Electric vehicles

[customboss]

57 minutes ago, newdude said:

I took advantage of that roller coaster in August.  

 

 

Good looking car. How like? 

[customboss]

On 7/5/2025 at 7:02 PM, RyanbabZ71 said:

We pickup our first EV Monday afternoon.  My son is 6 months from getting his license and we decided to let him drive my wife's VW Atlas (will still have it to haul everyone if needed) back and forth to school and baseball practice.  It is nearing 100K (2021 model) and the thought is save some miles and we know what he is getting.  Ive done most of the maintenance and it has been solid so far.  Facebook ad sucked her in lol.  Getting a 2023 Tesla Model 3.  12K miles at a great price.  Ive been watching the new manufacturer slate.  Going to build a truck/suv in Indiana.  They are about 2 years out though so hopefully this works out.  She is super excited and already looking at some cosmetic mods.  She said now I know how you feel having the Camaro.  

Where in Hoosierland are you Ryan? Grew up in Harrodsburg IN south of Bloomington near Lake Monroe ( was built when I was 5). 
 

 

[PhilB]

Looks like Ram Trucks will be creating an electric truck with an onboard generator.  Could be interesting...

 

https://www.ramtrucks.com/electric/1500-rev.html

 

 

[KARNUT]

24 minutes ago, PhilB said:

Looks like Ram Trucks will be creating an electric truck with an onboard generator.  Could be interesting...

 

https://www.ramtrucks.com/electric/1500-rev.html

 

 

When I was thinking about an electric truck. My first thought was adding an on board generator mounted in the back. Then reality set in. The set up would be expensive. It would be interesting to see the cost of this truck ultimately. This retired guy just can’t justify a new truck when I can get an equivalent equipped car or minivan for much less. If I needed one I could do it. But to just drive around, not so much.

[newdude]

2 hours ago, customboss said:

Good looking car. How like? 

 

 

Love it.  Got it in August when my lease was up on my 2022 refresh 2.7 Turbo HO (Turbomax).  I'm usually game for trying things out so I rolled the dice on it.  I've had 3 regular cab HD 6.0s, a 2012 and 2019 old body 5.3, a 2.8 Duramax Colorado and the Turbomax.  Do I "need" a truck?  Eh.  Not "necessarily".  I still have access to a truck if I need at work, and some friends with them as well worst case.  

 

Its a 2025 Equinox EV.  2RS trim AWD.  It has just about everything in it.  Heated and ventilated Evotex ("leather") seating, Super Cruise, pano roof, etc.  Not the fastest vehicle I've driven, but its the fastest I've owned personally.  Range wise, if I charge to 100% when I need to, it estimates 320-340mi in the summer months, 307mi in the winter.  Winter definitely impacts the range a bit as it does with most any EV, but its still been quite good all things considered.  A slight learning curve for sure in some instances like warming it up in the winter (precondition!).  As far as charging costs go, I haven't installed a level 2 home charger yet.  Most of it has been at work for $free.99.  The few fast chargers I've used its been $15-30, depending on how much range I opted to charge up.  

 

I leased it, same as my last two trucks.  This stickered for just over $56,000, it was in the dealer loaner fleet as well which cut the price a good bit.  I also stacked GM dealer employee discount, Costco Executive and there was $2000 NYS credit.  $2000 down, $339/mo.  I was $385/mo on my 2022 Turbomax, plus $200-240 a month in gas.  My insurance went down $50/mo too even which I was shocked to see, but I think the high theft rate on Silverado had something to do with it being so much more.  

 

I'd do it again 100%.  If a Silverado EV happened to fall in the right scope price wise, I'd get one as those are fun to drive.  You can embarrass a 6.2 with an 8400lb EV.  

Edited December 29, 2025 by newdude

[customboss]

1 hour ago, newdude said:

 

 

Love it.  Got it in August when my lease was up on my 2022 refresh 2.7 Turbo HO (Turbomax).  I'm usually game for trying things out so I rolled the dice on it.  I've had 3 regular cab HD 6.0s, a 2012 and 2019 old body 5.3, a 2.8 Duramax Colorado and the Turbomax.  Do I "need" a truck?  Eh.  Not "necessarily".  I still have access to a truck if I need at work, and some friends with them as well worst case.  

 

Its a 2025 Equinox EV.  2RS trim AWD.  It has just about everything in it.  Heated and ventilated Evotex ("leather") seating, Super Cruise, pano roof, etc.  Not the fastest vehicle I've driven, but its the fastest I've owned personally.  Range wise, if I charge to 100% when I need to, it estimates 320-340mi in the summer months, 307mi in the winter.  Winter definitely impacts the range a bit as it does with most any EV, but its still been quite good all things considered.  A slight learning curve for sure in some instances like warming it up in the winter (precondition!).  As far as charging costs go, I haven't installed a level 2 home charger yet.  Most of it has been at work for $free.99.  The few fast chargers I've used its been $15-30, depending on how much range I opted to charge up.  

 

I leased it, same as my last two trucks.  This stickered for just over $56,000, it was in the dealer loaner fleet as well which cut the price a good bit.  I also stacked GM dealer employee discount, Costco Executive and there was $2000 NYS credit.  $2000 down, $339/mo.  I was $385/mo on my 2022 Turbomax, plus $200-240 a month in gas.  My insurance went down $50/mo too even which I was shocked to see, but I think the high theft rate on Silverado had something to do with it being so much more.  

