ICE Vehicles: General topics

[DT]

OMG an M3 would be awesome. It's kind of a bucket-list-y car for me, driven quite a few, cross shopped the cab models, lightly considered one before I got the, umm, "other" M3

 

[bunnspecial]

Yeah, it's kind of beyond what I should be looking at now...

But at the same time it's one of the few sedans still out there with a manual and who knows how much longer ICE cars are even going to be around.

With that said, I'm not a fan of the all-grille look so many of the makers seem to be moving toward now. I'm not a fan of the no-grill EV look either. It's almost like ICEs seem to be screaming "Look, I need a grill."

So, an M3 leads me down the dangerous path of should I look for one a couple of years old? Then the other side of that is how much is a high strung M car going to cost me right out of warranty?

 

[DT]

The wife took the M3P out yesterday, first time on her own - dropped off the little G (hair), came home, then went to pick her up (and get her pedi), said she loved it! The major thing is getting used to the regen braking, she said now with a little seat time, she's getting it (it's more of a feel kind of thing vs. a simple "here's how it works", not unlike learning a manual).

It's pretty fun, she walks out to the car, it unlocks the doors and it opens the JB profile where we set her up for comfort steering and chill mode acceleration which she likes (makes the throttle less "skittish"). Also seat position, wheel, mirrors - all the vision settings, wiper mode, audio, etc., specifically for her. Apparently the car will store like 12 profiles, so some people do like a second one for themselves, like a "Long Drive" setting (with a slightly more reclined seat, etc.)

She texted me while she was waiting on her second trip, said how hot it was, so when she was just about done, I fired up the AC for her Car was showing like 120° interior, the AC is pretty effective, took about 3-4 minutes to get it down to under 80° (I also hit the Vent Windows which drops all 4 down like 1-2").

 

[DT]

What, we're not good enough for you here?

Traitor.

@JagRunner

 

[Herdfan]

I know-they're killing me with not selling cars anymore...my last couple dailies have been FoMoCo products.

I was surprised they killed off the Taurus and Focus. They had to sell well because they are everywhere. If they weren't profitable enough, charge more for a year and see if people still buy them.

I was looking at some used car prices and they seem currently ridiculous. A 10 year old car with 150k miles and they are asking $30k for? These are what I would describe as average brands.

This is one of the worst times to be looking for a car, especially a used car. If you can hold off and wait, that would be the most sensible thing to do.

Buying outright, horrible time. But if you are trading and find a dealer than isn't adding ADP to the sticker, then you might get a decent deal. On trade, I got $49K for a truck I paid $64K for 3 years and 109K miles ago. That is insane right there. Now I did pay sticker for my new one, but looking back comparing the deals, I think I still came out $2-3K better than when buying the truck I traded.

 

[DT]

Hit 30 days with the Tesla, it's all still Rainbows ~n~ Unicorns for the most part.

The car itself is terrific, it's quiet, fast, and has terrific conveniences, it's very transparent when you use it, you just get in and push one stalk up, you open the door, and exit, that's it. Lights, AC, etc., you just don't think about it, or, if you'd like to do something like pre-cool, the app is simple and responsive (my favorite cooling technique is Vent Windows >> AC, drops 15-20° in just a couple of minutes). Driving with just the throttle / one foot, is awesome, it seems so natural now.

And always been "fueled", it's a totally different ownership experience. We got a good taste of it with the 4xe, and while that's a PHEV, it hasn't been gassed in like 6 ot 7 weeks (still over 3/4 tank ...)

Taking our first road trip in it soon, hahaha, not really much of a trip (~280 or so round trip), but there's a couple of charing options, interested to see how that pans out (since this is a common trip for us). Oh, also interested to see how it packs up, the trunk seems vast, but 3 rollers, bags, a cooler (being left for use on the return part of the getaway), it's certainly not our old SUV

 

[JohnR]

Glad you are liking it. Have you put the trip in the car navigation? It should tell you where you need to stop and for how long.

we are heading to Asheville NC on Saturday morning. Our 2nd trip with the Y. Can’t wait. Might take a drive up the blue ridge parkway

 

[DT]

Glad you are liking it. Have you put the trip in the car navigation? It should tell you where you need to stop and for how long.

we are heading to Asheville NC on Saturday morning. Our 2nd trip with the Y. Can’t wait. Might take a drive up the blue ridge parkway

Yeah, I also do some pre-planning with both ABRP and PlugShare. We're going to wind up on the second leg at a resort with free charging (part of the paid parking), curious to see how that works out - technically, you can let valet move and charge your ride, but kind of iffy on that. Still, that would be perfect, heck, even a 20-25 juice and we'd be set for the return trip home.

