I was thinking that it would be a step function at each click of the paddle shifter, not a continuous change in torque as you get with the brake pedal.
I think @optik382 's point was that we ought to be mindful of trading off non-toxic emissions for toxic ones; we might slow down climate change but we may poison ourselves. I would agree that direct mass comparisons don't really help - they mask the risks; at the same time, we would need to have a better understanding of exactly how toxic those other emissions are (brake/tire/road dust)(as in 'what are dangerous levels', how far are we from them).
Reminds me of when I tried 'pruning' a tree in the garden.
I am 73 and worked in motor racing my entire career and I agree with your kids.
Good points, but I'd respectfully disagree with your statement about EVs only symbolically contributing something to the planet. At the very minimum, EVs are keeping the air cleaner. If you don't believe this, sit in your ICE vehicle with the engine running and your garage door closed for a few minutes and you will have a better appreciation for just how dirty ICE technology is.
That’s fine but don’t mistake my comments as an indication of my level of understanding of the situation or my appreciation of the merits of EV’s. My major disagreements aren’t with the issues being discussed here, they are with the way this issue is being represented and the policies being put in place to address them. Both of those topics are not ones that I would even attempt to debate in the context of a recreational forum such as this.
Exactly. As much as I am used to driving EVs since 2016, I occasionally missed the sounds and fun of ICE sports cars. When I was at a situation where I could afford an additional car, I didn’t hesitate to add a McLaren 600LT to the stable, and subsequently a 720S, and enjoyed both technologies. The experience of driving a carbon tub / lightweight vehicle is simply irreplaceable by EVs.
Winter range is overblown. On long drives in the winter, my efficiency is perhaps 0.1 mile/kWh less than in summer. For short journeys around town I agree it is worse, but then those are so short that the only real impact is that it costs me a little more to charge in the winter. ICE cars are also less efficient in the winter on short trips, and will therefore cost more to refuel.
What I will tell you is that my tires on both the EVs I've owned have lasted longer than on my previous ICE cars, and when it comes to brake dust there is no contest. The Taycan's front wheels have almost no brake dust on them when I wash it. My wife's ICE car has a black film on the front wheels every time I wash it, and my old Mercedes roadsters were even worse.
Looking briefly at my trip history, the difference is significant - .3 to .5 mi/kWh, or almost 30% better in summer. (1.9 and 1.7 winter vs 2.2 summer, both on trips up into the mountains.) This is for almost identical trips regarding distance, average speed and on the same tires/roof box.
What evidence, though? Your personal vehicles?
