this post was submitted on 28 Nov 2023
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I loved my Volt... Charged overnight in a normal 110 outlet got me the 43 miles to work and back (after about year 5, not quite the whole way) but I could still decide to go on a 600 mile road trip spur of the moment. Had to give up the 2014 in 2023 when a full charge wouldn't go 20 miles. ☹️
There is no PHEV comparable now, though! Made the switch back to full ICE and I hate it.
I have a 2017 bolt EV - bought used, not one that is advertised as having great mileage even in 2017. I routinely take it 400-500mi plus drives with one or maybe two charge stops for vacation and family trips. Middle of ME to the southern tip of NJ. My home is somewhere in the middle.
Charged off my 110 outlet since I got to car (about 4 years) up to last month Oct 2023 when I got a 220v outlet installed as part of another project. One charge was enough for the week. Occasionally I'd plug in at work or at a friends. Worst case actually pay $5-9 for a DC quick charge if I know I'm doing a long drive. All that is way easier if you just have a place to plug in consistently at home.
I don't get the negativity most people have twords EVs. Everyone is astounded when I say I just plug it into the wall and have to plan longer trips slightly more, like that's not news anymore.
And there's a bunch more DC chargers than when I first started driving an EV - so it's wayyy easier for new folks to adopt.
It sounds like you could've taken that car back for a warranty claim.... depending on your state it should be able to do about 30 miles after either 8 or 15 years, and your was doing less than 20 at 9 years... I assume you were in an eight year state?
Having said that, draining the battery fully every day will absolutely kill it. It's not good for the battery to be empty that often... an EV with a 300 mile range and the same driving pattern could probably go well over a million miles on the original battery. That's far longer than the typical life of a modern ICE engine (unless its an engine specifically intended for commercial fleets - those last longer).
Of course, a battery that can do 300 miles is very expensive.
This is the real reason I think high mileage batteries are important... I think most people don't need 300 miles, but a battery that can do that can also be charged to 60% or 80% and charged before going below 20%, which should dramatically improve its life (saving the full capacity for the once in a while longer trips)
Tesla recommends (I think it's the default?) limiting charging to 80% and when they drain as low as 20% they shut down to protect the battery. You'll need to call a tow truck unless there's a major emergency/evacuation, then they take advantage of the car's cellular connection to unlock the last 20% and allow drivers to use the whole battery.
I don't think the Volt did that. Maybe newer (and more expensive...) GM EVs do though.
Haha what? No that is some serious misinformation. A Tesla might go into a slumber mode when parked for a while, this only means it takes a few seconds to start instead of the instant response if you parked for a short while. , but it will not shut down until sometime AFTER reaching 0%.
Also, there are now two types of batteries for Tesla cars.
The Tesla Model 3 RWD’s battery pack uses the LFP chemistry which Tesla recommends charging to 100% at least once per week. Tesla recommends setting the charge limit to 100% for daily use.
The Tesla Model 3 Long Range and Performance variants uses a different chemistry referred to as NMC. The Tesla Model Y owner's manual recommends setting the charge limit to 90% for daily use. This will minimise degradation and preserve the longevity of the battery.
https://zecar.com/resources/tesla-model-3-charging-guide
The Prius Prime isn't too different, in that it's also a compact PHEV although the battery range is a bit shorter.
I’m kind of blown away by the new Prius - it seems really good(?) ~40 mi all-electric and AWD (requirement for me in a snowy, mountainous state). It also doesn’t look awful for once.
Hyundai Ioniq PHEV is I would say even better.
That's the problem. They're basically totaled once the battery is worn out.
Well Ive not quite made it to 100000mi on the odometer. It's likely I'll be able to take it to 200000 with the same sort of range I have now... So that's about 10-12 years of life for me without a worry. Maybe it goes more, maybe I get in an accident before 2029 (10years of use and I'll be around 150000mi or less).
Ive heard people are scared of the batteries. But that fear doesn't match what I've experienced. I had a recall on mine that was not big deal. it's really not as concerning as it's made out to be. I'm mostly hoping there's a better recycling system in place when I do actually need a new battery, just show I know the old one is taken care of properly. But likely the rest of the car will wear out first.
Ps I don't drive much during the week, longer weekend drives, and then long drives a few times a year.
I've read that used EV batteries that aren't good for their original purpose anymore can be used for solar storage, so, not recycling but reusing.
I mean... Same with a gas engine for most cars. And the batteries are expected to last about as long as a gas engine.
You can replace parts on a gas engine. There's a lot more repairability there.
Batteries also have a shelf life.
With that said, e-bikes with a supply of batteries and a means of charging them with portable solar panels are probably better for an extended disaster situation.
I have a Tesla because my VW engine died just out of warranty and a junkyard engine was $5k, a new one was $11k, just for the engine, no labor or extraneous parts.
The world where you can afford an engine replacement but not an electric car is pretty small.
Yea those prices are high. You can typically get a rebuilt engine installed for between $2500-5k but you have to go to a shop that specializes in rebuilds. A regular mechanic can't do that type of work and will just be looking for something they can drop in.
Batteries are often the part that has the longest warranty. It'll be a while before it's your problem, and even then, costs will probably be down by a lot.
That person had a PHEV (2014 Chevy Volt)... It was not totalled, they can still drive it on gas, and the battery is only 16.5kwh, so if you wanted to replace it (though you don't need to), its only like $5k.
So true! ☹️