superswiss

Maybe at some point it will support plug and charge. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the superchargers aren't even in the Mercedes database, so no route can be planned with charging at the superchargers and you can't see available chargers. Credit card readers are everywhere and rather a reliable payment method. It works at gas stations flawlessly. These days gas station chains have apps, too. I use the Shell and Chevron apps to fill my cars, and they have been flawless. In the last 5 years or so I have maybe encountered one gas station that was offline and I had to tap my phone instead for contactless payment. I'm not necessarily suggesting chip readers and magnetic stripe swipe, but contactless. If the app doesn't work for some reason or you don't have an account with the particular provider, you can still tap your phone for payment. I'm just kinda amazed that gas stations have managed to make this all work. I can't even remember the last time I pulled up at a non-functioning pump and that one time the app didn't work I could still pay at the pump. Yet the reliability of charging stations and the ability to pay is still a crapshoot.

nath_h

Saw this article a few days ago, My experience with EA since 2019...terrible at first, improved in the middle, and then got lots worse in the past couple years. According to the article, they may be finally turning this around....https://cleantechnica.com/2024/02/18...-be-improving/

superswiss

I don't think it's really gonna improve unless EA etc. realizes that what they have to build are energy stations instead of putting a bunch of chargers in the middle of nowhere out in the open. Going back to Norway as an example. Norway has officially renamed all their gas stations to energy stations and they now have rows of chargers right next to the pumps, under the same roof so you can plug in your car w/o getting drenched and right next to the same convenience stores. The stores are also much nicer than the stores we have at gas stations here. They have good food, espresso and clean nice bathrooms that don't look and smell like somebody died in them. Even gas stations make most of the margins from the store. It's long been known that the gas business brings in the customers to spend money at the store. The fact that this hasn't dawned on EA etc. yet is just outright puzzling. Even Tesla Superchargers are usually in the middle of nowhere with no roof and no good services nearby. And not being attended sooner or later attracts vandals which contributes to the unreliability of the chargers and makes it unsafe at night especially for women.

nath_h

I agree with everything you said. As someone who has traveled extensively in Norway, I'm not surprised they got this right before anyone else. I think we'll look back in twenty years at these silly stations with no awning in the middle of nowhere and go "what were they thinking?".

MBNUT1

Here is a data point to support NHTSA's position. The Taycan is one strong car.

Crito

Thanks to all those Houthi heroes gas prices are even going up here in Texas, land of the oil tycoons. Who knows, EV demand might suddenly start to creep back up. I'm pretty sure hydrogen won't provide a compelling alternative for anyone in and case:


$180 for 350 miles and there's usually a line! Unfookin' believable for the most abundant element in the Universe. Truly boggles my mind how it could possibly be this expensive.

wildta

Let's not forget the pure water coming out of the tail pipe. A jug of distilled water near me is at least $3 and I bet you get at least 2 gallons of unadulterated water with each tank of H2.

dudley07726

His name is Joe.

MBNUT1

It's expensive because it requires expensive energy here on earth to produce it. Not like there are any H2 wells that you can tap. Additionally when methane is used to produce it, CO2 is a byproduct. If we ever get an abundance of cheap green energy then H2 could become a more significant player.

MB37

What a waste on a turbo s. If the car landed upside down, I think it would have been a different story, but then again, the taycan is bottom heavy due to the battery. That driver will like get another EV.

MBNUT1

Lands on it's feet like a cat.

GrayA

I have the itch to trade my Genesis GV60 for an EQS sedan or SUV AWD, but I will wait another 6-12 months. I think the gap for the trade will still decrease quite a bit, since the EQS is depreciating faster than the GV60 due to the higher price.

MB37

Do keep a sharp eye. Once in a while, a really cheap EQS well option will pop up.

Steven12984

I have been looking to purchased used 580 due to the fact that they are half price after 18 months. Sorry if I offended anyone purchasing new. I have seen a lot of the used vehicles having a buyback / lemion title. It seems like 15-20% are buybacks. This scares me. Along with buybacks, it seems most of these vehicles have 5000 miles or less. Are these vehicles that bad that owners dont want to drive them? Would love to hear opinions on this.

