[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Tonitrus]

Ok. That's all good to know

My EV experience might be a bit more iffy...

Where I live, I am lucky in that I rent a place that include utilities, so my charging cost is essentially free.  My daily commute/use is generally under what I can charge off a regular plug (which only add about 2 miles/hour to my energy hog), so I've never felt the need to get a dedicated EV charger as yet.

The problem is that public charging infrastructure is lagging well behind EV production and dissemination.  The major public networks in the US (outside Tesla) have had lots of major quality/reliability issues, along with the simple problem of availability.  Tesla has been way ahead of everyone else so far...but even they're starting to hit some bottlenecks.

But the bigger problem is that the future of EV charging/fueling is that it will never be like gas/petrol, and isn't meant to be (we don't have gas pumps at home, after all).  Most EVs are supposed to be charging while at home...public chargers, what there are of them, have so far been focused along major highway corridors for long road trips.  And this is where I've noticed the problem...

I've driven up and down the west coast of the US twice so far in my EV.  The second time, I was lucky that Rivian's network had been built up enough (and still exclusive) that I had pretty much zero problems going up/down from CA to Seattle.  The first time, 9-ish months before that, was much more iffy.  The fast-charging network sites were spaced alright, but quality/capacity was very hit-or-miss.  Waiting 30-40 minutes to charge is not much of a problem for me.  Waiting 30-40-120 minutes for a spot to even be open up will be a huge problem.  Stations being broken/not working did come up once (which is anecdotally lucky of me)...but only resulted in a minor impact.

But aside from the highway travel, the big problem I noticed was when I hit the Seattle area (and would be a problem in any urban area).  It was FAR easier to charge up (on a public network) along even remote stretches of I-5 going up/down the coast than in the major Seattle urban core.  Not a problem if you have a home maybe...a huge problem if you're a visitor.  And even if you can charge at your friend's/family's place...you're also going to be that annoying houseguest that spikes their energy bill.

The big problem will be charging options at urban-level density...all those condos and apartment complexes.  How to provide charging there, and how to meter them.  The reality of how charging/fueling will change with EVs is that there won't be a large commercial incentive for the "gas station on every corner"...and having enough in an urban core for all the apartment-dwellers is going to be a massive short-term infrastructure learning-curve.   

[Josephus]

Yeah that's kinda my concern. I think this all goes back to BBs point about the infrastructure. Will it be feasible by 2035? Most editorials and opinion pieces I've read say it isn't.

Of course people by then may be forced into getting an EV because of the hassle of getting gas for your old gas guzzler. As more people switch to EVs, there will be less gas stations around making getting gas as much of a headache as charging may be now.

By 2035 I'll be 69 incidentslky and likely not doing too many road trips. So i guess we shall see.

One other point.  Even if it takes 30 minutes to charge, imagine the lineups at the "pumps" at truck stops on the way to the cottage on the long weekend?

[Tonitrus]

In Amerika at least, one of the biggest lost opportunities not taken by a partnership between states and charging networks that I've seen for road-trip charging is...our highway rest stops.  Usually lots of available space/real estate...usually well-spaced out (this varies by state, of course), already existing bathrooms, etc.

[Zoupa]

You're supposed to take the train for these kinda trips. I feel like EVs are meant for city driving or your daily commute.

I don't know why you guys like road trips so much. Each time I've attempted it was a miserable experience.

[Tonitrus]

My last road trip was taking my elderly mom on a nostalgic trip up the Pacific coast.  Beautiful scenery, ocean, sea stacks, redwood forests, migrating whales, sea otters,  nice restaurants in coastal towns, it was great. 

And at the time, the Rivian network was still free...so I spent about $50 in fuel costs to go from central California to Seattle. 

[Tonitrus]

But on your point...one of the best ideas I've seen, and should be replicated more... is Amtrak has a train service from DC to Florida that you can put your car on (like a ferry).

[Barrister]

You're supposed to take the train for these kinda trips. I feel like EVs are meant for city driving or your daily commute.

I don't know why you guys like road trips so much. Each time I've attempted it was a miserable experience.

So Like I have road tripped across different parts of Europe like 4 times - each time was great.

I love trains - but taking trains in western north america is almost impossible - the infrastructure is designed around cars.  It's much easier to try and electrify cars than build an entire passenger rail infrastructure.

[HVC]

Municipal trains suck here, but I've only taken long distance trains to Montreal so can't comment on the feasibility elsewhere.  Road trips are good in that it gives you flexibility. If you only care about point a to point b I can see where they're a drag.

[HVC]

Also, daily commute only thing wouldn't work in the prairies. Everything is so fucking far away from each other. Also, as an aside, there's a surprising amount of roadkill. In sask anyway. Crows are happy though.

[Josephus]

You're supposed to take the train for these kinda trips. I feel like EVs are meant for city driving or your daily commute.

I don't know why you guys like road trips so much. Each time I've attempted it was a miserable experience.

I don't so much. But if I am going up to cottage country in north Ontario, for instance, I can assure you that it is impossible to take a train.

But that aside, you make a good point. One salesman I spoke to a year ago said exactly that. EVs are mostly for commuting or for local driving. You need a second car for longer trips. "We use my wife's car," he said. Well, if they stop making gas-driven cars, that would be hard to do. Especialy since I no longer have a wife.

[crazy canuck]

The thing you guys are not considering is the rapid increase in range.

The range in my first EV was 160.  The range of my current EV is 500+

By 2035 Toni may be able to drive that beautiful coast highway without a care.

[Grey Fox]

That's what the holy grail of SSD batteries is. Energy use of 10 kwh per 100 km (right now the mainstream cars are in the 25kwh range) & a 1000 km of range on a 20 minutes recharge.

[crazy canuck]

That's what the holy grail of SSD batteries is. Energy use of 10 kwh per 100 km (right now the mainstream cars are in the 25kwh range) & a 1000 km of range on a 20 minutes recharge.

Any thoughts on how obtainable the holy grail is?

[Grey Fox]

That's what the holy grail of SSD batteries is. Energy use of 10 kwh per 100 km (right now the mainstream cars are in the 25kwh range) & a 1000 km of range on a 20 minutes recharge.

Any thoughts on how obtainable the holy grail is?

That it's a lot like fusion reactors, always only a couple of years away.

But breakthroughs do happen, I remain optimistic since every car company is pouring money into the idea.

[Barrister]

Another Pierre Poilievre video dropped - on debt.  15 minutes long.

Lots of scary music, but again citing a bunch of statistics and academic papers.  I love how crunchy this stuff is.

Say what you will about Poilievre, but Donald Trump he aint.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p20v8vBwJ8A


Still watching, haven't finished - but he quotes fucking Pythagoras!