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Featured Plug-in Better then all EV?

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by lmans66, Jul 25, 2018.

  1. lmans66

    lmans66 Junior Member

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    I was looking over an app I downloaded....Chargepoint ...as well as Blinks. I am impressed and see in the Philadelphia area there are a ton of charge points, some are free while some are costly (some are expensive). So numbers of chargers are increasing for both plug-in or all EV models.

    I live 50 miles from Philadelphia in South Jersey. But when I start looking at the benefits of having a plug-in compared to an 'all electric EV' I have to think that a plug-in works best. With a plug-in, I have 'range' of 600+ miles with my Prius. I was talking with a guy at my gym who has a Bolt. His range is 200 and then needs to 'sit and wait' for a recharge. He needs to travel from South Jersey to Iowa for a family function and needs to figure out how to get there without renting a car to do it, or, sitting in charging stations and increasing his time to get to Iowa.

    Given the price of some of the Charge stations, they equal the price of gas, if not more in some cases. So I question the true value of all EV. For a purely environmental issue, it makes sense to have all EV, but from a practical point of view, having the option to have 'range' makes it more sensible to have a 'plug-in'. I can use EV when I can and increase gas mileage and be environmental but then switch to gas or a combination of EV and Charging mode, to get me to locations far away.

    For in town use....frankly my 30 mile range on EV gets me anyplace I want, so I don't miss a 100-200 mile EV limit.

    My two cents.... your thoughts?
     
  2. PlugmeInplz

    PlugmeInplz New Member

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    I think that a plug in is perfect for most people that don't want to own two cars. In LA there are a lot of charging stations. The free ones are filled with campers in Volts, Bolts, Teslas and Leafs. Others charge .22 per KWH. With the electric revolution people don't realize that in many cases using your gas motor at 50+ mpg is less expensive.

    There is a huge division from BEV and PHEV drivers and the line has been drawn. I think we are all helping to reduce the use of gas and protecting the environment. I have saved 397 gallons of gas by plugging in. At home my charges are cheaper that using gas. Not so much at Chargepoint or Blink. Blink is way more expensive in most places.

    I would rather have PHEV and have the best of both worlds. I would like sporty Supra based plug in. Hint hint Toyota. :)
     
  3. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Hybrids or plug-in hybrids are definitely best for many. If that's the decision that works best for you, congratulations!
    There is no perfect answer for everyone. Cost for gasoline and electricity differ Across the Nation. Our area has some of the highest gasoline prices. We've had solar on our roof for about a decade now. It's fully amortized so both of our plugins as well as the whole house, get electricity free of charge. One car has very short range, which works for most Journeys, while the other is between 200 and 300 mile range which works for long distances. Our long-range Ev gets free electricity when we travel from state to state (quick charges ~210 miles in 35_40 minutes) because the price was figured into the car when we got it. You will likely get lots of other examples from other PC members showing how all of their scenarios are different & work best for them.
    .
     
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  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    pip works best for my current situation at 87% ev. but i look forward to the day when gas prices/taxes skyrocket, and charging stations are ubiquitous. that will be best for everyone.
     
  5. lmans66

    lmans66 Junior Member

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    I should clarify this....'for now' based upon these times...... I feel a plug in is best for it provides the ability for long range travel.

    In the future? If gas prices take off...well.....then we get into a different ballgame for sure...
     
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  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    for you and me, yes. for others, bev's work just fine. some people have a two car household, with a bev for local and hybrid for long.
     
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  7. lmans66

    lmans66 Junior Member

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    Correct....it is individualized depending on your situation and even location.....
     
  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    even buying a bev is individualized. range is important, and everyone has different needs.
     
  9. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    And how the future works out. I carefully built a spreadsheet when I bought a hybrid and figured out how many miles and how many years would it take me to recover the premium I'd be paying for the more expensive hybrid. And then gas prices promptly dropped by 50% and the stock market took off and all the calculations were worthless. But I was driving a practical car with no limitations and was not contributing to warming the planet (see today's weather everywhere in the northern hemisphere).

