Electric Vehicles [BEVs] [FinallyADedicatedThread]

[Zaxxon]

That was not Wallbox.

[GreenGoo]

Juicebox.

[stessier]

Juicebox.

Now known as Enel X. And it is leaving the US market, but the app got a reprieve while someone comes in and tries to work out a plan to keep it going. I don't remember who it is, but I know my app is still working.

[GreenGoo]

Excellent. I did find it disconcerting that a major player in the home charger market was having issues.

[Default]

Going to pick the Equinox up today. I just remembered that it's only option was a level 1/2 charger, so I can trickle charge it from 120 v or my 240v garage socket. I'm going to have to change the outlet because the electrician installed the wrong nema 240v socket.

[Default]

Really weird when the wind noise and other cars are the only sounds at 65 MPH.

[jztemple2]

Drove my nephew-in-law's Cybertruck yesterday. My opinions are mixed. Lots of novelty, but some items a little disturbing. Like the tiny-ass rear view mirror. When I mentioned it my NIL grinningly assured me it was just some Federal reg Tesla had to satisfy, to have a rear-view mirror. He pointed out that he doesn't bother with it, he just uses the rear view camera view on the screen instead. Seems a bit dangerous to look down into the cockpit and change eye focus, not to mention that he has several displays active on the screen along with the rear-view.

Also he has the truck set so that when he lifts off the accelerator the regenerative braking kicks in, no free wheeling. He says he almost never touches the brake anymore. I am reminded to never let him borrow my car.

Also he is thrilled that he can pull out into traffic without worry, just stomp the pedal and he can jump ahead of anyone. Again, reminder, don't let him borrow my car .

There are a lot of gee-whiz features, like being able to have a show mode where the windows go up and down and the lights flash in time with music . The four wheel steering is nice I guess. But I didn't see anything that would make me buy one rather than a conventional vehicle.

[Default]

I find those puzzling. It's almost like it was designed by a billionaire as an ego project, instead of by engineers, that expected it to be used by adults.

[wonderpug]

The stainless steel construction helps with flux dispersal.

[GreenGoo]

My EV6 has TERRIBLE visibility in any direction that is not straight ahead. especially when compared to a minivan with higher seats and giant windows in all directions. Without cameras I'm not sure I'd feel safe backing up in anything but an empty parking lot. However, WITH cameras, it's awesome. That said, what an adjustment. Terrifying that decades old habits are no longer as useful and new ones had to be learned. An ongoing process.

I also use regenerative breaking. It's terrifying when I let off the accelerator on my van and it...KEEPS MOVING! Hah. I don't have the EV6 on full blown 1 pedal driving all the time, but I usually have it set to just one below. The EV6 has 4ish settings for regen, and I keep it on 3 (which lets the car roll forward a bit when letting off the break). 4 is full braking, and the car won't move until I press the accelerator. These settings can be changed effortlessly on the fly, using physical controls on the steering wheel.

I love driving my EV6. Love it. It's like driving a fully modern engineered go cart, but full size and with KITT installed, and acceleration that would embarrass any mid level gas powered sport cars.

[Zaxxon]

We’re driving home from Indiana to Colorado today, and it’s 19F and windy out. Just rolled into our first charge stop, in C Iowa, at 2% remaining. Woo.

[jztemple2]

We’re driving home from Indiana to Colorado today, and it’s 19F and windy out. Just rolled into our first charge stop, in C Iowa, at 2% remaining. Woo.

Will running the heater delay the recharging that much?

[coopasonic]

We’re driving home from Indiana to Colorado today, and it’s 19F and windy out. Just rolled into our first charge stop, in C Iowa, at 2% remaining. Woo.

Will running the heater delay the recharging that much?

Heat pumps are pretty efficient. I guess free heat is one of the benefits of the inefficiency of ICE vehicles.

Also, it seems the cold itself impacts the efficiency of the vehicle more than having the heat on does.

