Hybrid, EV, or PHEV for a ski car?

[RachelV]

I wouldn't consider an EV for a single car household if I lived in NYC or farther north. Not as a ski nut.
....

I think this is right on. IMHO, in a 2 car household there's zero reason to avoid EVs at this point. If you drive long distance a lot (like - truly long distance, 200mi+ a day) or drive longish distances in cold weather, EVs are not quite where they need to be to be your only car. But they're improving crazy fast and imho it's really exciting.

We have a 2016 (?) Leaf (so only about a 100mi range) and use it for everything day-to-day. We have an AWD minivan we use to go to the mountains and the desert etc. The Leaf can make it to the mountains with a ~30 min charging stop in Idaho Springs, but then we don't have an easy way to charge it once we're up there, so it's a bit inconvenient. That will change when our condo up there installs chargers in the parking lot, and I look forward to using the Leaf to get up there in the summers once that's the case.

Like everything new, it's a bit of a mindset change, but at this point I get annoyed when I have to take the van to the gas station. Like -- why is not just full every time I leave the house???? ;) (seriously tho)

 

[marzNC]

What about the PHEV Crosstrek? My non-skier MIL drives it and loves it, although it’s a bit small for toting her Celtic harp around. She doesn’t have a garage but installed a 220V outlet on the outside of the cottage and charges off that.

My daughter had a regular Crosstrek at the top of her list. Her cousin who lives in Boston has had one for a while and really likes it as a city/suburban SUV. My husband opted to have her take over the 2021 RAV4 Prime instead as a belated college graduation present. She wasn't going to argue with him.

 

[marzNC]

How about a solar powered 3-wheeler for around town? Can also plug in to charge as needed. Only a 2-seater. Not quite ready to sell to customers yet but might be a few in 2023.

 

[ilovepugs]

My daughter had a regular Crosstrek at the top of her list. Her cousin who lives in Boston has had one for a while and really likes it as a city/suburban SUV. My husband opted to have her take over the 2021 RAV4 Prime instead as a belated college graduation present. She wasn't going to argue with him.

Slight thread drift, I can’t believe that your daughter is done with college — where the heck does time go?! She was just accepted to college when we skied together at Massanutten. Congrats to your graduate!

 

[VickiK]

CrossTrek wasn't on my list because it can't fit a 185cm ski in the back without it sticking out into the front. Tall friends... I feel meh about roof racks because the skis are safer, cleaner, and easier to get in & out (for 5'1" me).

Not crazy about EV's either, unless your household has another car that's gas-powered, like @RachelV pointed out. Extra worry on road trips about where to charge, the time it takes to charge, etc.

 

[marzNC]

If I were in the market for a large SUV, the Rivian R1S would be on the list. Assuming I didn't care if it were going to take a year or two to actually get one.

 

[ilovepugs]

How about a solar powered 3-wheeler for around town? Can also plug in to charge as needed. Only a 2-seater. Not quite ready to sell to customers yet but might be a few in 2023.

View attachment 19301

Be still my beating heart

MINI is also coming out with an EV convertible, probably. I’ve wanted a convertible for many years. Maybe I’ll keep my ICE (it is the perfect dog mom car) and the MINI EV convertible will be my fun car.

If I were in the market for a large SUV, the Rivian R1S would be on the list. Assuming I didn't care if it were going to take a year or two to actually get one.

I have eyeballed the Rivian, but after my experiences with Tesla’s service I’m reluctant to take a risk on another start up car brand until they have built out a solid service network. Tesla’s service stinks in general and even more so in rural Vermont. My mechanic tried to qualify to be an authorized service center but was denied because he’s just a regular guy with a garage, and not fancy.

 

[nopoleskier]

I compared the Outback specs to the Subaru Ascent, and have finally excluded the Ascent on the basis it is simply too huge for just moi.

I plan to compare Rav4 Prime hybrid specs to the Outback and do some review reading/watching & test driving. Gary mentioned it as a possible choice, even though he's a Subie fan himself, so I must do due diligence.

safety wise Subaru wins hands down.. my insurance went down because of Subarus excellence crash protection. I wonder how these EV's stack up..

 

[skibum4ever]

We just bought a Toyota Camry AWD. Haven't taken it on any long trips and obviously have not driven it in snow. Some years ago we had a 1989 Toyota Camry All-Trac, which did great in the snow and ran for over 300,000 miles.

Later we had a regular Camry which also ran for over 300,000 miles, so I hope to get as much from our new car.

If there had been an AWD Camry hybrid we definitely would have considered it.

 

[marzNC]

There seem to be more and more ski resorts that have charging stations. Taos has 16 that are in prime locations near where the parking lot shuttle drops off. Mt. Bachelor has 3 and they are free Level 2 chargers.

For those of you who use an BEV for ski trips or day trips, do you plan on charging at the mountain?

 

[Soujan]

I sold my 2009 Outback and I purchased a 2022 RAV4 Prime SE in May. My commute to work is 37 miles one way so I have essentially cut my gas use in half. I'll go about 700+ miles before I fill up the gas tank. Getting a PHEV seemed like the best of both worlds. I could cut my gas use without having to worry about driving range or finding charging stations especially since I would be using it was the road-tripping car.

