PFF - Pennock's Fiero Forum, PDA Edition

EV owners, What are your thoughts about your vehicle? (Page 4/4)

rinselberg

APR 20, 04:20 PM

I'm not an EV owner. But I don't want to make this about me. I want to make available, for your (possible) consideration, something that just came out on YouTube from the one, the only, the (drum roll, please) Electric Viking..!

It's a 13-minute presentation.

RichLo1

APR 21, 03:48 PM

quote

Originally posted by MidEngineManiac:

Here you are flat out unable to get tags and/or insurance for most of them. That article I posted above about the "motorcycle/scooter"...sure you will get busted for uninsured/unlicensed motorcycle on it, but at the same time insurance or tags for it simply dont exist. Gas bike conversions (mopeds) are the same thing. I built one last year and went through the crap. USED to be (until Nov last year) there was a federal loophole on them but that is now gone. Tractors, powered wheelchairs (yup) ect. Same thing. As is a TaTa or any of the kazillion Chinese mini-micro cars and truck and bikes.

What you can legally use on the roads IS pretty much limited to those things the government and insurance industry has been paid off on by the manufacturers.

Notice what he said about street conversions, all you have to do is comply with DOT rules to ensure your not a danger to anyone else on the road... Headlights, blinkers, bumpers, seat belts, etc. Most states let you convert off-road to on-road with a few modifications and a licensed inspection. Lots of side-by-sides over here are converted to be legal to drive on the street. Which state are you from? just curious.

MidEngineManiac

APR 21, 04:55 PM

quote

Originally posted by RichLo1:

Which state are you from? just curious.

Ontario, Canada.

Even if (hypothetically) you can convert an off-road to on-road "street legal", good LUCK finding a company to insure it. And without insurance (25k fine) you arent getting annual tags here.

Most guys who do conversion/home-builds that fall into "motor vehicle" category start with something that was once registered street-legal (old M/C frame, car frame, whatever) and use that VIN. It would register and be plated as a "1962 Whatever Junkpile". THEN you can go through custom wheels insurance, live with a 5,000km annual mileage limit and use it freely on the roads. Same as a rebody and electric motor conversion on a Fiero is still registered, plated and insured as a Fiero. That's the electric cars.

For motorcycles, most of us are either staying within the 500w legal limit (and other junk like keeping functional peddles and 120kg weight limit) or getting 500w stickers from AliExpress and re-stickering more powerful stuff with (or without) a hidden "turbo" button to get at the extra power (or second "off-road-use-only" motor). Whatever ya do with those, there is still a 32kph speed limit on them and you cant re-sticker a radar gun and staying sort-on in the ebike catagory. More than that, start building on a once-plated motorcycle frame and jump through all the same hoops.

Sides-by-sides, converted lawn tractors, karts, ect are a flat "no" (not that it isnt done) but some counties do allow quads, so long as they are plated and insured as motorcycles.

[This message has been edited by MidEngineManiac (edited 04-21-2023).]

jmbishop

APR 22, 12:22 AM

I loved my leaf, we got rid of it because our commutes changed. It's amazing how much nonsense people write about them because they don't understand the use case and have never had one.

If you're buying an EV planning to charge it at charging stations, you shouldn't be buying one.

If your planning on committing with more than 50% of your range daily, you shouldn't buy one.

If you live above the rust belt, you shouldn't buy one.

If you have a daily commute that you're using for and your charging at home, you will save a ton of money and it'll be fun car. They're always much quieter and packed with options because they need to represent the market well.

Even the model 3s now make more sense than something like a Toyota Camry, monthly cost of ownership is less if you're just using it as a commuter, especially in states where the tax incentives can make it cheaper then a camera to purchase.

You should really view electric cars like ovens. Most people are going to buy an actual traditional oven and keep it around. But you also want a microwave, EVS are basically microwaves. They aren't good for everything, they have their problems, but making a regular TV dinner it's just fast and easy and stress-free in a microwave. Your commute is a TV dinner. If you really want to enjoy cooking and make better food you use your regular oven. Your traditional gasoline car is your regular oven. If you have a microwave that you use regularly, your oven could potentially go completely on used, but you do have it if you need it/want to take it for a spin.

Cold weather is a big issue for EVs, there's lots of ways to combat it, Tesla manage ita very well and if you were to try and live with one in a much colder State you definitely want to have much much more range than you plan on commuting with.

MidEngineManiac

APR 22, 09:29 AM

Here is a list of everything for sale in EV's this year

https://www.caranddriver.co...39/new-ev-models-us/

The one that really gets a giggle is the mini Cooper electric. 100 mile range for 31 thousand bucks.

2010 I paid 20k for a 2009 gas Cooper and got 850-1000km range on a $50 fill-up.