Comments on: Electric Cars: A Shopper’s Cheat Sheet

By: Lee

Lee — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:57:59 +0000

I’d really like to see the quick charge options added to this list. They make all the difference when it comes to alleviating range anxiety.

By: Lee

Lee — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 06:00:37 +0000

Now that Tesla has announced their SuperCharger network and the West Coast Electric Highway runs from Vancouver, BC to the Oregon’s border with California an update with fast charging options is more relevant:

CHAdeMO is standard on the LEAF, optional on the i-MiEV
SuperChargers are standard on the Model S with 65 and 80 kWh battery packs.

By: Clark Williams-Derry

Clark Williams-Derry — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 20:02:25 +0000

I'm no expert, but I believe that it does. The carbon impacts of a car depend crucially on where the electricity comes from. We discussed that issue in this post a few years back. But the numbers may have changed since then.

By: James

James — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 19:55:49 +0000

Do you believe it is true the EPA’s MPGe calculation ignores the energy used to provide the electricity?

By: Stacey

Stacey — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 20:59:48 +0000

Here’s a handy document just published by Western Washington Clean Cities called “Welcome to the EVolution”

http://www.electricdrive.wa.gov/Downloads/EVGuide_WesternWACC.pdf

By: Clark Williams-Derry

Clark Williams-Derry — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 21:49:46 +0000

That’s a great question.

Some of the models I looked at seem to require you to pay extra to equip the car for rapid chargers. I’ll have to do some more research to figure this out.

What I find so interesting about all this is that the electric car space feels very fluid. It’s like the early days of motoring, when nobody was sure which design would “win out” — whether cars would run on gasoline, electricity, alcohol, or what. People must have had to plan their trips very carefully, and lots of people must have felt like cars were only for tinkerers and early-adopter types. Personally, I’d love for the electric car market to settle out a bit. That’d work better for people like me who don’t like to think too hard…

By: Barry Saxifrage

Barry Saxifrage — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 17:01:15 +0000

Great info once again Clark. Thanks.

One confusing point for me is whether there is any universal standard for the fast charging. As a renter I don’t want to put in an expensive charging station where I’m renting but there are public rapid charging stations around i could use at times. Curious which cars, if any, lock you in to their own rapid charge infrastructure?

Also just across the border in BC the rebates are smaller ($5k) and the MSRP for all cars are significantly higher. For Leaf, base price after rebate in BC is $33,400…while you chart shows it in USA at $27,700. Sales tax is also much higher. Alas.

By: Lee

Lee — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 18:29:19 +0000

This is a really great comparison chart, thanks for providing it. However tough it is to compare the sometimes apples-to-oranges data manufacturers provide, I’m glad someone is trying. I would love to see reviews as well.

By: Clark Williams-Derry

Clark Williams-Derry — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 04:54:49 +0000

Thanks for the info! I suspect that there are lots of differences between the “official” figures and drivers’ real-world experiences.

And you’ve got a cool blog, by the way! (http://www.karmanneclectric.blogspot.com/)

By: Jay

Jay — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 04:54:30 +0000

I’ve had an iMiev for 5 months and 5600 miles and will testify that it reaches 82 mph in short order. The 120 volt EVSE that comes with the car is only good for 8 amps, hence the long time. The charger will pull 16 amps on 120 or 240V if allowed to, so with my SPX portable EVSE, up to about 120 miles per day of use with only 120V charging is quite feasible. Attaining top speed is not dependent on reduced accessory loads, unlike an ICE vehicle. The battery can put out many more Amos than the inverter will take. Top speed will, however, destroy your available range.