Terrible Gas Mileage - Any mods that will help?

[BrianW]

Originally Posted by 1der

Real life last week at Lassen NP South parking lot -

Watched four Teslas roll up to the two charging stations they have there. Just download the app onto your phone (there is no cell service). Okay, then use the free WiFi at the park headquarters building at the end of the lot (oh, yep that was not working either), then plug the cord into your charging port and hang around for a few hours (actually maybe a couple of days because the power was shut down due to wind/fire risk and only a generator was handling the essentials which did not include the charging station). It was interesting to watch the owners' faces while they were trying to figure out the next closest charging station and wondering if that one would be operating and if they had enough range to get there.

So, how long would it take for a Honda 2000i with a step up transformer and proper plug to charge up a Tesla to give it 100 miles? I think I could have made a few hundred bucks in those moments. Heck, I could have just high idled the 7.3 w dual alternators and run that through a step up .....

.

Pretty sure you can charge a Tesla on regular household 110, but it only provides a few miles of range for every hour it’s charged [emoji15]
(Just looked it up: 2-4 miles for every hour charged on 110vac!)

[86Scotty]

Wow. That's not good.

[carringb]

Keep in mind that rolling blackouts affect fuel stations too. Most do not have any way to pump fuel if the grid is down. Meanwhile, many EV owners will always have a full battery when they leave the house.

Anyways.... that’s why my next rig will probably be a solar/battery/EcoBoost/diesel-genset hybrid. Or maybe a 7.3L E-series so it could run on propane too.

[IanF]

EV charging definitely varies depending on where you are. There aren't many near me, but I would figure on at-home charging 99% of the time. Especially since the primary use would be for commuting and errands. I would still have gas/diesel vehicles for long trips. If/when I remodel my house, I plan to add provisions for a natural gas generator which would be sized to operate an EV charger as well as most of the house. While it's rare we lose power for very long, I would still want the option should it happen.

[Orv]

Originally Posted by carringb

Keep in mind that rolling blackouts affect fuel stations too. Most do not have any way to pump fuel if the grid is down.

Just to keep terminology clear: Rolling blackout -- happens when too little power is available to meet demand -- announced an hour or two in advance -- lasts about an hour in any given location.

Public safety power shutoff (PSPS) -- happens when weather is unusually conducive to a big fire (high wind, low humidity) -- usually announced days in advance -- lasts as long as the high wind event. Fairly new; power companies wanted to be exempt from responsibility for the damage caused by fires started by their poorly maintained equipment, and when they didn't get it, they went into "now look what you made me do" mode and PSPS blackouts started. They represent something of a corporate tantrum.

Depending on how the circuits are wired and the contours of the hazard area a PSPS can be widespread or fairly localized; e.g. where I live they tend to only affect circuits that go up into the hills. I get the impression some of the northern California ones are more widespread. In general PG&E seems to suffer more from underfunded maintenance and poor management than SCE.

Not having a charging station available is definitely a problem but I have to think poor planning must have come into play here. 300+ miles ought to be enough to take you somewhere with power, short of a Northeast Blackout-style grid failure. I admit most days I don't have that many miles worth of fuel in the tank.

[JWA]

Originally Posted by 1der

Real life last week at Lassen NP South parking lot -

So, how long would it take for a Honda 2000i with a step up transformer and proper plug to charge up a Tesla to give it 100 miles? I think I could have made a few hundred bucks in those moments. Heck, I could have just high idled the 7.3 w dual alternators and run that through a step up .....

I smell a cottage industry possibility?

You could tote maybe a 5500 watt generator to maybe charge two at a time?

[IanF]

Originally Posted by JWA

I smell a cottage industry possibility?

You could tote maybe a 5500 watt generator to maybe charge two at a time?

Oh yeah... something like that has been floating around for a few years now. Basically AAA for EVs. Hasn't quite been a financially viable business model yet. For the most part, there are enough range warnings in the EV systems that cars with dead batteries on the side of the road are not really that common.

[carringb]

FWIW some of the AAA providers do have a mobile charging service. But usually they’ll just tow you either home, or do the nearest charging station. Mobile charging only makes sense in situations like “I got to work, but I forgot to plug in last night, and need to drive home later”. If you die on the drive home, the tow option is simply faster. Or if you ended up in a spot where tow truck access isn’t ideal.

Demand has gone down though, as new EVs have a much better driver interface making dead batteries far less likely, and the new EVs have 3x the range of those sold 10 years ago.

https://newsroom.aaa.com/2011/07/ev-charging-statio/

[JWA]

^^^Great information----not being in the EV world or even having much of an interest in that type I've remained blissfully unknowing about them in general.

[Scalf77]

Sounds like this makes the possibility of going electric even easier Chevrolet's eCrate.

-greg