Your experience with all-electric vans

[user 22017]

I don't personally own one but of the people I know (6) that have an EV or PHEV:

All are second vehicles.​

All are charged overnight at home.​

All are used for commuting and shopping trips.​

Longer trips (100+ miles) are taken in an ICE vehicle.​

All are early technology adopters.​

Friend tried plowing snow with his Ford Lighting; lasted an hour. All his ICE trucks go 8 hours between refill.

Since you are enamored by peer reviewed papers, here are some conclusions from peer reviewed articles published in scientific journals during my adulthood:
1970's:

Ice age by 2000​

Oil depleted in 20 years.​

Space satellites show new ice age coming.​

Scientific consensus: planet cooling, famines imminent.​

No end in sight for cooling trend.​

1980's:

Maldive Islands underwater by 2018.​

Peak oil in 2020.​

Global warming and rising sea levels will wipe entire nations off map by 2000.​

1990's:

We have 5 to 10 years to save the rainforests.​

Peak oil (again) by 2020.​

Himalayan glaciers will be gone in 10 years.​

2000's:

Snow will soon be a thing of the past.​

Famine in 10 years if we don't give up eating fish, meat, dairy.​

Manhattan underwater by 2015.​

Arctic ice free by 2013.​

Obama has 2 years to save the planet.​

I stopped paying attention during the Obama presidency.

No links? If those are all peer reviewed and the scientists drew the same conclusions, surely you have some links. Otherwise, your point is moot.

 

[Frood]

I'm with Bullfrog. And besides the Prius (esp. the discontinued Prius V, which is more "station wagon" shaped), Toyota also offers the excellent Sienna minivan with a hybrid powertrain. As far as electric vehicles for nomads, I'd stick with hybrids for now.

Toyota recently had a press release about new battery tech they developed too... They are anticipating 900 mile range and a 10 minute charging time... Not too far in the future unless I'm completely misremembering the press release I saw.

 

[Happy Camper]

No links? If those are all peer reviewed and the scientists drew the same conclusions, surely you have some links. Otherwise, your point is moot.

I lived through those decades and remember those being some of the big science stories at those times.

The point isn't moot without links. But it would be a more effective part with them.

 

[LargeMarge]

... Otherwise, your point is moot.

.
a)
Nit-Picker here, doing my nit-picking hobby...
.
Moot : arguable.
Definition from Oxford Languages:
-- "subject to debate, dispute, or uncertainty."
.
I just love our language!
Thank you for Justifying My Existence!
.
.
b)
something something electric vans experience ad infinitum.

 

[BelgianPup]

My cynical thoughts:

Most of the "science" that I see offered seems to have sources that provide it for 1) Money, or 2) Mind Control. Or both.

Politicians lie like rugs, and most of the benefits go straight to them. If one of them tells me that the sun came up this morning, I would step outside and check.

Our educational system is a joke. People who have been taught to think things through are definitely in the minority. I have a friend who has an IQ of 152 (just a few notches below Elon Musk), but her common sense is in the minus range. If you put a gun to her head and a million dollars into her hand, she couldn't think a problem through to anything close to a reasonable solution. Her political thinking is totally knee-jerk.

Unfortunately, this describes much of the US.

Many people can only think in Absolutes, all or nothing. It doesn't occur to many/most people that a problem may have multiple solutions. How about electric vehicles for short-distance travel and gas/diesel for long distances?

How about keeping America's assets in America? We can't buy land in China, so why are we selling chunks of our land to China?

The current administration wants to eliminate natural gas use for our homes. Guess why? Last year, our gas was being sold in European countries for SIX TIMES the price we were paying. Like they say, follow the money.

Just keep in mind that THINKING THINGS THROUGH IS NOT AGAINST THE LAW...... YET.

 

[Gr8ful]

Toyota's new combustion engine 8 min you tube


Toyota's new solid state battery
https://electrek.co/2023/06/13/toyota-claims-solid-state-ev-battery-tech-breakthrough/

You folks can complain about no links but can't do a simple search? Not very friendly IMHO

 

[user 22017]

I lived through those decades and remember those being some of the big science stories at those times.

The point isn't moot without links. But it would be a more effective part with them.

Big science stories? No sources for your big science stories either? You guys are no fun, gosh darn it.

