"BUT, if Ford can make a little Focus EV Wagon for a significantly lower price, then our range-extender can be the Prius that's currently sitting in the driveway."

That's your solution? A second car?

↓↑report

That's your solution? A second car?

Absolutely. The right tool for the right job.

We have two cars now. We the 2004 Prius for around-town trips and for long-distance travel, and we use my 1998 Ford Ranger to haul heavy/large objects. They're dramatically different vehicles that are good at different things. They're both paid off.

There is no door on the Prius big enough to insert 4'x4'x1/4" sheet of plywood into a cargo area, much less some of the larger bits of wood that we use in the garden and for building furniture around the house. And I certainly wouldn't have tried to haul the chipper-shredder that we rented (to clean up the yard after an ice storm) in either a Prius. A small durable wagon (my Ford takes abuse well) a with a trailer hitch and a good roof-rack would let me do what I need to do -- even if the range ends up being only 30 miles when fully loaded. Maybe I really want an electric Subaru, but with a 100-mile advertised range, this little Focus might just be able to meet my needs.

So, yes, a 2nd vehicle is my solution -- and an appropriate one. But with the caveat that the vehicles are only used for the jobs for which they're appropriate. Or I could buy a compromise vehicle that isn't particularly good at any job (pronounced "SUV") and drive that all the time. Engineering involves tradeoffs, even if one might wish for something different. My job isn't flexible enough to allow me to bike everywhere just yet -- so my household needs capable machines to make up the difference.

↓↑report

So what about people who aren't you? Like, people who don't have the room to store two vehicles. or the people who can't afford two cars. What then?

↓↑report

Then they may need to choose a different solution. I certainly chose differently when I lived in a different situation.

For instance, one of the big criticisms of the Volt is from apartment dwellers who wouldn't be able to plug it in. There was certainly almost no way I could have plugged in a car in most of the apartments I've lived in. The Volt probably wouldn't be a good fit for that person, until plug-in/electric vehicles are popular enough to warrant a change in how apartment parking is done. When I lived in an apartment, I drove a 1989 Ford Tempo -- that was OK, but any small used[0] car with fold-down seats would have been a better fit to my lifestyle at the time[1].

But to answer your deeper question, if I take advantage of my situation and reduce my petroleum/biofuel consumption, then there's more left over for those who have no other choice. If we're going to get serious about alternative-energy, we've got to kick this "one size fits all" idea, since nothing is likely to be as "easy" as gasoline/diesel in terms of physics, economics, convenience, or versatility. So I'd need to know about individual situations in order to recommend a solution.

There are so many neat possibilities! But my initial point was that keeping an old used car (or renting) use can drastically reduce the requirements for a daily-driver.

-Luke

[0] I've never owned a new car, and I've never seen the point -- unless it runs on alternative-energy. For me that means BEV, PHEV, or possibly biodiesel. The Prius is my girlfriend's car, but ever since we moved in together, we both drive it.

[1] Since you seem to think I'm well off, I'll state that I'm not. I'll concede that that my situation has improved dramatically in the last year, after I moved in with my long-distance girlfriend. She lived 6 hours away in a major east-coast city -- I'm sure that you can imagine the fuel and repair bills that we both incurred and are still paying off. We chose a walkable/bikeable/affordable university-town in the Midwest as our new home, which has turned out to be a great choice. And, of course, joining forces with a smart, motivated, DIY-happy girl has made all of the difference. :-)

↓↑report

I don't think I would be that specific :)

But I agree with the hatchback/wagon requirement. If the rear seats don't fold and I can't slide up to 10' dimensional lumber in the back and close the hatch/door, I don't buy. At least as shown, the Focus EV mule loses almost all the trunk space. Hopefully the final frame and shell will be specifically designed as an EV and lower the battery pack restoring some cargo area. Actually, they need to do some body redesign to cut the drag and weight so the range can be greater or the space lost to batteries decreased.
And why the massive 12V battery? It only needs to start the computers, not crank a starter motor!!

Who needs a Volt (or other PHEV)? As noted, people who need to drive longer distances between charges than available with the limited range of an EV. Unless the EV is CHEAPER than an equivalent gas car, renting when you need to go on a longer trip is not only a PITA, it would be expensive and limit sales to those who are 'green' even at a higher cost. Relatively few people can or will pay extra for the inconvenience of owning a car that can not do what they need it to do every day of the year. That is why the Prius sells well. It costs the same as cars with similar interior dimensions and amenities. It can carry almost anything (shy of 4x8 sheet goods INSIDE) 500 to 700 miles between gas stations on less than 12 gallons of gas. That can't be said of any other vehicle.

↓↑report