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A 9-hour drive in Toyota's new electric SUV showed me how brutal EV road trips can be with the wrong car
msn ^ | 04/15/2023

Posted on 04/15/2023 9:07:38 AM PDT by devane617

Electric cars are quick, quiet, and kind to the planet, but limited range and lengthy charging times mean road trips aren't exactly their strong suit.

That's what I learned when I took Toyota's new bZ4X SUV from New York to Washington D.C. one weekend in early April. The 500-mile journey wasn't some epic coast-to-coast adventure, but rather the kind of long-haul drive someone might casually take a few times per year and not think twice about — if they're behind the wheel of a regular gas car.

Let's nerd out for just one moment to establish some basic concepts.

Every EV has a maximum charging rate, expressed in kilowatts (kW), that governs the amount of power it can accept from roadside fast chargers. For the bZ4X AWD I tested, that's an uncompetitive 100 kW. The higher an EV's rating, the faster you can hypothetically charge — so long as you find a charging plug whose rating is equal or greater.

But you don't always achieve that max charge rate due to the charger, the temperature of the battery, or, in my case, settings built into the vehicle itself. During my trip, the car never got close to 100 kW, leading to some excruciating charging times.

(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: automotive; electric; ev; hybrids; toyota; twofaced; youaskedforit
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To: devane617

A year ago I drove my Ioniq 5 from New Jersey to California. Easy peasy. It can charge as fast as 18 minutes from 10-80%. Electrify America mostly on Walmart parking lots along the way. I would run in and use restroom and be on my way. The problem is when everyone has an ev, where is the electricity going to come from?


61 posted on 04/15/2023 10:43:54 AM PDT by willk (Local news media. Just as dangerous as national media.)
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To: devane617
Electric cars are quick, quiet, and kind to the planet...

Almost ALL the electricity used by EV's comes from power plants fueled by oil...

62 posted on 04/15/2023 10:46:06 AM PDT by GOPJ (It's NOT 'gender affirming care' - it's SEXUAL MUTILATION OF A YOUNG PERSON. Don't use their words.)
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To: discostu

Top Gear


63 posted on 04/15/2023 10:55:27 AM PDT by higgmeister (In the Shadow of The Big Chicken!)
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To: devane617

I drove 1,832 miles in 32 hrs including a couple hrs sleep. (I will never do that again)


64 posted on 04/15/2023 11:08:41 AM PDT by roving (👌⚓)
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To: Ann Archy

FREEZE DIRT BAG!
OUT OF THE CAR !!!
.
To add they Can flip a switch that
Can Stop You immediately!
.
See ‘IDIOCRACY’


65 posted on 04/15/2023 11:14:29 AM PDT by Big Red Badger (The Truman Show)
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To: Big Red Badger

Dark night, surrounded by cops, helicopters, bright lights . . .

GET OFF THE BATTERY CHARGER!


66 posted on 04/15/2023 11:18:07 AM PDT by linMcHlp
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To: Reno89519

“You Will Own Nothing and Like It!”
Big Mike OBAMA


67 posted on 04/15/2023 11:19:24 AM PDT by Big Red Badger (The Truman Show)
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To: Ann Archy

Child labor is needed only because the treehuggers and idiots allied with the CCP won’t allow mines in the US. The necessary minerals are all over the NAmerican continent. But, mines are not allowed.


68 posted on 04/15/2023 11:22:13 AM PDT by bobbo666 (Baizuo)
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To: devane617
"I took Toyota's new bZ4X SUV from New York to Washington D.C. one weekend in early April"

Let Tim Levin drive a two-year-old bZ4X SUV from New York to Washington D.C. during the summer. His reported 9-hour drive will seem like an Indy 500 auto race compared to how long (probably in days) the same trip will take two years (or less) later.

BTW, Tim's article carefully avoids any hint that he actually bought this EV POS or that it is his personally owned vehicle, rather than a vehicle that he was provided to test drive.

69 posted on 04/15/2023 11:34:03 AM PDT by Carl Vehse
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To: MtnClimber

Mel’s ‘APOCALYTO’


70 posted on 04/15/2023 11:34:57 AM PDT by Big Red Badger (The Truman Show)
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To: devane617

I don’t foresee ever getting an electric vehicle. Aside from the limited range and long charging times and them not being good in cold weather, the battery usually wears out after about 10 years and the replacement cost tends to run over $20K.

I had 2 cars for the last 30 years till my last one died a year ago. If after a decade you’re looking at a $20K + repair bill, you may as well get rid of the car.


71 posted on 04/15/2023 11:36:30 AM PDT by FLT-bird
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To: Parley Baer

I know two owners of Teslas. They love them.


72 posted on 04/15/2023 11:37:20 AM PDT by odawg
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To: linMcHlp

Yuppers!
Been there and No Escape Route!


73 posted on 04/15/2023 11:43:11 AM PDT by Big Red Badger (The Truman Show)
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To: odawg

Interesting


74 posted on 04/15/2023 11:43:38 AM PDT by Big Red Badger (The Truman Show)
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To: devane617

EV’s are a niche vehicle.

If you need just a commuter vehicle or have a fleet of vehicles that travel a limited number of miles per day, they will fit that need.. however as a general purpose vehicle they suck.

This is why electric vehicles were killed off by ICE vehicles early last century..

When you get ranges up to 300-400 miles per charge and charge times down to 10 minutes or less then, and only then, do you have an ev that con be considered a general purpose vehicle


75 posted on 04/15/2023 11:50:05 AM PDT by HamiltonJay
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To: devane617

They are not kind to the planet. The article starts out with a lie.


76 posted on 04/15/2023 11:50:19 AM PDT by I want the USA back (No one is assigned sex at birth. One's sex is noted and recorded. My pronouns Haha, hehe, hoho, hoo )
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To: devane617

The Ruling Class does not want us driving / traveling at all.

They love the Soviet Union model. While the Soviets were in power,
in order to travel outside your own, small county area, you needed your ‘papers.’ Driving, bus, train, walking, it did not matter. You absolutely needed your ‘papers. ‘ The dirty BIG secret is that they did not issue ‘papers’ to over 80% of the population. For those who had ‘papers’ you could easily lose the privilege if you said or did anything contrary to the Communist Revolution.

Just imagine the glee of the Ruling Class when every EV is controlled by the State. We could all have daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, and yes, lifetime travel limits.


77 posted on 04/15/2023 11:51:59 AM PDT by Ronaldus Magnus III (Do, or do not, there is no try)
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To: SamAdams76
They are dandy on the golf course.


78 posted on 04/15/2023 11:57:23 AM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
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To: JimRed

Planet is a honey badger.


79 posted on 04/15/2023 12:00:59 PM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
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To: Ann Archy
I’m betting that TRUMP has NO EV’s!!

Golf carts in Florida are almost all EVs. Flat terrain, warm weather and about 8-10 miles average usage before being recharged.

Golf in warm climates on flat land is an ideal usage model for EVs, automobiles have a different usage model.

80 posted on 04/15/2023 12:01:46 PM PDT by USS Alaska (NUKE ALL MOOSELIMB TERRORISTS, NOW.)
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