Aero Build in Tennesee has introduced an 18 foot all electric trailer with solar called Coast. Pretty sweet, like a minihome, taking orders now. A bit pricey however.
The EV development has grown amazingly fast! Soon, we will find one that is affordable and meets our needs. Thank you for your updates! Have you shared these blogs on LinkedIn?
I am very interested in preserving our earth (we need to heal all the damage that we have inflicted) and I am motivated to learn about electric vehicles. My question: is the way we produce electricity healthy to where we are benefitting the earth by buying electric? I understand fossil-fuel vehicles are not healthy for the climate but, I know that coal-fired electrical plants and other ways to produce electricity can be damaging, too. Soooo, are we picking a good solution here or simply selecting the worst of two evils? Thoughts?
Great question. Fossil fuel interests have long argued that EVs are no better for the reasons you describe. The truth is that from the very first EV, they have benefited the planet. The reason is simple. EVs are four times as efficient as internal combustion engine cars. No joke. EVs use 1/4 the energy. A decade ago, when EVs first came out, lots of our power did come from coal. Today, very little does. Renewable energy has exploded and natural gas has replaced coal almost entirely. Natural gas generates about half the carbon of coal per kWh and almost none of the other pollutants.
Indeed this is a GREAT response and one that makes my heart feel good. I was not educated that EV's are four times more efficient than internal combustion engine cars. Glad that less and less of our electricity is made by coal-fired plants; wind and solar energy as well as natural gas is cleaner, for sure. Now, my next question! We are all becoming painfully aware of how old, antiquated, and out of date the nation's power grid is and how we are at the mercy of so many factors beyond our control... with a growing interest in EV's, do you think there will be a comprehensive plan to upgrade the nation's power grid and make more secure, especially in regard to bad actors hacking the grid?
Great question! EVs are the solution. Utilities and car manufacturers are working together on what is called vehicle-to-grid power. You manage it with your car, allowing your utility to suck power out of your car when there is peak demand. This eliminates the need for huge upgrades in electric capacity. Electric utilities tell me they are not worried. They are excited to see us switch. The utility will pay you a big premium for power when it needs it--3 to 4 x what you pay per kWh. It will help you pay for the car! One recent estimate was that you could earn $15,000 over the life of the car.
Dr Anne, as a professional Electrical Engineer working in the industry I can Assure you that the grid will be ok, with some limited exceptions of short duration in California or Texas and in replacement of small neighborhood transformers. But that is no reason to slow adoption, because even if 100% of new vehicle sales became EV, it will take 20 to 25 years for the fleet to change out (14.4 million sales per year with 220 million vehicles in the usa) Frankly the grid can handle most of that growth now if it was used overnight or in stored energy for high demands, as Devin points out Vehicle to Grid tech is on the cusp, and utility storage is growing dramatically. The energy we use to pump and refine oil and gas alone could power 24 million EVs. There are over 288 large companies working on expanding grid scale Renewable energy in America right now, and each year setting records in Gigawatts of new power. They all believe it can and must be done, with off shore wind leading the way. There is new constant power tidal renewables and man made geothermal (Utah FORGE), gravity storage, and pressure and thermal storage all on the docket to expand renewables and storage exponentially.
in addition, the healthbenefits of clean air, and not breathing carcinogens of formaldehydes, Benzene, Toluene, and other chemicals each time you fill up should not be forgotten, especially for pregnant mothers, kids, and those with respitory problems.
And finally the cost savings is huge, most commuters can save $5000 in 5 years after paying a higher power bill.
I personally drive a plug in hybrid with a 20 mile battery and wish it was larger,even I can get 80 percent of my miles around town as all electric, saving me $700 per year after my higher power bill.
I recommend if you have ahome with an outlet to buy full EV with 2 to 3 times the range you typically drive. If you live in an apartment with no place to plug in, buy a PHEV.
Thank you so much; always want to hear from professional Electrical Engineers. You make GREAT points and while I am not in the market to purchase any vehicles right now, I will look at EVs when I need to replace my vehicle. We have solar energy at our home. NOTE: I have gone from driving my gas-powered vehicle 7 days a week down to 3 days a week (working remotely more)... I am working hard to reduce my carbon foot-printing...
Dr Anne, coal has dropped to 17% of our electricity in the usa and will be less each year. In utah it has dropped from 80%to 60% in the past 15 years. Buying an EV today means it becomes cleaner each year you drive it. In fact with renewables growing every year and a huge influx in sustainable practices in mining and recycling, and development of new battery technologies, now is the time for this tech. you waste 60% or more of the energy burned with gasoline and diesel. you endanger our water, and our wildlife, and our own personal health.
The cleanest way to charge an EV is to either put solar on your home, or to subscribe to renewable development with your power bill. I buy Blue Sky blocks for wind and renewable power through Rocky Mountain Power. Also with Utahs city subscription solar and renewable HB411, RMP is building enough renewable to power 100% of 17 citys in Utah, including mine, by 2030.
