I swear headlines these days.

[Redline]

"I need 1000 mile range when I'm going 90mph or I'll never get an EV!!!!" spits out chew

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[Eruantien]

I just about can’t stand any news agency anymore! They contradict themselves every other day. Just needed to vent a little.

I had the same thought this week, but these were the contradictory headlines I snapped.

First they miss production estimates, then they beat them.

 

[jeeden]

Maybe the news agencies are secretly pandering to both sides so they don't lose readership ?

haha, not to get political here, but one of the most obvious examples of this is the Truth Social network. They only have a million subscribers compared to the hundreds of millions of other social networks. You might think it is because there aren't that many people who are crazy (IMO), but it is far from the case. They have interviewed users and they have said "it was ok, but it got boring, there was no conversation or debate so I spend most of my time on facebook" Enragement = Engagement and there is none of that there. Everyone on the platform thinks almost exactly the same. Someone says "These EVs are ticking time bombs and being shoved down our throats by our government!" and the replies are about ten other people all saying "yup, you're right!" and someone saying "I saw an EV kill a baby seal once!" and another ten "no way!" and then the conversation dies off because there is nobody there to contradict the point of view and no argument = dopamine hit

Agreed. It's very frustrating. Oil industry (and their lobbyists, and media bedfellows) are scared of losing billions, so are fighting hard with false accusations and bot farms. What type of car some random stranger decides to drive should not be a political discussion, but here we are.

This reminds me of the part of the big short book/movie where they can't get the banks to rate the credit default swaps correctly. The mortgages are imploding, but the value of the mortgage bonds continues to go up... right until the banks buy enough credit default swaps that it is in their interest for the mortgage bonds to go down and then they get rated correctly. Once the oil companies get on the right side of the trade it will be "NOW EVs are ok because they worked out the kinks and Shell has brought you enough EV chargers it is ok." Shell just bought Volta last year, a couple of more acquisitions of EV charging companies and see what happens


As for convincing people about EVs, it's a moving target as said in this thread. There will always be a reason people don't want EVs and most are just excuses because people don't like them, don't like change, or see it as political.

A quick test when talking with someone keeps attacking with these excuses is to ask them if they would buy an EV if it was the same as they car they own/love now, was the same price or cheaper, charged as fast as a gas car fuels, and got the same range. If they say "no" then you know the conversation is over

IMO, the last holdouts of EV adoption will be when it allows people to "save face" when they buy them. It will be something like "I still don't like EVs, but I had to get one. There are only a quarter of the gas stations around there were in 2024, gas is more expensive, the wife/husband/GF/BF insisted I get an EV and I'm tired of hearing their complaining, the local golf course/bar/strip club/Nascar track/airport/etc gives EVs the best parking and a free gift, I can run my hunting cabin/snowmobiles/ATVs/bass boat/race car/reloading equipment/etc off of it, so what are you going to do?"

I figured once a pickup like the F150 or something started smoking other pickups down the local highway in small town America it would make a lot of people jump, but it hasn't yet. Maybe not enough saturation or maybe it just has to be an obvious position of perceived weakness to NOT have an EV before the rest will jump.

 

[jeeden]

"I need 1000 mile range when I'm going 90mph or I'll never get an EV!!!!" spits out chew

If you said, "ok, here is an EV with 1000 mile range at 90mph, do you want it?" They would still answer no. It was just an excuse.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Here's a 1906 advertisement by McLaughlin Carriage Co., depicting folly of going horseless.

Upon further Googling, I find this interesting factoid:
The company built both carriages and automobiles until 1915 when the carriage portion of the business was sold to another carriage works. The McLaughlin Motor Car Co., by then manufacturing Chevrolets and Buicks, was merged with GM in 1918.

And who killed the electric car?

History is funny.

 

[akc5247]

I’m 2 weeks in the EV life, the jokes are already getting old….

“oh you made it in today, I thought you forgot to plug in last night……”

“Do you want me to save these batteries for you so you can get home?”

