OT: Electric vehicles

[BellyFullOfWhiteDogCrap]

It's Too Hot For EVs To Work Right

The heat wave affecting much of the U.S. may be causing electric vehicles to lose nearly a third of their range.

jalopnik.com

Pathetic clickbait trash from Jalopnik:

"It can be unfortunate when publications with large audiences take our research out of context. It typically looks like:

🤔 Use the most extreme data point for the headline
🤔 Bury the essential info in the article body
🤔 Avoid a link to the original research

One of our researchers left a comment that got to the core of the issue.

"EVs actually work just fine in the heat... and using A/C to cool an EV is generally no more energy intensive than it is for most gas powered cars"

This thread provides additional context from Jalopnik's "research". 😂

 

[mildone]

Pathetic clickbait trash from Jalopnik:

"It can be unfortunate when publications with large audiences take our research out of context. It typically looks like:

🤔 Use the most extreme data point for the headline
🤔 Bury the essential info in the article body
🤔 Avoid a link to the original research

One of our researchers left a comment that got to the core of the issue.

"EVs actually work just fine in the heat... and using A/C to cool an EV is generally no more energy intensive than it is for most gas powered cars"

This thread provides additional context from Jalopnik's "research". 😂

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Many media sources employ hyperbole in their headlines. It's common across all types of media types and sources. I'd give Jalopnik credit, in this particular case, for providing dryly presented relevant information in the body, which is not always the case (with Jalopnik or many other media sources).

On the other side of the coin, manufacturers of various products frequently use equal or greater levels of hyperbole when marketing/advertising their products to the public.

Seems hypocritical and anti-consumer-minded to give people trying to sell stuff a pass on their hyperbole and then complain about the media using the exact same approach to inform consumers of the realities of the seller's product(s) - where those realities are never mentioned by the sellers.

 

[Knight Shift]

Tesla recall? When you have autonomous driving--you don't need a seat belt!!!!


"Tesla is recalling 15,869 of its 2021-2023 Model S and Model X vehicles because the seat belts in the front row of the vehicles may not be connected properly to the pretensioner anchors and detach.

The detaching could increase the likelihood of an injury if the car should crash, the NHTSA recall acknowledgement said.

Recalled vehicles:

• 2021-2023 Tesla Model S"

Mazda, Toyota, Nissan, Tesla among 436,000 vehicles recalled. Check car recalls here.

Among the recalls published by the NHTSA last week were 227,000 Mazda SUVs, about 110,000 Toyota SUVs, and around 66,000 Nissan vehicles.

www.usatoday.com

 

[RutgersNo1]

 

[mildone]

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At least we don’t have to worry about another Dieselgate situation from them with an EV.

 

[mildone]

Apparently, the US is a potential site for a new Porsche battery plant because of cost-benefits attributed to the Inflation Reduction Act. I'll believe it when I see it.

But if it does happen, I guess it'd be an example of congressional efforts actually working, unusual as that might seem.

Even Porsche Is Mulling Over A North American Battery Plant

Also, Stellantis capped a solid second quarter thanks to price hikes and batteries in electric scooters can be pretty shoddy, all in today's Morning Shift.

jalopnik.com

 

[mildone]

A former Tesla employee, who was fired and had his FSD access revoked for having posting a video of his car FSD-ing over bollards (by that champion of free speech, Elon Musk), has posted another video of a car FSD-ing through a red light.

Here's the story:

Fired Tesla Employee Posts New Video Of Full Self-Driving Running A Red Light

A former Tesla employee who was fired for showing the limits of FSD on social media says he's speaking to the feds about the incident.

jalopnik.com

And here's the twitter post w/the video (WARNING, NOT SAFE FOR WORK):




This guy is apparently being interviewed by the DOJ and AG offices. So the authenticity and veracity of the video will be determined. Until then, maybe it's fake or misleading. Or maybe it's not.

