1 in 5 EV Buyers Switch Back to Gas-Powered Cars: Study

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,378]

37 minutes ago, Boiler said:

There was someone with a BMW, not high end, electric window motor went could only be replaced by a Dealer as it had to be programmed, over a $1,000 to do and not worth it.

 

I can see that many will end up being scrapped well before what might be there expected lifetime because of this sort of thing, only time will tell.

 BMW's are crazy crazy expensive to maintain. Lots of people trading them in when free service is over 

[Dashinka 24,731]

1 hour ago, CanAm1980 said:

"Batteries are heavy, and the truck weighs about 6,500 pounds, roughly 1,000 more than the same truck with the 3.5-liter engine."

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2022-ford-f-150-lightning-electric-first-look-review/

 

 

So about 20% more. I assume that is for the standard 230 mile range. 44k entry price.

 

The truck is good looking, but I hate the stuck on tablet look console like the Tesls.

 

Thanks for the article.  I wish they had done a bigger comparison between the EV and F150 relative to payload and towing.  The standard F150 can tow between 7,500 and 13,000 lbs depending on the engine and has a payload capacity of almost 3,300 lbs as compared to 10,000 lb towing and 2,000 lb payload for the Lightning EV.  The other thing I liked was the information below.  I wonder how much the Ford Charge Station Pro costs.  Certainly charging on 110V which is my only option at home would be a show stopper.

 

All trucks come with a mobile charger that can either plug into a standard 240-volt outlet, which provides about 13 miles per charging hour at 32 amps, or into a regular 120-volt outlet to charge at 3 miles per hour. The new 80-amp home charger, Ford Charge Station Pro, is the better way to go, charging up 30 miles of range in an hour and getting the larger extended-range battery from 15 to 100 percent charge in about eight hours.

At a DC fast charger, the extended-range Lightning can gain 54 miles of range in 10 minutes and charge from 15 to 80 percent in about 41 minutes. The charge port is on the front driver's side of the vehicle, as opposed to the Hummer, which puts the port at the back of the truck on the assumption owners will back into the charger stations.

[Dashinka 24,731]

1 hour ago, Boiler said:

There was someone with a BMW, not high end, electric window motor went could only be replaced by a Dealer as it had to be programmed, over a $1,000 to do and not worth it.

 

I can see that many will end up being scrapped well before what might be there expected lifetime because of this sort of thing, only time will tell.

I remember changing a window regulator on a 1990 Buick.  Found one in a junk yard, and once the door panel was off, the challenge was trying to maneuver the thing through the openings in the door structure and remembering how I did it, so I could put in the replacement.  Vehicles are becoming more and more like smart phones where people will replace them at the drop of a hat and who knows what will happen to the old one.

[Neonred 3,632]

1 hour ago, Boiler said:

There was someone with a BMW, not high end, electric window motor went could only be replaced by a Dealer as it had to be programmed, over a $1,000 to do and not worth it.

 

I can see that many will end up being scrapped well before what might be there expected lifetime because of this sort of thing, only time will tell.

I understand that everything on a BMW is like that.  Had a friend needing to replace the battery, and it also needs to be programed into the system.

No thanks.

6 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

I remember changing a window regulator on a 1990 Buick.  Found one in a junk yard, and once the door panel was off, the challenge was trying to maneuver the thing through the openings in the door structure and remembering how I did it, so I could put in the replacement.  Vehicles are becoming more and more like smart phones where people will replace them at the drop of a hat and who knows what will happen to the old one.

Did that on the Prowler just over a year ago.  Not easy getting thru the openings, and that metal is SHARP.

Two weeks ago added airlift bags inside the coil springs of the Aviator, and again cut the heck out of my hands on the sharp heat shields close by.

I've got to start wearing gloves when I do that stuff.

[Neonred 3,632]

3 hours ago, Boiler said:

Not sure why, but they don't carry those at our local Walmart.

[Crtcl Rice Theory 2,432]

12 hours ago, Neonred said:

I understand that everything on a BMW is like that.  Had a friend needing to replace the battery, and it also needs to be programed into the system.

