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SPEAKER 1: With the introduction of the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan
LEAF, and Tesla Model 3, we've got three EVs
with a lot of range.
The question now is, how much range do you really need?
SPEAKER 2: The thing about the LEAF
is it's got the least range of the three.
It's 151 miles.
But for my money, that's enough.
Because it costs money to have a battery with more miles.
And I don't think that with my 90-mile commute,
which is pretty long compared to everybody else in the office--
151 miles has proven to be enough.
I can still do side trips.
I'm the kind of ideal EV owner.
I have a garage.
I can charge at home.
It's full every morning.
So it's not a question of, how many miles
do you drive in a week, which is the typical gasoline
vehicle thinking that I think is leading people to wanting
300 miles of range in an EV.
It's like, no, it's how many miles do you drive in a day?
And for most people, that's like 40.
So 151 miles in a LEAF, it's enough.
SPEAKER 3: Even the Volt's 238 miles of range
is totally sufficient for an apartment or condo
dweller that doesn't have daily access to charging.
But they live in a city, and they can opportunity charge
frequently enough to keep that battery going
for the whole week.
SPEAKER 1: But that's just it.
With these EVs, you kind of have to own a house
if you're going to be charging these things every night.
The Model 3 has enough range where that's not necessarily
a requirement.
So it could be a car that's suited for an apartment
dweller.
And plus, the supercharger network
gives you long-distance driving capability.
SPEAKER 3: Having said that, both the Nissan
and the Chevrolet also have their own fast chargers--
the CHAdeMO for the Nissan and an SAE combo plug for the Volt.
SPEAKER 2: But those networks aren't really
that well-developed.
It's kind of Balkanized.
You can't really go anywhere.
It's just great for local fast charging, but not much else.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah.
And that's why I think the Model 3 can suit someone
as their only car.
With the range, you also get a really practical package.
There's more cargo space in that than probably either
of the other two.
SPEAKER 2: Yeah.
If I had this car or that one, and I
wanted to go cross-country, I would probably
leave it in the garage at home and take my second car.
SPEAKER 3: You'd have to be really dedicated, I think,
for electric vehicles to keep one of these things
as your primary car.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah.
I agree with that too.
I mean these-- as practical as the Model
3 is, it's still got some fundamental limitations
of charge time that you can't get around.
I mean even the supercharger network isn't ideal.
It's great that it's widespread, and they're pretty fast.
But we've encountered situations with the supercharger network
where you're waiting to get on a charger
because there's other people already there.
That's become a real problem as more and more Teslas
are getting on the road.
SPEAKER 2: Right.
And the network's really big.
And it's developed across the country.
But it's along major interstates.
And so if you want to kind of go off the grid, you really can't.
An internal combustion engine or an SUV,
you can go kind of anywhere you want because gas stations are
everywhere.
SPEAKER 3: We are talking about a very low use case scenario.
I think we have to remind ourselves
that these cars, for the most part,
they're just going to be used in town on the daily commute.
And I think for that, they're all pretty dang good.
SPEAKER 2: Almost everybody I know
could have at least one EV in their garage.
If they have another car for longer trips, that's perfect.
SPEAKER 3: So is there a substantive answer
on just how much range an EV should have?
SPEAKER 2: I get back to 151 miles.
I mean I don't know if that's the right number.
But it certainly seems to be enough.
And I think that because it has that DC fast charger,
I can do quick top-ups if I need to.
That works.
I mean I don't think I need to spend another $10,000
to get another 75 miles of range or another $20,000
to get another--
I don't know.
I can't do the math real fast--
150 miles of range.
But I mean that's what it amounts to-- dollars and range.
SPEAKER 1: Another factor with range
that we haven't really talked about a whole lot
is the rated range of the vehicle versus what
we can get in the real world.
We've found that with the Chevy and the Nissan
that it's easier to surpass the rated range
than it is with the Tesla.
So while the Tesla has a higher number on the window sticker,
it's harder to overachieve that than it is--
I mean you can really get much more range out of the Volt
than what it's rated for.
