The worlds first Electric RV is coming!

[radar]

Originally Posted by PLDieter

Charger and supercharger speeds vary. Tesla give you FREE charging at their stations. Others are very inexpensive. Most EVs have whatever adapters are necessary to charge anywhere. A Tesla vehicle will charge to about 70% capacity in about an hour. Most Teslas have a range somewhere between 250 and 500 miles on a full charge.
We are currently surrounded by electricity - the only problem to solve is to make that cleaner and cleaner, which is happening at breakneck speed as we speak. Current plans work with the existing grid, selling back any excess power. More and more, individual homes have bought battery packs from Tesla that can power all their needs. This is happening, and it will make a HUGE difference toward our environment as well as our pocketbooks.

So yes and no. Some of that has changed. L2 destination charging tends to be free for Tesla drivers. I can attest to that as hotels, restaurants, golf courses, wineries etc tend to use free charging to attract customers. But keep in mind that is max speed of 11.5 kw. And don’t get me wrong. That’s great as road trips get pretty cheap when staying in EV friendly hotels etc.

But Superchargers are not free...anymore... The people that bought Tesla’s that include free Supercharging still get free Supercharging. But Free supercharging went mostly away around 2018. There are still some promotions that will give you three months or six months of free supercharging but generally speaking it’s gone. Typically Superchargers are around 25 to 33 cents per kWh depending where you are.

Also, charging speeds have changed a lot in 4 years. First, all the new Superchargers are 250 KW stalls as opposed to the original 150 KW stalls. Second. All new Tesla’s can now charge at speeds of up to 250 KW except the standard range model 3 which tops out at 170 KW. This means that a typical model 3 supercharge is less than 20 minutes.

All of this has helped ease congestion at Superchargers on long weekends all over the world. As the car ranges get longer this will improve even more. The new model S rated range is 412 miles and the plaid plus is over 500 miles. Those are pricey (and very fast) cars though. The model 3 AWD is rated at 351 miles although its been there for about 6 months so will probably get a bump again pretty soon.

Cheers.

[inkahauts]

Originally Posted by Dav L

Every energy source has distribution issues, costs, and environmental effect.

Battery fires: There are plenty enough battery powered vehicles to both require fire department training and any special tools / procedures that are needed today. And there haven't been much issues in general. Lots more gas / diesel fires associated with accidents. Of course there would be because there are more fossil vehicles.

I haven't read any articles on burying wind farm blades. Hadn't thought about it until now. But it's gotta be easier than burying nuclear waste. If it truly became an issue, I forsee a huge machine being built that "chews" up the blade into reusable materials for building foundations or new blades. The machine would have to be modular and more transportable than the blades are to chew onsite.

There are always issues with everything. My gut is telling me it's going electric anyway. Be what it is. I am good with it.

There is a soccer stadium in South America somewhere I believe it is that they are going to remodel. Big one. They will use used blades to create the roof and facade. There will come a point where they all get recycled.

[jcussen]

Originally Posted by inkahauts

Tesla has said they want to make their charges again Le to all electric cars and are designing them to charge more cars.

When they first started to build the supercharger network. Tesla offered to allow other EV manufacturers the ability to use their network. Nobody took up the offer. Maybe things have changed, but Tesla has a proprietary charging plug and socket. To charge a Tesla at regular RV charging station, you must use an adapter.
Also the supercharger is set up so it communicates with the Tesla car and sets the proper charge and charging speed automatically. Guess it could be done, but will require some work. The beauty of the supercharger network is that only Tesla's can use them, a big plus to Tesla owners.

[NeilV]

Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer

Hardly the first - Winnebago has already produced some for commercial use, starting in 2018.


https://drivinvibin.com/2020/07/31/all-electric-rv/

Yes and WorkHorse has also primarily been developing LastMile Electric Delivery Trucks for some time now too. The Winnebago Ford based electric offerings for commercial in-town Swat, Mobile Blood Bank, etc uses are quite attractive due to their extremely low operating and maintenance costs. They also hold up to long periods of inactivity better due to the lack of complexity and fewer service items such as oil changes compared to internal combustion powered vehicles.

[NeilV]

Originally Posted by inkahauts

There is a soccer stadium in South America somewhere I believe it is that they are going to remodel. Big one. They will use used blades to create the roof and facade. There will come a point where they all get recycled.