 

I'd do it again 100%.  If a Silverado EV happened to fall in the right scope price wise, I'd get one as those are fun to drive.  You can embarrass a 6.2 with an 8400lb EV.  

Thanks!  

[Atlas]

18 hours ago, newdude said:

I'd do it again 100%.  If a Silverado EV happened to fall in the right scope price wise, I'd get one as those are fun to drive.  You can embarrass a 6.2 with an 8400lb EV.  

 

I wonder if GM will abandon EV's with the change in the winds, like Ford is doing. It's too bad, GM makes some good products--so does Ford. I think you are wise to lease, as anything can happen from here.

[Atlas]

We would 100% do it again, too.

 

We have less than a year remaining on our EV's lease (BMW iX). I doubt we'll keep it. We love the car, but it's a numbers game. BMW wildly over-estimated the residual value. We've been watching the used market and there's just no way. I'd think they'd be smart to come to the table with a better offer, else they'll have piles of lease returns on dealer lots. If they do, we will keep it. It is the "car of choice" for most driving. We're going to be over the allotted mileage at lease-end. Meanwhile, my 6-month old Silverado sits in the garage with 1500 miles on it. Oops.

[KARNUT]

8 minutes ago, Atlas said:

We would 100% do it again, too.

 

We have less than a year remaining on our EV's lease (BMW iX). I doubt we'll keep it. We love the car, but it's a numbers game. BMW wildly over-estimated the residual value. We've been watching the used market and there's just no way. I'd think they'd be smart to come to the table with a better offer, else they'll have piles of lease returns on dealer lots. If they do, we will keep it. It is the "car of choice" for most driving. We're going to be over the allotted mileage at lease-end. Meanwhile, my 6-month old Silverado sits in the garage with 1500 miles on it. Oops.

I’ve been driving trucks since I was 18. I always had a car too. There’s a tiny window when I used my trucks as a family hauler. I was and am surprised that trucks become mainstream. The results are they got pricey. Add to that with people migrating towards truck based vehicles. They had to figure out how to make them efficient for gas mileage and emissions. Taking reliability out of them. The trickle down effect happened with electric vehicles. Rushing them out with mandates without the infrastructure to handle the influx. The manufacturers went headfirst because it would help with emissions and mileage. Now everyone is backing off because of range and not having infrastructure. Reminds me of the 5.7 diesel. 

[newdude]

53 minutes ago, Atlas said:

 

I wonder if GM will abandon EV's with the change in the winds, like Ford is doing. It's too bad, GM makes some good products--so does Ford. I think you are wise to lease, as anything can happen from here.

 

 

Oh for sure I would not have purchased to own, especially with how volatile the market and tech on EV is.  Also...resale...yuck.    

 

I don't think there will be an abandonment on EV.  The 2027 Bolt is still happening, Nissan just launched the new Leaf.  Ford axed the Lightning due to production issues from the Novellis aluminum plant fires in Oswego, NY, and also poor sales since it was for lack of better term, a poor product.  Lightning was a way to just get something to market.  Range is low to start with on both battery pack sizes and the first couple years didn't have a heat pump so they eat energy in the cold to keep battery temps and HVAC working.  

 

I do see perhaps a shift though, at least temporarily to an extent.  The Lightning's replacement is rumored to mirror the Ram REV, the Ram EV with the range extender.  What's funny about products like the Ram REV though is GM was there already with the Bolt.  An EV with a range extender.  

 

Full BEV may come back in swing if there is actual progress in battery tech.  Range extenders allow for smaller battery packs which in turn cuts costs for the packs and less materials used, which is good.  But.  If things like newer chemistry, solid state, etc., can get battery size and weight down, and allow for more charge "abuse" (less long term degradation for 0-100% charging), all while getting range in the 300-400mi window for say categories like the Equinox, Blazer and Traverse size of vehicle, then range extenders would be moot in those.  So I can see everything from sub-compact to midsize truck going full BEV.    

 

If any category benefits the most from range extenders, its the big stuff.  1/2 ton, 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.  See the Silverado EV for example.  The largest pack is 212kwh, its most efficient trim gets 490mi of range.  Which is truly impressive...for an 8300lbs truck.  The Ram REV however has almost identical performance and power, is 7500lbs (800lbs less than Silverado EV), but is estimated to get 690mi of total range.  The battery pack in the REV is a 92kwh pack.  

 

[Atlas]

The infrastructure vs BEV argument will forever be chicken-egg.

 

If nobody builds BEV's there is no incentive to build out charging infrastructure. If there's no charging infrastructure, BEV manufacturers have a hard time wooing customers.

 

The grid is largely privatized here in the US. What we know is if there is demand, they will build. Else there's no way we'd ever support any of our population growth or other technological pursuits, like AI.

 

I'm not a fan of REV, just like I'm not a fan of hybrids. It's all the complexity and cost of both ICE and BEV in one vehicle. But, if this is what will win minds/hearts of carbuyers to experiment with BEV tech beyond hybrids, then I suppose it isn't half bad.

[customboss]

14 minutes ago, newdude said:

Ford axed the Lightning due to production issues from the Novellis aluminum plant fires in Oswego, NY,

Cogent point. 

[RyanbabZ71]

On 12/29/2025 at 1:06 PM, customboss said:

Where in Hoosierland are you Ryan? Grew up in Harrodsburg IN south of Bloomington near Lake Monroe ( was built when I was 5). 
 

 

 

Just west of Indianapolis.  

[customboss]

11 minutes ago, RyanbabZ71 said:

 

Just west of Indianapolis.  

Thx