Rivian R1T, Lucid Air and Mach-E side by side look at charging station

[Administrator]

Brief look at R1T, Lucid Air and Mach-E side by side at charging station.

Sponsored

 

[Guy]

I am very interested to see how the Lucid Gravity SUV turns out given the great efficient of the air. Nice video.

 

[COdogman]

I really think the Lucid is nice. I love what they are doing there. I’m just not sure it’s $169,000 nice.

 

[E.S.]

Had me at 3 different EVs charging. Lost me at Electrify America being said charger. Does anyone NOT use EA as their charging stations? I swore there was like at least 3-4 other charger companies out and about.

 

[the long way downunder]

I really think the Lucid is nice. I love what they are doing there. I’m just not sure it’s $169,000 nice.

The Air is $110K nice – since they're production constrained, this is their price to balance supply and demand. If they survive, I imagine the price will decrement as they ramp up production – early adopters are paying a premium just like the first two years of the Model X (which used to be $170K+) but today it's a better spec and $99K (or $120K for 1020 horsepower … in an minivan? : )

 

[rodhx]

Had me at 3 different EVs charging. Lost me at Electrify America being said charger. Does anyone NOT use EA as their charging stations? I swore there was like at least 3-4 other charger companies out and about.

Man, you REALLY don’t like EA. ? EA is the most common not-Tesla high speed network across the country now. Here in the southeast it is about the only game in town for those of us that can charge faster than 50kW. Seems like the other networks are much more regional. For now at any rate.

 

[E.S.]

Man, you REALLY don’t like EA. ? EA is the most common not-Tesla high speed network across the country now. Here in the southeast it is about the only game in town for those of us that can charge faster than 50kW. Seems like the other networks are much more regional. For now at any rate.

In part it's not my pure dislike of EA. It's more like I'm over them. Too many issues regarding handshakes & Kw dispensed and too many of them in need of maintenance. I just grew tired of them. I almost invested into them (VW for their electrified division, which would include EA), but issues I just described made me rethink that decision. And I hear ya regarding how proliferant they are. When I travel to MI during the Winter, they're the chargers I have to use due to lack of any other company's chargers available. Maybe if VW lit a match under EA's arse to step it up several notches, I'd be more accepting of them again.

 

[Taycanfrank]

The Lucid Air is just the ugliest car. I don't know how people wrap their heads around it, I really don't.

 

[the long way downunder]

Had me at 3 different EVs charging. Lost me at Electrify America being said charger. Does anyone NOT use EA as their charging stations? I swore there was like at least 3-4 other charger companies out and about.

There's at least 25 charging networks.
I imagine there will be more over the next few years, then far fewer as the inevitable roll-up acquisitions pick up the weaklings just for their pedestal locations. I'm guessing the oil monsters ike Exxon, BP, Shell, Chevron and less familiar monsters from China and Saudi Arabia will start converting their gas station real estate to add electric pedestals and those will start to have marketing "promotional discounts" that will mean branded billing and exclusivity lockouts ("loyalty programs.") There will be price wars (as electricity prices and interest rates rise) and billing lockouts (exclusivity agreements) and multiple tier pricing (like RON 87 and 91 gas … just government sanctioned marketing rackets.) Every business and industry that profits from "burn stuff" will have to hitch their wagon to the electric locomotive or get left behind – they're either going to build vehicles or sell electricity. But to get consumers to pay more than the grid price of electricity (which should be trending towards zero as the USA has to move to predominantly solar) they'll have to brand it and all the networks will have to cooperate in the price manipulation as a cartel. Any network refusing to get with the price gouging program will get bought out.

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

The Lucid Air is just the ugliest car. I don't know how people wrap their heads around it, I really don't.

I don't understand how anyone wants to spend $150k on a car that takes it's design cues from a baleen whale.

 

[AllInev]

But to get consumers to pay more than the grid price of electricity (which should be trending towards zero as the USA has to move to predominantly solar)

I think California has one of the highest solar deployment rates in the country, but unfortunately my electricity cost/KWh only grows every year. My 2021 annual average was $0.30/KWh

 

[Gabe1aron]

I’ve been very tempted by the Lucid. It’s got a. Great range and I really like the styling, in particular the interior

 

[tojesky]

In part it's not my pure dislike of EA. It's more like I'm over them. Too many issues regarding handshakes & Kw dispensed and too many of them in need of maintenance. I just grew tired of them. I almost invested into them (VW for their electrified division, which would include EA), but issues I just described made me rethink that decision. And I hear ya regarding how proliferant they are. When I travel to MI during the Winter, they're the chargers I have to use due to lack of any other company's chargers available. Maybe if VW lit a match under EA's arse to step it up several notches, I'd be more accepting of them again.

Only EA available on my route. Most issues I've had is with my CrediT card autoloacing additional funds. That was and EA issue from what I understand. But at the two stations I use, not issues whatsoever.

 

[tojesky]

There's at least 25 charging networks.
I imagine there will be more over the next few years, then far fewer as the inevitable roll-up acquisitions pick up the weaklings just for their pedestal locations. I'm guessing the oil monsters ike Exxon, BP, Shell, Chevron and less familiar monsters from China and Saudi Arabia will start converting their gas station real estate to add electric pedestals and those will start to have marketing "promotional discounts" that will mean branded billing and exclusivity lockouts ("loyalty programs.") There will be price wars (as electricity prices and interest rates rise) and billing lockouts (exclusivity agreements) and multiple tier pricing (like RON 87 and 91 gas … just government sanctioned marketing rackets.) Every business and industry that profits from "burn stuff" will have to hitch their wagon to the electric locomotive or get left behind – they're either going to build vehicles or sell electricity. But to get consumers to pay more than the grid price of electricity (which should be trending towards zero as the USA has to move to predominantly solar) they'll have to brand it and all the networks will have to cooperate in the price manipulation as a cartel. Any network refusing to get with the price gouging program will get bought out.

Nary a DCFC on my route other than EA. Otherwise cannot comment

My issue is that when in a major metro area, EA does not have a station.

 

[the long way downunder]

I think California has one of the highest solar deployment rates in the country, but unfortunately my electricity cost/KWh only grows every year. My 2021 annual average was $0.30/KWh

Part of the "infrastructure" spending should be with a goal of bringing electricity down to "free" (say $0.05 or $0.10) and implement 100% carbon offsets for the "dirty" electricity generation. It seems to me that clean water, clean air, clean food, clean electricity … these are the bare minimum a government must provide. Aside from perhaps a few smaller countries in Europe, I don't think any country is even trying to deliver even these bare minimums. Energy like education, medicine, justice and government should not be "for profit."

Sponsored