SPEAKER 2: I've soft-pedaled the Volt
and gotten 334 miles out of a charge.
And I had 16 left when I plugged in.
I think I could do close to 200 with a LEAF in my slow commute
on the freeway, which is like 35, 40 miles an hour.
It's kind of perfect for an EV.
In the same conditions, it doesn't--
I haven't been able to match the Model 3's range.
So there's something different about the way
that car is rated that means that I kind of almost
think these could go further.
At least the Volt probably could in a side by side
test, even though on paper it looks
like it doesn't stand a chance.
SPEAKER 3: Do you think the regenerative
braking aspects of the Volt and the LEAF
might have something to do with that versus the Model 3?
SPEAKER 1: Yeah, definitely.
The Model 3 being rear-wheel drive
is limited on how much regen you can get,
which means that you're not recovering as much energy
in these slow-and-go city driving situations that you'd
get in a Volt or a LEAF.
SPEAKER 2: Absolutely.
SPEAKER 1: And also, you had an experience
driving the Volt on a steep climb and then downhill, right?
SPEAKER 2: Yeah.
I went up to this place called Crystal Lake, which
is a place at the top of a mountain.
And on the way down, it's all nice, cool, twisty, tight,
mountain road driving.
And I actually had a better time in the Volt
than I did in the Model 3, primarily because of the regen.
It's front-wheel drive.
All the regen's on the front axle
where you want your braking.
And it was really easy to control.
In the Model 3, the regen's on the rear.
But you want your braking on the front.
So I was using the brake pedal more.
It was just not as fun or engaging.
Because lift throttle regen, it turns out,
isn't just about efficiency.
It's also pretty cool.
And it's a lot of fun.
And so these front drivers here actually have an advantage.
Now, when they get to an all-wheel drive Model 3,
then that might change.
Because now they'll be able to regen on the front axle.
It's more about that for me with the all-wheel drive
Model 3 than acceleration.
SPEAKER 3: I'm looking forward to the LEAF's bigger battery.
The stock one, the current one, comes
with a 40-kilowatt battery.
Rumor mills say that a 60-kilowatt battery
will come soon, which should get it close to the Volt's range.
SPEAKER 2: Yeah.
SPEAKER 3: And I think a lot of owners that can only
have one car, whether they're in a home or a condo
or an apartment that you can't charge every day, that might
be the best, the sweet spot.
SPEAKER 2: Yeah.
I'm just wondering what that's going to do to the price.
Because obviously that's going to cost a lot more
to have that much more battery.
I don't know where they're going to put it.
So it may intrude into the cargo volume someplace.
So I don't know what that would look like.
So I'm in wait-and-see mode for that.
SPEAKER 1: If you own a house, and you have frequent charging
opportunities, 150 miles of the LEAF is plenty.
SPEAKER 3: Yeah.
SPEAKER 2: Seems like it for me.
I think the only place where that might be different
is if you live someplace where it's cold,
like in the northern United States.
And I think that's where the 238 miles of the Volt
really comes into its own.
Because EVs aren't as efficient when
they're driven in cold weather.
It's the charging.
But it's also running the heater all the time.
It's an electric heater, so it's using your battery just
to keep the temperature right.
That may change it.
I mean this-- we don't live where it's cold.
It's 75 degrees here pretty much every day.
So that doesn't enter into it.
But if I lived in Michigan, maybe
the LEAF would not have enough range for me.
SPEAKER 1: Yeah.
With the cold weather, maybe having 150 miles just
isn't enough.
SPEAKER 2: It might feel a little bit more
like-- you might start using the words range anxiety again,
whereas this one with 238 miles, maybe it's insulated from that.
SPEAKER 3: Sounds like around 150 miles
seems to work for everybody.
And I think the main thing we need to tell our viewers
is that the way you approach an electric vehicle
is just fundamentally different than a gas car.
Wouldn't you guys say?
SPEAKER 2: Yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER 3: I mean the main thing is
is you can charge an electric car every day.
So it's more about the daily range than the weekly range.
And the reality is I think most people are totally
fine with 150 miles every day.
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