Your home for EVs in Rural America
Here is a summer recap. Unfortunately we recorded it in September and we’re already two-thirds of the way through Fall.
It’s been a busy year, but we love recording and talking all things EV. Hopefully we can get our act together and finish the year strong.
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Jason Fee has spent his entire life around automobiles. Growing up in Flint, Michigan, Jason naturally found his career in the automotive industry and is now with GM Service.
Jason called me out on my GM bashing a few years ago and has become a friend of the show. He brings a manufacturers perpective to the discussion we have on EVD. It’s a fun, yet rambling conversation… because we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Enjoy.
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Can you imagine a EV that you could drive across the US, from sea to shining sea, without having to stop and charge? Now, you’ll have time to check out the World’s Largest Ball of Twine and The Grand Canyon simply because you’re not looking for infrastructure and can focus on the world around you. That’s the promise of the coming future.
We have said numerous times, we are just one breakthrough away (maybe several) from solving the entire clean energy problem for the entire globe. On a smaller, yet related, scale, we are one breakthrough away from higher performance, more efficient electric vehicles with longer ranges and faster charging times.
Currently in Korea at the Pohang University of Science & Technology and at Purdue University here in the U.S., researchers have unlocked 3000 mile battery technology in two different forms.
First, researchers at Pohang, have discovered a way to make battery anodes (where the energy is stored) that hold 10X more charge by using silicon instead of graphite. Using silicon has long been a sought after technology, but until now, the silicon would expand making it unusable. But now, that problem seems to be solved and the potential 3K mile battery is officially a thing.
For me, being the inquisitive person I am, my first question is how long would it take this thing to charge and how many cycles will it last? Okay, technically that’s two questions, but the idea remains. I am assuming, since motors have not improved on efficiency, that this 3K miles would come from a 1000 kWh battery at roughly 3mi/kWh which is what we see from current technology. Charging a battery that size would take a minute… or two.
At 150 kW DCFC, this battery from dead to fully charge would take almost 7 hours. At home, you’re looking at 4 days… just sayin’. That’s how the math works.
Meanwhile, half way around the world, professors and students have built a flow battery that lasts for potentially 3000 miles as well and works more like a traditional “gasoline model”. A flow battery works by using an electrolyte to erode the anode of the battery, freeing those ever-necessary electrons to pass through the electric motor on their way to the cathode. The electrolyte is only good for about 300 mile, but is easily and quickly pumped out of the fuel cell and replaced. The electrolyte is water-based and is recyclable.
At some point though, the anode is used up… But not to worry, it can be replaced as cheaply and easily as your traditional oil change. Now we have an EV that isn’t much different from a traditional ICE model in the way it is refueled. How cool is that?
Either way, both of these technologies are a ways away from making it to market, but it does demonstrate that a lot of smart people are using their intellect for good and not evil. Keep up the good work!
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a·nath·e·ma /əˈnaTHəmə/ noun Something or someone that one vehemently dislikes.
car·math·e·ma /car MATH amuh/ noun The reluctance of people to do basic math regarding EV ownership (which is anathema to me).
Kentucky now has an EV tax in place supposedly to offset waning revenue from the 26 cent per gallon gasoline tax. A spokesman for EvolveKY, an EV advocacy group headquartered in Louisville, said that he was not surprised and that “it needed to come. We need to pay our fair share.” The fee is $120 and will be paid when the car is registered every year (another tax). There is also a 3 cent per kWh tax on public charging to be collected by the station owner and paid to the state monthly.
Make no mistake, any EV owner in Kentucky knew this was an eventuality, but this prompted me to question what exactly is a “fair share”? Turns out that if you do a little math, a flat tax on an EV is comparing apples to oranges with regards to the traditional “use more, pay more” model of the standard gas tax.
A fundamental difference is that the gas tax is “hidden” in the price of a gallon of gasoline. The EV tax smacks you in the face when you renew your tags.
Would traditional drivers change their driving habits if they had to pay their taxes in one lump sum the way EV drivers are now being asked required to?
