Opinion: Why the Scout nails it for EV Trucks / SUVs: Towing & Long Distance Trips

[Latrant]

It's still very much a thing of the present. You even allude to that with your phrase, "ensuring there are proper fast changing stations in my routes..."
IOW, adjusting your routes if necessary to go by charging stations that you believe will actually work when you get there, and maybe won't require unhooking the trailer if towing. And this still assumes your intended route doesn't take you too far off the beaten path, and that you don't have any last minute minute changes in itinerary too far after the last available charging station.

And now the current admin is immediately taking the 8,000 plugs at federally owned buildings offline and cancelling the 25,000 plugs planned. Some of those may have been accessible now or in the future.

 

[cherrios111]

It's still very much a thing of the present. You even allude to that with your phrase, "ensuring there are proper fast changing stations in my routes..."
IOW, adjusting your routes if necessary to go by charging stations that you believe will actually work when you get there, and maybe won't require unhooking the trailer if towing. And this still assumes your intended route doesn't take you too far off the beaten path, and that you don't have any last minute minute changes in itinerary too far after the last available charging station.

that is truly the charge anxiety talking there

it used to be very stressful with the first trip, but finding certain restaurants, hotels and bars with free charging and I have only crossed one EV station that was in disrepair which was in an area that seems to have a love affair with oil companies.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

It’s broken chargers (dispensers) at the next charging stop anxiety.

The Scouts gas engine takes care of that issue.

 

[Overproof]

Will the Traveller be able to run on gas only and keep up with the charging? If not, then you need to stop for gas as well as stop for charging. I hope it can keep up on gas alone if needed.

 

[quikster]

Will the Traveller be able to run on gas only and keep up with the charging? If not, then you need to stop for gas as well as stop for charging. I hope it can keep up on gas alone if needed.

They have said it could do that. Wouldn’t be much of a benefit to having the generator otherwise.

 

[JesseS]

I have been looking at the AE1 Lightship for switching to a TT after I get my Scout, what a combo that would be!!

 

[Deuce]

I genuinely think the trailers with batteries are really cool....but you're just adding more charge time with each battery so you gotta hope those extra batteries get you to your location and then spend a day or two charging instead of half a day. I want one of those trailers though so that I can be off grid for a long time, not as much to help me get there. They'd be perfect for emergency range though.

 

[quikster]

I genuinely think the trailers with batteries are really cool....but you're just adding more charge time with each battery so you gotta hope those extra batteries get you to your location and then spend a day or two charging instead of half a day. I want one of those trailers though so that I can be off grid for a long time, not as much to help me get there. They'd be perfect for emergency range though.

Yeah I don't think they could currently be charged at most EV chargers as they are too big and you don't want to try to back that into a car spot. When you get where you're going they've said it should be able to charge up slowly at RV hookups + solar in a weekend back to full. I believe one of the interviews I saw even talked about most of the time these RVs just sit there doing nothing so they were trying to look into how you could basically treat it as a battery backup for your house and let your house charge and discharge from it as needed.

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

I have been looking at the AE1 Lightship for switching to a TT after I get my Scout, what a combo that would be!!

There is something sooooo cool about the design:

 

[Mousehunter]

I think they might have bent that nail for towing... Just started watching this video I have not finished it. But at the 5 minute mark they were talking about towing. EV's are 10k for the truck, 7k for the SUV. Then they said with the range extender both will be about 5k. I know that is probably good enough for a lot of people, but taking a 50% towing hit when adding the Harvester was kind of unexpected - especially when people were expecting the Harvester to be the solution for towing with an EV.

Hopefully just a production intent issue - but it did not sound good on the road either. If one of my vehicles whined like that I would expect a major repair job soon. Sadly, that repair job cost me almost $2k. I had it professional regeared, but the Jeep specialty shop did not have time to install my lift - so the next week I had a local custom shop install the lift. They screwed up the angles and that destroyed the new gears in short order.
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Jay mentioned the noise is due to it being a test mule several times. Likewise, on another form Jamie mentioned that the tow capacity is not set in stone. They probably can address some of it with simple software and expectations. It might be caused by requiring "Steady State" at 70mph. When towing, it will be needing a LOT more power to maintain 70mph - so it will be draining the battery. It might still give decent range while towing, but it will be requiring charging during the trip as well as gas. The other option is shoehorning a larger motor in - but that will also effect the range if the motor is less efficient during normal operations.

 

[Bkenyon53]

I think they might have bent that nail for towing... Just started watching this video I have not finished it. But at the 5 minute mark they were talking about towing. EV's are 10k for the truck, 7k for the SUV. Then they said with the range extender both will be about 5k. I know that is probably good enough for a lot of people, but taking a 50% towing hit when adding the Harvester was kind of unexpected - especially when people were expecting the Harvester to be the solution for towing with an EV.

Hopefully just a production intent issue - but it did not sound good on the road either. If one of my vehicles whined like that I would expect a major repair job soon. Sadly, that repair job cost me almost $2k. I had it professional regeared, but the Jeep specialty shop did not have time to install my lift - so the next week I had a local custom shop install the lift. They screwed up the angles and that destroyed the new gears in short order.
----
Jay mentioned the noise is due to it being a test mule several times. Likewise, on another form Jamie mentioned that the tow capacity is not set in stone. They probably can address some of it with simple software and expectations. It might be caused by requiring "Steady State" at 70mph. When towing, it will be needing a LOT more power to maintain 70mph - so it will be draining the battery. It might still give decent range while towing, but it will be requiring charging during the trip as well as gas. The other option is shoehorning a larger motor in - but that will also effect the range if the motor is less efficient during normal operations.

I believe the concept Traveler only has enough power to move it from location to location. He mentioned driving 15mph and that was probably at it's max. (I wouldn't call that one a test mule...the test mules are out but most likely masked with different bodies).

 

[AJ Lee]

5000 lb towing for hybrid… That is not going to work… you need to get the number up to over 8k

 

[Dive Bar Casanova]

Yeah I don't think they could currently be charged at most EV chargers as they are too big and you don't want to try to back that into a car spot. When you get where you're going they've said it should be able to charge up slowly at RV hookups + solar in a weekend back to full. I believe one of the interviews I saw even talked about most of the time these RVs just sit there doing nothing so they were trying to look into how you could basically treat it as a battery backup for your house and let your house charge and discharge from it as needed.

We frequent RV parks and "No EV Charging" Signs are now very common at the entrance.

 

[Mousehunter]

I have noticed some nearby RV parks are putting EV chargers in the front - so they can handle road traffic, plus provide charging for residents. Honestly, have not stopped at any so really don't know what level chargers they put in.

 

[itsrixter]

Well that Jay Leno video indicating a 5K towing capacity is a shock. I don't quite understand why towing is reduced so much with EREV. The smaller battery was to offset both the space and weight of the generator so why is the towing capacity significantly reduced?
In my situation, the 5K lbs towing will still work on day one, but when I get a boat, it won't work. I don't believe the RAM Charger has those constraints