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jknoepfler • today at 3:03 PM • 2 replies • view on HN

Personally I live in the Midwest. I make fairly frequent drives of around 200 miles to visit friends and family. I drive a pluggable hybrid. EV charging stations exist at both destinations, but are very spotty in between.

During the winter, range plummets. That 200 isn't getting me all the way from A to B. Having a hybrid fueling option is just much more practical for me.

I'm not saying I couldn't get it done, I could, but sitting for hours waiting for some slow-ass EV charging station in the middle of winter is not bullshit I'm signing up for.


Replies

WarmWash • today at 3:27 PM

Not that I am trying to argue with you, I'm not, but people have a "gas station mindset" about EVs and it leads to confusion, so let me spell out how this trip would look with a "charging station" mindset:

Leave home at 100%/200mi

Drive to destination (approx 3 hours) arrive with ~0%/0mi

Charge while at destination to 80%/160mi

Begin driving back home with a 20%/40mi deficit of range.

Stop anywhere/anytime after you get below 60%/120mi

Charge for 20%/40mi (~10 minutes)

Complete drive home and fully charge again.

Total extra time on 400 mile trip vs gas (assuming 300 mi tank range, so 1 fill-up): ~5 minutes (or 8 minutes if you stop for a quick charge on the way so you don't have to white knuckle down to 0%).

For cold driving in the winter, it would probably be closer to an extra 20 minutes.

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malfist • today at 3:19 PM

Slow ass ev charging? My f150 charge from almost dead to almost full in 35-40 minutes and it has 300+ mile range and 135kWh battery. And its still a 400v architecture

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