FWIW, ABRP was a contributor to my final decision with this car.

Just tested some storage, easily 3-4 rollers on the their side pushed against the back of the seats, plenty of room left "behind" them for additional bags, and our big cooler drops right down into the deep storage bin. Hahaha, plus my roller also fits in the frunk

 

[Herdfan]

Driving with just the throttle / one foot, is awesome, it seems so natural now.

What does this mean exactly?

 

[DT]

What does this mean exactly?

So EVs have something called regenerative braking, it's not braking in the sense it doesn't use the conventional, friction/hydraulic brakes, it engages the motors as generators, that creates resistance and slows the car - it also generates power back into the EV battery system.

Think of it in terms of how engine braking "feels", especially if you've driven a manual.

The Tesla, not only slows the car down, but can be set to bring it to a complete stop and hold. So you let off the accelerator, the car starts slowing, comes to a complete stop, foot totally off. Then you use the throttle again to get rolling - all with "one foot". You can also configure it to creep, more like a traditional car, so you have to hold it with the friction brakes.

You can still use the friction brakes to bring the car to stop quicker as desired, like on a road course

 

[Herdfan]

So EVs have something called regenerative braking, it's not braking in the sense it doesn't use the conventional, friction/hydraulic brakes, it engages the motors as generators, that creates resistance and slows the car - it also generates power back into the EV battery system.

Think of it in terms of how engine braking "feels", especially if you've driven a manual.

The Tesla, not only slows the car down, but can be set to bring it to a complete stop and hold. So you let off the accelerator, the car starts slowing, comes to a complete stop, foot totally off. Then you use the throttle again to get rolling - all with "one foot". You can also configure it to creep, more like a traditional car, so you have to hold it with the friction brakes.

You can still use the friction brakes to bring the car to stop quicker as desired, like on a road course

Ok, so it is similar to a Jake on a diesel engine. Except the Jake won't bring you to a complete stop. It just retards the engine so you slow down without using the brakes. Works great on hilly curvy roads where you can just let off the gas and the engine will slow you down some.

Thanks.

 

[SuperMatt]

EVs should save consumers money in the long run - Marketplace

Electric vehicles can save drivers thousands of dollars on maintenance and repairs over the life of the car.

www.marketplace.org

As an owner of an EV since 2016, I can confirm the savings.

 

[Herdfan]

EVs should save consumers money in the long run - Marketplace

Electric vehicles can save drivers thousands of dollars on maintenance and repairs over the life of the car.

www.marketplace.org

As an owner of an EV since 2016, I can confirm the savings.

Local Police Department bought a Tesla Model 3 a couple of weeks ago. It cost $3K more than the Ford Interceptor. They estimate using $1300 worth of power over the next three years vs almost $18K in gas. And that doesn't count all the other maintenance that gas engines require.

And that is fine where they are, about 4 miles from a coal fired generating plant. Not sure how some places are going to be able to support EV's when they can barely support the demand now.

 

[SuperMatt]

Local Police Department bought a Tesla Model 3 a couple of weeks ago. It cost $3K more than the Ford Interceptor. They estimate using $1300 worth of power over the next three years vs almost $18K in gas. And that doesn't count all the other maintenance that gas engines require.

And that is fine where they are, about 4 miles from a coal fired generating plant. Not sure how some places are going to be able to support EV's when they can barely support the demand now.

