General EV Conversation
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,656
Likes: 3,748
From: California
This morning like every morning I disconnected the charger from my car and started my morning routine. About 3 miles away from home my engine turned on. Out of EV range. Apparently I accidentally stopped my charger from charging overnight. No big deal continued on in hybrid mode until I got back home and threw it on the charger.
I’m not opposed to having a BEV. In my case I would never roadtrip it. I just didn’t know there were others besides Tesla until learning about all of them on this forum. Before I bought my Rav I looked at the Model Y and this was after renting a M3P.
How I treat a roadtrip, hybrid mode on highway and EV mode around town. Like you, depending on how many people are traveling, how far, and what/if I’m towing determines which vehicle we take in town and/or roadtrip. Kinda how you choose whether to drive your Sienna or not.
I’ve driven thousands of miles in town with just 1 mile of gas range left and even with that 1 mile of gas range I know I still have over 2 gallons until I’m completely empty. Long as I have EV range I don’t worry about it.
I look at having gas while running around in EV mode as “better to have it and not need it…” There’s zero anxiety.
I’m not opposed to having a BEV. In my case I would never roadtrip it. I just didn’t know there were others besides Tesla until learning about all of them on this forum. Before I bought my Rav I looked at the Model Y and this was after renting a M3P.
How I treat a roadtrip, hybrid mode on highway and EV mode around town. Like you, depending on how many people are traveling, how far, and what/if I’m towing determines which vehicle we take in town and/or roadtrip. Kinda how you choose whether to drive your Sienna or not.
I’ve driven thousands of miles in town with just 1 mile of gas range left and even with that 1 mile of gas range I know I still have over 2 gallons until I’m completely empty. Long as I have EV range I don’t worry about it.
I look at having gas while running around in EV mode as “better to have it and not need it…” There’s zero anxiety.
Advanced
Joined: Feb 2024
Posts: 558
Likes: 130
From: NJ/FL
but if you are driving a PHEV around town where the engine barely gets used, you are essentially just carrying around extra weight. Since you have a home charger, you would be filled up every day. I'm not telling you to buy a BEV, I'm just telling you that you are practically living the BEV life, but dragging around an engine
A PHEV is like a house with a backup generator. You might not need it most times, but when you do need it, you have it.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,656
Likes: 3,748
From: California
And if you also just travel locally on a BEV most times, you are also using energy to drag around a huge weight, the battery, which can weigh from 1000 to 4000 pounds (450 to 1800 kg).
A PHEV is like a house with a backup generator. You might not need it most times, but when you do need it, you have it.
A PHEV is like a house with a backup generator. You might not need it most times, but when you do need it, you have it.
Last edited by AMIRZA786; Mar 13, 2024 at 03:01 PM.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 5,472
Likes: 958
From: IL
And if you also just travel locally on a BEV most times, you are also using energy to drag around a huge weight, the battery, which can weigh from 1000 to 4000 pounds (450 to 1800 kg).
A PHEV is like a house with a backup generator. You might not need it most times, but when you do need it, you have it.
A PHEV is like a house with a backup generator. You might not need it most times, but when you do need it, you have it.
Lead Lap
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 3,958
Likes: 409
When you are driving a BEV "around town", there's really no way to have range anxiety unless you are driving a more than 5 year old EV or you have very low charge starting out. I live in the Bay Area, which is huge, and with 80 percent charge, I can drive from one end of the Bay Area to other and still have charge for the next day. I can understand not wanting to take one on longer trips, but if you are driving a PHEV around town where the engine barely gets used, you are essentially just carrying around extra weight. Since you have a home charger, you would be filled up every day. I'm not telling you to buy a BEV, I'm just telling you that you are practically living the BEV life, but dragging around an engine
I keep gas in it because my wife drives it on the weekend and she’s not going to plug up unless she’s home for the night and then sometimes she will forget.
Both of you make good points.
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Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,486
Likes: 3,997
From: Maryland
I'm content for the Pacifica to be a PHEV, but after driving an EV i7 and a PHEV S580e and an ICE S580 back to back to back, no doubt I would rather have the EV or the ICE over the PHEV in that application where I'm paying for a driving experience.
Lead Lap
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,484
Likes: 626
From: SC
As someone who has a PHEV, its definitely a compromise. The compromise is in performance, you don't get the performance or the fun factor of an EV becayse the EV mode is low powered, you also don't get the performance of the regular ICE counterpart in almost all situations.
I'm content for the Pacifica to be a PHEV, but after driving an EV i7 and a PHEV S580e and an ICE S580 back to back to back, no doubt I would rather have the EV or the ICE over the PHEV in that application where I'm paying for a driving experience.
I'm content for the Pacifica to be a PHEV, but after driving an EV i7 and a PHEV S580e and an ICE S580 back to back to back, no doubt I would rather have the EV or the ICE over the PHEV in that application where I'm paying for a driving experience.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,486
Likes: 3,997
From: Maryland
In order to have EV performance with no range anxiety you’re going to need to basically have an EV with a small emergency engine, and that engine is going to feel lousy when it’s used. I want a car that is excellent to drive all the time when I’m spending that kind of money.
Lead Lap
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,484
Likes: 626
From: SC
Saying something can be done a certain way doesn’t mean much, we only have the way it is done to compare.
In order to have EV performance with no range anxiety you’re going to need to basically have an EV with a small emergency engine, and that engine is going to feel lousy when it’s used. I want a car that is excellent to drive all the time when I’m spending that kind of money.
In order to have EV performance with no range anxiety you’re going to need to basically have an EV with a small emergency engine, and that engine is going to feel lousy when it’s used. I want a car that is excellent to drive all the time when I’m spending that kind of money.
And even in your case, the PHEV minivan isn't the compromise. You've said it's better to drive than the ICE counterpart, and even if they made a BEV version, it wouldn't work for the longer trips out of state due to same charging complications that prevents you from buying an i7. That sounds like it's the best solution, not the compromise.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,656
Likes: 3,748
From: California
There are performance hybrid/PHEV'S, but the compromise is high price and fuel economy. With a BEV, the compromise is long range and in some places, charging. I foresee that being overcome in about 5 years