LAZARU5

I took delivery of a 2023 EQS 450 4Matic SUV in November 2022. I clocked just under 34K miles in ~18 months of ownership. It's a very comfortable SUV and has been pretty much trouble free. Certainly no more issues than any of the previous seven ICE MBs I have owned. I think you will find that many other brands of EVs also have low mileage cars on dealer lots. The cars are not the problem. The reality of the pathetic state of the non-Tesla charging network probably turns off a lot of new EV owners. Significantly less range in Winter months does not help.

Since I take regular road trips, I have frequently charged at public DC charging stations over the last five+ years. The reliability of the non-Tesla chargers is about the same as it was three years ago, but the number of EVs needing to be charged has increased. It's not uncommon to see a lot of red 0/4s on the navigation map these days indicating that the EA stations are fully occupied. I can see how some frustrated owners decide to trade their EVs despite the brutal depreciation hit.

superswiss

What I'm hearing and seeing is that a lot of rideshare drivers have switched to EVs for the lower operating costs and they are hogging public chargers. Pull into a random busy charging station in a metropolitan area and ask each driver. The majority of them are likely rideshare drivers. If you rely on public chargers, that's an issue. The sweet spot for EVs continues to be charging at home, but not everybody can do that. To put in perspective using stats of recent years, the US has 127 million households. According to some other stats I found, 63% of households in the USA have a garage or carport. Of those, 84% use it to park their cars, so that's roughly 50% of households with convenient home charging and another potential 10% who could if they cleared the clutter out of their garage. The average number of cars per household in the USA is 1.9, so 0.5 * 127 million * 1.9 is roughly 120 million vehicles that would rely on public charging if we replaced all current cars with EVs. Currently only 1% of all registered vehicles in the USA are electric. That's different from the 8% market share which is new car sales in a given year, so 0.01 * 120 million is roughly 1.2 million EVs relying on public charging if we assume that they are evenly spread among households. In reality, most people who buy EVs and are happy with them can charge at home. Just a bit of a fun numbers experiment, but perhaps it sheds some light on the challenges facing the charging infrastructure and we haven't even scratched the surface with only 1% of the active registered fleet in the USA being electric.

SW20S

If I couldn't charge at home I would not even consider an EV

LasVegas_89135

^ THIS ^

I've owned EV's since 2017 and if anyone asks, I tell them that if you have home charging capability and don't take frequent out of town trips, then EV's are the best. If you are going to rely on public chargers, then do not buy one.

MB37

Regarding public chargers, they can increase in price per KWH any time they want to and hold you hostage because you are dependent on them. At lease a time, I lock in my electric rates from 12 months to 60 months, and it is still cheaper per kwh than public chargers.

Regarding buybacks and low mileage, I would keep it simple and steer clear of buybacks unless the price is very tempting , and you can trace back to the cause of the buyback. These cars are low mileage compared to Tesla Model 3 and the likes because the people buying these cars are typically wealthy. 40K depreciation in a few months does not account for much when you live in a 10K-20K SF house on 3 acres and have a bunch of other horses in the stable. Those are the low miles cars you want to buy since other people have taken the depreciation for you and changed their minds. You, on the other hands, wills till experience depreciation but at the level you are comfortable with.

GrayA

I will recommend EVs to those who can charge at home even if they road trip often, but only ones that are able to use Tesla superchargers (currently Fords and Rivians).

SW20S

This is the big one for me, on my trip I take often opening up the Tesla superchargers turns two options to charge along a 340 mile trip into like 9.

GrayA

Mercedes announced "2024" for NACS adapters, but don't know when in 2024. https://group.mercedes-benz.com/inno...n-of-nacs.html

MB37

If you get an EV now, you are at the chasm of early adopters and early majority in the technology adoption curve. Hence, some hesitations are understandable. Those making the EV move typically has one or two ICE in the garage. The competitive environment now is about eliminating the competition via price wars. As consumers, take advantage of it. Buy used, lease new, or whatever fits your needs. Either way, as long as you carefully evaluate your needs and wants, you'll come out on top with an EV.