Which EV would you buy?

[MCX]

I really like several of the new EVs coming out...the Fisker Ocean looks beautiful and has some really cool features, as does the Polestar 2. Further out into the future and not yet fully ready for manufacturing are Rivian and Lucid. And, GM looks to have some potentially exciting releases they're teasing. Personally, I'll stay FAR away from Tesla.

 

[calicamper]

Seems like they could import some talent but that would explain why they have been so stagnant. I swore off toyota as well but ended up in a Lexus so I failed, kind of. I had a 3.0 extracab for a long time that was just a pile. Years later had a tacoma with only about 30k miles burst into flames while I was driving it and really was not at all sad about it. Tigher and smoother than ford, I will give them that. At least with the GX there is a v8 and plenty of power to go with the crappy fuel milage. I have had several fords and never a bad one, doesn’t surprise me the Fusion has served you well. May have to look into a used one when the used car prices drop at the end of the year. You are in an Expedition now right? How has that been on the trail?

toyota may just sit out the next couple years as all these new models work out the kinks.

Thanks to a big buck running head on into my stopped Expedition it spent 5 weeks in the shop fenders were untouched, radiator wasn’t leaking but $15,000 in parts and labor?. So 5 weeks pre COVID it didn’t get used only had 1000 miles on it. Then COVID hit so today it sits at 9600 miles?. Zero problems no issues with the new hood and all the grill equipment replaced.
It sits on factory 22’s with soft squishy comfort tires. It won’t see anything but graded dirt roads for a while which any vehicle can do.
But rear Elocker alone adds capability my Sequoia didn’t have and with bigger rigs a rear locker is a big step up in getting through challenging stuff.

 

[calicamper]

I really like several of the new EVs coming out...the Fisker Ocean looks beautiful and has some really cool features, as does the Polestar 2. Further out into the future and not yet fully ready for manufacturing are Rivian and Lucid. And, GM looks to have some potentially exciting releases they're teasing. Personally, I'll stay FAR away from Tesla.

I find it interesting that the biggest auto maker with the largest number of different vehicles that will be EV platforms in the next year didn’t make your list. The company’s you mentioned are tiny and hand built custom cars. Even Hyundai’s EV is a odd hand built vehicle that doesn’t come off the standard production line and has a very restricted number. Last I looked less than 8000 world wide.

Ford is the only maker other than Tesla that will have mass produced EV / hybrid vehicles ranging from SUVs, Trucks, Bronco, and full performance EVs Mustang Mach E etc in the next year or two.

After having a plugin Ford hybrid for 70,000 miles I can say without doubt there are great reasons to have a hybrid over a straight EV especially in a region that gets utility power cuts due to storms and / or my case fire storm season etc. Even Plugin hybrids see lower ICE maintenance needs given idling and stop and go use which is hard on ICE fluids is greatly reduced given that’s mainly EV use. There are also very good reasons to have a straight EV performance! Lots of short trips, lots of local regional driving near zero maintenance etc.

Since COVID my trips tend to be short and not often the plugin hybrid has been the go too vehicle and has been EV mode the whole time. The Expedition gets gassed up on average once a month mainly due to trips to hiking or check on elder family members 50-60 miles away. Tools, dog, kids bikes taken along so Fusion gets left home.

 

[Todd780]

I find it interesting that the biggest auto maker with the largest number of different vehicles that will be EV platforms in the next year didn’t make your list. The company’s you mentioned are tiny and hand built custom cars. Even Hyundai’s EV is a odd hand built vehicle that doesn’t come off the standard production line and has a very restricted number. Last I looked less than 8000 world wide.

Ford is the only maker other than Tesla that will have mass produced EV / hybrid vehicles ranging from SUVs, Trucks, Bronco, and full performance EVs Mustang Mach E etc in the next year or two.

After having a plugin Ford hybrid for 70,000 miles I can say without doubt there are great reasons to have a hybrid over a straight EV especially in a region that gets utility power cuts due to storms and / or my case fire storm season etc. Even Plugin hybrids see lower ICE maintenance needs given idling and stop and go use which is hard on ICE fluids is greatly reduced given that’s mainly EV use. There are also very good reasons to have a straight EV performance! Lots of short trips, lots of local regional driving near zero maintenance etc.

Since COVID my trips tend to be short and not often the plugin hybrid has been the go too vehicle and has been EV mode the whole time. The Expedition gets gassed up on average once a month mainly due to trips to hiking or check on elder family members 50-60 miles away. Tools, dog, kids bikes taken along so Fusion gets left home.

Yep, I think if I ever were to get an EV truck I would be between an electric F150 and the Hummer. I can't imagine trying to service anything like a Rivian, Fisker, Bollinger etc around here. Which reminds me, isn't the Hummer EV supposed to be unveiled soon?

Right now, if I was in the market for a truck, I think the 2021 F150 Hybrid with the on board generator would be high up on my list. I prefer the idea of a hybrid for the time being.

