are carrying, which in-turns lessen your overall drive time on one charge. This is the one main reason you may never see a electric vehicle pulling or towing anything. Lets face it, batteries are very heavy thena tank of gas, no matter, what the size or make up. Look at your phone that you carry most of the weight is made up of the battery. That's even using a lithium-Ion battery. Look at your cordless drill, that has a Lithium-Ion battery, take the battery out and feel how light your drill is without the battery, and how heavy it is with it. This is just simple facts.

    Thanks
    Sean
    GMC Sierra 2500 HD short box with oem puck system
    6.6 litre Gas V8
    Grand Design Reflection 260rd
    Demco 18k Hijacker Hitch with 25k rail kit system

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    Site Team WhittleBurner's Avatar
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    What about charging those batteries. How much more coal will we have to burn to keep them charged up. Which is worse the exhaust that is heavily cleaned by the pollution controls on vehicles or the coal burning plants that we see pouring out smoke to make electricity.
    Marcy & Gary
    2014 Grand Design - Reflection 303RLS
    2022 GMC 3500 Denali Duramax Longbed SRW
    2015 GMC Denali 3500 - Retired
    2003 F350 - retired
    Michigan
    We're in trouble now, the dog are bloggin'!
    https://3dogsandatrailer.wordpress.com/


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