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Hybrid Electric Vehicles

We had a handful of test propane cruisers back in the '80s. Drove like a boat trying to get up on a plane.

On the other hand, a post-retirement gig with a company that had a fleet of 1-ton propane powered vans, no problems.

All in southern Ontario, so no winter comparison to Edmonton.
 
Folks who don’t read the article may be quick to poo-poo ‘Mr. Bean’s’ knowledge on the issue, but Rowan Atkinson’s analysis is well founded…I’ve read some of his post-graduate work in control system theory (following his Electrical and Electronics Engineering degree). He’s not the only valid knowledgeable person speaking out, and likely a representative faction contributing to the more recent views considering slowing the rush to explode everything internal combustion…
 
Lots of supply and demand issues to iron out- electric cars have flourished in popularity and infrastructure's taking time to catch up. As a particular example- @Fishbone Jones posted the (admittedly funny) photo from Hope that's been making the rounds. That was summer 2021; the next summer they installed 12 more superchargers. We actually stopped there for gas last summer when did our BC road trip, and there definitely wasn't any visible lineup for EV charging, so they seem to have what they need now.

I don't think the big issues will be 'micro' level stuff like supercharger availability in specific towns - that gets sorted out rather easily - but rather bigger picture bolstering of electricity distribution infrastructure to support the electricizing of sectors that hitherto have relied on hydrocarbons as fuel. Anyway, that's bigger picture / bigger brain stuff than I can bring to the table.

I'm likely to go to a plug in hybrid for my next vehicle- something like maybe a Hyundai Ioniq. Nearly all my regular driving and daily commute would be satisfied with a 50km electrical range (less for my commute), plug in at night, and I’d still have conventional ICE for longer trips.
 
Spencer100 said:
"clean"

OK, but we a decades now from that. Plus we have taken the EV off ramp to I hope this all works out land.
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I'm not sure about that. Yes, a bunch of useless politicians and some Birkenstock wearers. The shine is off. Excess stock at dealers, $50,000 battery changes. Restricted range and charging stations. People just aren't buying and most can't afford them. We've let the climate alarmists sell us another pig in a polk.

I drive a truck and pull a 20 foot trailer, usually about a 1000 km per trip one way. Currently my options, in electric, will give me about 150km per charge. Not conducive to my time or patience.

Push comes to shove. I can always drop an old mechanical, non electronic,V8 in it and make my own fuel.
 
brihard said:
Lots of supply and demand issues to iron out- electric cars have flourished in popularity and infrastructure's taking time to catch up. As a particular example- @Fishbone Jones posted the (admittedly funny) photo from Hope that's been making the rounds. That was summer 2021; the next summer they installed 12 more superchargers. We actually stopped there for gas last summer when did our BC road trip, and there definitely wasn't any visible lineup for EV charging, so they seem to have what they need now.

I don't think the big issues will be 'micro' level stuff like supercharger availability in specific towns - that gets sorted out rather easily - but rather bigger picture bolstering of electricity distribution infrastructure to support the electricizing of sectors that hitherto have relied on hydrocarbons as fuel. Anyway, that's bigger picture / bigger brain stuff than I can bring to the table.

I'm likely to go to a plug in hybrid for my next vehicle- something like maybe a Hyundai Ioniq. Nearly all my regular driving and daily commute would be satisfied with a 50km electrical range (less for my commute), plug in at night, and I’d still have conventional ICE for longer trips.
Click to expand...
We plan on going hybrid as well in all likelihood with our next cars. No way I would go full electric at this point or even 5 years from now.
 
Fishbone Jones said:
I'm not sure about that. Yes, a bunch of useless politicians and some Birkenstock wearers. The shine is off. Excess stock at dealers, $50,000 battery changes. Restricted range and charging stations. People just aren't buying and most can't afford them. We've let the climate alarmists sell us another pig in a polk.

I drive a truck and pull a 20 foot trailer, usually about a 1000 km per trip one way. Currently my options, in electric, will give me about 150km per charge. Not conducive to my time or patience.

Push comes to shove. I can always drop an old mechanical, non electronic,V8 in it and make my own fuel.
Click to expand...

