Electric Car Experiences

[jh15]

been away from forum... yes expect that from battery possibly, and the car for several 100k miles. dead by then anyways. Ive kept vehicles running for 20 and 25 years.
I charge at 13 amps. 240 volts for 2 years. have 50 amp parts ready when we upgrade other stuff in house.
     
Worst diy stuff was exhaust, sensors, and rust here in salt Maine and NH seacoast that did them in.
not expecting the nightmare of diagnosing and replacing IACV on the Maxima stuff ever again.

We retired, and wife wanted a new non snob luxury ish car. she loved her 2001 Maxima, handed down to me.

By sheer chance, her family visits and takes kids to some venue in Boston. noticed a Tesla showroom  She sits in the leather (non-vegetarian) seats and felt like Maxima.

Appointed a test drive and now have one.  It was not my idea!

Finally a car I don't have to work on, aluminum body, non corroding components. Only rust-able wear stuff like struts brakes are all premium, but replaceable like any Ferrari, Maserati. And I have the service book with all parts and numbers.

     Someone broke the right passenger side heated and lcd dimming mirror.

Cost 125.00 and got in a couple days. Last time mirror on her Altima cost 700.00

[tautech]

Which model jh ?

[jh15]

Model s facelift. May 2017 Dropped off at house. I sorta liked the nosecone original.

[NiHaoMike]

https://reneweconomy.com.au/tesla-ev-charged-with-diesel-generator-still-cleaner-than-conventional-car-61942/
Interesting how the EV charged from a diesel generator used less fuel than a very efficient diesel car. Apparently, there's more loss of efficiency from running an engine out of its optimum efficiency range than is lost in charging an EV.

[coppice]

https://reneweconomy.com.au/tesla-ev-charged-with-diesel-generator-still-cleaner-than-conventional-car-61942/
Interesting how the EV charged from a diesel generator used less fuel than a very efficient diesel car. Apparently, there's more loss of efficiency from running an engine out of its optimum efficiency range than is lost in charging an EV.

This shouldn't be too surprising. Look how much better the fuel consumption of a decent hybrid can be, due to regeneration, and operating the engine at more efficient points in its operating envelope..

[wilfred]

In the article reported the engineer (retired) that constructed the device 

 "He stresses that the point is not to offer a diesel-powered EV charger as the final solution, but as a reliable stop gap until installation of batteries and renewable-powered EV chargers become financially viable."

Which given the sign "Nullabor" on it suggests he is thinking of the longest loneliest most isolated from charging infrastructure road in Australia. 
If it is true that almost all car journeys in Australia are easily within the range of an electric vehicle then any stop-gap solution to the difficulty of meeting long journey charging is welcome.

[NiHaoMike]

If I did the unit conversions right, the Tesla charged from the diesel generator got about 55 MPG, about on par with a new Prius. Even I'm surprised a cobbled together setup can perform as efficiently as one of the most efficient hybrids in existence.

[Someone]

If I did the unit conversions right, the Tesla charged from the diesel generator got about 55 MPG, about on par with a new Prius. Even I'm surprised a cobbled together setup can perform as efficiently as one of the most efficient hybrids in existence.

Not sure a 30kVA diesel generator is anything "cobbled together", they are huge trailer units designed for long term and low cost operation.

The comparison has many issues expanded on in their comments, but also the generator is not bound to emissions limits. The emissions limits have strong justification from the human health impacts in populated areas, but meeting them has come at the cost of fuel economy. Many, many, engineering tradeoffs involved.

[Jeroen3]

If I did the unit conversions right, the Tesla charged from the diesel generator got about 55 MPG, about on par with a new Prius. Even I'm surprised a cobbled together setup can perform as efficiently as one of the most efficient hybrids in existence.

Not sure a 30kVA diesel generator is anything "cobbled together", they are huge trailer units designed for long term and low cost operation.

The comparison has many issues expanded on in their comments, but also the generator is not bound to emissions limits. The emissions limits have strong justification from the human health impacts in populated areas, but meeting them has come at the cost of fuel economy. Many, many, engineering tradeoffs involved.

And you have to derate a generator for EV charging application due to high harmonic losses. In Formula E racing they double it, and add resistive loadbanks to stabilize the power output with a base load.
Charging EV's with an generator is not always plug&play.

And no, you don't get adblue in rental generators yet.

[coppice]

If I did the unit conversions right, the Tesla charged from the diesel generator got about 55 MPG, about on par with a new Prius. Even I'm surprised a cobbled together setup can perform as efficiently as one of the most efficient hybrids in existence.

The Prius is gasoline powered. A diesel hybrid should be 20% to 30% more efficient per litre of fuel.

[f4eru]

Model 3 SR+ for me.

5000km in 6 weeks, charging mostly on a schucko at home 230V/13A, occasionally charging for free on supermarket parkings, on long trips with blazingly fast 105kW at the supercharger(750 km/h). And it lifts off like a rocket, even if there's only a single motor (RWD). Drooling Tesla smile  every single morning at arival at the workplace

And the best thing is : after just a few years it will beat hands down even a VW golf in TCO.

The TM3 is simply the best car available today. By far.

[nctnico]

@f4eru: yes you have to justify spending your money so the TM3 has to be good in your view. In the real world Tesla has ended up at the bottom of every list where it comes to reliable car brands. Not so long ago I read a review from a Tesla owner. He had lots of problems which are not getting solved and due to the absence of a dealer nearby he lost quite a few vacations days to bring his Tesla back and pick it up unfixed.

[f4eru]

Yeah. Sure. it's reeeeaaallly baaad.
Don't buy one 
Or don't buy the FUD.

[nctnico]

Unfortunately for you the 'least reliable car brand lists' are compiled using experiences from actual owners. IOW they are the cold hard numbers.

