How soon will electric or hybrid vans/RVs be common?

[Gr8ful]

My 2 & Jim's 2 Rabbit's never over heated & had plenty of speed & power. Maybe you had a lemon? In 2000 I bought my last new truck, a full size Dodge 1/2 ton 8' box 2wd for $12k

 

[independent]

My opinion after researching a little tells me owning a Prius strictly for transportation compared to a strictly internal combustion engine vehicle of a similar weight and size it is pretty much a wash.

So, no and yes. The gen 2 prius has an aluminium bonnet and boot but people forget it's a mid size car. Yeah I got great mileage from my small Kei vehicle. So, Kei, to subcompact to compact and then a mid size car. The prius was a marvel. But no because it really gets better, it's got 2 powerful electric motors and an Aitkenson engine. It's really tuned for efficiency. Plus the little battery. Nah, yeah it's more efficient. Look in to it.

 

[bullfrog !]

My 2 & Jim's 2 Rabbit's never over heated & had plenty of speed & power. Maybe you had a lemon? In 2000 I bought my last new truck, a full size Dodge 1/2 ton 8' box 2wd for $12k

Maybe you were an unusually good at maintaining them (airplane owners tend to take good care of equipment in my experience) and didn’t run them in above 100 degree weather? I was a certified mechanic at an import garage and did service on a Volkswagen factory sponsored Rally team in the 1980s. Wasn’t long before my diesel Rabbit truck had a GTI engine and drive train under it.

 

[bullfrog !]

So, no and yes. The gen 2 prius has an aluminium bonnet and boot but people forget it's a mid size car. Yeah I got great mileage from my small Kei vehicle. So, Kei, to subcompact to compact and then a mid size car. The prius was a marvel. But no because it really gets better, it's got 2 powerful electric motors and an Aitkenson engine. It's really tuned for efficiency. Plus the little battery. Nah, yeah it's more efficient. Look in to it.

It’s bound to be better than trying to sleep in the cold in a Honda Civic with condensation dripping on you! I’ll take a Prius with an inverter and a cheap Walmart ceramic heater any day! Lol!!!

 

[RonDean]

I think the subject of having an electric vehicles can be split into more than one reasoning stream. Pollution and the environment. // Gas milage and cost for example.

I had an early Prius but don't know exactly what "Gen" it was. Probably Gen 1. I just assumed it was overall better for the environment and did get better gas milage. I considered that a win-win. I was just commuting and occasionally traveling and didn't even consider the fact that I was also driving what was essentially a generator on wheels. Nor did I even consider living in my Prius. Looked at that way it was probably not the most efficient way to generate electricity. But if I was doing the traveling anyway, I figure it should be a net plus. I'll let the math majors and gear heads figure that one out.

Even back then, what I really wanted was a full electric. And that desire continued as I moved into the RV life. And I understand that moving a big box down the road is just going to consume a lot of energy. Right now, I am getting all that energy from fossil fuel - which I consider a major pollutant and an overall evil. So, I try to find other ways to offset my use of that particular energy source. I changed my eating habits and other lifestyle activities to reduce my negative impacts on the environment. Just doing what I can for now and always looking for other solutions. That's my motivation.

Yours may be something else entirely. I get that not everyone agrees with my POV. If all you care about is cost and millage the numbers may add up differently for you. But, if any of that gets us into EVs sooner, especially EV-RVs I'll be happy with that.

 

[bullfrog !]

It is emerging technology that is attempting to solve many problems. Full time RVing with the majority of people coming from unlimited resources of living on grid in a sticks and bricks house have different viewpoints than someone that for years has lived out of a backpack. Moving it all down the road means now weight really matters as electric vehicles with even modern batteries are heavy. Many have attempted to reduce wind resistance for instance to offset some of the power needed to move that weight. For over 100 years the use of abundant fossil fuel has enabled us to just make bigger more powerful engines. Now that we are beginning to realize there are other problems that will cause us to limit and cease the use of fossil fuels we are just starting to develope the polices, systems and technology we need. Humans in general in my opinion are messy unorganized, easily influenced and not very good at educating themselves with scientific information. We have set ourselves up for failure if we don’t increase our learning curve when it comes to alternative power systems and how we use them. It’s been easy for people to be encouraged to use fossil fuels by those wanting to get wealthy. We need to start considering all energy sources not just wind and solar. Electricity doesn’t just appear it needs to be created, then it needs to be used efficiently to do the work fossil fuel does now cleanly and safely. We are just now starting to get the infrastructure to do so in this current administration. Let’s hope it doesn’t get short circuited! Lol!!! My guess is 2050 before fossil fuel use dies like the dinosaurs but I probably won’t be here to see it so I’ll just get by doing the best I can to help it come about.

