Electric Vehicles?

[Swerd]

Good luck finding plug-ins on your vacation journeys that will to be designed around. Or having to wait in line.

All those issues were covered earlier in this 14+ page thread. The consensus was plenty of recharging stations are available along major interstate routes, especially in more populated areas. Those recharging stations are not as abundant as gas stations. So, you do have to unlearn some old habits. I'm OK with that, YMMV.

If you have a full load car or truck, what is the distance one can travel b/4 running out of energy? A hilly terrain put more drain on the batteries.

For what it's worth, all EVs seem to have software that informs the driver how much energy remains in the battery, and when & where you should recharge. I've been told by other EV owners in this thread to not ignore that information. The software accounts for load, route while using the navigation, and weather (heater or AC usage). I've also learned that the software tells drivers it's time to recharge while aiming to keep a 20% reserve in the battery, just for unpredictable events. Just like a fuel gauge … ignore it at your own risk.

For that matter, cold weather is a major drain on battery energy.

Is the current electrical grid going to support all the demands by 2035 during the summer seasons? What is the cost to wire 220 for your house? Apartment/housing units having outlets? Anyway, what portion of the population can afford a new vehicle and into the future? Just some questions on my mind. Hopefully there will still be hybrids.

I'm now getting some estimates from electricians to add a 240V line in my garage. At this point, I really don't know what that will cost.

The major Japanese manufacturers say they are keeping with their hybrids. They will probably be the slowest to bring out all electric cars.

Your other questions are valid, but most are not what an individual can readily answer.

Then too, what happens to our environment if the House and Senate go Republican with a Republican President????? lol

With Elon Musk revealing himself as a hardcore MAGA guy, I trust hope the GOP will also embrace EVs.

 

[Swerd]

My son assures me in 10 years all these questions will be answered .........

In 10 years, the only rechargeable you'll have to deal with is an electric wheelchair .

 

[trochetier]

I am considering either of these two for some time in 2023.

2024 IONIQ 5 | Electric SUV, Overview | Hyundai USA

Get to know the 2024 IONIQ 5 electric SUV, winner of 3 World Car Awards featuring power up to 320 hp, EPA-est. 303 mile range, available HTRAC AWD, & more!

www.hyundaiusa.com

2025 Genesis GV60 Luxury Performance SUV || Genesis USA

Introducing the first-ever 2025 Genesis GV60 luxury performance SUV. See design, performance, and technology features, as well as models, pricing, photos, and more.

www.genesis.com

Both are based on the same platform but differences are in power and luxo treatments. Both are capable of Level 3 charging.

Most charging stations are Level 2 but Level 3 charging is catching up. There are many charging station apps for phones, one example -

10+ Best EV Charging Apps to Find Stations (2024)

Best EV charging apps to find stations. Going on long journey with your EV, you should download at leat one of best EV charging station apps.

theninehertz.com

 

[j_garcia]

I am considering either of these two for some time in 2023.

2024 IONIQ 5 | Electric SUV, Overview | Hyundai USA

Get to know the 2024 IONIQ 5 electric SUV, winner of 3 World Car Awards featuring power up to 320 hp, EPA-est. 303 mile range, available HTRAC AWD, & more!

www.hyundaiusa.com

2025 Genesis GV60 Luxury Performance SUV || Genesis USA

Introducing the first-ever 2025 Genesis GV60 luxury performance SUV. See design, performance, and technology features, as well as models, pricing, photos, and more.

www.genesis.com

Both are based on the same platform but differences are in power and luxo treatments. Both are capable of Level 3 charging.

Most charging stations are Level 2 but Level 3 charging is catching up. There are many charging station apps for phones, one example -

10+ Best EV Charging Apps to Find Stations (2024)

Best EV charging apps to find stations. Going on long journey with your EV, you should download at leat one of best EV charging station apps.

theninehertz.com

There is no difference in power, they are the same car with different body/interior. The GV60 has a "boost" function for stupid fast launches, but motors and batteries are the same. Someone at my work already has a GV60, not 100% crazy about the looks, but it is a lot better looking than the EV6.

 

[mtrycrafts]

In 10 years, the only rechargeable you'll have to deal with is an electric wheelchair .

Put a solar on the back and recharge on the go.

 

[mtrycrafts]

...
With Elon Musk revealing himself as a hardcore MAGA guy, I trust hope the GOP will also embrace EVs.

LOL. Good luck with that.