Cue the personal attacks from the cult worshipers. Make 'em really creative and fun, boys. 😀

 

[WhichReligionIsRight]

 

[mildone]

Ship fire w/some Mercs on it end of last month. Possibly caused by an EV, according to a first-responder. And no, for the oversensitive, I am not saying EVs start fires more than ICEVs. But a battery fire is probably a lot more problematic on a ship at sea due to the difficulty of putting them out which can lead to a cascade effect.

Fire on Cargo Ship Carrying 3000 Cars in North Sea Leaves One Dead

Officials believe that an electric vehicle onboard could be responsible for the fire.

www.roadandtrack.com

Given I'll have a couple cars on ships coming from Germany in the next month or so, this sort of thing is slightly worrying. I'd like to avoid another Felicity Ace situation.

 

[mildone]

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I like every bit of news that shows efforts that will lead to greater public charging availability. This is one of the best ways, IMO, to encourage EV ownership. Equal to, maybe better than, price cuts.

 

[RU4Real]

The adoption of Li batteries on cruising sailboats has been slow in spite of the extraordinary benefits of having them on board instead of lead acid or AGM. The slow adoption is 100% due to what can happen if a lithium battery gets wet. There have already been a number of catastrophic hull losses.

 

[mildone]

The adoption of Li batteries on cruising sailboats has been slow in spite of the extraordinary benefits of having them on board instead of lead acid or AGM. The slow adoption is 100% due to what can happen if a lithium battery gets wet. There have already been a number of catastrophic hull losses.

Yeah, that would be bad.

Speaking of Li batteries and bad, turns out that both my incoming cars are equipped with them as starter batteries. Apparently due to power draw requirements for rear axle steering, which is an option in the SUV, standard in the GT3 (where weight is probably also a factor). The outgoing GTS had a lead-acid battery and RAS, not sure what changed.

In and of itself, having an Li battery is not necessarily bad. What's bad is there are lots of reports of Porsche's Li batteries dying very young and Porsche refusing to warranty them due to them being "wear items". Apparently the guidance is we have to drive N miles per week or else use a Porsche-approved trickle-charger (supplied only by Porsche) to retain warranty coverage even in the first year of the warranty. After that, tough luck if it dies.

This is right up there with having an electronic frunk release, with no mechanical release, to access the battery. Purportedly done as a weight-saving measure.

German engineering my ass. LOL

 

[RUevolution36]

Yeah, that would be bad.

Speaking of Li batteries and bad, turns out that both my incoming cars are equipped with them as starter batteries. Apparently due to power draw requirements for rear axle steering, which is an option in the SUV, standard in the GT3 (where weight is probably also a factor). The outgoing GTS had a lead-acid battery and RAS, not sure what changed.

In and of itself, having an Li battery is not necessarily bad. What's bad is there are lots of reports of Porsche's Li batteries dying very young and Porsche refusing to warranty them due to them being "wear items". Apparently the guidance is we have to drive N miles per week or else use a Porsche-approved trickle-charger (supplied only by Porsche) to retain warranty coverage even in the first year of the warranty. After that, tough luck if it dies.

This is right up there with having an electronic frunk release, with no mechanical release, to access the battery. Purportedly done as a weight-saving measure.

German engineering my ass. LOL

did you watch James May's (from Top Gear/The Grand Tour) video on his ordeal with his Tesla's battery dying?

 

[fsg2]

The adoption of Li batteries on cruising sailboats has been slow in spite of the extraordinary benefits of having them on board instead of lead acid or AGM. The slow adoption is 100% due to what can happen if a lithium battery gets wet. There have already been a number of catastrophic hull losses.

Solid states should be promising for such use.

 

[mildone]

did you watch James May's (from Top Gear/The Grand Tour) video on his ordeal with his Tesla's battery dying?

Not yet. But I have TG/TGT on my future binge-watchable show list. So I will at some point.

 

[RUevolution36]

Not yet. But I have TG/TGT on my future binge-watchable show list. So I will at some point.

Stick to the ones with Clarkson/May/Hammond as hosts. The new hosts of TG after those three are mediocre at best.

 

[WhichReligionIsRight]

did you watch James May's (from Top Gear/The Grand Tour) video on his ordeal with his Tesla's battery dying?

