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

[lenny flank]

It'll be a REEEAAALLLYYY long time before any electric vehicle will be able to carry enough solar power to recharge itself.

Even a full kilowatt of panels would take days to recharge an EV.

 

[mariasman]

It'll be a REEEAAALLLYYY long time before any electric vehicle will be able to carry enough solar power to recharge itself.

Even a full kilowatt of panels would take days to recharge an EV.

It depends on the specs of the system and driving habits. Of course, a conventional EV driven in a conventional way doesn't stand a chance. But what about a van or trailer driven at 5 mph over a few miles daily? That is a different story altogether. Is this a practical configuration? Answer: That depends on the user and the setting. It boils down to a could/should consideration. Yes, it can be done. Should it be done? Well, that's another question.

 

[tx2sturgis]

It depends on the specs of the system and driving habits. Of course, a conventional EV driven in a conventional way doesn't stand a chance. But what about a van or trailer driven at 5 mph over a few miles daily? That is a different story altogether. Is this a practical configuration? Answer: That depends on the user and the setting. 

You know, NASA did exactly this with 3 Mars Rovers....of course they spent 4.5 billion dollars...keeping one on earth might be a little cheaper...just a guess. 

I like the idea of a slow, solar powered, desert crawler, with maybe a gas or diesel engine to boost the power in hybrid mode for quicker travel on pavement....

You might be on to something there.

 

[John61CT]

Keep in mind that perishable food delivery trucks require power (lots of it) to keep the product at a controlled temperature.

Seen ice cream delivery trucks with no onboard compressors, just holding cold plates charged up overnight before they go on their rounds.

 

[tx2sturgis]

And milk tankers that have no refrigeration at all....but that is because 8000 gallons of cold milk loaded in a smooth-bore insulated tank (like a really big thermos bottle!) will only gain a degree or two of temperature per day on the road to the bottling plant.

But that is not the same as loading melons or lettuce or bananas or strawberries in the field, or boxed beef or fish, chicken and pork at the packing house, and hauling it for 3 days thru the southern deserts. It takes POWER to bring those loads down to safe transit temps. 

California is pushing for more environmentally 'green' TRU's (transport refrigeration units) 'reefers' to those of us who actually work with them.

But isolated examples of specific products does not mean you can simply do that with all perishables that travel the highways across country. 

If you like your meat safe to eat, thank DIESEL powered engines, small and large.

 

[bullfrog]

Someone mentioned a major car company is coming out with a hydrogen car I wonder how that will affect the electric car movement.

 

[John61CT]

Just a different way of storing electricity.

 

[rm.w/aview]

I've been thinking seriously about buying a camper van or RV. I've been a little hesitant though as I wonder just how quickly (or not) electric powered vans and RVs will become common. I don't want to make a major investment and then be stuck with old technology before too many years have gone by. 
 How soon will electric or hybrid vans/RVs be common? 

Not in your lifetime, so make your choice based on what's currently available.

 

[bullfrog]

Yes but isn't size, weight, and capacity of the battery pack the limiting factor in development of the electric vehicle?

 

[mariasman]

Yes but isn't size, weight, and capacity of the battery pack the limiting factor in development of the electric vehicle?

Batteries need to increase their energy density (by both weight and volume) and especially decrease their cost. There is also improvements with respect to cyclic degradation to consider - which factors into long term cost. Cost is the single most important hurdle to overcome. Of course, infrastructure support is critical.

 

[John61CT]

In rural areas, availability of fast charging stations.

 

[Watch_Cowspiracy]

You can convert almost any vehicle to an electric vehicle. You can go the diy route or have a place like EV West do it for you. You won't have very good range, maybe 100 miles if you have a ton of batteries.

 

[John61CT]

Of the 385,000 electric buses worldwide, 99% of them are in China

https://www.metafilter.com/178209/Of-the-385000-electric-buses-worldwide-99-of-them-are-in-China

 

[tx2sturgis]

These guys put together a solar charged electric van, totally powered by about 4000 watts of solar panels.

It seems to be enough power to drive about 100-200 miles for each full charge, which takes about 2 days of strong sun, but they appear to be in no hurry.

Wont work for nomads who want to travel 500 miles a day, every day, but if you are chasing 70 degree weather, it might work for some people.

No idea what this cost, if that information is on the website or in a video, I have not run across it yet.

https://www.routedelsol.com/solar

 

[kygreg]

I know if Toyota made a hybrid camper van that used the same technologies that are in the Prius, I'd be all over it. The Prius is a marvelous piece of engineering, always makes the top ten most reliable car list, 50+ mpg, built in electric generator, extremely low maintenance. The main traction battery is good for at least 150k miles and a replacement is less that $1000 including labor. Because of the drop in cost of the battery, they now hold their value very well. I just installed a 1000 watt inverter that can run days on end. Put these features in a campervan and you have a winner.

 

[Cammalu]

I wish they would make a Prius van


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[John61CT]

They will, likely a Sienna, or relaunch Hiace with more room would be nice.

Meantime hybrid Highlander as a toad, or toyhauler / sleeping space that it fits inside, is my plan. Available now, 4WD, bigger than RAV4, Great for visiting places the big rig won't go, tent camping etc.

 

[bullfrog]

So I wonder with Toyota making them with an EV/hybrid is it an improvement or if you seldom plug in is that option just a weight penalty? Also as car companies "improve" cars they tend to get bigger and heavier with less average miles per gallon (MPG). That occurred with Honda Civics in a major way as the 1988 smaller engine 4 speed I owned for 10 years got 44 MPG in town and 55 MPG on the freeway. I didn;t buy a new one as every year they seem to get bigger engines and bodies which meant less MPG. It is a shame you cann't buy a new 1988 Civic today and instead can only hope someone builds an EV/hybrid that will match what we already had in 1988!

 

[Seminole Wind]

These guys put together a solar charged electric van, totally powered by about 4000 watts of solar panels.

It seems to be enough power to drive about 100-200 miles for each full charge, which takes about 2 days of strong sun, but they appear to be in no hurry.

Wont work for nomads who want to travel 500 miles a day, every day, but if you are chasing 70 degree weather, it might work for some people.

No idea what this cost, if that information is on the website or in a video, I have not run across it yet.

https://www.routedelsol.com/solar

24 330 watt panels is almost 8kw, not 4. and going to take a lot more than 2 days to recharge.
from their site

On paper, to charge the two batteries using perfect sunlight and using our tracking system it should take only 20 hours to charge

lol, "on paper" "perfect sunlight" "should", that there makes for a lot of "maybes"

my guess is it is going to be more like 30 hours and considering 6 hours of charging a day is a good bench mark, looks like a good work week (5 days) to recharge.

as for cost someone pondered, the van new cost $150k (no idea on how they hold their value as theirs is a 2010) plus cost of RV conversion. the only "(sunpower cell) 330 watt flex panels i can find are $699 each times 24... shipping? then at least a few thousand for charge controllers and bits and bobbles. the battery pack is around 80kwh and they have a second one. a tesla 85 kwh battery can be had used around $15k to give you an idea


i ran out of fingers and toes to add it all up, but i dont think i could afford it on disability and food stamps...

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

These guys put together a solar charged electric van, . . . but they appear to be in no hurry . . .

They made it from the arctic circle to Vancouver, BC (1200 miles) in < 4 months.  That works out to about 10 miles a day.

I wonder what wind load the deployed panels can handle?

Here is a solar car that is supposed to be coming out in 2019; save your nickels boys and girls, only $136,000:
https://lightyear.one/lightyear-one/