Different solutions for different use cases. I don’t think anyone is seriously suggesting EVs for what you do or where you do it. I would say though that probably a good majority of Canada’s population is urban, with vehicle use patterns that would be amenable to EVs with the generation of tech that’s out now. And that’s straight EV- go to PHEV and most of the concerns for outlier cases disappear. That said, that assumes you aren’t towing or doing heavy cargo. EVs are in a position to replace cars and crossover SUVs for passenger/commuter use in areas with decent population density, but not trucks for cargo or hauling, or rural use where there isn’t yet reasonably accessible charging equipment.

I got curious and looked up battery replacement costs. Your figure of $50,000 seems to be a hyperbolic extreme case, more a factor of a used product being out of warranty than something properly reflective of someone buying a new EV now would face. Battery replacement costs are generally significantly lower than that. Updated: Electric Car Battery Replacement Costs

Large batteries - dual use for either vehicles, or in infrastructure scale power banks like the Tesla power wall thing - are a market that still needs to match supply to demand, and that will stabilize in time. From what I’ve seen, the batteries being replaced now are generally older and less effective tech in comparison to what’s coming in new vehicles.

Anyway, like I said, I won’t go full EV yet, but likely will switch to plug in hybrid and save myself quite a bit of cash in operating costs.
 
Fishbone Jones said:
I'm not sure about that. Yes, a bunch of useless politicians and some Birkenstock wearers. The shine is off. Excess stock at dealers, $50,000 battery changes. Restricted range and charging stations. People just aren't buying and most can't afford them. We've let the climate alarmists sell us another pig in a polk.

I drive a truck and pull a 20 foot trailer, usually about a 1000 km per trip one way. Currently my options, in electric, will give me about 150km per charge. Not conducive to my time or patience.

Push comes to shove. I can always drop an old mechanical, non electronic,V8 in it and make my own fuel.
Click to expand...
Yes I agree.
 
Remius said:
We plan on going hybrid as well in all likelihood with our next cars. No way I would go full electric at this point or even 5 years from now.
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If I move to one of the urban centers that has hydrogen, I think I’d leap over (*battery) EV and go straight to hydrogen (like the Hyundai Nexo). I’ll likely keep my clean diesel SUV for long range travel (1200km/fill) or heavy towing (7,000+ lbs), but like the idea of a 5-min fill similar to petroleum fueling.
 
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brihard said:
Different solutions for different use cases. I don’t think anyone is seriously suggesting EVs for what you do or where you do it. I would say though that probably a good majority of Canada’s population is urban, with vehicle use patterns that would be amenable to EVs with the generation of tech that’s out now. And that’s straight EV- go to PHEV and most of the concerns for outlier cases disappear. That said, that assumes you aren’t towing or doing heavy cargo. EVs are in a position to replace cars and crossover SUVs for passenger/commuter use in areas with decent population density, but not trucks for cargo or hauling, or rural use where there isn’t yet reasonably accessible charging equipment.

I got curious and looked up battery replacement costs. Your figure of $50,000 seems to be a hyperbolic extreme case, more a factor of a used product being out of warranty than something properly reflective of someone buying a new EV now would face. Battery replacement costs are generally significantly lower than that. Updated: Electric Car Battery Replacement Costs

Large batteries - dual use for either vehicles, or in infrastructure scale power banks like the Tesla power wall thing - are a market that still needs to match supply to demand, and that will stabilize in time. From what I’ve seen, the batteries being replaced now are generally older and less effective tech in comparison to what’s coming in new vehicles.

Anyway, like I said, I won’t go full EV yet, but likely will switch to plug in hybrid and save myself quite a bit of cash in operating costs.
Click to expand...
Trying to make a pickup towing large trailers a full EV is a waste of time. That platform lends itself far better to hybrids.
 
Mr. Bean nailed it for me. You folks please trade in your ICE. I will pick it up for a quarter the cost of an electric or hybrid and get another 10 years out of it with just regular maintenance. I can tow with it, travel with it, take it north of Timmins on a hunting trip without any fears of finding a power outlet. A couple of Jerry cans in the trailer is all the backup I need.
 
YZT580 said:
Mr. Bean nailed it for me. You folks please trade in your ICE. I will pick it up for a quarter the cost of an electric or hybrid and get another 10 years out of it with just regular maintenance. I can tow with it, travel with it, take it north of Timmins on a hunting trip without any fears of finding a power outlet. A couple of Jerry cans in the trailer is all the backup I need.
Click to expand...
Yup, anyone getting rid of a current Ram 2500 or 3500 for an EV, let me know.😉
 
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