[Rotdhizon]

I know absolutely nothing about Mexico in terms of geography or driving so I wonder how feasible an EV that you presumably constantly have to charge is going to fare. In the US, a range of 77 miles is a complete non starter. You'd have to charge it every single day. If not multiple times a day in some peoples cases.

It's interesting that info about the car is only half the article. The other half is a commentary on how US politicians are desperately trying to keep foreign EVs out of the country, lest it hurt corporate profits.

[apparent]

> In the US, a range of 77 miles is a complete non starter. You'd have to charge it every single day. If not multiple times a day in some peoples cases.

It's true that some people drive more than 77 miles per day. But a pretty big chunk of people never do, except road trips/vacations. It could easily be worth it to buy a cheap EV for everyday use and then rent a vehicle for long trips.

[gwbas1c]

(2014 Leaf leaseholder here)

At the time we were a 2-car household and used the gas car for longer trips. That being said, there were a few times we had to scramble:

Once, when it was very cold my wife and I both needed to drive a long distance. I took the Leaf because I had access to a charger.

On our last year of the lease we ended up having to move 90 miles away. When we bought the Leaf, we never planned on driving that far. Due to circumstances, I had to make multiple 90-mile trips in the Leaf.

---

Case in point: I now only recommend that class of Leaf to people who need a 3rd car for a teenager and no intention of moving.

[apparent]

We considered getting a used Leaf but my wife had too much range anxiety, even for vehicles with 70 miles of range. I plotted out on a map how many trips she would have to take in a day (to work, to doctor, to pick up kid, to dentist, to store, etc.) in order to come even close to 70 miles. Of course, she never goes that far around town (only when visiting relatives, when I typically drive and we take a PHEV). But the RA was too great, so we got another PHEV. It has been useful at times to be able to both go 50+ miles in a day without any concern, but it's literally a handful of times over the years.

[degenerate]

exactly - the rejection of short range EVs was when they cost as much as a normal car

if the short range EV is now much cheaper, people will adapt to the restriction because it's an affordable option

[apparent]

Yep, you can pick up used Leafs for super cheap (under $10k, sometimes substantially) and if they fit your use case, they're an amazing deal. Mostly helpful as a second car for a family, or as a city car for someone who never plans to road trip in it.

[SoftTalker]

Would have to be very affordable. Like well under $10K. Otherwise I'll just buy a used ICE vehicle and have a lot more flexibility in how I use it.

[jbm]

Even Cargo Bicycles cost more than $10k. I think a 6 seater people mover is worth far more than those.

I'd buy a 6 seater with this range but not with the speed limitations (I think it is like 50-60 kph which is a non starter)

[floxy]

Or you own more than vehicle. Plenty of families own multiple vehicles, and they don't all need to have tons of range.

[jjav]

> Or you own more than vehicle. Plenty of families own multiple vehicles, and they don't all need to have tons of range.

I wish there still were small and very cheap EVs to fill this niche.

We had the Fiat 500e (somewhat infamous) $82 lease as an extra car because for $0 down and $82/month, why not. Range was small but it was perfect for around town, and had other cars for other things. Anytime I was driving within town I'd just take the Fiat.

[dsr_]

At $8500, I could justify having a 77 mile range electric car with a top speed of 30ish mph. That would take care of every in-town trip, but I couldn't do a full commute to work with it because the most sensible way of doing that involves a highway. If it could manage 50mph for 15 minutes, it could go on the highway and I could recharge at or near the office.

The cheapest EV currently available in the US is the Chevy Bolt, at $29000, about three times the price. A Bolt has four times the range, but still not quite enough to go one way on my most frequent "long drive".

[apparent]

> The cheapest EV currently available in the US is the Chevy Bolt, at $29000, about three times the price.

You can also get used EVs/PHEVs. We got a PHEV with 20 miles of EV range for $14k, and you can get used Leafs for under $10k.

[floxy]

>but still not quite enough to go one way on my most frequent "long drive"

...without a charging stop.

[floxy]

>charge it every single day.

That's pretty much standard operating procedure for any EV. That's one of the perks of owning an EV. Plug it in when you get home from work, and have a full "tank" every morning. Plus you get the cabin preheating using the wall electricity.

[phildenhoff]

If you have a charger at home, or at work, why does it matter if you have to charge it daily or weekly? Yes, for some lifestyles, range matters. For others, a 125 km range is perfectly acceptable

[HeyLaughingBoy]

For a significant segment of the US population, that thing wouldn't get them to work and back, so they'd have to charge it both at home and at work. And in many cases, forget running any errands, picking up kids from daycare, etc.

And minimum speed on US interstates is typically 40mph, so that reduces its usability even more.

[thelastgallon]

28% of trips are under a mile, 52% under three, 64% under five, 79% under ten, 93% under twenty-five, and 98% under 50 miles.

Only 0.8% of the trips are over 100 miles!

> For a significant segment of the US population, that thing wouldn't get them to work and back

0.8% is not significant.

[phildenhoff]

I don't think this car is designed for them, similar to how trucks are not designed for urban areas. Not every car has to cater to every demographic.

[HeyLaughingBoy]

People move around: that's what cars are for. Trucks may not be "designed for urban areas" (whatever that means), but they certainly go into them on a daily basis.

[applfanboysbgon]

I think you wildly overestimate how many Americans are white-collar workers commuting 100 miles to a 6-figure job. A <$10k EV was never even remotely aiming at that market to begin with.

[HeyLaughingBoy]

With a range of 77 miles, I wouldn't make it to work and back. Everyone I know (yes, it's anecdotal, but a widely-shared one) has to commute on roads where the average speed is well above 30mph.

This is a non-starter for the US.

[applfanboysbgon]

Everyone you know is selective of a sampling of people who are like yourself. Software developers know other software developers, and software developers commute ridiculous distances because they get paid well enough to put up with it. Nobody is commuting 80 miles for a service industry job.

[loloquwowndueo]

> I know absolutely nothing about Mexico in terms of geography or driving so I wonder how feasible an EV that you presumably constantly have to charge is going to fare.

Hey at least you admitted that upfront. Average driving speed in Mexico City is 15 km/h so one would have to spend 8h driving to deplete the battery in a day. Typical commutes are perhaps 1h one-way but again, distance wise probably only about 40 km both ways. So this 125km range easily covers it for most people.

I think energy cost is more of an issue for most. electricity is expensive in Mexico City especially compared to base salaries. And electrical infrastructure was never built to handle high power consumption. Most apartments have a single 30A breaker for the entire house. Most heating is done by gas and air conditioning is not widely used. For most people charging speed will likely be limited to about 10A at 120V.

[thelastgallon]

> You'd have to charge it every single day. If not multiple times a day in some peoples cases.

Charging is not a problem when a car is stationary. It is parked next to a building, building usually has electricity (unless you are Amish).

I don't know why most people don't understand electricity is available everywhere, but petrol is only available at gas stations. You have to somewhere to pump gas, a major inconvenience.

[thelastgallon]

28% of trips are under a mile, 52% under three, 64% under five, 79% under ten, 93% under twenty-five, and 98% under 50 miles.

[gwbas1c]

This is the kind of misleading fact that motivated me to make my post. (Former 2014 Leaf leaseholder.)

Americans buy the car for the 1% trips. In my case, most of my car trips are short, but most of my milage is from long-range trips.

What's more informative is this post that explains Mexican driving behavior: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48634740