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As a scientist myself, I believe there are some good points there although with some caveats. The efficiency of producing energy from a power plant is much greater than producing energy on a single vehicle level. There is also no requirement for electricity to be produced by burning fossil...

I would agree that EVs have their place. In regions of Canada that are colder, charging stations are less abundant, and cost to own an EV are higher, adoption is going to take time. In contrast, in the US a new EV can be purchased for under $30k not including up to $7500 government rebate. The...

Understandably , there is still a lot of anxiety regarding EV range and battery life but most of that is not based on factual data. Most legitimate calculations estimate that EV batteries should last at least 10-12 years but probably more. There are a lot of reasons for this added life...

Well that indeed is an important question. Best estimate is that if I needed to change the entire battery on my Ioniq 5 with the same 77kW battery pack it might cost $15k plus install. however there are a few things to consider. For starters, the battery should be good for 10-15 years and...

You are correct. EV charging costs vary a lot based on region, size of the vehicle, private versus commercial, slow level 1 vs fast level 3 DC charger and the mix of renewable sources. In Maryland where I live, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 with 77kW battery costs about $0.14 per kW off the main grid or...

Ouch. that does add up. While electricity is also not free, depending on the source where it is generated, it is usually much less than petrol and oil costs. A rough estimate assuming the following; annual mileage of 15,000 would cost about $5,000 a year in petrol costs for you. A 130kW EV...

Very cool. Yes indeed EVs definitely have a place in certain settings like suburbs and some off-roading not too far off the beaten path. The environmental impact of trashing a perfectly good toyota straight 6 may not be worth it. When it dies though it would be cool to drop in an electric motor...

These are all valid points. In the city cruising around town at 40pmh, the IONIQ 5 get a over 300 miles range, enough to for me to drive 1-2 weeks without needing to charge. My experience on sand and light gravel has been fairly good going on smaller 100 mile treks. The IONIQ 5 takes 20 minutes...

Yeah, I too used to get 45mpg or more with my audi A3 TDI. That was cool. It took me about a month to get comfortable preparing for, locating and charging my EV. Now I just charge the EV at home at night. when I go on trips I plan my stops ahead of time so that I can charge in just 20 minutes at...

I certainly would enjoy a few gears, although the simplicity of no transmission, the reduced weight from this, and less parts to fail was one of the attractions. If you are traveling only 100 miles off road the point is moot. But yes indeed I did notice some loss of range on the sand, only hand...

Awesome rig. Indeed, even if solid state batteries provide 50% more energy and be 50% lighter that would make tremendous difference in EV range and capability. Couple that with a portable solar array and you might just be able to overland off grid sometime this decade.

This is true. Although remember as well that EVs have regenerative breaking to help recapture some of that energy coming down hills. That will help efficiently to some extent. I remember recently coming down 13k feet from the top of Mauna Kea observatory in a Jeep Wrangler. I used low gearing as...

Totally agree. I too am a little pragmatic but enjoying pushing the boundaries a little with the EV. Its been a win win here on the east coast connected to a massive solar array. But the remote locations are a challenge for sure. 100 miles in and 100 miles out is about the practical limit...

Yes indeed for around town the EV has proven to be an excellent solution especially when charging off of renewable sources. Deep treks into the Alaskan tundra would be a serious challenge. Nonetheless, the notion of installing remote solar powered off grid charge stations discussed earlier in...

Yes valid point. The throughput for a gas station is pretty fast. If you estimate 5 minutes to fill up gas versus 30 minutes to "fill up" an EV , the throughput is 6 times better with petrol. But as you say, most EV ownerss charge at home slowly overnight and this reduces the need for station...

These are very detailed and complicated studies but most point to the fact that an EV has a smaller carbon footprint overall compared to ICE. When the EPA determines mpg "equivalent" for an EV they account for production costs, source of the electricity etc. Mpg for an EV is usually around...

Thanks. Yes indeed this is all encouraging although there certainly are limitations such as long treks in remote locations far from fast chargers. I did a review on the range reduction associated with bigger tires, roof rack and lift (see link below). The biggest hit to range is actually speed...

Right on. That’s the spirit. Keep pushing the EV possibilities. Ever think about assembling a portable 6000W solar array? This array would cost about $6500 and weigh only 350lbs. It would take about 10 hours of sun to charge which means you would need to camp for a day every 300 miles or so...

Yeah. I basically agree on all that. The trade off of losing gear shifting and engine noise vs smooth operation and acceleration with an EV is basically a wash as far as I am concerned. I also concur that long distance back country exploration into Alaska tundra would be difficult if not...

Overall EV are indeed pretty cool but always trade offs: Pluses: lower fuel costs, smooth and quiet, simple maintenance, super fast, great torque, overall better for environment Minuses: range not yet as good as many ICE, no transmission reduces fun, can be higher upfront cost, fuel stop takes...