[f4eru]

More FUD. No numbers.

[ebastler]

Model 3 SR+ for me. [...]
charging [...] with blazingly fast 105kW at the supercharger(750 km/h).

Wow, that's within two orders of magnitude of my old clunker, which I refill at a rate of 750km per minute.
Yes, the gasoline smell during that process can be mildly annoying. 

[f4eru]

sure. but that's only 2 times/year, when going more than 400km apiece.
the other 363 times/year, it takes litterally 20 sec at home for 250km (10 sec to plug in the evening, 10 sec to unplug in the morning.)
And that costs ca. 5x less per km than my old obsolete diesel.

[Jeroen3]

People who are using the fuel argument are not even the slightest open to EV's at all. They'll to all in their power to make fun of the people who are. It's called trolling I guess.
Stop trying to convince them, it's not going to happen. You have to rip their diesel car out of their cold dead hands.
^{Or just make it economically unfeasible, that also works.}

Meanwhile, can you charge the wrong electricity?

The TM3 is simply the best car available today. By far.

Would you still say this without any warranty period from Tesla? Say, second hand bought?

[sokoloff]

People who are using the fuel argument are not even the slightest open to EV's at all. They'll to all in their power to make fun of the people who are. It's called trolling I guess.
Stop trying to convince them, it's not going to happen. You have to rip their diesel car out of their cold dead hands.

I think this is a fundamental misunderstanding on the part of EV advocates. People know how ICE cars work; they may need an education on how EVs work.

It's not trolling when someone genuinely wonders how they're going to do their typical road trip if they have an EV that doesn't have the range and can only charge at 24 miles per hour of charge. In many cases, the only suitable answer is "use your other diesel or gas car". That's my answer (I daily a LEAF) and my parents answer (they each drive electric Smart cars), so we're obviously "open to EVs".

[richard.cs]

can only charge at 24 miles per hour of charge.

At 4 miles per kWh that's about 6 kW delivered to the battery so presumably you're thinking of 7 kW chargers. Genuinely curious, are there many models where that is the maximum charge rate? Or places where that is the typical power output of a charger intended for short stops? I know the Twizy is limited to ~2.5 kW charging but it's barely a car in many respects.

In the UK, shopping centres and car parks where people typically spend a few hours are usually 7 kW but motorway services, etc. are usually >40 kW. My understanding is that in much of Europe there is a preference for 11 kW (3 phase @ 16 A) rather than 7 kW (single phase at 32 A) for the slow chargers and similar provision of the high power ones.

[sokoloff]

I think most ChargePoints are 6.6kW max. ChargePoint is the largest US public charging network (I think by a very wide margin).

My LEAF has a 6.6kW Level 2 charger and a CHAdeMO connector. It has literally only ever been CHAdeMO charged once in its life and that was before delivery. (I have an app that can read the battery stats and am the only owner.)

[richard.cs]

That's interesting, I'd not considered that the USA was so lacking in fast-charging infrastructure.

Part of that might be because the USA has adopted the type 1 connector for AC charging which is inherently single-phase, so the fastest AC charging options aren't available without jumping to DC systems like CHAdeMO, though apparently up to 19 kW is still supported on type 1. Over here the installation costs of a 22 kW chargepoint (3 phases at 32 A) aren't hugely higher than that of a 7 kW charge point (at least in commercial installations) as it's essentially the same thing with a few more poles on the contactor. Nearly all the motorway ones are combination chargers that do CHAdeMO, CCS and 43 kW AC.

[coppice]

That's interesting, I'd not considered that the USA was so lacking in fast-charging infrastructure.

Its not really lacking. It has a lot of Tesla fast chargers, and Teslas are a substantial proportion of the electric cars in the US. What the US lacks, like every other market, is a solid line up of competing electric cars to stimulate a bigger non-Tesla fast charger network.

[Jeroen3]

My understanding is that in much of Europe there is a preference for 11 kW (3 phase @ 16 A) rather than 7 kW (single phase at 32 A) for the slow chargers and similar provision of the high power ones.

Perhaps that is due to residential capacities.
In the netherlands you have 3x25A (17 kW) and 1x40A (9 kW). Also 3x35A (24 kW), but that is €700 per year more expensive.

[f4eru]

My understanding is that in much of Europe there is a preference for 11 kW (3 phase @ 16 A) rather than 7 kW (single phase at 32 A)

Yes, it's a difficult to solve equation for any EV manufacturer.
- In Europe in general, at public or private AC chargers, you neraly almost always get 3-phase 11 or 22 or sometimes 43 kW
- in The US, you get 120 or 240V single phase at home
- In countries like Germany, you always get 3-phase in residential -> 16A/3phase is the standard charging at home once you install an EVSE.
- In countries like France, 1phase is the overwhelming standard residential (3 phase connection is expensive here), so 32A/1ph charging is the standard at home.

Some EV manuf. like BMW or renault build in only 1 phase chargers on the base model, so charging at a 16A/3ph is limited to 16A/1 phase -> 3kW, that's boringly slow,esp. at germany's time based paid public chargers(and that's because of anti-EV regulations)

For the Tesla M3, it supports 16A/3ph or 32A/1ph, which is really great for all home configurations, with 2 slight disadvantages :
- The 32A/1ph adapter for the included EVSE has to be purchased separately (cheap, but difficult to get)
- The EVSE that Tesla includes in the car cannot charge 3-phase, making 3-phase home charging a separate expense for an EVSE (recommended anyway)

I suppose that Tesla was clever and switches 2 of the 3 single phase 16A chargers in parallel to provide the 32A/1phase with the same Hardware.

For now, I charge at 13A/1phase at home, it's slow but enough for all I do including getting to 100% before long trips.
Looking forward to get the 32A/1ph adapter.