There are companies that grind those up and convert them along with fiberglass boats into conventionally recyclable plastic used to make parking berms, park benches, decking, seawalls, etc with one major one next door in Tampa. They say its quite a sight to see a large fiberglass boat go through it and be reduced to pellets for manufacturing conventionally recyclable plastic products.

[sdfcvoh]

Originally Posted by MRUSA14

What energy source will produce this electricity at night after the wind dies down and the sun sets?

OMG man. You need to walk away from the fake programming your brain has been poisoned with. The sun goes down yes, but the wind doesn't stop blowing at night. Also wind turbines DO NOT CAUSE CANCER.

SMH.

[arboldt]

Each person must analyze their needs before he starts looking at an EV. My impression is that EVs may be okay for weekend and near-home camping - someone that rarely drives far from home or in severe weather.
As a driver who grew up in Minnesota and spent most of my adult life in Michigan, here are factors I’d need:
· Driving range of at least 350 miles in subzero winter weather (i.e. full heater / defroster action, headlights, and probably wipers) or, alternatively, driving in sweltering summer where continual air conditioning is necessary. – all activities that can quickly deplete batteries.
· Full refueling will take 15 minutes max when I’m on a 500 – 600 mile trip.
· Fuel stations convenient and readily available in the hinterlands far from a major city. (Ever drive back roads for 2 - 3 days across the Great Plains?)
· Able to tow a car or truck.
· Charging capability for boondockers. We've often dry camped in heavily wooded state and national forest campgrounds where there are NO utilities, and shade such that the solar panel I already have was useless. In those situations, I usually need to use my (gas-powered) generator to recharge batteries each day.

· We normally drive a vehicle for 20 years or 200,000 miles, so longevity is a major concern, and I expect a Class A coach to last longer. I’ve had to replace too many tools because it cost more to replace the batteries. How long will EV batteries last before they need to be replaced, and at what cost?
· Of course, comfort and economy (purchase and operating) are also factors.
Others have already commented on the plethora of used windmill blades - many of which are merely being cut up and buried in a potentially toxic landfill. It is a problem that needs a more practical solution. While some may be ground into pellets for re-use, some fiberglass components may make that impractical.
But there is also the consideration that each windmill uses several hundred gallons of (lubricating) oil, and those that have leaked have presented environmental challenges.

I realize there is no such EV right now. Current EVs would be comparable to the Model T of 100 years ago in their stage of technological advancement. I’m sure that eventually there will be EVs to meet my criteria. I’m just not betting on it in my remaining lifetime.

[dbircky]

Originally Posted by PLDieter

If you look at the current carbon load from petrochemicals, you will see that electric generation produces a tiny fraction of that, even with coal and natural gas (for now.) Any vehicle or gas pump must go through the manufacturing process, and charging stations are simply smaller and simpler. As for the windmill blades in the landfill? I understand the challenge, but it has nothing to do with carbon, except that I doubt those are generating as much methane gas as regular garbage does.
It can't help but be cheaper in terms of carbon footprint. The real trick we must manage is to replace our current aeronautics industry fuel consumption. One cross-country flight generates more carbon than all motor vehicles do in a week. Seems to me we could just as easily convert those to electricity as well.

Fossil fuels are 62.6% of current electric generation. eia.gov. It’s going to be a while for carbon free energy.

[Rightseat]

I have a Porsche Taycan. Recently we charged at an Electrify America commercial charger. We started with 5% charge and 30 minutes later were up to 85% for the same cost of 10 gallons of gas. Porsches have 800 volt charging, and Porsche will be building 350KW charging stations at their dealerships. That should speed up the charging time if you happen to be near the dealership. I have a place 5 minutes from a dealer, so it will work well for me.

Two companies near me are working on large commercial electric vehicles. Paccar, maker of Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks already has test trucks for over the road load transportation, urban delivery and refuse collection out for testing by customers. https://www.paccar.com/news/current-...s-at-ces-2020/

There's also a company in my little town that's developing electrical propulsion for ships and large boats. Ferries carrying 100-150 cars will be among the first target applications - ferries like this are already in use in other parts of the world. https://www.professionalmariner.com/...marine-market/

Airbus is working on electric jetliners. I'm guessing that this is out a lot further than for semis and ships, but they may get there soon. https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/news...-electric.html

Just as computers have changed our lives with a speed that we couldn't imagine 40 years ago, I think that electric vehicles will evolve quickly and in ways that we can't foresee. The speed of human innovation is increasing by the day. We may not live in a carbon neutral world, but our grandchildren will probably live to see the day.