 

[RonDean]

I don't personally own one but of the people I know (6) that have an EV or PHEV:

All are second vehicles.​

All are charged overnight at home.​

All are used for commuting and shopping trips.​

Longer trips (100+ miles) are taken in an ICE vehicle.​

All are early technology adopters.​

Friend tried plowing snow with his Ford Lighting; lasted an hour. All his ICE trucks go 8 hours between refill.

Since you are enamored by peer reviewed papers, here are some conclusions from peer reviewed articles published in scientific journals during my adulthood:
1970's:

Ice age by 2000​

Oil depleted in 20 years.​

Space satellites show new ice age coming.​

Scientific consensus: planet cooling, famines imminent.​

No end in sight for cooling trend.​

1980's:

Maldive Islands underwater by 2018.​

Peak oil in 2020.​

Global warming and rising sea levels will wipe entire nations off map by 2000.​

1990's:

We have 5 to 10 years to save the rainforests.​

Peak oil (again) by 2020.​

Himalayan glaciers will be gone in 10 years.​

2000's:

Snow will soon be a thing of the past.​

Famine in 10 years if we don't give up eating fish, meat, dairy.​

Manhattan underwater by 2015.​

Arctic ice free by 2013.​

Obama has 2 years to save the planet.​

I stopped paying attention during the Obama presidency.

Spiff: Would you like to provide any links for your claims and quotes?

Not that I think ALL of them might be from less than reliable or believable sources. And I do not mean that you misquoted anyone. Just that THEY might not be very good sources. For example, going through your list, I found:
*"Ice age by 2000" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_cooling) "Global cooling was a conjecture, especially during the 1970s that did not even accurately reflect the consensus of scientific literature of that time..
* "Oil depleted in 20 years" (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629618303207) was in a paper by Colin J. Campbell and Jean H. Laherrère titled “The End of Cheap Oil" We found these predictions to have been only partially correct, mainly because the role of “non-conventional” oil was underestimated." Non-conventional” refers to oil (that) is much harder to get out of the ground and to process. The two types of non-conventional oil most often discussed are oil sands and heavy oils - which we are now actually using. Nor does that preclude discover of new sources or allowing drilling in national parks instead of us camping there.

I stopped going through your list at that point. I do not deny that we learn more as time goes on and that previous estimates and predictions may be in error to various degrees. But, I still think the 97% of scientists and peer review are better than the 3% sources. They have provided us with modern technology (including ICEs and the interent) instead of leaving us still wandering and gathering by foot and carving our messages on cave walls.

tx2: I wonder if you infer that anyone that is paid to do their work is automatically suspect? And not just an occasional bad apple. Upwards of 97%? Seems to me the 3% would be more likely to be suspect.

 

[Morgana]

You folks can complain about no links but can't do a simple search? Not very friendly IMHO

Not how it works -- and nothing to do with friendly or unfriendly.
It's the person who makes the claim who has the responsibility to provide the evidence.

 

[Gr8ful]

Just my opinion, no more, no less.

 

[Happy Camper]

But you can't put this sign on an EV or hybrid van.


For the record I am looking forward to good EVs that make sense on most levels.

 

[tx2sturgis]

tx2: I wonder if you infer that anyone that is paid to do their work is automatically suspect? And not just an occasional bad apple. Upwards of 97%? Seems to me the 3% would be more likely to be suspect.

Is that what I said? I didnt say anything about anyone being suspect.

The meaning of my observation is this: Scientific questions change over time, and the scientific answers over time also change. There is no ONE cause or ONE solution to the problems we face now on a global scale.

And yes, the scientists have to make a living too. Apparently a lot of them find employment or funding to study such things as climate change and our effect on it.

 

[RonDean]

Is that what I said? I didnt say anything about anyone being suspect.

The meaning of my observation is this: Scientific questions change over time, and the scientific answers over time also change. There is no ONE cause or ONE solution to the problems we face now on a global scale.

And yes, the scientists have to make a living too. Apparently a lot of them find employment or funding to study such things as climate change and our effect on it.

Ah... OK. We aren't so far apart then. People CAN earn money and still be trustworthy. They can even alert us to serious problems while feeding their families.

I also agree that there are seldom single answers or that everything is black and white. In this case, we obviously need to continue using current ICE technology while ALSO promoting and improving newer, safer, and more environmentally conscious technology. For all my concerns, I am still driving an ICE up and down the road. But I am also actively looking for a better solution and trying to be a cheerleader for those improvements. I think affordable EVs, or at least Hybrids, for RV use are closer than some might think. Although, in keeping with the no single solution concept, we might have to adjust our responses somewhat.