The idea that the grid cannot support EVs has been debunked … I posted this a ways back in this thread:

Post in thread 'The Car Thread v2.0'
https://talkedabout.com/threads/the-car-thread-v2-0.155/post-45259

 

[DT]

Law Enforcement (particularly municipal) seems like a terrific use case for EVs. Quiet, fast, long service intervals, lots of "idling" that can be done with minimal consumption/no hazardous gases, etc., works well in a small operational area, large interior vs. the exterior dimensions (so easier to park, get into tight spots, uses less room in the lot, while providing room for people, equipment).

 

[User.191]

Law Enforcement (particularly municipal) seems like a terrific use case for EVs. Quiet, fast, long service intervals, lots of "idling", small operational area, large interior vs. the exterior dimensions (so easier to park, get into tight spots, uses less room in the lot, while providing room for people, equipment).

I was reading about them and EV’s a while ago and apparently the biggest issue they said they had at the time was the risk of running out of charge during either a pursuit or an emergency.

 

[quagmire]

So in theory used my first full “tank” in the Model 3. Only about 2 kwh short of the batteries usable 79 kWh capacity. I’ve been seeing about 3.5 miles per kw so should be able to in theory achieve 335 miles on a full charge being only about 18 miles short of the EPA range which I’m satisfied with.

 

[Herdfan]

The idea that the grid cannot support EVs has been debunked … I posted this a ways back in this thread:

Post in thread 'The Car Thread v2.0'
https://talkedabout.com/threads/the-car-thread-v2-0.155/post-45259

A YouTube video? From the UK? Really?

Did you not 4 hours ago post that reputable news outlets verify their stories through multiple sources before publishing... that’s why they are reputable.

Is Free Speech All That It is Cracked Up To Be?

Really good reporting on National Public Radio (NPR) about a new book that examines Facebook policies. Most interesting was Zuckerberg’s hardcore Free Speech stance backing the right of Holicost deniers on FB to express themselves and then being surprised with the increase in denial of the...

talkedabout.com

And you link a Youtube video wiith a whopping 1,105 views. There would be 20 posts bashing my source had I done that.



I think I will go with Reuters and The New York Times:

EV rollout will require huge investments in strained U.S. power grids

During several days of brutal cold in Texas, the city of Austin saw its fleet of 12 new electric buses rendered inoperative by a statewide power outage. That problem will be magnified next year, when officials plan to start purchasing electric-powered vehicles exclusively.

www.reuters.com

Electric Cars Are Coming, and Fast. Is the Nation’s Grid Up to It? (Published 2021)

GM’s decision this week to phase out gasoline vehicles is the latest in a major shift that will mean drastic new demands on electric utilities. Here are four things that will need to happen.

www.nytimes.com

To be fair, there are also articles by reputable sources that say the opposite. But Forbes is kind of a right-wing source, so feel free to dismiss it.

EVs Are Not A Problem For The Electric Grid, They Are The Solution

Electric vehicles won't cause the electricity grid to collapse. In fact, they could make it run more smoothly than ever before. Here's why.

www.forbes.com

So I think the correct answer is we simply don't know.

 

[Herdfan]

I was reading about them and EV’s a while ago and apparently the biggest issue they said they had at the time was the risk of running out of charge during either a pursuit or an emergency.

It's a small town. Can't imagine they would put 100 miles a day on one.

 

[DT]

I was reading about them and EV’s a while ago and apparently the biggest issue they said they had at the time was the risk of running out of charge during either a pursuit or an emergency.

I guess there are some scenarios where a pursuit might favor the ICE vehicle, but a high output V8, or TT V6 at WOT (Wide Open Throttle), is getting like 5MPG (and for an example, an Explorer has a 18.6g tank). From what I've read about people tracking something like a Model 3 Performance, they're getting a good 20-25 minutes of full tilt acceleration.

I mean, in some ways, "fuel" is fuel, if you're sitting with 15% charge or 3-4g of gas, it's about the same. I think what would be smart and helpful, is to have LEO specific charging stations at common patrol stops (which you can't really do with gas), again, the model is a little different, the idea is to continuously charge vs, the ICE model which is more deplete and completely refuel. Our M3P gets charged immediately when home, so it's like always sitting at about 280-285 mile range.

Probably at this stage, they're better for very specific doody.







Yeah, I know what I wrote ...