[Default]

It was in the twenties here, when I had to roll out. Noticable drop in mileage with the cabin heat set to broil. The Equinox has three three regeneration settings. None, hey! and WTF!!!
Definitely a bit to get used to. Supposedly, I need to buy an adapter to use a Tesla station, and I should order it through the app, but I can't seem to find it there.

[Default]

So, checked the work my electrician did, and the breaker is not gfi, and the plug is dryer quality. Guess I'm going to find a new electrician. I guess he's not up on the NEC.

[Zaxxon]

We’re driving home from Indiana to Colorado today, and it’s 19F and windy out. Just rolled into our first charge stop, in C Iowa, at 2% remaining. Woo.

Will running the heater delay the recharging that much?

Heat pumps are pretty efficient. I guess free heat is one of the benefits of the inefficiency of ICE vehicles.

Also, it seems the cold itself impacts the efficiency of the vehicle more than having the heat on does.

Ours is old enough to not have a heat pump, so the heat has an impact. But even in my case it’s more about the denser air surrounding the car when temps are cold than it is about heating the cabin.

Update: stop #2: bustling. 8 v3 stalls, jumping between 7 and 8 in use during our charge. Yay, holiday weekends! All Teslas at this one. We had 2 Chevys at the last one.

[jztemple2]

Update: stop #2: bustling. 8 v3 stalls, jumping between 7 and 8 in use during our charge. Yay, holiday weekends! All Teslas at this one. We had 2 Chevys at the last one.

What are your options if all eight were busy? Wait? Or was there another charging location within range?

[Zaxxon]

Update: stop #2: bustling. 8 v3 stalls, jumping between 7 and 8 in use during our charge. Yay, holiday weekends! All Teslas at this one. We had 2 Chevys at the last one.

What are your options if all eight were busy? Wait? Or was there another charging location within range?

There were two other Tesla stations I opted to pass, plus an Electrify America. I picked this one to see if we had any new makes charging here. If I wanted to ensure I didn’t have to wait I’d have taken the last stop before this one, a v2 8 miles back which had 4/6 open when I passed it by.

[Default]

I'm at least going to need the plug and circuit breaker replaced. I asked for a courtesy plug, and it's a 5-50, but $15 at Home Depot, so I can temporarily charge if I need to. I don't mind letting thirty degree temps into the house.

[Zaxxon]

Update: stop #2: bustling. 8 v3 stalls, jumping between 7 and 8 in use during our charge. Yay, holiday weekends! All Teslas at this one. We had 2 Chevys at the last one.

What are your options if all eight were busy? Wait? Or was there another charging location within range?

There were two other Tesla stations I opted to pass, plus an Electrify America. I picked this one to see if we had any new makes charging here. If I wanted to ensure I didn’t have to wait I’d have taken the last stop before this one, a v2 8 miles back which had 4/6 open when I passed it by.

Update: now 3 waiting, and 2 Cybertrucks here. Despite the other two nearby stations having open spots. Either lots of people are curious like me, or there’s a routing issue happening here.

[GreenGoo]

Heat pumps are pretty efficient. I guess free heat is one of the benefits of the inefficiency of ICE vehicles.

Also, it seems the cold itself impacts the efficiency of the vehicle more than having the heat on does.

Exactly. I've explained to my kids and my wife (not sure she gets it. Or the kids for that matter ) that heat is free in an ICE vehicle because it's inefficient at energy transfer. That heat is called WASTE heat. It just so happens that we can use some of it in the winter time to keep us from dying.

Now in the EV, it costs extra to heat the car. That feels like a negative for EVs. What it really means is the waste heat is a HUGE negative for an ICE vehicle. We're just used to the cost of heating the atmosphere being incorporated into making the car go.

That said, it makes it very hard for me to turn up the heat in the EV. I know it's eating energy, lowering the SOC faster, and costing us more per km. Even if this extra amount is small, it's psychological.

My wife has no qualms however. I get into the car after her and the entire interior is an oven, including the seat and steering wheel (which both have their own heating elements).

[Default]

Question about travel charging.
The Chevy app offers to be a central app for charging, but really seems to be a launch menu for each network's own app. Is there an app to use that can access multiple charging company stations? Is that what Plugshare does?
It just seems like the MyChevrolet app does not offer much usefulness on its own.