“how long of an extension cord do you carry in that thing”

It amazes me how many don’t know Rivian: “who makes that?” Rivian “But who makes it? Is it a Toyota or something”

and this misinformation of an EV is incredible, I was one of them but I actually explored and listened and now a believer

I had a few ask me "what is that?", and I tell them it is a Rivian. Then they ask, "looks cool. Who makes them?"....

Then I go and explain it is company that has been operating for a few years making pickup trucks and now made this SUV.

Most of the times these discussions start when they see me getting / putting stuff in the frunk.

Hopefully lot more of these are seen on the road and people get more familiar with the Rivians.

 

[Dark-Fx]

I cannot begin to tell you how many friends (who are super smart, scientists no less) who still claim that me getting EV was not a good decision. And that road trips should never be done in EV.

Sad part is that my wife is also part of that bandwagon whenever given a chance. But of course I have not budged yet, and did both our recent road trips on the R1S. The charging times - especially if you do 5-600 miles trip - is going to be a factor, I agree. But I keep telling that the stops would be even more on normal ICE vehicles, so in the grand scheme of things, they either equal out or probably adds maybe a few hours in a multi day road trip. Not a big deal.

Of course so far, it has been on deaf ears I feel.

In March of 2022, 2 weeks after getting our Hummer EV, we did a trip from SE Michigan to Southern Florida. We took a two week vacation off work. 5 days to go down and 4 to get back. Went way out of our way on the trip down to visit some family for 2 days. Every day we planned a stop to do or see something. That trip was way more enjoyable than other times I have made that trip in either 2 days each way or a straight shot in a single day. Stopped at several places I'd otherwise never take a vacation to. 3400 miles round trip over 16 days. Totally worthwhile to road trip that way, and I would take a similar trip in our Rivian if the opportunity presented itself. The charging situation is way better today than it was back then, especially when you consider the Tesla Superchargers that are available to us.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

I had a few ask me "what is that?", and I tell them it is a Rivian. Then they ask, "looks cool. Who makes them?"....

I always get that inter-dimensional warp feeling when it happens. Does anyone ask "who makes a Ford/Chevy/Toyota?", but they'd ask "who makes a Rivian?" Is there an unspoken universal intergalactic law that say new companies can't form? ever?

 

[jeeden]

Upon further Googling, I find this interesting factoid:
The company built both carriages and automobiles until 1915 when the carriage portion of the business was sold to another carriage works. The McLaughlin Motor Car Co., by then manufacturing Chevrolets and Buicks, was merged with GM in 1918.

And who killed the electric car?

History is funny.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

haha, not to get political here, but one of the most obvious examples of this is the Truth Social network. They only have a million subscribers compared to the hundreds of millions of other social networks. You might think it is because there aren't that many people who are crazy (IMO), but it is far from the case. They have interviewed users and they have said "it was ok, but it got boring, there was no conversation or debate so I spend most of my time on facebook" Enragement = Engagement and there is none of that there. Everyone on the platform thinks almost exactly the same. Someone says "These EVs are ticking time bombs and being shoved down our throats by our government!" and the replies are about ten other people all saying "yup, you're right!" and someone saying "I saw an EV kill a baby seal once!" and another ten "no way!" and then the conversation dies off because there is nobody there to contradict the point of view and no argument = dopamine hit




This reminds me of the part of the big short book/movie where they can't get the banks to rate the credit default swaps correctly. The mortgages are imploding, but the value of the mortgage bonds continues to go up... right until the banks buy enough credit default swaps that it is in their interest for the mortgage bonds to go down and then they get rated correctly. Once the oil companies get on the right side of the trade it will be "NOW EVs are ok because they worked out the kinks and Shell has brought you enough EV chargers it is ok." Shell just bought Volta last year, a couple of more acquisitions of EV charging companies and see what happens


As for convincing people about EVs, it's a moving target as said in this thread. There will always be a reason people don't want EVs and most are just excuses because people don't like them, don't like change, or see it as political.

