Subaru Solterra EV

[QueticoBill]

The new Subaru Solterra EV expected in 2022 has an European tow capacity of 2000 kg, 4400 pounds. US is around 70% or so on other cars I've looked at so 3000 on an EV suv not bad. How much range is used to light and maybe ac a small trailer?

 

[BigGoofyGuy]

perhaps a camper trailer with solar panels to help extend the range and/or power the camp when at the camp site?


perhaps a camper trailer with extra batteries could help with the range and/or power the camp when at the camp site?

 

[Socal Tom]

perhaps a camper trailer with solar panels to help extend the range and/or power the camp when at the camp site?


perhaps a camper trailer with extra batteries could help with the range and/or power the camp when at the camp site?

You need about 5KW worth of panels to charge a Tesla from what I read online. Even if you want to take 2 days to recharge its about 10 250W panels. A 2nd battery could help, but it would be really expensive and/or really heavy, which would then reduce your range. I think a generator would be the best bet/

 

[Tom&Shelly]

perhaps a camper trailer with solar panels to help extend the range and/or power the camp when at the camp site?


perhaps a camper trailer with extra batteries could help with the range and/or power the camp when at the camp site?

You need about 5KW worth of panels to charge a Tesla from what I read online. Even if you want to take 2 days to recharge its about 10 250W panels. A 2nd battery could help, but it would be really expensive and/or really heavy, which would then reduce your range. I think a generator would be the best bet/

Or to make it even simpler, a TV that runs off of the same elixir that the generators do.

Tom

 

[Socal Tom]

perhaps a camper trailer with solar panels to help extend the range and/or power the camp when at the camp site?


perhaps a camper trailer with extra batteries could help with the range and/or power the camp when at the camp site?

You need about 5KW worth of panels to charge a Tesla from what I read online. Even if you want to take 2 days to recharge its about 10 250W panels. A 2nd battery could help, but it would be really expensive and/or really heavy, which would then reduce your range. I think a generator would be the best bet/

Or to make it even simpler, a TV that runs off of the same elixir that the generators do.

Tom

My next TV will probably be a hybrid for that reason. The EV system isn't ready for long trips yet. PP ( pre-pandemic), the lines at the Tesla chargers on the thanksgiving (?) sunday in Barstow ( 1/2 way between vegas and LA) were 6 to 8 hours long ( if memory serves). Only 30 minutes to charge but the wait to get one was ridiculous. Some day maybe, but not right now. ( Granted if the gas supply were totally interrupted, an electric vehicle and a trailer full of solar panels is probably your best bet for getting anywhere, but it would be kind of like Matt Damon in the Martian. You might only get 30 miles per day of charging.

 

[Tony Latham]

...the lines at the Tesla chargers...

Lines? What lines?

Tony

 

[Tom&Shelly]

...the lines at the Tesla chargers...

Lines? What lines?

Tony

Do you have some sort of cable that let's you charge your cell phone from that, Tony?

 

[Tom&Shelly]

This thread got me curious about the relative energy available from various resources:

1 gallon of gasoline yields 33.7 Kilowatt hours

My 100 watt solar panel yields (assuming it really is a 100 watt panel, with, say 9 hours of usable sunlight a day) 0.9 kilowatt hours a day. it would take more than a month to get the same amount of energy as a gallon of gasoline. Truly, gasoline is a magic elixir full of energy!

On the other hand, 1 gram of uranium yields 24000 kilowatt hours of energy, but you also need to bring a reactor. Can't just use the dirt you pick up off the res.

One mouse yields about 0.000014 kilowatt hours each day, but you need to bring your own mouse wheels.

A glass of beer provides you about 0.1 kilowatt hours, but you need about 0.24 kilowatt hours per day, so better bring several (and don't feed too much to the mice)

Tom

 

[QueticoBill]

The new electric ford pick up is by reporters not much more than 100 miles on a charge towing. But I have faith EV will get there, or the batteries will.

 

[Tom&Shelly]

The new electric ford pick up is by reporters not much more than 100 miles on a charge towing. But I have faith EV will get there, or the batteries will.

Out here, that would be just enough to get you into trouble. Albuquerque to Denver is 450 miles and I can make it on a tank of gas. Then, it takes about 5 minutes to refill.

If an EV ever approaches that (at a comparable price), I'll listen. But I'm not holding my breath--a 5x increase in battery storage is not trivial. I'd bet it won't happen in my lifetime.

Tom

 

[Socal Tom]

The new electric ford pick up is by reporters not much more than 100 miles on a charge towing. But I have faith EV will get there, or the batteries will.

Out here, that would be just enough to get you into trouble. Albuquerque to Denver is 450 miles and I can make it on a tank of gas. Then, it takes about 5 minutes to refill.

If an EV ever approaches that (at a comparable price), I'll listen. But I'm not holding my breath--a 5x increase in battery storage is not trivial. I'd bet it won't happen in my lifetime.

Tom

They are looking at some other energy storage options that aren't chemical based ( solid state). But most likely it will be improved infrastructure, i,e more charging stations closer together and quicker charging. It wouldn't be awful to take a 15 minute charge every 100 to 200 miles. Or they might come up with a system that charges while you drive, like an electric train . One of the chevy electric cars has a built in generator. Its technically an EV, not a hybrid, but it can charge itself if needed. I think I read that if the battery gets low, its max speed is 35 mph or something, but if you stop for lunch, or park at the camp site it charges. Or if you are in stop and go traffic, it charges.