I saw it - a definite design flaw. That and accessing the cabin air filter are royal pains.

 

[RU4Real]

I saw it - a definite design flaw. That and accessing the cabin air filter are royal pains.

My favorite part of that segment was when he couldn't open his driveway gate without the car shutting itself off when he got out.

 

[RUAldo]

Yeah, that would be bad.

Speaking of Li batteries and bad, turns out that both my incoming cars are equipped with them as starter batteries. Apparently due to power draw requirements for rear axle steering, which is an option in the SUV, standard in the GT3 (where weight is probably also a factor). The outgoing GTS had a lead-acid battery and RAS, not sure what changed.

In and of itself, having an Li battery is not necessarily bad. What's bad is there are lots of reports of Porsche's Li batteries dying very young and Porsche refusing to warranty them due to them being "wear items". Apparently the guidance is we have to drive N miles per week or else use a Porsche-approved trickle-charger (supplied only by Porsche) to retain warranty coverage even in the first year of the warranty. After that, tough luck if it dies.

This is right up there with having an electronic frunk release, with no mechanical release, to access the battery. Purportedly done as a weight-saving measure.

German engineering my ass. LOL

I was looking at a Taycan. If Porsche doesn’t warranty, what does an owner do? Pay out of pocket?

 

[RUevolution36]

Tesla’s secret team to suppress thousands of driving range complaints

About a decade ago, Tesla rigged the dashboard readouts in its electric cars to provide “rosy” projections of how far owners can drive before needing to recharge, a source told Reuters.

www.reuters.com

 

[mildone]

I was looking at a Taycan. If Porsche doesn’t warranty, what does an owner do? Pay out of pocket?

I would imagine that Porsche handles their EV batteries far differently than starter batteries (which is what I was talking about). The battery issues and warranty treatment I was talking about almost certainly don't apply to their EV batteries.

If you're considering a Taycan, I strongly recommend heading to the Rennlist Taycan forum and doing a bunch of reading. Most questions you might have will already be answered.

With every car made, there are going to be some issues with certain models and model-years. The issues are never quite as bad as they seem online (people come online to car forums to complain about a problem which misleadingly implies a greater prevalence than exists IRL, since most owners never participate in forums). But it's still good to do some reading and get to know a car before buying it.

 

[mildone]

Tesla’s secret team to suppress thousands of driving range complaints

About a decade ago, Tesla rigged the dashboard readouts in its electric cars to provide “rosy” projections of how far owners can drive before needing to recharge, a source told Reuters.

www.reuters.com

The celebration of avoiding service appointments is a bad look for sure.

Not to defend the practice (it's pretty shitty), but I would think pretty much all automakers service departments engage in similar sorts of bad behavior. From charging for service that isn't really needed to ridiculous standardized task hours for stuff that takes an independent mechanic a tenth the time to actually do, to crazy part markups, to sending customers away without fixing "livable" problems when service centers are overloaded.

Tesla is clearly no better than any other automaker in this regard. But to be fair, they're probably not really any worse, either.

To me, Tesla's intentionally engineering deception into the battery range estimates in the car is the worst part of this story. Not factoring temperatures into the estimates is effectively treating Tesla owners like morons who won't quickly notice the falseness of the full-charge estimate. It's pretty insulting to customers. Not sure that'd be my approach, but it fits with Elon's personality.

 

[WhichReligionIsRight]

 

[WhichReligionIsRight]

 

[fsg2]

Those circular screens look kinda cool when the vehicle is sitting still under the lights but would not want to use on the road, especially since it takes on instrument panel functions - wtf.

Just another reason to go back to forgetting Mini still exists, I guess.

 

[Rutgers Chris]

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Just filled up my wife’s suv for the first time in California. I’ll definitely be in the market for an electric suv relatively soon. Hoping to see more options with a third row out there.

 

[mildone]

Just filled up my wife’s suv for the first time in California. I’ll definitely be in the market for an electric suv relatively soon. Hoping to see more options with a third row out there.

Might want to wait a bit. If the room temperature ambient pressure superconductor thing pans out, EV SUVs are gonna wind up having, like, hundred-thousand mile range using batteries that weigh 50 pounds and fit in the glovebox.

