Electric vehicles during a disaster

[5030]

80 is the de facto minimum out here. The mileage difference is minimal, in my experience. Weather has a much bigger impact, as does elevation changes.

No comment other that physics will prove you wring, every time.

 

[Torvy]

This is all we will have to do if electric vehicles get stranded during emergencies.

Should only take a few hours and you can escape the hurricane or forrest fire.

Just plan ahead!

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That 2nd meme was written by an imbecile. The Prius already has a gas engine and a 10 gallon gas tank...that will take it 400-600 miles depending on weather and such.

 

[Torvy]

Again, the minimum speed on any Interstate highway is 45 (if you bother to read the speed limit signs, don't matter what the top posted speed is, that is a Federal law.

What you wrote here is patently and demonstrably false. If you bother to read the Constitution, you would understand that there can be no Federal law setting speed limits. The infamous 55 'set' temporarily by Nixon and 'permanently' by Carter were not Federal speed limits. They were Federal coercion of states to lower state limits or face reduced federal funding.

Not all states have the same maximum, nor minimum speed. This makes a lot of sense, because the tiny eastern states don't gain much value in higher speed limits. Out here, higher limits allow us to spend less of our lives on the highway.

 

[justman777]

Coming in late to this party, but there certainly isn't a shortage of opinions! I'll add mine to the mix.

I won't say I'd never buy an EV, but the economics would have to work out. EVs (to me, anyway) don't make a lick of sense for long trips, and certainly don't make sense to me in an emergency. It's not just the current lack of charging infrastructure, but also the amount of time it takes to charge the things. Also, everything I've seen, even from self-proclaimed "greenies" says that EVs aren't carbon neutral. The fossil fuel it takes to build the things and refine the lithium and other battery components is substantial. There's some advances in battery energy density with aluminum batteries, but still in the lab (from what I understand). If I were a betting man, I'd say hydrogen is going to be the next big thing, and it's going to be produced by the cheapest, cleanest, safest, most energy dense power source currently known to man----the nuclear power plant.

 

[Jstpssng]

Not all states have the same maximum, nor minimum speed. This makes a lot of sense, because the tiny eastern states don't gain much value in higher speed limits. Out here, higher limits allow us to spend less of our lives on the highway.

Back in the mid '80s I worked with a college student from Missoula. He used to tell about the violation if you got caught speeding on the highway out there... a dollar fine for "Squandering a natural resource." I don't know if it's true or not but it sure makes a good story.

About twice a month I travel 200 miles each way to visit my mother. About half of that time is on the interstate, travelling at 70-80 mph. I have calculated the savings vs driving at 65 mph; at 5$/gallon I would save about 7 dollars, but it would take another hour each way. My time is worth more than 7$/hour.

 

[MossRoad]

...

About twice a month I travel 200 miles each way to visit my mother. About half of that time is on the interstate, travelling at 70-80 mph. I have calculated the savings vs driving at 65 mph; at 5$/gallon I would save about 7 dollars, but it would take another hour each way. My time is worth more than 7$/hour.

Another hour each way? Something's wrong with the math there...

200 miles at 65 mph = 3.1 hours.
200 miles at 70 mph = 2.7 hours = 4/10 of an hour faster = 24 minutes.
200 miles at 80 mph = 2.5 hours = 6/10 of an hour faster = 36 minutes.

If your traveling 70-80, you're probably saving half an hour at best.

 

[etpm]

I didn't read all the previous posts so maybe this has already been noted. If so then I apologize for the repeat. Anyway, when we had mostly horse drawn vehicles and gasoline vehicles just started to be on the scene the same type of conversaions were no doubt common. Just the fuel changed." What does you carriage use? An engine? What is that? How is it powered? Gasoline you say? Where do you get that? "
Then later you hear folks talking about their neighbor and their gasoline powered carriage. "Yeah, my neighbor has one of those gasoline powered carriages. It works good and is pretty fast but where do you buy gasoline? I can get horse feed anywhere. And the roads won't let you go very fast anyway. And who can work on the things?
Then later someone says that they got rid of their horses and bought a gasoline powered truck and tractor. "Yeah, I gotta go into town and buy gasoline and it's a hassle but my tractor never gets tired and costs less to feed than what gasoline costs compared to hay and oats and I save a bunch of time driving my truck into town to fill up my gasoline barrels compared to getting hay and oats for the horses. And a new gasoline station is being built closer to me, I can hardly wait."
Then later we have gas stations everywhere.
Then now there are not as near as many gas stations as there used to be, and almost none of them are service stations. Part of the reason is because of the much better mileage vehicles get and much less service they need.
And then just last week I saw a parking lot in Seattle, just some space unused that a property owner turned into parking spaces, and now they have added two charging spaces. So they earn money for parking and charging.
It won't be too long before electric vehicles outnumber internal combustion vehicles. If I ever buy another vehicle it will be electric. The infrastructure will catch up.
Eric

 

[Torvy]

The ability to produce that much electricity will not catch up...the people who push EV only also do not want nuclear power. The number of charging stations is irrelevant in the larger calculus. There is a place for EV, but it is supplementary.

The difference between your story about the past and the present is that by the time the car reached the stage that EV is today, it was abundantly clear that the car was superior in almost every way to the horse drawn carriage. There are few ways that EV is superior to gas/diesel. You also didn't have the government forcing the issue.

 

[5030]

What you wrote here is patently and demonstrably false. If you bother to read the Constitution, you would understand that there can be no Federal law setting speed limits. The infamous 55 'set' temporarily by Nixon and 'permanently' by Carter were not Federal speed limits. They were Federal coercion of states to lower state limits or face reduced federal funding.

Not all states have the same maximum, nor minimum speed. This makes a lot of sense, because the tiny eastern states don't gain much value in higher speed limits. Out here, higher limits allow us to spend less of our lives on the highway.

No it's not and you are wrong. On any Intra or Interstate, the minimum posted speed is 45 mph. Obviously, you have tunnel vision and don't observe the signage. Not my issue though. Contrary to your opinion, they all have a minimum 45 mph speed. Just not a top speed. I'm done with you.

 

[SgtSluggo]

The ability to produce that much electricity will not catch up...the people who push EV only also do not want nuclear power. The number of charging stations is irrelevant in the larger calculus. There is a place for EV, but it is supplementary.

The difference between your story about the past and the present is that by the time the car reached the stage that EV is today, it was abundantly clear that the car was superior in almost every way to the horse drawn carriage. There are few ways that EV is superior to gas/diesel. You also didn't have the government forcing the issue.

I know plenty of EV advocates who are also nuclear advocates.

No it's not and you are wrong. On any Intra or Interstate, the minimum posted speed is 45 mph. Obviously, you have tunnel vision and don't observe the signage. Not my issue though. Contrary to your opinion, they all have a minimum 45 mph speed. Just not a top speed. I'm done with you.

I think this article shows that it is demonstrably true that at least by 2011, all interstates in the US did not ahave a minimum speed limit of 45mph.

Speeds on Rural Interstate Highways Relative to Posting the 40 mph Minimum Speed Limit | Bureau of Transportation Statistics

I think if you want to make claims that are contrary to what is visible around us then you should be the one to provide the proof. What federal regulation establishes a nationwide 45mph minimum speed limit that may not be changed by the states?