[radar]

Originally Posted by Rightseat

I have a Porsche Taycan. Recently we charged at an Electrify America commercial charger. We started with 5% charge and 30 minutes later were up to 85% for the same cost of 10 gallons of gas. Porsches have 800 volt charging, and Porsche will be building 350KW charging stations at their dealerships. That should speed up the charging time if you happen to be near the dealership. I have a place 5 minutes from a dealer, so it will work well for me.

Two companies near me are working on large commercial electric vehicles. Paccar, maker of Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks already has test trucks for over the road load transportation, urban delivery and refuse collection out for testing by customers. https://www.paccar.com/news/current-...s-at-ces-2020/

There's also a company in my little town that's developing electrical propulsion for ships and large boats. Ferries carrying 100-150 cars will be among the first target applications - ferries like this are already in use in other parts of the world. https://www.professionalmariner.com/...marine-market/

Airbus is working on electric jetliners. I'm guessing that this is out a lot further than for semis and ships, but they may get there soon. https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/news...-electric.html

Just as computers have changed our lives with a speed that we couldn't imagine 40 years ago, I think that electric vehicles will evolve quickly and in ways that we can't foresee. The speed of human innovation is increasing by the day. We may not live in a carbon neutral world, but our grandchildren will probably live to see the day.

That Taycan is a sweet ride. I keep hoping if I leave German sausage in the frunk of our Tesla one morning I’ll go to the garage and our model 3 will have evolved into a Taycan. .

One of those 350 KW stations showed up at an Electrify Canada charge site about 50 km from our place. Every time we drive by I look to see if there is one there. No luck so far. :(. We have a Porsche dealership in that city but not sure if they have a 350 KW station. Is Porsche putting them in at all of their dealerships?

Cheers.

[catchusifu]

Originally Posted by Eug

Where do all the plastic components that make up the interior, dash parts and such come from, fossil fuels. Who are these green people trying to fool, themselves. I’m not sure an electric 18 wheeler up here in North Dakota with temperatures like yesterday at -17 degrees is going to pull a 40,000 lb load very long before a recharge is needed. Need big batteries for the cab heater.

https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/...use-of-oil.php


The amount of "oil" used for plastic is minuscule.

[catchusifu]

Originally Posted by Bobbystar

We used to have off peak rates in the Philly area but the electric company stopped that years ago.

I remember many times when electric usage went up in the evenings during hot spells due to people coming home and cranking up the AC.

If they can migrate to nuclear fine otherwise we will experience the blackouts like Europe and Australia have been experiencing.

https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news...dustry-worried


Europe has not had a blackout since 2006. On Jan 8 this year they had a NEAR blackout situation. BTW, nuclear is as dead as coal as a power generator.

[AJMike]

Originally Posted by hikerjohn7

According to the news, all the major countries are working around the clock on fusion power plants to use the energy source of the sun to create electrical power. The fuel... well it's just sea water!

If you are waiting for fusion power plants you had best be prepared for a very long wait. To the best of my knowledge we are basically no closer to that that we were 20 years ago.

Fission, sure. Fusion, I don’t think any time soon.

And as for fission, where do you assume we are going to store all of those radioactive byproducts? You know, the ones with the 25,000 year half life.

[Arkydoodle]

Originally Posted by Lt Dan

Thread Reminder

Just a reminder Guys and Gals, this thread is about Electric RVs so please keep politics out of the discussion. A few posts have been edited or removed due to political comments.

Thank you to those posting within the rules.

The truth is, this subject is (unfortunately) ALL about government subsidies and Washington picking winners and losers instead of free enterprise actually developing a viable and economical solution to this issue. Remember ALL of the early days of energy (exploration, invention and implementation) was done without government “directives” and driven solely by the nasty profit......oh wait, if that was the case, we’d probably see no windmills or Teslas