[stessier]

I am unaware of a central app and it is true that the Chevy app is not useful.

[GreenGoo]

The day after I received my EV6, I installed 3 apps for the nearest 3 different branded chargers, putting money and/or payment methods into each one. I'm quite sure I'm not finished installing apps, but these 3 have been sufficient so far. For the first time ever, I created a folder to organize apps on my phone.

It's a bit of hodgepodge right now.

[Zaxxon]

Chargepoint integrates with some other networks, but not all, so that'd probably be my first recommendation, alongside the Tesla app once you have the adapter. The ones I use are the Tesla app, Chargepoint, and Electrify America, in that order. I also use Plugshare for investigating charging options at destinations or in dicey areas where I think I'll be heavily reliant on one specific site (and I want to read others' experiences with it).

[Default]

Thanks, I appreciate the feedback! GM canceled my order(!) so I have to order the adapter again, which you can only do through the app.

[stessier]

Re: The Chevy App - My 2019 Bolt no longer has free access to the app functions, but I still have free "connected" access that basically let's GM monitor the condition of the car - I can't even see the battery SOC. I really have to cancel that - it gets me nothing but provides them with useful data for free. I'm just lazy. Once

[Default]

Re: The Chevy App - My 2019 Bolt no longer has free access to the app functions, but I still have free "connected" access that basically let's GM monitor the condition of the car - I can't even see the battery SOC. I really have to cancel that - it gets me nothing but provides them with useful data for free. I'm just lazy. Once

That and remote starting the ac/heat. Most of what it does is duplicated by my insurance/phone/ability to wear a coat.

[stessier]

Re: The Chevy App - My 2019 Bolt no longer has free access to the app functions, but I still have free "connected" access that basically let's GM monitor the condition of the car - I can't even see the battery SOC. I really have to cancel that - it gets me nothing but provides them with useful data for free. I'm just lazy. Once

That and remote starting the ac/heat. Most of what it does is duplicated by my insurance/phone/ability to wear a coat.

The remote start/ac/heat and battery SOC are the only things I actually want. But not enough to pay $15/month for them.

[Default]

Ordered the proper socket and a rather substantial wall box to install it in. As the electrician never got back to me, it will be taken care of.

[GreenGoo]

Drove in the snow for the first time. Terrifying. I thought it had all seasons but wow...

I've driven in snowy conditions for just shy of 40 years. It was like driving a toboggan on a skating rink. And then the cameras were covered in snow and the car alarmed constantly and the screen flashed the sensor indicators (being blocked).

It's snow. Snow is opaque. Wtf am I supposed to do now? I need to find out, because that was crazy.

I was doing about 10-15 km/hr as I slowed down (no breaking, although regen was on) and the car SLID and the abs came on. I can jog at that speed. And the snow is not even an inch. Just enough to solidly cover the asphalt.

I need to do some reading, but that was not safe even when driving cautiously and slowly.

I will say it was a little harder to feel what the car was doing as well. In any ICE vehicle I've driven, you can feel the road through the wheels and it's behaviour. Not so much with the EV6.

Yikes.

[stessier]

Rather appropos from Ars.

No more EV app folders: Universal plug-and-charge is due to launch in 2025
Most of the major EV makers and charging networks are on board.

[Default]

Drove in the snow for the first time. Terrifying. I thought it had all seasons but wow...

I've driven in snowy conditions for just shy of 40 years. It was like driving a toboggan on a skating rink. And then the cameras were covered in snow and the car alarmed constantly and the screen flashed the sensor indicators (being blocked).

It's snow. Snow is opaque. Wtf am I supposed to do now? I need to find out, because that was crazy.

I was doing about 10-15 km/hr as I slowed down (no breaking, although regen was on) and the car SLID and the abs came on. I can jog at that speed. And the snow is not even an inch. Just enough to solidly cover the asphalt.

I need to do some reading, but that was not safe even when driving cautiously and slowly.