After examination, I think the way we assess these taxes is inherently flawed, but in reality it all comes down to choice. A Suburban driver is taxed more than a Subaru driver based on fuel efficiency alone, but what you drive is a choice. Toyota Tundra owners know driving a truck is more expensive than driving a Camry. It’s a choice they make based on what they value. I believe it’s worth $120 a year to drive an EV, but that’s my choice.
In my opinion, there is room for improvement for the entire system, but try to find a lawmaker that wants to do the math. The bottom line is that taxes are inevitable, but calling it “fair” is a bit of a stretch.
Let us know what you think?
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We are back. Welcome to 2024. We recorded this episode on January 22 in the middle of a polar vortex. As you can see, it took me (Ben) a while to get it posted. I do apologize and hope to do better. Every day is an adventure, huh?
In mid-January, our part of the world experienced heavy snow (more than usual anyway) followed by bitter cold. This was true for most of the eastern part of the U.S. and we were greeted by several news stories where Tesla drivers were having trouble charging. Either the car wouldn’t charge or it took extraordinarily long.
To say the least, the tone for most of these was “See? EVs SUCK!”
We try to educate, mostly ourselves, but sometimes it bleeds over to you, our loyal listeners. So, let’s discuss what’s going on and what we can do about it.
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After years of waiting, the Tesla Cybertruck is here. The trucks are finally rolling of the production floor and into the garages of the people that made their reservations when it was first unveiled, assuming they still wanted it.
It occurs to us that despite the long wait, people are still intrigued by the unusual utility vehicle and new excitement is brewing. In this episode, Brent wanted to dig into the specifics of the three models that are or will become available as orders are filled. He also wanted to discuss how ordering a vehicle without a test drive works and about what one should be concerned.
All-in-all, we think the Cybertruck is going to breathe new life into the EV conversation that has been dwindling with manufacturer cutbacks, higher interest rates, and a country/world that seems to get more politically divided each day, where electric vehicles have become associated with a hot-button dogwhistle to both sides.
Let us know what you think. Email us or leave a comment.
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Patience is Cumbersome.
That pretty much sums up this entire episode in three words. As we resume our discussion of the road trip recently taken by the Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, the author of the NPR article, Camila Domonoske, makes her arguments for why non-Tesla EVs have a “road trip problem”.
First, she sees planning a road trip as cumbersome. Second, there is a lack of infrastructure, which contributes to the first point. Third, the chargers are not fast enough. And finally, the charging infrastructure is unreliable.
She’s not wrong, but there are several things to consider. We are in the infancy of EV adoption. It seems like we are farther along, but realistically, we are just a toddler attempting the first steps of a marathon long course. JD Powers says that worry about public charging is the number one reason people are hesitant to change to electric. It is a concern, but remember 90% of charging is done at home.
But Ms. Domonoske’s points are valid. We want to go when we want to go and we don’t want anything to slow us down. Look at it this way, walking requires rest breaks, horses need water, cars need to refuel, and EVs will need to charge. As technology advances, this argument will become smaller and smaller, but all forms of travel require us to interrupt our journey at some point. There aren’t enough fast, reliable charging ports available, but that is why there is such a push to build the infrastructure to support a mass fleet of EVs.
The bottom line is this is a process and it requires patience. “Patience is when you’re supposed to be mad, but you choose to understand.” I don’t know who said it, but no truer words have been spoken.
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Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, set out on a whistle stop tour of the south east to promote EVs and EV adoption recently. Embedded in her caravan was an NPR reporter, who, like Madame Secretary, is a long time EV owner. The four day trip covered several stops for town hall style meetings from Charlotte, North Carolina to Memphis, Tennessee. Everything was business as usual, until a local sheriff department outside of Atlanta was called…
Okay, those are the facts of the story and in this episode, we look at what happened. Basically an over-zealous staffer thought he would do Mrs. Granholm a favor and save a charging port for her by ICE-ing out other people waiting to charge. For us, though, the bigger story is a statement made by the reporter, Camila Domonoske; “EVs that aren’t Teslas have a road trip problem…” This is the setup for a longer exploration of this question on the next episode. Ms. Domonoske makes some valid points and offers topics for consideration.