While this is good news to know that coal has dropped to 17 percent of our electricity in the USA, what will need to happen to drop coal down to ZERO percent? Why are we still at 17 percent; do you know???
We are endangering the water, wildlife, and personal health with gasoline and diesel which is why I have increased my days of working remotely. Rather than driving my gas-powered car 7 days a week, I am down to 3 days a week. Every little bit helps...
getting to zero coal as fast as possible is a trick. The utilities have announced phaseouts between 2035 and 2060, but these dates are largely based on getting their embedded investment paybacks out of these old plants. and getting past long term coal purchases under contract. Cheaper power like wind helps but they look at it that any cost passes on to their ratepaying consumers. they are monopolies that are regulated, and regulators allow them to pass on the high costs of maintenance to their customers.
Regulations are key. The EPA had new rules for coal ash and disposal, based on decades of heavy metal contamination of water and soil. also new scrubber requirements, regional haze, and for the first time tracking carbon as a pollutant. just as lawsuits were getting going trying to avoid all these regulations, Trump won and decimated all of these regulations.
If burning coal had to pay a Carbon Tax, utilities would be incentivized to shut them down sooner. Pollution regulations would also help.
Thank you for your contribution in reducing your own footprint and gour own pollution. The world needs more thoughtful people like you.
Our first EV was also a used 2012 Nissan LEAF. When we found it worked for us as a commuter car, we added a 2015 Tesla Model S. It was a financial stretch to be sure, but we were sold on the technology. That car now has 122,500 miles on the odometer and is going strong. But with the recent price drops from Tesla and wanting towing capability, we ordered a 2023 Model Y with towing package. As you wrote, it's amazing how far the technology with range and charging has come in just 10 years.
The first tow will likely be a motorcycle trailer with my Zero SR/S to Tail of the Dragon at Deal's Gap North Carolina in May. If Bill Bortzfield goes, I might meet him there. We'll definitely be watching how much additional charging is required due to the trailer. Luckily, the Tesla Supercharger network is pretty robust.
Aero Build in Tennesee has introduced an 18 foot all electric trailer with solar called Coast. Pretty sweet, like a minihome, taking orders now. A bit pricey however.
We'll check it out! We love everything about what you said except "pricey."
The EV development has grown amazingly fast! Soon, we will find one that is affordable and meets our needs. Thank you for your updates! Have you shared these blogs on LinkedIn?
Thanks, Bill. You are such a great friend! We do share on LinkedIn. We even have a page that about 3 people follow. 😂
That Many??? Wow! What is the URL?
I just checked. I exaggerated. We have exactly one follower on Linkedin. Here's the link: https://www.linkedin.com/company/our-solar-electric-trailer-journey/.
I am very interested in preserving our earth (we need to heal all the damage that we have inflicted) and I am motivated to learn about electric vehicles. My question: is the way we produce electricity healthy to where we are benefitting the earth by buying electric? I understand fossil-fuel vehicles are not healthy for the climate but, I know that coal-fired electrical plants and other ways to produce electricity can be damaging, too. Soooo, are we picking a good solution here or simply selecting the worst of two evils? Thoughts?
Great question. Fossil fuel interests have long argued that EVs are no better for the reasons you describe. The truth is that from the very first EV, they have benefited the planet. The reason is simple. EVs are four times as efficient as internal combustion engine cars. No joke. EVs use 1/4 the energy. A decade ago, when EVs first came out, lots of our power did come from coal. Today, very little does. Renewable energy has exploded and natural gas has replaced coal almost entirely. Natural gas generates about half the carbon of coal per kWh and almost none of the other pollutants.
Indeed this is a GREAT response and one that makes my heart feel good. I was not educated that EV's are four times more efficient than internal combustion engine cars. Glad that less and less of our electricity is made by coal-fired plants; wind and solar energy as well as natural gas is cleaner, for sure. Now, my next question! We are all becoming painfully aware of how old, antiquated, and out of date the nation's power grid is and how we are at the mercy of so many factors beyond our control... with a growing interest in EV's, do you think there will be a comprehensive plan to upgrade the nation's power grid and make more secure, especially in regard to bad actors hacking the grid?
Great question! EVs are the solution. Utilities and car manufacturers are working together on what is called vehicle-to-grid power. You manage it with your car, allowing your utility to suck power out of your car when there is peak demand. This eliminates the need for huge upgrades in electric capacity. Electric utilities tell me they are not worried. They are excited to see us switch. The utility will pay you a big premium for power when it needs it--3 to 4 x what you pay per kWh. It will help you pay for the car! One recent estimate was that you could earn $15,000 over the life of the car.
