My only 2 cars are EVs. is that OK?

[roadrunner32]

I've heard a statement that I dont want my only two cars to be EVs. while generally it is smart for safety and reliability to have diversity (not political). For example an airplane can measure altitude by both air pressure and radar to the ground. My opinion is that if the grid goes down you will not have electricity to pump the gas. And furthermore in Hurricane situations gas stations run out of gas before the grid goes down.

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[tmeyer3]

I agree completely, so get 2 sources of electricity! A generator, solar/battery, or both.

We only own 2 EVs, a Kubota tractor, and a Ryobi ride-on lawn tractor. We pump our own water and grow our own food, so when the grid goes down, which is does often in our area, we rely entirely on solar and batteries. Planning for the future, if the grid were to go down for an extended period we'd be just fine. If the grid goes down for a long time and there's no sun in Southern California for more than 3 days at once, then I'll pull out the generator.

Good on you for thinking ahead! But it isn't what the vehicle runs on that counts, it's how you secure your supply line ??
You can always make electricity, can't really make gas. And, personally, I'm done paying for towers in Dubai....

 

[XCeilidhX]

I live in wildfire country and we have 2 EVs only. Fossil fuels kill people while they ruin the environment and will eventually go the way of the Dodo bird. In the future this will seem a silly question. If more people don’t do what you and I and others have done, there won’t be people around on this planet to wonder. In my mind, there is less and less legitimate argument to causing harm to others by purchasing ICE vehicles in personal use cases as there are now plenty of options for BEV alternatives. Clearly the industry is still working on range issues but inconviencing me for an extra charge or two vs “inconveniencing” someone else by harming them with a potentially lethal asthma attack is a no-brainer unless you are extraordinarily selfish. May sound harsh, but I think the oil industry has normalized not stopping to think about it this way and people should absolutely think about it this way. I work in the emergency department and have done so for 20 years. The incidence of potentially fatal respiratory attacks has absolutely been on a notable rise over the course of just my own career and it should scare pretty much everyone who enjoys breathing.

My two cents

 

[Jack27]

It’s ok till we don’t have power anymore ?. I just sold my Chevy truck so we have a M3 and a CT now , I do have a classic Bronco that’s gas if really needed
But something tells me if the matrix scorches the sky and we don’t have electricity anymore we probably won’t have gas anymore as well

 

[CyberGus]

There are many ways to make your own electricity. But under no circumstances can you make your own gasoline.

If you really need a disaster-proof solution, get a horse.

 

[XCeilidhX]

There are many ways to make your own electricity. But under no circumstances can you make your own gasoline.

If you really need a disaster-proof solution, get a horse.

OMFG almost fell off my chair. Very well-said.

Unfortunately, horses hate me. Dogs i’m good with but I can’t travel on their backs unless they’re Rottweilers… which would eventually get annoyed and dump me to go climb a tree. I have several accomplished horse riders in my family but alas I think i’ll have to ride my Cyberbeast… someday.

Cheers

 

[TheLastStarfighter]

I've heard a statement that I dont want my only two cars to be EVs. while generally it is smart for safety and reliability to have diversity (not political). For example an airplane can measure altitude by both air pressure and radar to the ground. My opinion is that if the grid goes down you will not have electricity to pump the gas. And furthermore in Hurricane situations gas stations run out of gas before the grid goes down.

I wouldn't bother buying a gas car today. My Challenger's paid off when I plan to get my CT and it's in great shape so we'll keep it for a while but I doubt we'll drive it much. I was worried about EV range and supercharger coverage in my province a year ago, but in six months Tesla plopped down 4 chargers covering the south half. 2 more coming by 2025 covering the north. With that, anywhere in Canada I want to go will be covered. You could always rent a car if you needed I guess.

 

[eswimm]

My general opinion is that almost any household could own 1 EV, unless you both have crazy long commutes, 1 non EV allows for frequent long trips without the perceived annoyance of having to charge on the road. That said, after 8 years of Tesla ownership I generally prefer the EV even on trips where charging is required. I don't see any issues at all with owning 2 EVs if they meet your typical daily range requirements, I wouldn't want to supercharge daily. As for disaster preparedness, I feel like an EV that starts with a full charge every morning provides more flexibility than an ICE, since you can get to plan how to deal with an extended power outage. With ICE you had to make the conscious decision to fill up the night before a storm and you had to worry both about extended power outages and fuel delivery interruptions. Both of our primary drivers today are EVs and while I do have a hybrid as well (BMW i8), it isn't because I need to have an ICE, I'd actually prefer it were a full EV. I haven't even driven the i8 since I got my CT and that says a lot about how enjoyable the CT is to drive.