There are affordable EVs available right now for people doing typical work/home commutes. Maybe they just use public transport or rent an ICE for the occasional long trip. That might require improving public transport nationwide, but that's not a bad thing. If they can do better in other countries, what's wrong with us? Or just keep an old gas guzzling smog belching monster in the garage for when they HAVE to use it. For the Nomad community, maybe we move less often or as far and collect solar longer in between. IDK what improvements might come during my rambling days, but I refuse to assume we can't do better.

 

[Frood]

A rational person looks at the currently available data and forms an opinion. As more or differing data become available that opinion can be reinforced, changed, or discarded.

Human nature seems to cause too many to stop looking at data when one point that reinforces their preferred belief comes up and to not consider, accept, or believe any new or other data points when they become available.

 

[blueridge]

An opinion on Electric powered vans. The 2024 Ford E-Transit full-size cargo van has a range of 186 miles.

I once travelled around the country in a large converted box van. Fuel mileage was so poor I limited myself to less than 100 miles a day.

Best experience traveling by "van" yet. Challenging myself to go slow made each day so much better. This style would work well with an E-Transit.

You could use charging stations as your sleeping location on overnights. With the box van I parked in a central location for my daytime interests and used a bike to move around in the city (an electric bike would be even. better)

I don't think you'd find "slow" travel to be bad, I found it work much better

 

[Happy Camper]

That's a good take on what's possible currently. You would have to map your route carefully and leave extra range in case a charging station is down. But it's doable.

I did see some models had a larger range as well. I would think you'd have to do a no build build though. I would hate to void the warranty on one of those vans lol.

 

[Happy Camper]

Maybe keep your gas van and wait for the Tesla motorcycle to come out once they get the truck sales rolling for around town commuting.

 

[Frood]

An opinion on Electric powered vans. The 2024 Ford E-Transit full-size cargo van has a range of 186 miles.

I once travelled around the country in a large converted box van. Fuel mileage was so poor I limited myself to less than 100 miles a day.

Best experience traveling by "van" yet. Challenging myself to go slow made each day so much better. This style would work well with an E-Transit.

You could use charging stations as your sleeping location on overnights. With the box van I parked in a central location for my daytime interests and used a bike to move around in the city (an electric bike would be even. better)

I don't think you'd find "slow" travel to be bad, I found it work much better

Slow-life... The natural progression of the slow-food movement.
I heartily agree and approve.

I'm guessing (based on what I see working in the auto industry right now) 2-3 more years before you see battery technology that will make eVan-life not only equal to but surpass IC vehicles in regards to functionality.

 

[Ecargo]

A rational person looks at the currently available data and forms an opinion. As more or differing data become available that opinion can be reinforced, changed, or discarded.

Human nature seems to cause too many to stop looking at data when one point that reinforces their preferred belief comes up and to not consider, accept, or believe any new or other data points when they become available.

Has anyone ever made a camper out of one of the e cargo delivery vehicles?





The back is obviously not big enough but the entire vehicle is long enough to sleep in. The top parcel shelf could be for your legs and your head stick out into the cab.







There could be a door behind the cyclist back that opens and folds down to rest on the saddle. This would be your bed base, with inflatable sleep mat and sleeping bag. Climbing in there would be like climbing into a Japanese style capsule hotel but this one on wheels. With storage underneath that you could access through little hatches.





I would like proper doors on the cab like a proper van with windows and then you could have curtains for privacy.



The Equad delivery bike could be the ultimate all in one stealth bike camper. Much better than a trailer.





You could stealth camp anywhere you like on the side on the street or raider anywhere and nobody would know anyone was sleeping in there. The smallest ever Vanlife home on wheels.





Sola panels on the top, a little rainwater harvesting tank. Removable batteries to charge up in coffee shops and the like, so you can run your devices off them.





I would also have a little USB dehumidifier inside the sleep pod to keep your bedding dry and this is drinkable water too.





If you go to the gym everyday for shower and do a little laundry in the shower, only need to go to the laundromat occasionally.





You could even have a tiny table designed to go over the handlebars for very basic cooking with a tiny camp stove. Also a compact cooler box.

 

[Ecargo]

I hope in the future battery and electric technology will be so good that there will be more tiny peddle electric vans like this that could have camp mode.

As long as they qualify to ride in bike lane and you can park without risking a ticket like a regular car