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Gel and lithium-ion tech could enable 1000-mile EV range on one charge
(interestingengineering.com)
This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
I drive 82 miles a day on average according to my tracking, but that frequently involves days of 400+ miles. And since I drive in hill country and require air conditioning most of the years I know the range estimates are wildly optimistic versus real-world performance.
And charging a car isn't like filling up with gas. It's not a 3-minute stop. If a car can get me as far as I'm willing to drive in a day, then an overnight charge seems like an option.
But even then, since I'm a renter and always will be because of the shit going on with housing I can't get a fast charger.
All of this is to say that it's not 1 issue. It's all of them. Range, charging speeds, and availability of chargers ALL have to be addressed and essentially 100% reliable before I can risk owning an all-electric vehicle.
Not a 3 minute stop. A whole 15 minutes. Assuming you have a charging station nearby anyway.
I own a 2022 Model Y and I’ve never had a 15m charging stop. It’s always longer. 15m is theoretical. In the real world everything from temperature to the type of charger to how many people are charging at the station to the age of the battery impact speed. You’re looking at 25-40 mins on average to 80%. Double that to charge to 100%. I’m not sure why people feel the need to gaslight non-EV owners. The technology is what it is.
The Ioniq 5 is rated at 18 minutes 10 to 80%. If you really care about charging time, you don’t need to charge all the way to 80. It starts to slow down after 70. And that’s current technology. It’s only getting faster.
As I explained, the rated time is in perfect conditions. I have never experienced perfect conditions and I don’t know anyone who has. I have a colleague who has a 2023 Ioniq 5 who claims to average 30 mins for 10-80. This will only get longer as the battery ages.
I always find it amusing how people go through such mental contortions to justify not buying an EV. If you don't want an EV, just don't buy one. Nobody cares.
That's the thing. I DO want one.
But there's still significant drawbacks, and some of them are being completely ignored. The renter issue is HUGE.
FWIW I've had an EV for four years now and I rent an apartment with no charger too. There have been times when finding a charger has been inconvenient. But I've never looked back. None of those problems are insurmountable and most of the time it's a minor inconvenience at worst.