 

[rruff]

Moving it all down the road means now weight really matters as electric vehicles with even modern batteries are heavy.

They are heavy because everyone "needs" every vehicle they own to be capable of the worst case scenario... hauling a bunch of stuff cross country. For vagabonds that tends to be kinda true on a regular basis, but that isn't how most people use vehicles.

A tiny enclosed vehicle with a 50 mph top speed and 50 mile range would be perfect for 90+% of the trips that people actually do. MPGe would be over 300, greatly reducing energy use... congestion and parking issues would similarly disappear... turn some of those lanes into green space! If you want to take a long trip, load it on a train. BTW, why did we get rid of trains? Trains are much more efficient than hauling freight with semis.

But tiny vehicles are not safe playing chicken with 6,000 lb +vehicles with 5ft tall hoods, piloted by people fiddling with their cell phones. Idiot: "Oh, I ran over somebody? I didn't see them... " Officer: "That's understandable, you are free to go". This happens *all* the time when somebody runs over a bicycle rider and kills them.

So it really boils down to repurposing infrastructure and laws that favor tiny vehicles and make them safe to use... instead of favoring ridiculous vehicles like we do now.

 

[Happy Camper]

If you're really interested, this is a really good reference to see what's been done previously, and what's being done now.
http://www.evalbum.com/type

 

[bullfrog !]

Trains should have a loading ramp and cars specifically designed like ferry boats to transport all different types of vehicles and passengers running on regular schedules. It takes about the same amount of time to travel by train as a car over longer distances and would cut fuel usage and maintenance costs on vehicles substantially in my opinion. Now they are starting to develop renewable fuels for jet planes maybe they will convert locomotives from diesel to renewable fuels quickly helping us kick the fossil fuel cycle and slowly work towards alternative power sources.

 

[RonDean]

Trains should have a loading ramp and cars specifically designed like ferry boats to transport all different types of vehicles and passengers running on regular schedules. It takes about the same amount of time to travel by train as a car over longer distances and would cut fuel usage and maintenance costs on vehicles substantially in my opinion. Now they are starting to develop renewable fuels for jet planes maybe they will convert locomotives from diesel to renewable fuels quickly helping us kick the fossil fuel cycle and slowly work towards alternative power sources.

It's certainly do-able. See https://www.amtrak.com/promotions/a...hMvq1OMolEJNPYLgQshoCJCsQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

The Auto Train will take you and your car nonstop between Lorton, VA near Washington, DC, and Sanford, Florida near Orlando for as low as $95*.

 

[bullfrog !]

Now if they would just expand that and include RVs like Copper Canyon in Mexico! Imagine how many older RVers in Quartzsite came across country in motor homes or towing 5th wheels from Canada. I can see how many would take advantage of such a program just to prevent driving rough interstates like I-40 was in years past. What about a train/boat to Alaska? Talk about a project.

 

[wayne49]

"BTW, why did we get rid of trains? Trains are much more efficient than hauling freight with semis."

Guessing that you haven't driven on US-95 at Goffs Road (CA-66) in California. Long trains cross the highway frequently. Uncle Warren's personal life size train set runs (BNSF) there. Nearby is Ibis, a WW2 historical site.

Hang out around I-80 at Rock Springs/Green River Wyoming. Extremely long trains pulled with multiple engines. The loads are mostly containers on flat bed rail cars.

Also, to the northwest, Kemmerer, WY, has a lot of freight train traffic along US-30. Nearby is Fossil Butte NM, and the first thing that the sign at the entrance points out, is that the "butte" is not really a butte. Has a gentle slope on the Eastern (far) side. Dispersed BLM camping is nearby a short distance away from the NM.

I rode Amtrak from Penn Station NYC to Augusta Georgia, one time in the seventies. A coed was my seat mate and she shared her mother's tasty Thanksgiving leftovers with me. Her mother had packed a bounty of food for her, but maybe her mother knew that she would share it with someone along the way.

Back at the end of October I was shocked to see a Greyhound bus running westbound on I-10 near Saddle Mountain BLM in Arizona. Haven't seen that carrier in quite some time, thought the hound dog was extinct. Greyhound also delivered packages to bus depots back in the day before UPS.

Back in the seventies I bought a 30 day go anywhere Greyhound pass and I went from NYC to Minneapolis, Minnesota to Mobile, Alabama, back to NYC.