No thanks.

 

Your friend had to have the dealer program the system ? Good for him! My vintage bmw needed the back seat removed to replace the battery, be sure to hook up the overflow system correct lest the cabin be filled with noxious battery gas.  I swear, German car companies expect every household to have a resident ME, EE and Chem engineer.

 

 

 

[TBoneTX 45,918]

12 hours ago, Neonred said:

cut the heck out of my hands [...] I've got to start wearing gloves

No need for gloves -- let your patients' saliva heal you up.

17 hours ago, Neonred said:

"what the heck are crisps"

We'll never know unless the British learn to speak English.

[Neonred 3,632]

7 hours ago, CanAm1980 said:

Your friend had to have the dealer program the system ? Good for him! My vintage bmw needed the back seat removed to replace the battery, be sure to hook up the overflow system correct lest the cabin be filled with noxious battery gas.  I swear, German car companies expect every household to have a resident ME, EE and Chem engineer.

 

 

 

Mercedes SUV I got rid of last year had the battery under the front passenger seat.  I replaced the battery two years ago.  Didn't have to remove the seat, but had to have the seat in the forward most position AND cut some of the carpet.  Even with that it was a difficult maneuver to get it in and out.  Fortunately no reprogramming to learn the new battery.

 

Where they really get people is with routine maintenance/oil changes.  Take it in for an oil change and pay $400+?? What the Heck?

I always change my own oil.

[Crtcl Rice Theory 2,432]

7 minutes ago, Neonred said:

Mercedes SUV I got rid of last year had the battery under the front passenger seat.  I replaced the battery two years ago.  Didn't have to remove the seat, but had to have the seat in the forward most position AND cut some of the carpet.  Even with that it was a difficult maneuver to get it in and out.  Fortunately no reprogramming to learn the new battery.

 

Where they really get people is with routine maintenance/oil changes.  Take it in for an oil change and pay $400+?? What the Heck?

I always change my own oil.

I don't change my own oil (!remind me to change the stale oil in my crankcase even though I only put on 2000 miles this year) but at $400 I would take up the hobby. 

I don't know about the oil change but my friend manages a Porsche store. When he gave me a tour of the pristine service area, I watched as a mechanic in Seattle changed a strut on a 911 with the supervision of "Karl in Dusseldorf" who was walking him through the steps on two way video. Impressive and obsessive at the same time.

 

[Neonred 3,632]

4 minutes ago, CanAm1980 said:

I don't change my own oil (!remind me to change the stale oil in my crankcase even though I only put on 2000 miles this year) but at $400 I would take up the hobby. 

I don't know about the oil change but my friend manages a Porsche store. When he gave me a tour of the pristine service area, I watched as a mechanic in Seattle changed a strut on a 911 with the supervision of "Karl in Dusseldorf" who was walking him through the steps on two way video. Impressive and obsessive at the same time.

 

I can tell you the mechanics at our local Mercedes dealership are not very good.  I had a Mercedes ML350 bluetec diesel SUV.  Loved the diesel and intended to keep it for many more years.  One weakness with that 3.0l motor is oil leaks.  The seals on the oil cooler go, and to replace those $20 seals is a $3000 job(thanks to German engineering the oil cooler sits down in the V of the engine and the entire upper half of the motor comes off to get to it).  My seals failed, but I had the extended warranty so the job was done with no charge, oil cooler and turbo seals changed.  Figured I was good for several more years.

 

A month later while my son in law was driving the vehicle, a warning message pops up to check oil level at next refueling. He drove it home from the beach and let me know.  I checked it out and found there was NO oil on the dipstick.  A big puddle of oil under the SUV, and oil on the back of the vehicle, and oil drops going down the street...

 

Turns out when the oil leaks were repaired they hand tightened the oil line to the turbo but forgot to wrench it.  Worked loose and pumped out all the oil.  Fortunately the motor didn't sieze, and the dealership said it was OK as they checked compression and it was still within specs.  