On a side note, Brietbart had a very different take on the story. In fact, after we recorded, they had three articles by three different people on the same story. None of them were positive toward EVs, once again proving that EVs are very political and have become a hot-button buzzword to activate the fringes of both sides of the political spectrum. From a common sense perspective, EVs are very practical but there is a long way to go before they become the first choice for consumers without any coercion. We think EVs will stand on their own merit once the infrastructure is in place and people can see how practical they really are.
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This episode is based on a Canadian F-150 Lightning owner and his bad experience on a recent road trip. More accurately, it is a discussion of a “hit piece” put out by Fox Business trying to tarnish electric vehicles’ worthiness in the marketplace and dissuade readers from purchasing EVs. It’s not the first time Fox has put out such content.
So the basics of the story are as follows: a gentleman in Canada purchased an F-150 Lightning because he wanted to be a “responsible citizen” but was met with unexpected costs upgrading his home’s electrical system and installing two chargers, one at home and one at his workplace. When he took his truck from Winnipeg to Chicago, he experienced several delays, including two charging installations that were inoperable. He was “helpless” to the point he felt like he needed to abandon his truck and rent a vehicle to complete his journey. Those are the facts. We report. You decide.
The color commentary added to the article paints a very different picture. First, the original article failed to point out the dollar amounts were Canadian dollars, but that has since been corrected. At the time of this writing, $1 CDN is roughly $0.75 US. The currency denominations, in our opinion, were intentionally hidden to make the cost look inflated. The gentleman spent $115,000 CDN for a standard range F-150. That is a lot different than saying $85,000 US. (We agree it’s still a lot for a truck, but come on, we see what you did.)
The article also states that the vehicle “compelled” him to install two chargers at a cost of $10,000 CDN and he had to spend another $6,000 CDN to upgrade his home’s wiring. The article then continues to tell the story of his trip. In one instance, the article says the gentleman spent $56 and two hours of his time to charge the vehicle from 10% to 90%. (Again, we don’t feel like this tells an accurate story and the problem lies within his charging network.) He attempted to charge at two other locations during the trip but both stations were inoperable. I could go on, but the article is full of opinions expressed as fact and inconsequential information designed to make the owner look like a victim.
Look, we were probably too hard on this poor guy and certainly didn’t adhere to the whole “judge not” way of living, but I can tell you a few things about him from this article.
Honestly, I feel sorry for the guy but his experience came directly from his decisions. He didn’t do his homework. He failed to plan and as a result planned to fail. True- the fact the chargers were not operational was beyond his control, but there may have been other options. We are still early in EV adoption. There are going to be hiccups and things to learn. It’s part of it. What I don’t feel sorry about is his need to basically slander EVs and to not take ownership of his own life. That might be the first step to owning an EV.
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Last week we discussed the BMW tweet where they called everyone “boomers”. We found out after the fact that the article was almost two years old but we thought the question they asked was still valid and relevant- “What’s your reason not to change?”
After much thought, the answers to such a question are varied. Perhaps the idea of being an early adopter (yes, it’s still early) seems daunting and you want to see what other people do. Or, maybe, there’s too many things to consider and staying with gasoline or diesel seems the easiest route. It could be you have a tinfoil hat and EVs are just a government conspiracy to control where we go and what we do by forcing us into them and then limiting the energy to use them. (You’re not alone.) Conceivably, you’re not comfortable with change or what it may bring with it. Whatever the reason, it all boils down to FEAR; fear of being first, fear of the unknown, and fear of making a mistake. Sometimes fear is justified, but most often it’s not. It’s an internal dialogue you have with yourself that can blow things out of proportion and cloud your judgement.
I’ve found, as it is often expressed, that the best way to overcome fear is to take action. I’m not saying you should face your concerns by going out and buying a Tesla, but you can start doing research on one. You can investigate available charging networks in your area or talk to your EV owning co-worker. Identify your concern, clearly assess the situation and look at the evidence. I promise you that you are not the first EV owner and seldom is adopting one going to prove fatal. You can always go back to ICE… for now, but that’s another topic for another day.
EVs are coming because change is coming. You can let the change happen or you can control the change. For us the answer is “There is no reason not to change. Bring it on!”
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