US Cross Country Trailmanor Gas $ problem / solutions

[CelNArt]

The electric tow vehicle for long distance hauling is not quite to the gas standard we enjoy YET.

The 100 mile range and 24 hour charging is not an option that blends well with a US Cross Country trip using my personal copied *Rule of 3-Threes protocol. (300 mile or less distance, 3:00PM or sooner arrival and 3 day camp stay.) I anticipate better battery designs will approximate the advantages we currently enjoy with fossil fuels.

An electric tow vehicle is however fine for 90% of local, (Less than 100 miles) camping trips using the same Rule of 3-Threes protocol. BUT... It ain't cheap.
San Diego, California has high Electric rates $.24/KWH and annual electric cost increases added to the charger purchase and maintenance costs. BUT...
An independent solar charging system might be cost effective over time if you are a DIY kind of guy. I am studying and considering this option.

I hope to acquire an older solar charge and storage system from a rich upgrader! Yes, I look on craigslist.org a lot looking for deals.

As I say. save money, Save Money, SAVE MONEY!

Art of CelNArt

[Larryjb]

Originally Posted by CelNArt

...BUT... An independent solar charging system might be cost effective over time if you are a DIY kind of guy. I am studying and considering this option.
....

You mean this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5v2jRhqq3s

[Stephene1219]

Follow this link to get the weekly gas price average of all states.

In Maine there are price under $4 now. The Giv. just announced the no gas tax will be added to fuel cost through summer which should drop the prices another .15 tp .20 cents.

As someone who has a number of friends with EV's. I can say from discussions with them, at this point EV's would not be a good option for pulling a trailer. If you are using Level 1 charging ( 120V), you are only adding 3 to 5 miles per hour of charging. Most charging stations at rest stops are level 3 fast charging (3 to 20 miles per min), systems. The cost is based on how sat you want to charge. If you use the faster charging level, the cost is not much different that gas.

The following is from a great article from Car & Driver.

"How much does it cost to charge on a Level 3 charger?
Level 3 chargers are operated by private charging networks, and the pricing varies greatly from network to network. Some bill the customer by how long the vehicle is connected to the charger, while others bill by how much energy was dispensed. Charging your EV on a level 3 charger will almost always cost much more than charging at home and can cost 2 to 3 times as much at some locations. At that point, the cost to drive on electricity is nearly the same as the cost to drive using gasoline although with lower total emissions."