I don't see how a 50 mile range, small electrical vehicle would be useful to cheap vehicle dwellers. Suburban commuters maybe. Would barely get from Amargosa Valley to Pahrump on a charge, and there are no EV stations in between.

 

[wayne49]

Now if they would just expand that and include RVs like Copper Canyon in Mexico! Imagine how many older RVers in Quartzsite came across country in motor homes or towing 5th wheels from Canada. I can see how many would take advantage of such a program just to prevent driving rough interstates like I-40 was in years past. What about a train/boat to Alaska? Talk about a project.

There already is a vehicle ferry to/from Alaska.

I flew Alaskan Air from SEATAC to JNU. Stayed at an AirBNB.

 

[mpruet]

What about a train/boat to Alaska? Talk about a project.

You can take the ferry with your RV from Bellingham, WA to Haines, AK. Normally the route extends to Whittier, but last year they had trouble getting enough staff to make the leg from Haines to Whittier.

Also you can ship an RV from Bellingham to Anchorage on Tote Maritime. You could then fly to AK and get your RV…

https://dot.alaska.gov/amhs/schedules.shtml
https://www.totemaritime.com/

 

[RonDean]

FYI, I know it's a bit off subject but I have done a little research on this that I thought I should share.
Driving to Alaska (from Washington):

• Fuel: Depending on your RV's fuel efficiency and the current gas prices, you might spend anywhere from $500 to $1,000 or more on fuel for a one-way trip from Washington to Alaska.
• Accommodations: Campsite or RV park fees can range from $30 to $50 or more per night. If your journey takes several days, this cost will add up.

Ferry to Alaska (from Washington):

• Ferry Ticket: The cost of ferry tickets varies. For a rough estimate, it could be around $500 to $1,000 or more for an RV.
• Cabin or Stateroom: If you opt for a cabin, this could add another $100 to $300 or more to the cost.

 

[bullfrog !]

After hearing gf the conditions of the roads imagine not only the fuel savings but the costs of wear and maintenance on your vehicle!

 

[mpruet]

FYI, I know it's a bit off subject but I have done a little research on this that I thought I should share.
Driving to Alaska (from Washington):

• Fuel: Depending on your RV's fuel efficiency and the current gas prices, you might spend anywhere from $500 to $1,000 or more on fuel for a one-way trip from Washington to Alaska.
• Accommodations: Campsite or RV park fees can range from $30 to $50 or more per night. If your journey takes several days, this cost will add up.

Ferry to Alaska (from Washington):

• Ferry Ticket: The cost of ferry tickets varies. For a rough estimate, it could be around $500 to $1,000 or more for an RV.
• Cabin or Stateroom: If you opt for a cabin, this could add another $100 to $300 or more to the cost.

Well - not quite.

Just to explain - I’m a moderator for one of the RVing to Alaska groups and have made the trip up - all the way to the Arctic four times now.

It’s true for driving it all depends on your MPG. Based on my previous trips if you get 15 MPG, then a round trip from Seattle to Anchorage to Fairbanks back to Seattle will cost about $1735 USD for fuel. If you get 10 MPG, the same trip would be about $2603 USD. If you’re close to 20 MPG, then the cost would be about $1301 USD. There are plenty of boondocking sites on the route, so I’m not going to include that in the cost. Personally I boondock about 6 nights and then stay at a commercial campground one night so I can take advantage of laundry, hookups, and get a long hot shower. But if I run across a place to dump, get fresh water, and do laundry, then I will boondock that 7th night.

Taking the ferry one way from Bellingham to Haines with a 21 ft. van costs $2207. The ferry didn’t go all the way to Whittier this past year because of labor shortages. I still haven’t heard that they will have the leg between Whittier and Haines open this year, but it doesn’t look optimistic. I suspect that if you wanted to get all the way into core Alaska, you’ll still have to drive the 355 miles from Haines through Canada to the Alaska border.

 

[bullfrog !]

I wonder do they have charging stations for electric vehicles on board?

 

[mpruet]

After hearing gf the conditions of the roads imagine not only the fuel savings but the costs of wear and maintenance on your vehicle!

The rumors about the road are highly exaggerated. We all know how folks like drama and nothing is more dramatic than talking about bad roads.

The Alcan is paved. There will be construction on the road as repair work is done. There are frost heaves where the permafrost melts and causes ‘waves’ in the road. These start near Whitehorse, and are well marked/identified. The section of the highway near Beaver Creek, YT is being rebuilt. On my last trip I didn’t run into potholes until after entering Alaska, but only for the first 15 miles or so.

 

[mpruet]

I wonder do they have charging stations for electric vehicles on board?

Don’t think so.