Dr Anne, as a professional Electrical Engineer working in the industry I can Assure you that the grid will be ok, with some limited exceptions of short duration in California or Texas and in replacement of small neighborhood transformers. But that is no reason to slow adoption, because even if 100% of new vehicle sales became EV, it will take 20 to 25 years for the fleet to change out (14.4 million sales per year with 220 million vehicles in the usa) Frankly the grid can handle most of that growth now if it was used overnight or in stored energy for high demands, as Devin points out Vehicle to Grid tech is on the cusp, and utility storage is growing dramatically. The energy we use to pump and refine oil and gas alone could power 24 million EVs. There are over 288 large companies working on expanding grid scale Renewable energy in America right now, and each year setting records in Gigawatts of new power. They all believe it can and must be done, with off shore wind leading the way. There is new constant power tidal renewables and man made geothermal (Utah FORGE), gravity storage, and pressure and thermal storage all on the docket to expand renewables and storage exponentially.
in addition, the healthbenefits of clean air, and not breathing carcinogens of formaldehydes, Benzene, Toluene, and other chemicals each time you fill up should not be forgotten, especially for pregnant mothers, kids, and those with respitory problems.
And finally the cost savings is huge, most commuters can save $5000 in 5 years after paying a higher power bill.
I personally drive a plug in hybrid with a 20 mile battery and wish it was larger,even I can get 80 percent of my miles around town as all electric, saving me $700 per year after my higher power bill.
I recommend if you have ahome with an outlet to buy full EV with 2 to 3 times the range you typically drive. If you live in an apartment with no place to plug in, buy a PHEV.
Thank you so much; always want to hear from professional Electrical Engineers. You make GREAT points and while I am not in the market to purchase any vehicles right now, I will look at EVs when I need to replace my vehicle. We have solar energy at our home. NOTE: I have gone from driving my gas-powered vehicle 7 days a week down to 3 days a week (working remotely more)... I am working hard to reduce my carbon foot-printing...
Thanks for sharing.
Not just hacking the grid - we need to identify and punish those who are attacking substations.
So true!
Dr Anne, coal has dropped to 17% of our electricity in the usa and will be less each year. In utah it has dropped from 80%to 60% in the past 15 years. Buying an EV today means it becomes cleaner each year you drive it. In fact with renewables growing every year and a huge influx in sustainable practices in mining and recycling, and development of new battery technologies, now is the time for this tech. you waste 60% or more of the energy burned with gasoline and diesel. you endanger our water, and our wildlife, and our own personal health.
The cleanest way to charge an EV is to either put solar on your home, or to subscribe to renewable development with your power bill. I buy Blue Sky blocks for wind and renewable power through Rocky Mountain Power. Also with Utahs city subscription solar and renewable HB411, RMP is building enough renewable to power 100% of 17 citys in Utah, including mine, by 2030.
While this is good news to know that coal has dropped to 17 percent of our electricity in the USA, what will need to happen to drop coal down to ZERO percent? Why are we still at 17 percent; do you know???
We are endangering the water, wildlife, and personal health with gasoline and diesel which is why I have increased my days of working remotely. Rather than driving my gas-powered car 7 days a week, I am down to 3 days a week. Every little bit helps...
getting to zero coal as fast as possible is a trick. The utilities have announced phaseouts between 2035 and 2060, but these dates are largely based on getting their embedded investment paybacks out of these old plants. and getting past long term coal purchases under contract. Cheaper power like wind helps but they look at it that any cost passes on to their ratepaying consumers. they are monopolies that are regulated, and regulators allow them to pass on the high costs of maintenance to their customers.
Regulations are key. The EPA had new rules for coal ash and disposal, based on decades of heavy metal contamination of water and soil. also new scrubber requirements, regional haze, and for the first time tracking carbon as a pollutant. just as lawsuits were getting going trying to avoid all these regulations, Trump won and decimated all of these regulations.
If burning coal had to pay a Carbon Tax, utilities would be incentivized to shut them down sooner. Pollution regulations would also help.
Thank you for your contribution in reducing your own footprint and gour own pollution. The world needs more thoughtful people like you.
Our first EV was also a used 2012 Nissan LEAF. When we found it worked for us as a commuter car, we added a 2015 Tesla Model S. It was a financial stretch to be sure, but we were sold on the technology. That car now has 122,500 miles on the odometer and is going strong. But with the recent price drops from Tesla and wanting towing capability, we ordered a 2023 Model Y with towing package. As you wrote, it's amazing how far the technology with range and charging has come in just 10 years.
I'm excited to see what you'll tow with that Model Y! It is a beautiful and crazy-efficient vehicle!
The first tow will likely be a motorcycle trailer with my Zero SR/S to Tail of the Dragon at Deal's Gap North Carolina in May. If Bill Bortzfield goes, I might meet him there. We'll definitely be watching how much additional charging is required due to the trailer. Luckily, the Tesla Supercharger network is pretty robust.
What a ball! You'll have so much fun!
Aloha, Devin and Gail!
Congratulations! You just doubled the number of Followers on LinkedIn! Magnificent!
Bill