 

[QueticoBill]

At 69, I think there's a good chance of an electric tow vehicle that will go 500 miles on a charge (or hydrogen fill-up) in 20 years. The Rivian is expected to get 200 miles with an 11,000 pound trailer, available later this year. Some of the semi trucks coming out will get over 500. I'll remain optimistic.

 

[gudmund-TNT]

the Chey spoken about here was the 'Volt' which is not being made any longer being it did not sell enough. The electric one they make now is the "Bolt" which is 'totally' electric with a 200++mile range - towing capacity = ???????..................

 

[Tom&Shelly]

the Chey spoken about here was the 'Volt' which is not being made any longer being it did not sell enough. The electric one they make now is the "Bolt" which is 'totally' electric with a 200++mile range - towing capacity = ???????..................

Was that their hybrid? We wanted to try out Toyota's hybrid so rented one while I was on a business trip. The Avis rental people at Syracuse Airport changed it for the Chevy model, which, it turns out, only got about 25 miles to the gallon. Had to refill it several times on that trip which pissed me off because I was paying for it. Not impressed with Chevy's alternative technologies.

Tom

 

[Tom&Shelly]

It wouldn't be awful to take a 15 minute charge every 100 to 200 miles.

I think that would be awful. Spend an hour and fifteen minutes recharging added to a 6 hour drive to get to Denver, no way!

Out here, there are a lot of places you can go, especially camping, where you won't see a gas station for a hundred miles or more. Much of the Navajo Nation has no power infrastructure, and no one can afford to build one. So do you think someone will fund a recharging station every hundred miles? Have to bring in power lines, or build a dedicated wind or solar farm for each station.

... I think I read that if the battery gets low, its max speed is 35 mph or something, but if you stop for lunch, or park at the camp site it charges. Or if you are in stop and go traffic, it charges.

Geez! No sale! Has to at least be as convenient as a current gasoline powered tow vehicle, at the same price.

Tom

 

[QueticoBill]

I'll probably regret this but I don't find melting ice caps, rising oceans, and more arid areas to be convenient, nor will my children and theirs.

 

[Tony Latham]

Do you have some sort of cable that let's you charge your cell phone from that, Tony?

I just couldn't pass by that Tesla station that day without pulling that stunt. It was like a fly in front of a frog.

If Toyota made an electric Tacoma with the same capabilities as the one I've got --at about the same price point-- I get one in a heartbeat.

Six-bits says Ford's Lightning will sell like hotcakes. I live in truck country. 90% of them seldom go fifty miles from town. They say it costs about $12 to fully charge a Tesla at home. THAT and the simplicity of EV's is alluring.

Tony

 

[gudmund-TNT]

The Chevy 'Volt" was based on the technology of what is used in trains. (Diesel/Electric Locomotive trains = diesel for the fuel for running the generator that produces the electricity for the motor for pulling the loads) The gas engine under the hood of the 'Chev Volt' is used as the generator. On start-up - after an over-nite re-charge, you were good for = something like 30-50 miles of travel on electricity and after that, the gas engine was re-charging the battery 'over&over' again for motivation. It was thought that if you were only doing local 'run around' driving - you were good for the 30-50 miles without having to buy gas but were still good to go after that being the generator would re-charge and you could just keep going if need be - which you cannot do with an 'all-electric' car, being when you run out of juice = that's it...you're parked...... But, In the last 10+ years since the Volt came out, there have been alot of battery improvements made since and the one's being built today are able to travel alot further now on a single charge (as can be seen with the Tesla's - Bolt's, etc. = over 200+ miles on a charge++) The problem now seems to be with the 'future' and the much "needed" improvements that will have to be made in the nation's electrical wire 'grid' for re-charging all of these future 'all-eclectic' cars that will be needed to replace the existing gas ones of today

 

[Tom&Shelly]

They say it costs about $12 to fully charge a Tesla at home. THAT and the simplicity of EV's is alluring.

Tony

Hmm, so 100 miles between charges at 30 miles/gallon (for a "Tesla like" gasoline powered car, not a truck) comes to 3.3 gallons, at say $3/gallon comes to about $10. So the operating cost is right in the same ballpark.

Environmentally, if the electricity used the charge the vehicle comes from solar or wind power, or (gasp) nuclear, then it's probably a net win. If it comes from a coal fired plant, maybe not so much...

Tom

 

[Tom&Shelly]

In the last 10+ years since the Volt came out, there have been alot of battery improvements since and the one's being built today are able to travel alot further now on a single charge (as can be seen with the Tesla's - Bolt's = over 200+ miles on a charge++', etc)

Oh, okay, so maybe I need to amend my last post: if it costs $12 to recharge after 200 miles, then a Tesla does about twice as well in terms of operating costs than a similar gasoline powered car.

The problem now seems to be with the 'future' and the much "needed" improvements that will have to be made in the nation's electrical wire 'gride' for re-charging all of these future 'all-eclectic' cars that will be needed to replace the existing gas ones of today

As an engineer and sometime scientist, I'm fascinated by the technical challenges. Things will continue to get better as the younger folks solve these challenges! And please don't get me wrong, I'm all for environmentally sound infrastructure. But if a solution, perhaps regulated and subsidized, isn't economically sound, it won't have long term appeal.

Tom