I do miss the Outback though. The seats were more comfortable and I like a lower ride height. I'm short, so it was easier for me to get in and out of. The Outback was starting to have mechanical issues so I wanted to get rid of it before something really broke.

The RAV4 Prime is the 2nd fastest vehicle Toyota makes but the handling is lacking. It has difficulty holding a turn at higher speed due to higher ride height and floaty suspension. There is a sport mode that tightens up the suspension but it is not recommended to have it on all the time.

Long term plan is to use the RAV4 for light off-roading. I'll change the wheels and tires, and add underbody protection.

 

[marzNC]

Wonder if this idea would work for people with townhomes where the homeowners' covenants don't allow an external power pole to be added, even on a homeowner's lot. I talked to a couple at the Carrboro EV Rodeo last month in that situation.

October 2022 (Australia)

This aspiring and persistent EV owner has installed the first kerb-side pop up charger

In the leafy (but largely off-street parking deficient) suburb of Albert Park in Melbourne, there is now the very first operational Kerbcharge unit.

thedriven.io

 

[marzNC]

Jeep is looking for suggestions for their new BEV mid-size SUV. Grand prize is a 7-day "ski trip to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for four. This will include airfare, lodging, lift tickets, rentals, guide or instruction and a $1,000 gift card to the retail store, worth a total $40,000. " Must be an adult who is a resident of the USA. Deadline is Dec. 2, 2022. Got any ideas?

November 25, 2022

Jeep Needs Fans' Help To Name Its 2024 Wagoneer S Electric SUV

Jeep will start taking reservations from US customers for the Wagoneer S EV in early 2023, with production to start in 2024 in North America.

insideevs.com

www.namethenewwagoneer.com

 

[marzNC]

The list of EVs coming out by 2024 has grown since this thread was started in late 2021. Still not that many that make sense as a vehicle for ski trips.

Came across a short series of videos by a couple who live in Portland. They took the plunge by getting a Ford Mach-E in late 2021 after thinking about the idea for a couple years. For their lifestyle, it's worked out so well they sold their last ICE car and don't ever intend to buy another ICE car.

Introduction to EV charging

Leisurely road trip from Oregon to north California and back

Thoughts after a year with the Mach E

 

[lisamamot]

CrossTrek wasn't on my list because it can't fit a 185cm ski in the back without it sticking out into the front. Tall friends... I feel meh about roof racks because the skis are safer, cleaner, and easier to get in & out (for 5'1" me).

Not crazy about EV's either, unless your household has another car that's gas-powered, like @RachelV pointed out. Extra worry on road trips about where to charge, the time it takes to charge, etc.

I have a 2023 Subaru Outback Touring that I got in Dec 2022. I was trading my 2015 Toyota Highlander and although I wanted the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, I couldn’t stomach the “market value” surcharge.

Although I miss some of the additional space I had with my Highlander, and the 35 mpg promise of the Highlander Hybrid, I am quite pleased with the Outback.

 

[VickiK]

^ glad to hear you're pleased with it, @lisamamot . I'm trying to wait until Subaru comes out with a hybrid Outback, but maybe Dec is the month to buy a new one! The idea of taking mine to Mammoth (700 miles) or Reno (930 miles) doesn't appeal to me, particularly solo.

 

[Bookworm]

I have friends who live in Minneapolis and bought a VW EV. It works great for them in the area, but it's a real pain on long trips. On a trip down here to Chicago to visit me, a trip that should take about 6 hours, it took them almost 12 because of slow chargers, mislabled chargers and a line for chargers. I'm waiting for that to get better before getting an EV. The plug-in hybrids, however are tempting.

 

[marzNC]

The plug-in hybrids, however are tempting.

Haven't looked at the options for a Plug-in hybrid for a few years. While there are more to choose from compared to 2019, still not many with an EV range over 32 miles. If I still had a need for a minivan, the Chrysler Pacific Minivan might be of interest. Wouldn't consider it a ski car though. Although I drove my old minivan around the northeast for a few ski safaris.

January 2023

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/advice/best-plug-in-hybrids

 

[Christy]

I have friends who live in Minneapolis and bought a VW EV. It works great for them in the area, but it's a real pain on long trips. On a trip down here to Chicago to visit me, a trip that should take about 6 hours, it took them almost 12 because of slow chargers, mislabled chargers and a line for chargers. I'm waiting for that to get better before getting an EV. The plug-in hybrids, however are tempting.

You might take that with a grain of salt. That's only a 436 mile journey according to Google. That would be a single stop in my EV. More in winter, admittedly. If they are new EV owners, they might not have the hang of it yet. We stopped more than we had to at first. You can look at the Plugshare or others apps to see if chargers are working, full, etc. It looks like there are plenty of fast chargers along that route.

I still get questioned about long road trips a lot by non-EV owners. I just had a friend ask my how I drive across country. I told her I've never done that and had no plans to do that. I asked if she had and she said, when I moved to Seattle in 1982. Oh, well that's definitely something you want to consider when buying a car, then.

 

[Bookworm]

Yeah, they said that they are still trying to work it out with running the ac, speed, weather, etc. She said that they would stop at a place that was supposed to be high speed and it wasn't and a couple of places they'd have to wait in line. I think that's what the extra time was.