 

[mildone]

Ugly accident. Car crossed 3 lanes and "flew off the highway".

Tesla Model Y Launches Off LA Freeway Into Homeless Encampment

Three women are in critical condition after a Tesla Model Y flew off a freeway and landed on a homeless encampment.

www.motortrend.com

 

[RUAldo]

Just filled up my wife’s suv for the first time in California. I’ll definitely be in the market for an electric suv relatively soon. Hoping to see more options with a third row out there.

Not many EV SUV choices. I thought about a Rivian but ended up going in opposite direction with a fully loaded Ford Bronco.

 

[mildone]

Not many EV SUV choices. I thought about a Rivian but ended up going in opposite direction with a fully loaded Ford Bronco.

Do you have the Bronco, or are you waiting for it?

I keep looking at Broncos and thinking how fun they look. I've even been toying with the idea of picking one up off a lot, if any are available, to have fun with until the two P cars finally arrive. Then I can keep it or trade it.

 

[Unionst]

I rented a Volvo SUV EV in California this month and the shortage of charging stations relative to my need was quite the surprise. Tesla chargers everywhere but not stations for others.

 

[RUAldo]

Do you have the Bronco, or are you waiting for it?

I keep looking at Broncos and thinking how fun they look. I've even been toying with the idea of picking one up off a lot, if any are available, to have fun with until the two P cars finally arrive. Then I can keep it or trade it.

Got it - totally fell in my lap. It’s fun as hell. Was looking for a few weeks and all the NJ dealers wanted $5K-$10K+ over MSRP for fully loaded + Sasquatch package (total a-holes). And hard to find certain combos/colors. A buddy gave me the name of a dealer in Rochester NY. They don’t charge over MSRP. Great inventory. Awesome customer service. Closed the deal on phone and picked it up a week later. Ride was a piece of cake. And they even gave me way more money for my BMW trade-in. I could have flipped Bronco next day and made $10K but I love it and will keep it for my son. This is the guy you want to call:

Trevor Sleeman
West Herr Ford
(585) 406-2799

 

[RUAldo]

Do you have the Bronco, or are you waiting for it?

I keep looking at Broncos and thinking how fun they look. I've even been toying with the idea of picking one up off a lot, if any are available, to have fun with until the two P cars finally arrive. Then I can keep it or trade it.

By “P cars” do you mean Porsches? If so, which ones?

 

[mildone]

By “P cars” do you mean Porsches? If so, which ones?

GT3 and Cayenne S.

 

[mildone]

"I don't see what the big fuss is about", said the pilot. "I fly better drunk".

Pilot Arrested For Intoxication Moments Before Flying 267 Passengers

Drunken pilot claims he only drank two glasses of wine the night before.

jalopnik.com

 

[RUAldo]

GT3 and Cayenne S.

GT3 is sweet. My buddy ordered one years ago and by the time he took delivery it went up $100K+ in value. But now he barely drives it as a result. Just sits in his garage.

 

[fsg2]

Just filled up my wife’s suv for the first time in California. I’ll definitely be in the market for an electric suv relatively soon. Hoping to see more options with a third row out there.

Truth.

3-row plug-in hybrids, too.

 

[fsg2]

Do you have the Bronco, or are you waiting for it?

I keep looking at Broncos and thinking how fun they look. I've even been toying with the idea of picking one up off a lot, if any are available, to have fun with until the two P cars finally arrive. Then I can keep it or trade it.

The Bronco seems entirely counter to the type of fun you advocate on here all the time, tho. And a pickup is better for herdin'.

Do not see it 😋

 

[imoapie]

GT3 and Cayenne S.

What's happening with the GTS? You've gotten me to look/think about it.

 

[mildone]

GT3 is sweet. My buddy ordered one years ago and by the time he took delivery it went up $100K+ in value. But now he barely drives it as a result. Just sits in his garage.

For sure the prices are nuts and getting the build allocation was painful. But I'm gonna drive it like I stole it, same as any other car.