 

[NINaudio]

According to your calculations, your car would sell for $223,880. Does the HK system cost $150,000?

My math comes out to about ~$67,000. (100/3.35) x 2250

 

[Swerd]

In a few hours I'll go pickup my new car. The dealer will give me an 'orientation' session to introduce me to all the new controls & features and how to use the car's 'operating system'. I hope that isn't too bewildering.

The drive home that first day in a strange & different car will be stressful. In non-rush hour traffic, it should take about 45 minutes.

Tomorrow, an electrician comes to see my garage and circuit breaker box. He'll give me an estimate for installing a 240V line and recharging box in the garage. I'm prepared for more sticker shock.

 

[j_garcia]

In a few hours I'll go pickup my new car. The dealer will give me an 'orientation' session to introduce me to all the new controls & features and how to use the car's 'operating system'. I hope that isn't too bewildering.

The drive home that first day in a strange & different car will be stressful. In non-rush hour traffic, it should take about 45 minutes.

Tomorrow, an electrician comes to see my garage and circuit breaker box. He'll give me an estimate for installing a 240V line and recharging box in the garage. I'm prepared for more sticker shock.

My question is "How do I turn all this crap off?"

 

[Mikado463]

In a few hours I'll go pickup my new car. The dealer will give me an 'orientation' session to introduce me to all the new controls & features and how to use the car's 'operating system'. I hope that isn't too bewildering.

The drive home that first day in a strange & different car will be stressful. In non-rush hour traffic, it should take about 45 minutes.

Tomorrow, an electrician comes to see my garage and circuit breaker box. He'll give me an estimate for installing a 240V line and recharging box in the garage. I'm prepared for more sticker shock.

yeah but depending how much gas is in your area in a months time that 'shock' will be replaced with a smile on your face !!

 

[Swerd]

My question is "How do I turn all this crap off?"

LOL ! I had that same exact thought when I got home. Do I have to turn off the Google Navigation or not? I got everything off (I think) except for the headlights. They stayed on for more than 5 minutes in the garage. So I went back out and wasted a few minutes looking over the control menus. Eventually, I pulled out a flashlight to get a better look at the headlight controls built onto the turn signal stalk. It had 4 or 5 settings, and I'll have to learn what they all do. One of them was 0 for off.

I downloaded a Volvo Car app onto my phone and logged in, giving it the car's VIN number as well as the usual user name & password. I did something (?) involving Bluetooth, and fully linked up my phone to the car, all with the help of the salesman. So did my wife with her phone. Now the car can distinguish between my key & phone and my wife's key & phone. No finger print or retinal scans just yet.

There is a digital owners manual available through the car's operating system. I haven't gone there yet. I also saw a way to download a manual to my phone. I'll have to do that, so I can look up things without being in the car.

I did use the car's Google Navigation system as I drove home. (The Volvo dealer I went to is in Northern Virginia, about a 45 minute drive from my home in Maryland.) It worked very well, better than on my phone. It provided 2 views at the same time. One was a close up of my immediate situation and next step on the 'dashboard display' visible through the steering wheel. And, on the 12" display panel on the center (just to my right), I could see the big picture of my entire route. I liked having both without having to fiddle with things. Using my phone for GPS navigation is like viewing a tiny portion of a big map through a tiny keyhole.

The navigation voice, which I always call Ms. Google, spoke out the directions through the car's sound system, while including pauses in speech, like a normal human. I hate the Google Map or iPhone Map voices that run all their words together without ever pausing.

I'm used to a Volvo S70, model year 2000, so all these computerized operations are new to me.

A completely analog feature, which I absolutely love, is the adjustable thigh support on the front of the seat. It's manual – slide it forward or backward to fit your knee-to-hip length. I'm 6' and my wife is 5'2". We've never had car seats that we both liked.

 

[Swerd]

yeah but depending how much gas is in your area in a months time that 'shock' will be replaced with a smile on your face !!

YES!! I certainly hope so.

I already mentioned I'm getting bids from some electricians on what it will cost to get a 240V line in my garage and equip it with a Level 2 recharger. I can only wish my $2,250 in discounts for the car pay for all that. But that may be a pipe dream. If I need a larger circuit breaker box, it may very well cost more. We'll see. But it's a necessary part of having an EV.

 

[Swerd]

The Volvo C40 and XC40 cars are apparently selling as fast as they arrive at the dealers. The one I bought arrived at the dealer last Saturday. I saw it Monday, in the showroom (remember my photos?), and committed to buying it.

