EV discussion - hate or love?

[BlkGS]

No, they don't. There is ROI, if you're already buying something anyway. There is significant value to be found when comparing an EV to an ICE. For me, it's to the tune of about $200/mo in savings.

It's NOT beneficial to swap vehicles just for the savings. If you're already going to buy something anyway, THEN you might as well get an EV and enjoy the benefits.

The Rivians build quality is better than my Sierra and on par with the Audi. I would hardly call it cheap inside, and when comparing the $85k-ish sticker on my R1T to the $85k-ish sticker on a new High Country/Platinum/Titanium/etc it's as nice or nicer than all of those. Granted a Rivian is perhaps NOT in the field of "most of them", but I'm curious which ones are in that group.

It feels really strongly like you don't WANT the premise of an EV to work. Kind of a "glass half empty" vibe you're giving off here. And that's OK, but you're making some pretty strong sweeping statements that are largely subjective in nature. I get we all have our opinions on if EV's are, or should be, forced upon us, but I'm all for consumer choice here. The more options we have the better.

The "Most of them" is Teslas and Mach Es and that kind of stuff. Even the lightning interior is significantly cheaper than the regular f150 interior. I also would argue the heavy reliance on big touchscreens is cheaper too. When companies make you use a touchscreen for something that could have a button, that's cheaper looking to me.

The Rivian is kind of a unique case, it has absurdly high towing capacity in a fairly small footprint. It packs a fairly large interior into something that's kind of between a midsize and fullsize truck. You also got a KILLER deal on it, lol.

If you look at something that has a direct competitor like a Silverado EV vs a regular Silverado, lightnign vs a regular f150, etc the ROI ismt there unless you drive a ton, and/or they discount the crap out of it. That's comparing the two in a "I need a new car" situation. Unless you get a heavily subsidized deal on an EV lease like you got, or a fire sale on a lightning while the ice f150s are at MSRP, you're not really saving any money with most of them.

I actually do want the premise of an EV to work. EVs are a gateway to power levels many would consider.... Unnatural. Or excessive. If you were to make a 1500 HP SUV with a gas motor the EPA and NHTSA would execute the whole team involved.... Unless it was an EV. They'd let you build a 2000hp EV without batting an eye. Hell they'd probably give you a tax credit for it! I just want EVs that don't suck, which seems to be the hardest part right now. I also don't want to pay a premium for one. Look at like, a Taycan as an example. You can buy a 911 for what a new or used Taycan costs. Or a Panamera. Audi ETron GT is the same way, you can get a nice S6 or RS6 for what an e Tron GT would cost you. So why would you get the EV if it's not better?

 

[2kwik4u]

1 month update coming in hot this morning. TL;DR at the bottom.

Some quick notes:

• Drove 2,362mi in an EV pickup.
  • This includes a single 1,340mi road trip.
    • Road trip accounts for most of miles and was over 4 days
    • Also accounts for most of the energy used/purchased (all DCFC those 4 days, so significantly more expensive)
• Spent $457.45 in energy.
  • That works out to ~$0.21/mi.
  • Average energy cost was $0.41/kWh
  • Home energy is ~$0.15/kWh (I clearly need to get my home charging setup)
• (2) service center visits
  • Fixed 1/2 of issues on first visit, generated a 3rd issue.
  • Fixed 1/2 issues on second visit, needs more parts
  • Have 3rd visit scheduled for week before Thanksgiving (assuming parts are in by then)
  • All Suspension/Tire related issues
    • Leaking RR damper
    • Leaking lower ball joint
    • New Electro-Hydraulic suspension lines (TSB style issue with upgraded parts)
    • 2/5 Tires replaced with significant out of roundness
      • None will balance below 20lbf on the road force machine
      • Suspect the suspension is just sensitive to imbalance
      • It has 35in tall A/T tires that are, well, just OK.
• (2) lease payments made.
• (1) short tow (boat to storage)

Overall, I'm starting to "get used" to the EV feel. Some of the newness has worn off, and it's starting to feel like "my truck" not a "new truck". I'm still really happy with it though at this point. The styling has really grown on me, and I'm really digging the "offroady" feel it has. I'm constantly looking for something to drive over, and I'm starting to plan some trips to offroad parks, trails nearby already. Different feel from my street biased life up until now.

In terms of living with the EV.....well, it's pretty much the same as living with an ICE. I'm having to make a "few" adjustments here and there, but they're largely no big deal. For instance, I knew I had a long day of driving on Friday. So, before I picked up the wife at the airport at like 11pm, I went and spent 45min at a fast charger (while doing email/work on the laptop) to get the charge really high before my Friday drive last week. If I had a home charger that was stronger (I'm still 120V charging now), that would've been a non-issue. Yesterday I drove a lot (like almost 200mi) trying to find a transfer station, running errands, going to the gym, and taking the boys to the bike park. Knowing that was coming, I left the gym and went to a new Tesla station, however it's in front of a supermarket, so I got shopping done while the truck was charging. Literally, might have added 10min to the chore I was already doing. Only real change there is that I usually go to Wegmans on Sunday morning, and I went to Tops instead. Meh, no big deal.

I was pushed into a road trip really quick in ownership. Like 12days into owning. That beat the "range anxiety" right out of me, sort of. I've transitioned from "anxiety" to "consciousness". For instance, it doesn't give me any mental grief, or feel like a burden, or extra chore, but I'm aware of the range constantly. SO, it's not seamless, but it's not a driving factor of my thought process as I expected it would be. With that said, I expect the first few "long tows" this summer might re-escalate that anxiety. I trust the truck to delivery on range promises already, but I don't know if I can trust the estimate towing just yet. The truck and I both just need more data. I'm also curious how things will change over winter and snow season up here in Buffalo. Might be no big deal, might be a monster PIA. I dunno yet. Online forum members seem to report about 40% range reduction in sub freezing temps. We'll see how it goes. I'm curious to see what the data says in terms of increased usage when cold, or decreased capacity when cold. I'm using ElectraFi.com to track my usage, and I can filter it 101 ways to Sunday for reporting, so I'm hopeful for good data there.

TL;DR - I'm liking the EV. Liking the Rivian as a brand and a vehicle in general. Had some service visits. Energy was more expensive than expected, but still cheaper than my Audi. More details coming as winter sets in.

 

[Stischendorf]

I have had my F150 lightning ER for just over a year. Absolutely love it!

 

[BigN8]

We are still liking the Volvo XC 90 plugin hybrid. Got the car late May. We’ve put 2 tanks of gas in it so far and it came with a full tank. The app says we are almost at 100 mpg. The 240v circuit I installed in the garage was a game changer. Wife charges at her office for free. We have zero anxiety or worry over range or charging stations.

 

[BlkGS]

So the new M5 is a PHEV now. 25 miles of range (plenty for me), 700hp turbo V8, and a wagon. $130k as configured for me, which is ungodly expensive and in the ballpark of Escalade V. Also in the ballpark of Escalade V in weight at 5600lbs.

The really funny part? It's a PHEV that could use no fuel at all... And yet gets hit with a gas guzzler tax. Talk about legislation that's outdated and should go away.