I will say it was a little harder to feel what the car was doing as well. In any ICE vehicle I've driven, you can feel the road through the wheels and it's behaviour. Not so much with the EV6.

Yikes.

You definitely want regen completely off. Since it provides resistance, the car is going to act as if you slammed on the brakes.

[Zaxxon]

I wouldn't say completely off (or off at all, on my car). I just feather the accelerator more, so that it's not kicking in on slippery ground.

It's a mindset change to realize that you have control over this stuff, where you didn't in a gas car. Once you get used to that, there's no need to disable functionality--just control it more finely.

[Default]

I wouldn't say completely off (or off at all, on my car). I just feather the accelerator more, so that it's not kicking in on slippery ground.

It's a mindset change to realize that you have control over this stuff, where you didn't in a gas car. Once you get used to that, there's no need to disable functionality--just control it more finely.

I get better feel without someone helping me drive, but I see your point.

[Zaxxon]

I wouldn't say completely off (or off at all, on my car). I just feather the accelerator more, so that it's not kicking in on slippery ground.

It's a mindset change to realize that you have control over this stuff, where you didn't in a gas car. Once you get used to that, there's no need to disable functionality--just control it more finely.

I get better feel without someone helping me drive, but I see your point.

I'm not talking about the active assist stuff. I more mean the fact that in a gas car you have to physically move your foot from one pedal to another to apply stopping force rather than 'go juice.' In an EV, you have a range of control from go to slow down happening before you let your foot all the way off the go pedal. You have a much larger range of control, and once you're used to that it's actually a pro in snow, not a con.

[gbasden]

Drove in the snow for the first time. Terrifying. I thought it had all seasons but wow...

I've driven in snowy conditions for just shy of 40 years. It was like driving a toboggan on a skating rink.
Yikes.

What tires do you have on the EV6? I know some versions of the Mustang came with summer tires which weren't very well suited to cold weather.

[GreenGoo]

Ok, first, I'm quite certain I wasn't over reacting. It was not good. I may have used some hyperbole because it was so much worse than I was expecting, especially with all wheel drive.

That being said, I watched some videos of people driving the EV6 in the winter and commenting. So I could watch how it handled and hear their opinions on how it handled for them.

So there is "snow mode". However, I can't tell and haven't found out what it does yet. It sets the regen down to 1 and you can't change it while in snow mode. It also does some things with the battery to help condition it and help with cold weather charging. Does it do anything else? I have no idea.

I set it to snow mode and then put it through it's paces. Empty parking lot doughnuts, hard acceleration, hard braking (the abs seems so rough. It's very, very noticeable while my van used tinier, faster cycles I think). I accelerated into turns until it started to slide and then eased off the accelerator, and the car gripped the road like something that grips things really hard. I immediately had full control back. It was impressive. I can't reconcile that with the slow, easy turns earlier in the day where the car immediately lost traction. Could it be the regen (was 3 in the afternoon, was 1 during my tests)? Sure. I guess. I probably eased off the accelerator during the turn, which would have the regen kick in. I guess that could have caused it. Probably, the more I think about it.

Also, the videos were all winter tires, but I only have all seasons on mine.

I will do more driving, and pay more attention. I don't know what the deal was with the sensors being blocked and the car alarming like crazy. I get it. You can't see. I can, and I'm the one that is driving. Shut up and hope for the best.

[GreenGoo]

Drove in the snow for the first time. Terrifying. I thought it had all seasons but wow...

I've driven in snowy conditions for just shy of 40 years. It was like driving a toboggan on a skating rink.
Yikes.

What tires do you have on the EV6? I know some versions of the Mustang came with summer tires which weren't very well suited to cold weather.

Good question. Dealership said all season but I don't think I ever looked, and I forgot to check during my test driving this evening. I will look tomorrow and report. Wife is driving it to work tonight and the weather is pretty bad actually, for the first real snow fall of the season.

[Default]

All wheel drive means you can drive much faster in the snow before finding out you can't stop. You have increased traction. It's the abs that does the magic.