The FORD Lounge

[ArdWrknTrk]

Exactly. We are the wrong people for buying an all-electric vehicle. We are old enough that our existing vehicles will last out our driving days - hopefully.

Here's the kind of driving we do:

• Around Town: Just took Janey to the church building for her sewing day, which is every Tuesday. Yesterday was to Tulsa for one of her doctor's appointments, and tomorrow is back for another appointment.

• Trips: We drive to SC and on to Florida about twice a year, and each day of driving will be at least 500 miles. Plus we like to take other, shorter trips, but even those are several hundred miles/day.

• Carrying/Towing: We sold the boat so won't be towing it to Lake Powell again, but that trip was over 500 miles/day. And the trip to FL to pick up Big Blue was 1000 miles in two days going and 1000 miles in less than 24 hours returning. I don't anticipate getting another deal like that but still have the trailer and if I found the right cab and/or bed I would be tempted to take it to Charleston for Lil Blue.

So if we were to buy we'd probably replace the GLK not the F150, and the replacement might be a small hybrid. That would reserve Blue for towing or when we have more than 3 or 4 passengers. And we'd then have the hybrid in electric mode for running around town and in hybrid mode for longer trips. But, I'd have to run some numbers 'cause it might be most cost effective to use the F150 on longer trips and have an all-electric vehicle for running around town.

And yes, I understand the benefits of electric vehicles. And some day it'll probably make sense for all of our vehicles to be electric. But it doesn't right now for some applications given the limits of the technology. Plus there are always the specific situations, like us old people.

Hybrid is the worst of both worlds IMO.

I know an 82 year old lady who is still sharp as a tack.

She drives a Bolt, because she never goes anywhere but shopping, Dr's and church.

I'd be surprised if Barbara puts on 3,000 MI a year.

She doesn't have to pump gas and she very rarely needs service.

I installed a L2 in her garage about 5 years ago.

You could definitely have an electric car/truck for "around town" but then the fuel would rot in all your other vehicles. 😄

I posted a truck salvage in NC to Matt's 460 thread yesterday.

It's a ways north of Charleston, but if you planned your trip right you could grab parts and swing down.

The last time I went to my SIL's hobby farm it seemed brimming with pickups and medium duty trucks.

[85lebaront2]

Hybrid is the worst of both worlds IMO.

I know an 82 year old lady who is still sharp as a tack.

She drives a Bolt, because she never goes anywhere but shopping, Dr's and church.

I'd be surprised if Barbara puts on 3,000 MI a year.

She doesn't have to pump gas and she very rarely needs service.

I installed a L2 in her garage about 5 years ago.

You could definitely have an electric car/truck for "around town" but then the fuel would rot in all your other vehicles. 😄

I posted a truck salvage in NC to Matt's 460 thread yesterday.

It's a ways north of Charleston, but if you planned your trip right you could grab parts and swing down.

The last time I went to my SIL's hobby farm it seemed brimming with pickups and medium duty trucks.

Jim, I actually had a hybrid loaner paid for by insurance when T2K-CAR MKI was totaled. Because the Lebaron was considered a "premium car" (humerus in view of it being a K-car in drag). It was a Toyota Prius and not a bad car to drive. I wanted to see how they were as my supervisor had two Prii and loved them.

[BigBrother-84]

Hybrid is the worst of both worlds IMO.

Jim, I mostly agree with you, but not 100%.

I make a distinction with chargeable hybrid. Like my Chevy Volt, for example.

Until they will find a solution to stock as much autonomy in a battery than in a fuel tank (about what, 400 miles?), the chargeable hybrid enables me to do all my short travels 100% electric, and I can go see my son leaving at 360 miles from here with no stress.

I have full control on the energy source, I can block it on electricity only, or allow fuel consumption. Average electr+gaz 76mpg since we own the car (engine only would be 48mpg if I never plug the car to charge the battery).

This "far away son" has a hybrid Rav4, no possible charge... Frustrating, when he needs just short travelling, the fuel engine goes on anyway. OK, this SUV drinks less gazoline that a 100% fuel engine, but I'll never go this way.

His sister just bought an electric Volvo. I won't go that way neither. She has to stop if she goes to visit her brother, no way to do it one shot, not enough autonomy. And charging what she needs to complete the trip takes at least half an hour, so add it to your trip time.

So, until full electric vehicles will enable 400 miles PLUS a fast charging method, and considering the low cost of electricity here in Quebec, I'm confortable with the chargeable-hybrid solution.

[BigBrother-84]

Hybrid is the worst of both worlds IMO.

Jim, I mostly agree with you, but not 100%.

I make a distinction with chargeable hybrid. Like my Chevy Volt, for example.

Until they will find a solution to stock as much autonomy in a battery than in a fuel tank (about what, 400 miles?), the chargeable hybrid enables me to do all my short travels 100% electric, and I can go see my son leaving at 360 miles from here with no stress.

I have full control on the energy source, I can block it on electricity only, or allow fuel consumption. Average electr+gaz 76mpg since we own the car (engine only would be 48mpg if I never plug the car to charge the battery).

