Battery based electric vehicles of today and tomorrow.

[Hay Dude]

What if in the future, several hundred, if not thousands of electric cars are on the GW bridge, Lincoln tunnel or the capitol beltway in DC and there’s a accident in front of them and an hours-long traffic jam develops?
Now we all know, just like ICE vehicles low of fuel, plenty of the EVs will be low on battery life. Once dozens of EV batteries go dead in the traffic jam, how will you get to them to get them up and running to unblock traffic? If it’s on a bridge, tunnel or multi lane highway where there’s no access to them, how do you recharge them?
With an ICE vehicle, you can literally walk to the vehicle with a gallon of gas and get moving.
Not so with an EV.
Sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen in congested cities all around the world.

 

[MossRoad]

Out here, in spite of our humidity/rain, a 1993 vehicle would not be rusted out. That said, a 2003 leapfrogs you past my 1999.
You spoiled kid, always have to have the newest and best

If it makes you feel any better, the first 3 buttons on the radio have the numbers worn off, and, oh my, the seat heaters don't work (yet).

 

[PuffyC]

What if in the future, several hundred, if not thousands of electric cars are on the GW bridge or the capitol beltway in DC and there’s a accident in front of them and an hours-long traffic jam develops?
Now we all know, just like ICE vehicles, plenty will be low on battery life. Once dozens of EV batteries go dead in the traffic jam, how will you get to them to get them up and running to unblock traffic?
With an ICE vehicle, you can literally walk to the vehicle with a gallon of gas and get moving.
Not so with an EV.
Sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen.

I'd be more concerned with an ICE running out of gas in that scenario since EVs use essentially no power at all when 'idling' (since they don't idle). An EV could probably sit in a traffic jam like that for days and use about the same amount of power as if there was no jam at all. Nonetheless, there are companies today that offer mobile EV charging where they come to you in just such emergencies. A few minutes and you have plenty of juice to get to a charging station.

 

[MossRoad]

Which brings up the question:

If an EV runs out of battery power, can you put it in neutral to push it off the side of the road?

I guess the same could be asked of an ICE vehicle with an electronic shifter. How would that work?

 

[Hay Dude]

I'd be more concerned with an ICE running out of gas in that scenario since EVs use essentially no power at all when 'idling' (since they don't idle). An EV could probably sit in a traffic jam like that for days and use about the same amount of power as if there was no jam at all. Nonetheless, there are companies today that offer mobile EV charging where they come to you in just such emergencies. A few minutes and you have plenty of juice to get to a charging station.

Not me, an ICE could sit there all day turned off and use no fuel.

So explain how they get a mobile charging station to an EV stuck in a group of a thousand cars holding up traffic miles ahead in a tunnel or on a bridge?

 

[Hay Dude]

Which brings up the question:

If an EV runs out of battery power, can you put it in neutral to push it off the side of the road?

I guess the same could be asked of an ICE vehicle with an electronic shifter. How would that work?

Just turn key to “on“, depress brake and put in neutral.

 

[MossRoad]

Just turn key to “on“, depress brake and put in neutral.

Hhahahaha.

Here's a pretty humorous story about a guy testing a Jag with electronic shifter and a dead battery. I promise you, this link is worth the read, as it's a great laugh and a picture of frustration, and makes you wonder how many other vehicles are similarly hard to make towable with a dead battery.

How To Tow A Jaguar Equipped With An Electronic Shift Lever - Jalopnik

A Jaguar XFR recently suffered electrical failure while in my care, and its electronic shift lever became locked in Park. When the time came to tow it, the car had to be in neutral. Here's the trick to shifting it.

jalopnik.com

 

[txdon]

Range extenders.
They're on it!
A small suitcase range extender for emergencies and a trailer range extender for long trips.

Electric Car Range Extender - bb7

bb7.com

 

[Grumpycat]

My point is not that Bill should pay more road taxes.

My point is lower income people have to pay a much higher percentage of their income for all BASIC needs just to survive than higher income people. Food, clothing, rent/mortgage, utilities... everything.

Life isn't fair. We all know that. How do we make it more fair for all?

That is not unfair, it is most fair.

If food, clothing, housing, etc, was the same percentage of income for one with $10,000/year as for one with $100,000, as for one with $1,000,000, then why would the poor bother to try harder? Why would the rich bother? Marx thought the rich could be broken with a 25% income tax.

The whole point of increasing one's earnings is to be able to do more than the bare essentials. If a hamburger was $1 for you but $100 for me, why should I try?

As for the Leftist teaching of jealousy of "the rich" for supposedly low tax rates? Almost nobody would be employed were it not for capital investment. "Low tax rates" are due to Capital Gains Tax. The ignorant do not understand "the rich" pay capital gains on inflation. Buy an acre today for $2,000 then in 10 years if it didn't increase in real value it will sell for $2500 in 3% inflation and you have to pay capital gains on that $500 "profit" no matter $2500 is only worth $2000 of yore.

Another inconvenient fact is dividends are paid after-tax. "The rich" get paid dividends out of funds corporations have already paid tax on. Then the recipient pays tax yet again. In a "fair" world only one or the other would pay tax on dividends.

 

[Grumpycat]

Consumption taxes, VATs, flat taxes etc should all be explored, but again, rich people driving EVs should not get roads subsidized by taxpayers way below them on the income scale.
IMO, even the poorest should pay a little income tax, to have skin in the game. Paying a “mileage driven” tax sounds better than a per gallon gas tax.
Taxing a corporation making electric cars is like adding another layer of expense to the consumer and the corporation shareholders and owners still make the same money! Lol

Alabama levies a $200/year tax on EVs over and above the license plate. That is the equivalent of 25,000 miles of gas tax.

Not at all fair at more than double to tax of a gasoline/diesel vehicle.