If you really need an ICE in a pinch, you can always rent a car.

 

[Crissa]

During the Public Safety Power Shutoffs, the Ducati ran out of gas...

...But my Zero didn't care where it got juice. It'll charge from my generator, too, while I'm recharging the house for the day.

A funny thing about the grid is that it cuts off on the other side of the highway, so it just nabs all of the gas stations along it... But the public EV chargers are in a different segment so they run.

-Crissa

 

[mbeltran]

I’m a 2 EV home also, no ICE vehicles. I live in a state where the grid gets whacked by tornadoes, hurricanes, and annual freezes. The only solution for the paranoid prepper is solar + batteries. My only generator is the CT. The longest outage I’ve experienced is 9 hours after Beryl, but some Houstonians were without power for a week. Unless your state has all power generation underground, you’ll likely suffer a grid outage at some point. In California we had rolling blackouts, wildfires, and earthquakes that took out power ever year. Having lived through all that, and I’m older than most folks on this forum, I‘m confident that 100% electric is the way to go for energy independence. Whether or not you’re able to get solar is the big question. Do it for independence and piece of mind, not to save money or save the world from climate variability.

Before the Generac crowd chimes in, during the Big Freeze of 2021 in Texas most power generation plants lost plumbing, and there was no flow of natural gas. If you’re into storing fuel on your premises, then more power to you (hehe). After Beryl so many homes had Generac failures it made headlines. The beauty of Solar + batteries is the low or no maintenance. Generacs need lots of maintenance, like any other ICE solution. Compare the cost of a Generac to a 20 year Solar + batteries ROI, and be sure to include the cost of maintenance and fuel based on some expected outage frequency. I’m sure a Ben Sullins type out there has done this analysis.

 

[CyberGus]

Unfortunately, horses hate me.

I ain’t ‘fraid of no herbivore

 

[HaulingAss]

There are many ways to make your own electricity. But under no circumstances can you make your own gasoline.

If you really need a disaster-proof solution, get a horse.

I get range anxiety with a horse. Can a horse "fill up" in 15 minutes? And a horse can't go 80 mph, which is a necessity for me, because everyone else does. Plus I drive 800 miles per day and need to tow a trailer that weighs 7 tons.

I also need it seat 6 people that are all over 6 feet tall and are allergic to horses. Plus horses don't make that vrooom-vrooom sound. I can't enjoy the trip without some vrooom-vrooom, horses have no soul.

 

[SSonnentag]

We’ve been an EV-only home for 7 years now.

 

[HaulingAss]

I've heard a statement that I dont want my only two cars to be EVs. while generally it is smart for safety and reliability to have diversity (not political). For example an airplane can measure altitude by both air pressure and radar to the ground. My opinion is that if the grid goes down you will not have electricity to pump the gas. And furthermore in Hurricane situations gas stations run out of gas before the grid goes down.

A better question would be, "are ICE cars reliable and convenient enough to only have two ICE cars?"

The supply chain for refined fuels is long and complex and relies on ships, trains, and electricity most of the way, from the pumps that power the pipelines, to the electrical controls in the refinery and the pumps that fill your tank. In my lifetime I've seen fuel supply shortages many times. I've never seen widespread electrical outages that lasted for more than a day.

In only ten years, everyone would will laugh at you if you asked the same question.

 

[tmeyer3]

A better question would be, "are ICE cars reliable and convenient enough to only have two ICE cars?"

The supply chain for refined fuels is long and complex and relies on ships, trains, and electricity most of the way, from the pumps that power the pipelines, to the electrical controls in the refinery and the pumps that fill your tank. In my lifetime I've seen fuel supply shortages many times. I've never seen widespread electrical outages that lasted for more than a day.

In only ten years, everyone would will laugh at you if you asked the same question.

Exactly this. Secure your energy supply line if you're able. Electricity is relatively easy to make. Hell, my grandma has a few acres in Idaho and built her own hydroelectric turbine on the creek that goes by her house. It requires a permit, but it's not difficult to generate. Storing it is more complicated. Fortunately, your truck has a huge battery you can use if nothing else ?

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