Today, Wednesday, when I arrived, I noticed a blue C40 (Volvo calls it Fjord Blue) in the same spot on the showroom floor where my car had been. Shortly before I left, I saw a woman taking photos of it, just as I did on Monday. She happily told me she was buying it. The dealer keeps one C40 or XC40 as a demo car, but all the rest don't last a week.

 

[mtrycrafts]

In a few hours I'll go pickup my new car. The dealer will give me an 'orientation' session to introduce me to all the new controls & features and how to use the car's 'operating system'. I hope that isn't too bewildering.

The drive home that first day in a strange & different car will be stressful. In non-rush hour traffic, it should take about 45 minutes.

Tomorrow, an electrician comes to see my garage and circuit breaker box. He'll give me an estimate for installing a 240V line and recharging box in the garage. I'm prepared for more sticker shock.

You may also want to join that Volvo car's online chat group. At least you won't see dumb questions about how often to change oil.

 

[GO-NAD!]

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

 

[Mikado463]

YES!! I certainly hope so.

I already mentioned I'm getting bids from some electricians on what it will cost to get a 240V line in my garage and equip it with a Level 2 recharger. I can only wish my $2,250 in discounts for the car pay for all that. But that may be a pipe dream. If I need a larger circuit breaker box, it may very well cost more. We'll see. But it's a necessary part of having an EV.

How many open breaker spots do you currently have in your panel ? I believe you'll need 2 for a 220/240 breaker set up. At least with my Square D box that is. As for the need to replace with a new 'bigger' box, I doubt it, another sub-panel perhaps.

 

[Swerd]

How many open breaker spots do you currently have in your panel ? I believe you'll need 2 for a 220/240 breaker set up. At least with my Square D box that is. As for the need to replace with a new 'bigger' box, I doubt it, another sub-panel perhaps.

My present breaker panel has 30 slots – all are occupied. For a new panel, the next size up is 42 slots. The electrician also told me my panel is 29 years old, going on 30. He claims breaker panels should be kept no longer than 25 years. It's also a long run from my panel, through the basement to the back of the house, to the garage. Romex capable of carrying the current for a wall charger box will also be expensive. All this will cost me. EEEK!

He left me with 3 estimates, from cheap to expensive. All involve a new larger breaker panel. The most expensive involves a sub-panel in the garage allowing me to install one wall charger now, and another one later.

And none of that includes a car wall charger box. I have to supply my own. Lowes & Home Depot sell a large assortment of them. At this point, I'm ignorant of what to choose. Who knows where I can learn some basics of Level 2 chargers that are capable of recharging a Volvo C40 with 75kWh batteries over ~8 hours? @j_garcia ?

 

[j_garcia]

I haven't bought my car yet so I haven't looked into that yet; not familiar with what is best for home charging. My plan was to charge at work for now since we have plenty of chargers here. My current place is ~20 yrs old so I am probably due to replace some thing as well, but not until I get close to buying a car. She has a Lexus hybrid that she loves and we don't expect to add a second EV unless that one has a serious issue.

 

[Out-Of-Phase]

Two photos of my new car in the showroom. It arrived at the dealer Saturday. Sold today (Monday).

Gorgeous looking car.

 

[Mikado463]

My present breaker panel has 30 slots – all are occupied. For a new panel, the next size up is 42 slots. The electrician also told me my panel is 29 years old, going on 30. He claims breaker panels should be kept no longer than 25 years. It's also a long run from my panel, through the basement to the back of the house, to the garage. Romex capable of carrying the current for a wall charger box will also be expensive. All this will cost me. EEEK!

He left me with 3 estimates, from cheap to expensive. All involve a new larger breaker panel. The most expensive involves a sub-panel in the garage allowing me to install one wall charger now, and another one later.

And none of that includes a car wall charger box. I have to supply my own. Lowes & Home Depot sell a large assortment of them. At this point, I'm ignorant of what to choose. Who knows where I can learn some basics of Level 2 chargers that are capable of recharging a Volvo C40 with 75kWh batteries over ~8 hours? @j_garcia ?

Interesting, I wonder what it is with a breaker panel that wears out ? Nothing but two down legs, wire and circuit breakers. Now I do understand in time breakers themselves do go 'soft', especially GFI breakers but replacing the whole panel ?? There was a brand of panel years ago (forgot the name) that was known to have an issue but my 43 year old Square D is not one of them.

I've two buds that are electricians, I'll have to inquire ............