[Greenie]

Range seems to be the hot word for electric vehicles and for good reason. BMW is planning to reveal a SUV prototype later this year with a whopping 435 miles of range. BMW told Auto Express that they plan to put these cars on roads in 2021. Sounds great, but I don't think I can wait that long.

BMW iNEXT SUV concept to debut later this year | Auto Express

 

[Coops]

I mean how many of these range predictions actually come to fruition? And besides what good is the 400+ mile range if the car takes 5 hours to charge to 100%. Great to see so much competition in this segment as it only means better performing cars for consumers.

 

[Greenie]

Well it's just a concept and electric technology is improving in leaps and bounds, so who knows what will happen one that powertrain goes past the concept stage. I'd be happy with 435 miles of range and 5 hours of charging time. That's around the average for electric cars these days, so more range and that time is a win to me.

 

[Coops]

Sure a 5 hour charge time is great for over night, but what about in the middle of the day when you find yourself low on charge? The main problem will charge stations at this point, is they just aren't as convenient or efficient as traditional fuel pumps. 2021 is a long ways off, so who knows just how far EV cars will evolve in that time.

 

[Greenie]

We really don't know what the battery and charging infrastructure will be like that far in the future. Probably more fast chargers and higher capacity batteries. BMW is looking to improve capacity at 5 to 6 percent a year and we're expecting 350 kilowatt highway chargers.

 

[Coops]

Well if they are able to develop the same sort of super charge stations that Porsche is showcasing, we may see charge times drop significantly. I am curious how exactly they plan to improve battery capacity without altering the size or weight. I guess if we compare it to the shift we've seen with the batteries in modern electronics, its certainly possible.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

If BMW and Mini's new solid state batteries deliver good range and hold that range well regardless of what weather conditions are like then odds are we might not need to depend on chargers too much. The most ideal outcome is to only charge at home overnight

 

[Coops]

I wonder with the shift towards EV and eventually everyone charging their cars at home, what that's going to do to the price of electricity. Here in Ontario it's already pretty expensive and is certainly a factor in considering the purchase of an electric. I think I saw online that its estimated to cost about $500 a year to charge your car, which is considerably cheaper than gasoline.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

I wonder with the shift towards EV and eventually everyone charging their cars at home, what that's going to do to the price of electricity. Here in Ontario it's already pretty expensive and is certainly a factor in considering the purchase of an electric. I think I saw online that its estimated to cost about $500 a year to charge your car, which is considerably cheaper than gasoline.

I bet we will see everything we have connected on the grid become regulated by the market price, even if you have solar panels. So with that comes the government in your pocket as much as they have been with gasoline. We might even see complete stand-alone systems become a violation if caught.

 

[Greenie]

I think some States are well on the way of regulating electric cars, something about a road tax because EVs aren't paying their dues at fuel pumps.

 

[Coops]

A road tax? Its not like people wont be using charge stations and you still have to pay for those. I think people have long since paid their dues to the gas companies. I really hope we don't see the implementation of new laws/policies in an effort for governments to make more money off of EV's.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

A road tax? Its not like people wont be using charge stations and you still have to pay for those. I think people have long since paid their dues to the gas companies. I really hope we don't see the implementation of new laws/policies in an effort for governments to make more money off of EV's.

Any time a new market comes online the government will want its cut much like how they have with gas tax and lets not forget how EV's are attracting people wanting to be part of a lifestyle that takes a decent income. With that comes more ways to get money from people.

 

[Greenie]

State tax revenue from gas sales will take a hit with more electric cars being sold. From what I understand, when you buy a gallon of gas a certain amount is taken to satisfy state and federal tax guidelines. To make up for the loss in revenue I assume they'll have to look elsewhere, like increasing the cost of vehicle registration.

 

[Coops]

I think its safe to assume that the average cost of charging your car will increase as we see more EV's on the road. Once upon a time gasoline was cheap, and it didn't spike until there was a huge surge in the number of vehicles on the road. I don't think we'll continue to see the average $500 per year its costing EV owners to charge their cars in coming years. Right now it makes sense that its considerably less, as its an incentive to buy...but once everyone has bought.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

Smart owners with some money to shell out for expensive off the grid charging systems will benefit a lot especially as they merge other energy needs they have to that very same system. Sort of like a Tesla power wall.

 

[Coops]

Yeah it'll definitely come down to home systems, and the first company to do it right is going to get a lot of business. Not only will it allow owners to save money, but it will also provide the convenience of not having to stop and wait to charge up. It's been said the Telsa car was made for the sole purpose of proving the concept for their power wall.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

Yeah it'll definitely come down to home systems, and the first company to do it right is going to get a lot of business. Not only will it allow owners to save money, but it will also provide the convenience of not having to stop and wait to charge up. It's been said the Telsa car was made for the sole purpose of proving the concept for their power wall.

Well Tesla's strategy with cars was just to prove what EV's can do, the power wall is a separate feature on its own. In the future world of driveless cars and many options to get around aside from your own car there will be a lot of carless people still using the power wall.

 

[Coops]

The whole concept of Tesla was to have a fully sustainable system at home, that did not require any additional spending once all of its components were purchased. Do we know what sort of home systems are currently available, aside from the power wall? I think for the most part the power wall is going to exceed the budget of the average consumer and I'm curious what the costs are to charging at home for the average EV driver.

 

[Greenie]

Most of us won't ever purchase a power-wall, at least not in the foreseeable future and some electrics or hybrids are being sold as a battery for the house as well. So you don't really need a separate one.
That could be something BMW capitalizes on with a long range EV.

 

[MiniFootPrint]

Most of us won't ever purchase a power-wall, at least not in the foreseeable future and some electrics or hybrids are being sold as a battery for the house as well. So you don't really need a separate one.
That could be something BMW capitalizes on with a long range EV.

Its true, most people will just stick to plugging their car into a regular outlet or install a car charging system which still is very simple and far less than the cost to make a whole home off the grid. It might take a government push to finally see power walls become a thing sort of like how EV car incentives were aggressive back in the day.