 

I decided to get rid of it.  Ordered a new SUV.....NOT a Mercedes.  

 

[Dashinka 24,731]

17 minutes ago, CanAm1980 said:

I don't change my own oil (!remind me to change the stale oil in my crankcase even though I only put on 2000 miles this year) but at $400 I would take up the hobby. 

I don't know about the oil change but my friend manages a Porsche store. When he gave me a tour of the pristine service area, I watched as a mechanic in Seattle changed a strut on a 911 with the supervision of "Karl in Dusseldorf" who was walking him through the steps on two way video. Impressive and obsessive at the same time.

 

And extremely expensive.

[Dashinka 24,731]

1 minute ago, Neonred said:

I can tell you the mechanics at our local Mercedes dealership are not very good.  I had a Mercedes ML350 bluetec diesel SUV.  Loved the diesel and intended to keep it for many more years.  One weakness with that 3.0l motor is oil leaks.  The seals on the oil cooler go, and to replace those $20 seals is a $3000 job(thanks to German engineering the oil cooler sits down in the V of the engine and the entire upper half of the motor comes off to get to it).  My seals failed, but I had the extended warranty so the job was done with no charge, oil cooler and turbo seals changed.  Figured I was good for several more years.

 

A month later while my son in law was driving the vehicle, a warning message pops up to check oil level at next refueling. He drove it home from the beach and let me know.  I checked it out and found there was NO oil on the dipstick.  A big puddle of oil under the SUV, and oil on the back of the vehicle, and oil drops going down the street...

 

Turns out when the oil leaks were repaired they hand tightened the oil line to the turbo but forgot to wrench it.  Worked loose and pumped out all the oil.  Fortunately the motor didn't sieze, and the dealership said it was OK as they checked compression and it was still within specs.  

 

I decided to get rid of it.  Ordered a new SUV.....NOT a Mercedes.  

 

Personally, I love diesels as long as they are done properly.  Now that we use diesel exhaust fluid (essentially urine) to treat it, the emissions are a lot better, but if someone accidentally puts that fluid in the fuel tank and runs the engine, you might as well write off the vehicle as the entire fuel system up to and including the injectors will need to be replaced, and who knows what damage was done in the cylinders. 

[Neonred 3,632]

8 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

Personally, I love diesels as long as they are done properly.  Now that we use diesel exhaust fluid (essentially urine) to treat it, the emissions are a lot better, but if someone accidentally puts that fluid in the fuel tank and runs the engine, you might as well write off the vehicle as the entire fuel system up to and including the injectors will need to be replaced, and who knows what damage was done in the cylinders. 

Hard to imagine someone putting DEF in the fuel tank, but I guess some folks are clueless.  

More common to hear about a family member putting gas in the diesel tank.

 

Appears now, or at least the last time I checked (last year), the only diesel SUV is the Range Rover.  I test drove a RR Discovery diesel and was not impressed.  Also, I know better than to buy a Range Rover!

[Crtcl Rice Theory 2,432]

29 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

And extremely expensive.

For working class folk like me, yes. Seattle has money though.

 

He was taking delivery of 2 of only ??? worldwide special edition  Spyders valued at 1 million each, sold site unseen months before, presumably to Gates and Bezos but he wasn't at liberty to say. He had buyers coming into the showroom hoping to score one for Asian export due to the demand. 

[Crtcl Rice Theory 2,432]

39 minutes ago, Dashinka said:

Personally, I love diesels as long as they are done properly.  Now that we use diesel exhaust fluid (essentially urine) to treat it, the emissions are a lot better, but if someone accidentally puts that fluid in the fuel tank and runs the engine, you might as well write off the vehicle as the entire fuel system up to and including the injectors will need to be replaced, and who knows what damage was done in the cylinders. 

Big scandal out here with post factory mods to bypass the emissions control, the guy is looking at federal prison time (big operation) I was wondering how these new trucks we pushing out a ton of soot and racket, and now we know.

Edited May 21, 2021 by CanAm1980