Over 1/2 of Toyotas to be EV's by 2025 . My 16 Tacoma will only be 9 .

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...cle-schedule-as-demand-heats-up-idUSKCN1T806X
Changes coming much quicker than Toyota has said in the not so distant past .
Although it says nothing about EV Tacoma's as of now , I am not worried that mine will last plenty long enough for the new tech , (what ever it will be ), to force me to get a new one because of lack of ,or price of gas .
Something has to pull the boat , but if I have to plug it in at the end of the day , someday , I will make sure I have a receptacle !

 

Thomas Edison would be so proud.

 

I look forward to the small, affordable 4wd EV days, but like you said, they are out there.

I don't think gas prices will drive the issue. With the US supply booming to the point that we are exporting it, I kind of think that the prices are going to stay at about this level barring any major conflicts. As is, electricity is much less per mile. Looking at the price of the dual motor Model 3 versus our Forester, the price difference is about $10k or about the cost of 10yrs of gas.

That said, can the power grid handle that many EVs? I expect that there will be a bigger push for home wind turbine and solar to help out there.

 

I agree about the abundance of oil now but once there is less demand for it , gas stations will either change over to battery changing/ charging stations or disappear . As gas is less needed the price will rise as fast as it is less wanted and less available , like whale oil or kerosene . Anyway , it seems to be happening pretty quickly .

 

It certainly is moving quick. I am interested to what the major car makers come up with for mass production.

 

Which is why tesla sells their powerwall battery back with solar panels. From what I understand they can run your entire house off the grid and last for several days in case of a power outage.

 

We will be looking closely at that bundle when the wife's Forester gets older. We will have moved by then, but damn, where we are at now, a Powerwall would have be killer just to keep the refrigerators happy during frequent outages.

 

Yeah. The price initially seems daunting, but when you look at automatic whole house generators the cost isn't much more, PLUS you're recouping the money over time due to little to no electricity bill.

If we decide to stay in our house long term and pick up a model 3 or X for the wife/fam we might consider it. I'd just like to know how long those battery packs actually last though.

 

Those are my thoughts also. With some of the efficiency bumps being talked about for solar and batteries, this could be looking good in about 10yrs.

Also, the real bargain would be used EVs. The prices I am seeing for older Model Ss is pretty crazy.

 

You also have to ask how long the solar panels last and what up keep they need . the last I checked was it was barely a break even deal as to the savings as to the life of the panels . I can see a business opportunity in the future for solar panel washing and care .

 

Gasoline has an energy density of over 100 times that of current lithium ion batteries. If you enjoy the expo life and spending long times away from development, gas is still the way to go. You're not going to be able to mount any meaningful spare battery on your swing-out bumper like you can a gas can; you'll need an expo trailer behind your expo trailer to carry your spare battery pack.

 

Very true, but we don't extract enough energy from it. Getting more efficient makes it less attractive for the overland life also, just like newer diesels.

I could see instead of packing along jerry cans, we pack along a generator for the overnight spot? A half compromise there?


ETA: petroleum is not going away for a very long time. I see folks having their choice. Looking at the reduced pollution already seen around cities, I don't even see a stigma about keeping petro power stuff. Well, except for coal rolling toolbags. There was an empty, newer F350 rolling down the freeway this week where every engine pulse was visible.

 

I guess but its kind of ironic to use a gas generator to charge a battery truck. Never-mind the energy lose in transferring gas potential energy to kinetic energy, back to chemical (battery) potential energy... Oh wait, we already do this anyways with current "gas saving" electric cars

Then you have to make sure the battery pack (usually mounted on the floor of the cab) doesn't get punctured or your vehicle will burn to ash...

On the holistic concept, I like the idea of KERS in cars. That works and adds meaningful efficiency by truly reducing overall reliance on fossil fuels. Electric cars don't make sense right now. Until we have a true energy revolution from fossil fuels to nuclear, wind, solar, sea waves, etc..., it doesn't make sense.

 

I totally agree with all that. I'd like to see a moon shot effort for an effective hydrogen economy. For now, EVs are a better solution than hybrids. I hope, just like hybrids were a stepping stone to EVs, EVs will be a stepping stone to hydrogen or at least a shared endgame?

Like I said in other posts, 4wd EVs aren't really viable yet. We'll see what tech, battery, and supplemental technologies develop over the next decade or however long the Taco lasts for me.

 

Teslas are basically throw away cars at this point. They didn't even use automotive grade components for the most critical part.

https://www.thedrive.com/tech/27989/teslas-screen-saga-shows-why-automotive-grade-matters

 

That justifies the depreciation. Not to mention, folks buying them are beta testers at this point.

By the time that we would be considering an EV (10yrs out at least), the market will sort itself out.

 

I will gladly be one of the first adopters of an EV/hybrid Tacoma. I need a truck, but also know how f**ked our climate is, we all need to start making changes to our lifestyles from transporation, to our diet, to our addiction to disposable consumer items, hard habit to break overnight, but has to start somewhere, glad Toyota is helping push change along on one of the fronts.

 

The younger generation is taking over and they want change ! Look at Beyond meat as an example . If this takes hold , raising of live animals for food will decline . It seems to all look past cost effectiveness to a hope for saving the planet . TSLA and BYND as examples have nothing to do with economics , and all to do with beliefs .

 

Very true. We put a lot of effort into damaging the place. Time to invest in cleaning it up.

 

Long than one would think, as far as miles go there are a few with over 430,000 miles on them. A Tesla battery should have 80% capacity at 8 years of age.