Lamenting the decline of the car - Page 56

WarrenC12 · #**1101** Posted **Oct 16, 2020, 3:47 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

Couldn't you just have the heated seats on with the main heater off? I do that sometimes in my car.

I'll probably get either a 2016/17 VW Golf or Mazda 3 as my next car.

Yes Tesla recommends this to save on energy if you're worried about range. Use the seats and steering wheel heating and set the cabin temp lower.

urbandreamer · #**1102** Posted **Oct 16, 2020, 3:49 PM**

Maybe the solution is a portable battery-powered heater for the car? Put it on an empty seat with a few attachable vents?

The new Tesla Model 3 is tempting with its 353 mile range and updated interior.

Jaws · #**1103** Posted **Oct 16, 2020, 3:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

Maybe the solution is a portable battery-powered heater for the car? Put it on an empty seat with a few attachable vents?

The solution is coming up with efficiencies in the heating system. Tesla has moved to a heat pump in the Model Y. All other Tesla's still use resistive heating elements.

Edit: It looks like the Model 3s are now getting heat pumps as of last week.

urbandreamer · #**1104** Posted **Oct 16, 2020, 3:53 PM**

Like I mentioned, the 2021 Tesla Model 3 gets that heat pump. https://www.tesla.com/en_ca/model3

jamincan · #**1105** Posted **Oct 16, 2020, 4:05 PM**

I'd guess Norway has good data on EV efficiency in cold temperatures.

WarrenC12 · #**1106** Posted **Oct 16, 2020, 4:19 PM**

The heat pump gain is nice, but a bit marginal depending on climate.

Having a warm-ish garage and/or plugging in overnight is ideal.

jawagord · #**1107** Posted **Oct 16, 2020, 5:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

I almost never notice a difference with AC on and off. Heating is obvious, but not on for long.

Do you even need air con in Vancouver?

My friend has a Tesla, that is his comment. Driving around the city is not an issue for an EV, it would be the perfect second car if it was cheap to buy. Driving long distances in winter and summer is an issue for range, you can live with the charging waits in the summer, wouldn't want to be charging outside in the winter on a long trip.

WarrenC12 · #**1108** Posted **Oct 16, 2020, 5:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jawagord

Do you even need air con in Vancouver?

My friend has a Tesla, that is his comment. Driving around the city is not an issue for an EV, it would be the perfect second car if it was cheap to buy. Driving long distances in winter and summer is an issue for range, you can live with the charging waits in the summer, wouldn't want to be charging outside in the winter on a long trip.

You need it with the glass roof.

Umm, you can get back inside the car when it's charging.

City driving is perfect for an EV. Quiet, no air pollution, regen braking helps with stop and go. They will make great delivery vans, buses, etc.

theman23 · #**1109** Posted **Oct 16, 2020, 6:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

How does a typical gas powered RWD car achieve 50/50 weight distribution? I used to drive a 1984 Mustang (math says that's 36 years old) and it was garbage on any kind of ice or snow. I had to put sand bags in the trunk to get anywhere. This was in Vancouver so not a ton of bad weather but I'd call that car undrivable in a prairie winter.

Lighter weight materials and positioning of the mechanicals. Also smaller engines. Most RWD cars have their engine behind the front axle now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mister F

That's just it though, that's the minority of ICE cars. Run of the mill EVs have the weight distribution that you only get in a small segment of the ICE world.

It’s only rare if you’re looking at FWD cars, in which case the front bias is actually advantageous in the winter. In RWD it’s pretty standard to have 50:50 distribution or close to it. All of the model 3's rivals that are RWD have it. Even the American muscle cars are close to 50:50 now.

CityTech · #**1110** Posted **Oct 16, 2020, 6:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

You need it with the glass roof.

Umm, you can get back inside the car when it's charging.

City driving is perfect for an EV. Quiet, no air pollution, regen braking helps with stop and go. They will make great delivery vans, buses, etc.

This. I expect fleets to electrify before consumer vehicles do.

acottawa · #**1111** Posted **Oct 16, 2020, 7:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamincan

I'd guess Norway has good data on EV efficiency in cold temperatures.

Populated parts of Norway are moderated by the Gulf Stream. It doesn’t get particularly cold by non-BC Canadian standards.

Acajack · #**1112** Posted **Oct 16, 2020, 7:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by acottawa

Populated parts of Norway are moderated by the Gulf Stream. It doesn’t get particularly cold by non-BC Canadian standards.

The west coast is quite mild in the winter, but the main population concentration is around Oslo in the southeast. Winter temperatures there are fairly similar to those of southern Ontario.

Mister F · #**1113** Posted **Oct 16, 2020, 10:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by theman23

It’s only rare if you’re looking at FWD cars, in which case the front bias is actually advantageous in the winter. In RWD it’s pretty standard to have 50:50 distribution or close to it. All of the model 3's rivals that are RWD have it. Even the American muscle cars are close to 50:50 now.

Most cars are FWD, so my point stands.

theman23 · #**1114** Posted **Oct 16, 2020, 10:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mister F

Most cars are FWD, so my point stands.

But the discussion was about RWD cars.

FYI the cheaper EV cars are also FWD, and are front biased too. Front bias in a FWD car isn’t a bad thing for the type of driving most people do.

SFUVancouver · #**1115** Posted **Oct 22, 2020, 3:30 PM**

Tesla full self drive (FSD) has gone into limited public beta. Pretty wild to see from the first videos that are flooding out. Also, best quarter ever for the company.

urbandreamer · #**1116** Posted **Oct 22, 2020, 3:49 PM**

Hummer EV: cool tech but it's too big and ugly AF.

milomilo · #**1117** Posted **Oct 22, 2020, 4:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

Hummer EV: cool tech but it's too big and ugly AF.

And expensive. How does anyone justify buying these things?

Innsertnamehere · #**1118** Posted **Oct 22, 2020, 4:19 PM**

I like the look of it, but jeez the price point is crazy. $112k USD is nuts for a truck. GM is clearly relying on well heeled customers to get their EVs off the ground, aiming for more of a Tesla approach of slowly making more affordable models instead of creating a crappy, affordable model off the bat that nobody likes *cough Chevy Bolt cough*.

drew · #**1119** Posted **Oct 22, 2020, 4:21 PM**

^ full size truck pricing (at higher end trims) is rapidly approaching the upper 5-figures, and even into the 6-figures in some cases...

MolsonExport · #**1120** Posted **Oct 22, 2020, 4:29 PM**

Are trucks exempt from vehicle emissions standards?

Are there different standards?

hard to tell. https://www.riv.ca/ECVehicleEmissionReqs.aspx has links but many are dead.