Bringing it back to EV's, I'll quickly share what I love, what I hate, and what I'm hopeful for.
I currently have a 1997 Tacoma SR5 4x4 w/ elocker, manual transmission, and several upgrades. I also have a 2022 Rivian R1T with underbody armor, sliders, and about 37k miles on it.
What I love about the Rivian:
It's super quiet on trails. I've rolled up and spooked wildlife in my Tacoma but in the Rivian I see so much more and sometimes they just watch instead of running away.
Less parts to break. I don't have alternators, belts, starters, fuel pumps, etc. to worry about. It's basically a giant RC car with fewer parts to fail.
It's cheaper to fuel up* - I say this with an asterisk because this only applies when charging from home. It's about $13 for me to go from empty to full when charging at home. Using fast chargers on the road is pretty close to gas prices.
Hydraulic/pneumatic suspension - Not all EVs have this but mine does so I'll call it out. At the touch of a button you can raise or lower the suspension to provide up to 15" of ground clearance (no differential to bang on rocks) or you can drop it to 8" for easier entry and better road performance.
OTA updates - Getting over the air updates that improve the vehicle are amazing. Historically, if I wanted my truck to perform better, I had to go out and buy an aftermarket product and install it. With the EV, it simply updates itself and suddenly you have different vehicle dynamics (snow mode, off road rally mode, drift mode, rock crawl mode, etc.)
Having a frunk - never thought I'd say this but having a waterproof storage space that also has a power outlet for a fridge is pretty cool.
800+hp/900+ft lb torque - The power these things have is incredible. It feels good to effortlessly climb an obstacle or pull someone out of the mud.
Cameras - these things have cameras everywhere that allow a 360 view of the vehicle and even view the tires so you can see wheel placement. Having a spotter is nice but being able to see your wheels yourself is a game changer.
Regenerative Braking - It's super cool to gain mileage back when coming down a big hill. I recall gaining 14miles of additional range coming down Engineer Pass in CO.
What I hate:
Limited modifications - I was able to add rock sliders and some LEDs but there isn't much of an aftermarket yet.
Less to wrench on - I mentioned less parts to break but for those of us who like wrenching on our rides, this is a bit of a bummer. There's nothing I can really work on myself with this vehicle.
Lack of charging infrastructure - if you're not in a Tesla, it's the wild west out there and you have to use 2-3 sources to plan trip routes according to where chargers are.
Fragile - Since the body is aluminum, it's essentially a tin can and pretty easy to dent. I've gotten a couple already from impacts that wouldn't have done anything to my Tacoma. Gotta be extra careful in those tight creek beds and trails.
Expensive - Everything about these vehicles (Rivian, Hummer EV, Lightning, cybertruck lol) is expensive. Buying, repairing, modifying. I'm sure you've all heard the joke that everything is more expensive when you put an "Overland" label on it because of the overland tax. Same applies with the EV world. I've heard several Rivian owners joke about the "Rivian Tax".
What I'm hopeful for:
Improvements in charging infrastructure - we already have lots of chargers but most are slow. With more EVs coming out, it will necessitate more infrastructure to support it. As you can see from this map, you are rarely far from a charger, they just need to be higher power.
Alternative Fuels Data Center: Electric Vehicle Charging Station Locations
Electric jerry cans - one of the things I hear often is that you can't tote a can of electrons in the same way you can gas. Companies like Sparkcharge and others are working to solve that
Roadie Portable | Portable EV Charging Station | SparkCharge
Future off-road vehicles - I hope companies like Alpha are able to bring to market other vehicles geared toward the off road community. I for one and a big fan of their
Nightwolf.
Lowering costs - Several companies are working on newer battery tech that give more range, faster charging, and lower costs. It will still take a few years but I would expect to see the costs come down on these vehicles.
I think ICEs will always have a place and won't be going away any time soon.
