Drew Dowdell

Tacky

Again, someone can want an EV without buying one simply because one that suits his needs isn't on the market. I like everything about the powertrain of the Bolt. I do not like its size, shape, or interior. I wouldn't buy it for myself even if it was gasoline powered and $25k cheaper. I would buy a CT6 Plug-in, but I don't have that kinda cash laying around. I am also interested in the Volt, but Albert decided it was too small since we're already wanting to upsize from the Encore. If we had a different life scenario, I'd love to find him a low mileage ELR and I would get something else bigger for the trips we take. For those of us with spouses @ocnblu, keeping a non-car-fanatic spouse happy is probably the biggest challenge of all in car buying. So let him go about buying a Bolt... if his wife doesn't like it, it's not going to happen. I'm sure it frustrates him just the same as the limitations imposed on me frustrate me.

Hold on to your buggy whips. Smart companies build for the future, not the past.

While true, even the best and most attentive drivers can't avoid every incident. I do pay attention while driving, but I don't mind the car being able to take countermeasures if needed especially since it can react faster than I can.

Shell oil now owns more charging stations than gas stations globally.

Still, the point remains that these days diesel is plentiful enough to find that VW, GM, Ford, Ram, BMW, Benz, Audi, Porsche, can all sell a not insignificant number of diesel vehicles.... .....well maybe not VW so much anymore, but that's another story.

No idea. If it did happen, it was decades ago. I got into cars in the first place when I was 3 and I was fascinated with my grandmothers 78 Olds diesel....it was way cooler than my other grandmother's 79 Rabbit diesel.

This is why automatic pedestrian detection is going to become standard across the board. Even if it isn't legislated, the industry is driving there already. Toyota already having it standard across nearly its entire lineup, Mazda makes it a cheap $600 option, HondaSense is standard on Accord and a $1000 option on any CVT equipped Civic or Fit. Standard on EX and higher CRV trims.... It's going to take the same adoption path that airbags took... even if it isn't mandated, the safety scores will be weighted on having the feature or not and no manufacturer will want to be below 5 star ratings.

Remember, @dfelt is so tall he cannot fit in anything that doesn't have a Greyhound painted on the side of it. Range anxiety and charger density are indeed two separate issues. How do I know? Back when I was trying to talk people into Jetta TDIs, the reply was always "But where do you buy diesel?"... after I at them a few minutes.... I would say. "Do you think you could find a station that sells diesel somewhere between here and Philly? Because you could drive to Philly and back on a single tank of diesel." The real answer of course is that most GetGos and Sheetz and Sunocos... our biggest chains in the area, sell diesel. They just never bothered to look. All of that F.U.D. about fueling locations, but range definitely isn't an issue on a Jetta/Passat/Beetle TDI. I do understand range anxiety on an EV with a 150 mile max... but 250 or better like the Bolt or Teslas? Na, doesn't worry me. Edit: That person did end up buying a Jetta TDI and loved it so much, they intended to keep it till the very last day it was eligible for the VW buyback. They racked up huge miles on the car, so the buyback was worth it even though they loved the car so much. I don't know what their intended replacement was.

Tiny little wheels.

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The only way you are correct is taking into account the charging network. As that starts to reach critical mass, I think we'll see a yuuge shift towards EVs.

I did 19 hours after working an 8 hour day, no naps.. just starbucks and 5 hour energy. I stayed up another 12 hours after I arrived out of necessity. I was incoherent by the end of that.... not that any of you would be able to tell the difference.

Police departments aren't going to care about an extra $100

Because that's what they build the most of. Economies of scale.

Probably just taking a mid-level Durango and copifying it. I wonder why it's a limited time only thing. Police Departments are moving to SUVs as fast as the rest of the buying public. Next up, Traverse PPV?

ME

Tesla at least will sell you upgraded battery packs as long as you trade in your old battery. I assume that the other manufacturers will see this as a profit center soon.

And honestly, now that I'm older, I can't go more than 2 hours behind the wheel without stopping to pee. I'm sure part of it is the sheer amount of Starbucks Earl Gray I consume on a trip... but stil. Once most rest stops and starbucks have charging stations, it won't be an issue... just waiting in line for my Venti Earl Gray would get me another 700 miles of range.

One thing that is frequently ignored is that charging is different than filling up.... it requires a different mentality. Most people fill up their car one of two ways... either they fill the tank, or they fill to a specific dollar amount because that is all their budget allows. They rarely, if ever, fill up with gas just enough to get them to the next planned filling station. In an EV, you don't have to, and indeed should not fill up when you're out and about. The reason being that going from zero to full every time shortens the life of your battery. Secondly, if you're using a pay charging station, the price per kWh is substantially higher than charging at home. Third, if you don't need 300 miles of range to get to your next stop with a charger, what are you doing sitting around waiting till you have 300 miles of range? If you're 25 miles from home, put it on the charger long enough to get you to 50 miles of range (that's 15 minutes if you're at dead zero in a Bolt and at a DC fast charger) If you've got 12 miles of range left and you need to go 25 and want to get there quickly, putting the Bolt on a DC fast charger for 5 minutes will get you home. You do not have to hang around for an hour an a half to get the full range back. Just get what will get you to your next planned stop.

I thought he meant me because I say that I like the Bolt, but I want a Buick version with more luxury amenities.... and my current Buick has a mocha interior.

If you're talking about me, I just like the cheaper costs to "fuel" and the huge amount of torque from electrics. We're not going to save the planet with EVs while we're still tossing out plastic forks after one use. We're effed regardless. You know the cars I like, swift, silent, lots of torque. EVs fit that bill at a cheaper cost to operate than a V8.

I want to buy one, but they don't make one I both like and can afford and has the amenities I want. I'd buy an EV Lacrosse with a 250 mile range.. While not pure EV, both the S90 and CT6 plug ins would be high on my list had I the funds.

Well as you so often point out, 2 inches is like a whole different size class if Cadillac is wearing them. If the AMG GT is 2 inches longer than an E class, it is a total failure and no one will buy it. Back to the M5 and it's actual competition.

I really don't think I have range anxiety... but I have charger location anxiety. I still think a plug-in hybrid is the way to go, but if it is a two vehicle family, a pure EV as a second car would be fine.