The (R)EV Diaries - EVs in Rural America Electric Cars - Electric Vehicles

Enjoy the wrap-up of our discussion about infrastructure and financial responsibility.

A grocery chain in the United Kingdom, Tesco, is pulling thousands of FREE public chargers from several of its locations because of the rising cost of energy. The plan is to eliminate 2,147 FREE ports which is a 38% reduction of the FREE charging available at 600 locations in the UK. That is a 5% drop in the OVERALL public infrastructure in Great Britain. It sounds to us like Tesco is WalMart with...

Ben wanted to get back to the basics and talk about the 3 levels of charging. Brent suggested that we take an original EV Diaries episode and review it “on-air” to see if anything has changed since 2019. What do you think?

Wow, how quickly things change. Here is the continuation of our non-political political discussion.

Do you think for yourself? We like to think we do, but how many of us adopt the opinions of others for no other reason than some perceived authority. Even if you agree on one topic, does that mean their opinion is valid on another? Where do you draw the line? Today, we take on a report of a West Virginia candidate that is anti-EV because he is anti-EPA and anti-Biden administration. Of course, he...

Have you ever bought something that didn’t really live up to the hype? I know I have. There is a YouTube channel called Jetters Garage and our attention was directed to a video entitled “ Ford Watched My Viral Lightning Video – Amazing What They Said ” which was a follow up to a video entitled “ Why I regret buying a Ford Lightning! (EV Electric Truck) “. Jet is not new to EVs, having owned a Tesl...

As we wrap up (finally) our discussion of the Rappahannock Electric Cooperative’s presentation of the future of EV adoption in northern Virginia, we start looking at how we think EV adoption would look in small-town Kentucky. Rappahannock developed three scenarios where, on the high end, 30% of all cars in their territory were electric by 2030. On the low end, 5% and the middle ground was 10%. Bas...

Okay, admittedly that title is a little over the top. The point, as we resume our discussion of presentation by Rappahannock Electric Cooperative*, is that everything has a life-span and much of our existing infrastructure is too old or too weak to support the growing demand of energy in America. The solution is to revitalize and strengthen, harden, if you will, the grid to meet the growing need,...

Continuing our discussion of presentation by Rappahannock Electric Cooperative* showcasing their perception of the problem they face and what their system may look like in 2023. Brent and Ben continue to explore why charging an F-150 Lightning at 80 Amps would seem beneficial, but there are other considerations to keep in mind. Charging at Level 2 at 80A may require some serious upgrades to, not o...

Electric cooperatives, their members, and EV owners really want the same things: affordable and reliable electricity. The concern for co-ops that most members are unaware of is balancing the increasing demand of the EV revolution and the limitations in the existing infrastructure in such a way to maintain affordable reliability. There is definitely a gap between the two. Working for an electric co...

Red Truck, Blue Truck… This one earns a big gold star. This one travels really far. Say! What a lot of EV trucks there are!!! Wrapping up our three part Taking a Trip discussion. Ben and Brent talk through what it would be like (possibly) to travel 750 miles one way from southeastern Kentucky to Orlando, Florida in an electric vehicle. Using the published specifications of the base model F 150 Lig...

EV’s are here, one can’t deny. You can’t deny, don’t even try… But can I drive one here or there? Can I drive one anywhere? You can drive one here or there. You can drive one everywhere. Can I drive one to the moon? No, not today, it is too soon. But you can drive them wherever you can go. Planning is key now on to the show. In this episode, Brent and Ben continue the discussion of what a road tri...

EVs make sense, we firmly believe… but how do they fare, when your small town you do leave? In this episode (it’s one of three), we share our experience so you can see… with a bit of fore thought and the planning you’ll do, how far you can go is really up to you. Ben and Brent discuss Ben’s experience going further than the BMW I3’s 90 mile range; what it involved and how it played out.

In a town where you have to drive 20 miles one-way to get anywhere (slight exaggeration), Ben’s 2017 BMW i3 with a range extender (REx) boasts a WHOPPING 90 MILE BATTERY with an additional 3 gallon gasoline backup. So, how does he do it? How can a small battery pack get him to and fro every day? Could it work for you? In this episode, Brent questions Ben on his day-to-day activity with owning an e...

Let’s face it in rural America, the idea of owning an EV is a completely foreign concept to most people. The biggest reason is because they’ve never considered the possibility or the practicality, AND that’s why we re-launched the (R)EV Diaries. In this episode, we look at Brent’s list of pros and cons just to see where his mindset is on the issue of EV ownership. (Apparently, Ben is biased.)  Peo...

The EV Diaries are back! It’s been a year and a half+ since the EV Diaries went dark, at the time, presumably forever, but like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the podcast is back. I know, you’re saying to yourself, “Oh My God! WHY?… Why now, anyway? Why ever?” Well, around these parts, there is still a lot of confusion, apprehension, and disinterest in electric vehicles and the Rural EV Diaries...

I’m still alive and I went to Ohio last weekend. I’m processing the numbers and will give a full report. I used the REx but it was out of choice and not necessity… probably. Also, don’t be a gashole.

My friend Matt got in an EV debate on FB last week that lasted a few days. One of the adversaries called EVs a “fiasco”. Apparently, they’re not going to let the “gubernent” tell them how to live. Ignorance and misinformation are alive and well in small-town America and it’s up to us to fight it.

Long answer, yes with an if…. Short answer, no with a but… It’s a step in the right direction and it has potential.

It’s been a minute but it’s time to get back to work…

I often get asked this question or something similar. Does a typical EV owner need a L2 EVSE or will the L1 supplied with the vehicle suffice? The answer, like most things, isn’t as cut and dry as one would like.

I’m BACK. The last couple of weeks have been a challenge, but I’m back to talk about 1 year of EV ownership and what’s going on in these parts.

We wrap up our discussion about the University of Chicago white paper and look at what your statistics say about your driving habits.

University of Chicago released a white paper on EV usage in California from data collected from 2014-2017. The assert the average EV driver drives fewer miles than what is the current recognized average commute AND they are only using 2.9 kWh/day to charge. They see it as especially important as they assert bad data is … Continue reading "How Far Do You Go?"

IT’S COLD. Texas is suffering with major grid issues with the influx of unanticipated winter weather and freezing temperatures. They are struggling and hopefully learning from the experience. Meanwhile, Kentucky is dealing with its own frozen demons with more on the way. Today, I talk more about the grid and what’s going on… It’s like 2020 never went away.