This "far away son" has a hybrid Rav4, no possible charge... Frustrating, when he needs just short travelling, the fuel engine goes on anyway. OK, this SUV drinks less gazoline that a 100% fuel engine, but I'll never go this way.

His sister just bought an electric Volvo. I won't go that way neither. She has to stop if she goes to visit her brother, no way to do it one shot, not enough autonomy. And charging what she needs to complete the trip takes at least half an hour, so add it to your trip time.

So, until full electric vehicles will enable 400 miles PLUS a fast charging method, and considering the low cost of electricity here in Quebec, I'm confortable with the chargeable-hybrid solution.

Weather is crazy here.

This February 27th, Mont-Tremblant, QC:

Sunny 59,5ºF, record breaking.

Should be around 21ºF, for this time of the year.

Tomorrow some rain, will reach a highest 50ºF, at around 4 PM.

Will drop during the night... a little bit.

Minus one, at 08:00 AM, Thursday morning.

Yep. A little 51ºF drop ahead, for about 16 hours delay.

 

[Gary Lewis]

Weather is crazy here.

This February 27th, Mont-Tremblant, QC:

Sunny 59,5ºF, record breaking.

Should be around 21ºF, for this time of the year.

Tomorrow some rain, will reach a highest 50ºF, at around 4 PM.

Will drop during the night... a little bit.

Minus one, at 08:00 AM, Thursday morning.

Yep. A little 51ºF drop ahead, for about 16 hours delay.

Crazy here as well. A new record high yesterday of 82F, and another record today. We are under a red flag warning for high fire danger due to the high winds and extremely dry conditions. And in Texas they are experiencing uncontrolled fires that are likely to wipe out some towns.

[BigBrother-84]

We are under a red flag warning for high fire danger due to the high winds and extremely dry conditions.

Boy, I prefer a massive temperature drop than your red flag situation, Gary.

Thanks for information. I got this map on YouTube... Critical red zone very close from Skiatook!

Please be careful.

[Gary Lewis]

We are under a red flag warning for high fire danger due to the high winds and extremely dry conditions.

Boy, I prefer a massive temperature drop than your red flag situation, Gary.

Thanks for information. I got this map on YouTube... Critical red zone very close from Skiatook!

Please be careful.

Luckily for us the weatherman just said that the front, which is about 90 miles away, has already changed the direction of the fires out west. The wind has shifted to the north so while we are still in the red, those fires won't get to us.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Weather is crazy here.

This February 27th, Mont-Tremblant, QC:

Sunny 59,5ºF, record breaking.

Should be around 21ºF, for this time of the year.

Tomorrow some rain, will reach a highest 50ºF, at around 4 PM.

Will drop during the night... a little bit.

Minus one, at 08:00 AM, Thursday morning.

Yep. A little 51ºF drop ahead, for about 16 hours delay.

100°F daily swings are not unheard of in the high deserts...

I am watching what's going on in Texas.

[BigBrother-84]

Hybrid is the worst of both worlds IMO.

Jim, I mostly agree with you, but not 100%.

I make a distinction with chargeable hybrid. Like my Chevy Volt, for example.

Until they will find a solution to stock as much autonomy in a battery than in a fuel tank (about what, 400 miles?), the chargeable hybrid enables me to do all my short travels 100% electric, and I can go see my son leaving at 360 miles from here with no stress.

I have full control on the energy source, I can block it on electricity only, or allow fuel consumption. Average electr+gaz 76mpg since we own the car (engine only would be 48mpg if I never plug the car to charge the battery).

This "far away son" has a hybrid Rav4, no possible charge... Frustrating, when he needs just short travelling, the fuel engine goes on anyway. OK, this SUV drinks less gazoline that a 100% fuel engine, but I'll never go this way.

His sister just bought an electric Volvo. I won't go that way neither. She has to stop if she goes to visit her brother, no way to do it one shot, not enough autonomy. And charging what she needs to complete the trip takes at least half an hour, so add it to your trip time.

So, until full electric vehicles will enable 400 miles PLUS a fast charging method, and considering the low cost of electricity here in Quebec, I'm confortable with the chargeable-hybrid solution.

I was wondering why the automobile industry was abandoning the chargeable-hybrid solution (notably GM, when they ceased Chevy Volt production in 2020).

Well, it seems that the game is not completely over... GM admits to consider reintroducing some chargeable-hybrid options.

So, who knows, maybe it's not all over for a F-truck with such "chargeable" characteristics, and so with a more long range "mix elect/fuel" autonomy.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I was wondering why the automobile industry was abandoning the chargeable-hybrid solution (notably GM, when they ceased Chevy Volt production in 2020).

Well, it seems that the game is not completely over... GM admits to consider reintroducing some chargeable-hybrid options.

So, who knows, maybe it's not all over for a F-truck with such "chargeable" characteristics, and so with a more long range "mix elect/fuel" autonomy.

Plug- in hybrids are necessarily a thing.

Automakers won't abandon them because the dealers demand that recurring service bay revenue stream.

I, personally, would never want to deal with BOTH a battery+charge controller and electric motors -AND- a ineffective gas or diesel engine driving an alternator/generator on the go.

When the Prius and Insight first came out a generation ago they were relevant and trailblazing.

Today the Prius is just another consumer appliance.