    I seldom go to one place when I go somewhere. Always several stops even if they are just across the street from each other. Or I get somewhere 50 miles away and we decide to go somewhere else. So a range limit of 30 or even 100 miles in EV mode wouldn't work for me. But it sounds like for the OP it would. EV for local, hybrid for when he needed the range.
     
  10. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    When I replace my Buick, it will be replaced by a BEV.
     
  11. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Let me suggest using: PlugShare - Find Electric Vehicle Charging Locations Near You
    • vendor independent - so you can see all
    • user supported - the comments are key to seeing how they work "in real life"
    • filter based on your vehicle charging capabilities - so you can avoid seeing chargers your car(s) can't use
    Bob Wilson
     
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  12. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    I think skyrocketing gas prices not so great for the economy, but I think you mean gas distasteful and plug-in / EVs / charging stations ubiquitous.

    Last night saw this elderly man parked in handicapped with a massive (what are those stupid Chevrolet SUV/truck like things, can't think of name, but blech what guzzling piles of pooh). Also saw a lady at bowling jump in her Ford Expedition (V8 no doubt) fire it up. I'm like sigh, there goes another 15 mpg piece of junk. Getting weary of my 23 mpg featureless but very reliable car. Been a looooooooooooong time waiting for a decent (to me) green car and Insight looking good. So new, essentially no discount at all now, but that situation will improve.
     
  13. Prius Maximus

    Prius Maximus Senior Member

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    I would rather have a BEV than a plug-in.

    1. No gasoline, so no trips to the gas station. No money to terrorist nations or big oil companies.
    2. No oil changes. I hate having to change the oil every so often. and dispose of it.
    3. less environmental impact.

    BUT, I have a long commute and existing BEVs would give me range anxiety. especially in winter snow storms. So until there is sigificant improvement in BEV range, my next car will be a plug-in.
     
  14. CraftyCoder

    CraftyCoder Member

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    My round trip commute to work is slightly less than the plug-in range of 25 miles. For me this was opportunistic. I don't have problems with big oil companies any more than big internet companies.(I don't like either, but they are a fact of life). Also, the USA is the largest producer of oil at this time. My average MPG over 3000 miles is around 160 MPG. Compared to the average 25 MPG of my previous car, this was a big win. It didn't drive my fuel consumption to zero, but reducing to 1/6 is still pretty good without any of the EV range downsides.

    The primary reason for keeping my other car(Honda CRV) is that it has AWD for winter and reasonable cargo/towing capacity.
     
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    of course, that doesn't account for electrical usage.
     
  16. antiglare

    antiglare Member

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    Whether a BEV or a plug-in hybrid makes more sense entirely depends on whether you own a home and can charge every night. A Bolt with 200 miles of range is a non-issue for people who charge every night, just as a Prime with 25 range is also a non-issue if your commute is within EV range.

    The main advantage of a Prime is that it can be your only car, where as a Bolt can always only be a 2nd car with today's infrastructure.

    I cross shopped a Bolt with a Prime before choosing the Prime, primarily because I couldn't convince myself to trust Chevy quality and reliability.
     
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  17. ny_rob

    ny_rob Senior Member

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    What is your work commute (round trip) distance?
     
  18. ny_rob

    ny_rob Senior Member

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    As a Bolt owner, I agree 100%

    You did yourself a disservice, the Bolt has proven extremely reliable in the (almost) 2yrs it's been out.
    Even the Volt was extremely reliable, and that was a much more complicated vehicle compared to the Bolt.

    The weak link is clueless Chevy dealerships that still send Bolt owners coupons for oil changes and injector cleaning :(
     
  19. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    The majority of households that have the means of charging either have more than one car to begin with.
     
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  20. Prius Maximus

    Prius Maximus Senior Member

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    106 miles. no charging at work. There were times in winter snowstorms it took 5-6 hours to make that 53 mile run. Is bolt's 238 miles range enough for a bad snow day?