A quick test when talking with someone keeps attacking with these excuses is to ask them if they would buy an EV if it was the same as they car they own/love now, was the same price or cheaper, charged as fast as a gas car fuels, and got the same range. If they say "no" then you know the conversation is over

IMO, the last holdouts of EV adoption will be when it allows people to "save face" when they buy them. It will be something like "I still don't like EVs, but I had to get one. There are only a quarter of the gas stations around there were in 2024, gas is more expensive, the wife/husband/GF/BF insisted I get an EV and I'm tired of hearing their complaining, the local golf course/bar/strip club/Nascar track/airport/etc gives EVs the best parking and a free gift, I can run my hunting cabin/snowmobiles/ATVs/bass boat/race car/reloading equipment/etc off of it, so what are you going to do?"

I figured once a pickup like the F150 or something started smoking other pickups down the local highway in small town America it would make a lot of people jump, but it hasn't yet. Maybe not enough saturation or maybe it just has to be an obvious position of perceived weakness to NOT have an EV before the rest will jump.

When it's so common it ceases to be a political/tribal football. When tax credits apply to ordinary people and not give impression of favoring the rich*. When EV price ranges widen to include not just well-heeled. When all the Joneses next door has an EV. When EVs are so common and the locus hordes never came, fire and brimstone end times never came...

That's when the nonsense subsides. In parts of the country, that's already happening. Here in costal SoCal, barely anyone gives a rat's ass that I'm driving an uncommon vehicle, let alone a BEV.

*Which is what IRA does (but not accepted because the president associated with it is only slightly older than their perferred gaffer-in-chief; i.e. aforementioned tribalism). Never mind the IRA is actually named Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The danger of seeing politics/governing through lens of spectator sport with team affiliations, rather than focus on facts and merits of issues.

 

[UnsungZero_OldTimeAdMan]

Yup. That too.

 

[djsider2]

In March of 2022, 2 weeks after getting our Hummer EV, we did a trip from SE Michigan to Southern Florida. We took a two week vacation off work. 5 days to go down and 4 to get back. Went way out of our way on the trip down to visit some family for 2 days. Every day we planned a stop to do or see something. That trip was way more enjoyable than other times I have made that trip in either 2 days each way or a straight shot in a single day. Stopped at several places I'd otherwise never take a vacation to. 3400 miles round trip over 16 days. Totally worthwhile to road trip that way, and I would take a similar trip in our Rivian if the opportunity presented itself. The charging situation is way better today than it was back then, especially when you consider the Tesla Superchargers that are available to us.

Sometimes slowing down and taking it in is great. Other times, you just want a quick charge or fill up and get on the way because time is limited or there's really nothing that interesting to go back to multiple times in the middle of the journey.

So improving charging and range is definitely still desirable for everyone, at least to get more options.

 

[Dark-Fx]

Sometimes slowing down and taking it in is great. Other times, you just want a quick charge or fill up and get on the way because time is limited or there's really nothing that interesting to go back to multiple times in the middle of the journey.

So improving charging and range is definitely still desirable for everyone, at least to get more options.

If I have to drive somewhere quickly that's more than 6 hours away and I can't take a detour that's worth doing, I'm flying. Life is too short to piss in corn fields.

 

[jeeden]

If I have to drive somewhere quickly that's more than 6 hours away and I can't take a detour that's worth doing, I'm flying. Life is too short to piss in corn fields.

You stop in a corn field? Real men just make sure they finish their beer fast enough that they have an empty bottle at the ready to pee in! Nobody has time to stop and pee in a field or a restaurant. My railcar full of Pig Iron Ignots HAS to get to my destination on time!

 

[djsider2]

If I have to drive somewhere quickly that's more than 6 hours away and I can't take a detour that's worth doing, I'm flying. Life is too short to piss in corn fields.

Flying is barely more worth it at 6 hrs of driving. At 8 hrs, I would consider flying more heavily.

By the time I drive to airport, check in, go past security, wait around, fly, get my bags, get a rental car, and then get to my actual destination, the time difference and ease of "not driving" doesn't override the flexibility I get with taking my car, and having my own car.

The trip I'm mostly concerned with is <400 miles between SF and LA. There's really nothing in the middle i want to be stuck at for a hr. I believe R1S should be ok for 1 stopper at 30mins... i have yet to try this.

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