 

[calicamper]

Yep, I think if I ever were to get an EV truck I would be between an electric F150 and the Hummer. I can't imagine trying to service anything like a Rivian, Fisker, Bollinger etc around here. Which reminds me, isn't the Hummer EV supposed to be unveiled soon?

Right now, if I was in the market for a truck, I think the 2021 F150 Hybrid with the on board generator would be high up on my list. I prefer the idea of a hybrid for the time being.

Servicing or even replacement of a busted window can be a big challenge even with Tesla which is far more capable than the little micro custom builders. That brings up another discussion regarding overlanding and the occasional service issue which is a real concern for most people that travel beyond their local areas. That was a factor in my Domestics SUV decision over say a Subaru Ascent. I know I can find a local Ford/GM shop to sort out my SUV if stranded on a trip I’m going to have far far more success getting my Ford or GM going with local help vs say my Subaru or Mercedes etc. I would pick a Ford Transit van over a Mercedes for the same reason.

 

[Lovetheworld]

As many people I am also looking at the new electric 4x4s. However, they are not here yet, and will take even longer and be more expensive to reach us in Europe.
Right now we bought a (slightly used) Chevy Bolt (our European equivelant) which is a great car with a 250 mile range, fun to drive et cetera. Next to that we have a ICE 4x4 for holidays, and probably have for the next couple of years.

That way we don't have to wait, and don't have to spend that much money.
We also looked into a hybrid, such as the Mitsubishi Outlander. 2 cars in one. However, for how we use cars, the EV mode range would never be enough (25 miles).
If it would be enough for our daily usage, we would have probably bought one. They are not the best offroaders, but they are good enough for holidays. And you can lift them a bit etc.

And lets be honest, even if it is electric it is still pretty dumb to drive around with a big ass 4x4 (lets say F150 size) when all you do is commute to work or do grocery shopping. It is the dumbest thing, and even if it is electric, it will still cost you twice as much fuel/electricity as a medium to small car would.

So if you want to save the planet and/or save money, just buy a modest electric car for daily driving and commuting, like the Chevy Bolt / Tesla Model 3 or Hyundai EV or whatever, and keep you gas guzzler for the weekend.

 

[Marine]

I'm sticking with the internal combustion engine.

I'm sticking with fossil fuels as long as I can.

 

[Regcabguy]

I'm sticking with fossil fuels as long as I can.

Same here. We drove through LA Friday and were trying to imagine scoring a recharge station. Two-three hr. recharge sitting in contaminated air and surrounded by a city that enables a bum lifestyle.

 

[billiebob]

This is tempting...
A company in LA has been converting Beetles for decades.

 

[billiebob]

 

[tacomabill]

The OP mentioned skiing. According to Car and Driver mag tests, in moderate winter temperatures with heater on high the Tesla heater consumes around 35% of the watts and up to 40% in really cold temperatures. So your range drops to around 200 miles and could be even less. Factor in slippery roads, use of headlights, audio, navigation, etc.

 

[billiebob]

But it's not as marketable as fancy sports cars and you can't do stupid publicity stunts with it like use a hundred thousand gallons of petroleum to commercially produce hydrogen to use as rocket fuel to send an electric sportscar into space to sell pretend environmental virtue signaling to Chads.

I like how yer mind works.

 

[billiebob]

The OP mentioned skiing. According to Car and Driver mag tests, in moderate winter temperatures with heater on high the Tesla heater consumes around 35% of the watts and up to 40% in really cold temperatures. So your range drops to around 200 miles and could be even less. Factor in slippery roads, use of headlights, audio, navigation, etc.

This is false. Go to the Tesla site and they let you plug in the outside temperature and see the range change. Yes, running heat or air shortens range just like a fossil fuel car gets worse mileage in the arctic or desert. But todays technology uses heat pumps to both heat and cool. As a result, E-cars heat and cool more efficiently than gas cars.

Your F150 gets awful mileage at 40 below too.

 

[JaSAn]

. . . just like a fossil fuel car gets worse mileage in the arctic or desert . . .
Your F150 gets awful mileage at 40 below too.

My Ram 2500 gas gets about 1 mpg less in the winter (including -43ºF, I've driven at that temperature) and that is mostly because of the crappy gas blend we have to put up with in the winter. After fluids and bearings warm up there should be little difference.

What kind of milage will a Tesla get at -40º?

 

[billiebob]

My Ram 2500 gas gets about 1 mpg less in the winter (including -43ºF, I've driven at that temperature) and that is mostly because of the crappy gas blend we have to put up with in the winter. After fluids and bearings warm up there should be little difference.

What kind of milage will a Tesla get at -40º?

Lucky you, my TJR gets 22 on a good day, 14 at 40 below. Same with every other car we have owned. Driving a semi I got 8mpg on a good day, 5mpg was my best in the arctic.

Teslas, never had one but people with them claim the website range calculator is accurate.