Thanks for the thoughts! I like the idea of the Bolt and others. The problem I see is that EV's other than Tesla see their cars as commuter cars, not road trip cars. Teslas can be driven almost anywhere thanks to their proprietary supercharger network. So if I could buy a Bolt but charge on Tesla's superchargers that'd be ideal, but obviously not possible. I don't commute (I don't work) so my "need" for a car is the opposite of most people's... I want to drive long distances on electric, family road trip style.
Thanks again for your opinions!
that would be awesome. free driving all over the country. throw a tent in the back and stay on some BLM land and you've got a free tour of the USA. minus the depreciation of the car.
I didn't think about the BLM land idea, that's good. People have used the Model S as a "camper" thanks to the way the seats lay down. Since it's electric, you can have heat all night without an engine running. But there's something about tent camping!
I drive like that in the summer months, in a full electric Nissan Evalia with a real range of 75 miles (less if we need the heater). It fits me and the girls, since we prefer travelling slowly, with frequent breakes and plenty of sightseeing. (See blog in link below).
There is one important aspect that those who haven't gone electric don't seem to grasp: there is a big difference between the time it takes the car to charge, and the time it takes me to charge the car. At speed charger, it takes approximately the same time. The car charges from 0 to 80 in 20 minutes, I have to be present for the entire time. If noone else is waiting in line, I might shorten the time by popping into the nearest cafe for a cup of coffee, or a bathroom break. But I rarely spend less than 10-15 minutes at speed chargers. At camping places, the car can take 8-12 hours to charge, I usually spend 20 seconds: 10 for plugging in, 10 for removing the plug. The rest of my time I spend sleeping, eating, going for a walk, etc. At malls and stores in Norway, I can usually find chargers that take the car 4 hours from 0 to 90%. Personally, I find malls and shops boring, so if I really need the full charge, and there is nothing else to do, after a bathroom break, a snack, some yelling at the kids and web surfing, I might spend 30 minutes charging the car. Usually I end up taking a nap, and then we are down to 5 minutes with "active" charging.
Yes, Tesla's charging network is awesome. But honestly; there is electricity almost everywhere you can take the car. Unless you go seriously offroad, and I don't know any EVs that are suitable for that today. If you are the type of traveller who enjoys being on the road, clocking as many miles as possible, yes - go for a Tesla. You will probably enjoy the chats with other Tesla drivers at the superchargers, and watching the landscape going silently by while you drive the highways. But if you are going to stop a lot of places anyway; you don't need the range. Just find the nearest outlet, plug it in, and forget about it.