Did you look at the website? They are launching in Norway
There is a live uodate on it showing their total progress. There is currently 733 power swap stations and 564 power charger stations already in place as of this posting
Rivian R1S vs LC thoughts?
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There is a live uodate on it showing their total progress. There is currently 733 power swap stations and 564 power charger stations already in place as of this posting
Just ordered a new car for my wife. She spent last Thursday test driving a few small suvs for a runaround vehicle. Our local dealership had a model Y and model S for sale. Oddly, they were both grey with black wheels, but it looked pretty good in that combo. My wife immediately disliked the Model Y saying it looks like an egg. She sat in both for a couple minutes, said it was to bland and the seats were not very comfortable. I was kinda hoping she’d like the model s because it would be kinda cool to see what it’s actually like to own an EV. We had a loaner Platinum Highlander for a couple days and she really disliked how cheap the interior was…plastic everywhere, uncomfortable seats, not a fan of the digital mirror(huge blind spots when off),so on and so on. I really tried to get her to test drive an RX and GX but she couldn’t get past the front end. 
Last stop, BMW. They had a new M40i on the showroom floor that a customer was coming into buy but they called and asked if we could sit in it. The customer said we could test drive(love Knoxville people,easy going). It took her 2mins to say that’s the car for her. Should arrive in 3mo. 
Last stop, BMW. They had a new M40i on the showroom floor that a customer was coming into buy but they called and asked if we could sit in it. The customer said we could test drive(love Knoxville people,easy going). It took her 2mins to say that’s the car for her. Should arrive in 3mo.
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Just ordered a new car for my wife. She spent last Thursday test driving a few small suvs for a runaround vehicle. Our local dealership had a model Y and model S for sale. Oddly, they were both grey with black wheels, but it looked pretty good in that combo. My wife immediately disliked the Model Y saying it looks like an egg. She sat in both for a couple minutes, said it was to bland and the seats were not very comfortable. I was kinda hoping she’d like the model s because it would be kinda cool to see what it’s actually like to own an EV. We had a loaner Platinum Highlander for a couple days and she really disliked how cheap the interior was…plastic everywhere, uncomfortable seats, not a fan of the digital mirror(huge blind spots when off),so on and so on. I really tried to get her to test drive an RX and GX but she couldn’t get past the front end.
X3 M40i?
If so I don’t blame her. When they released the X3M my dealer friend told me to come check it out as I was trying to get out of my M4. The X3-4-5-6M are mind blowing, the smaller of the bunch being almost directly comparable to the M3. So is the MB GLS63.
Did y’all see any of the BMW EV sedans?
Correct, the X3. I had an ml63s in the past and loved it. She prefers smaller SAV vehicles and wasn’t interested in the “bigger” suv models. The X3 fits her perfect and couldn’t believe how quick that thing is, plus real exhaust tips unlike Audi and some others. We didn’t see any new EVS.
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This is a pretty cool suv EV.
That's a car.
Disclaimer: I’ve got a gas guzzling built LX and a dual motor Model 3. I love them both for different reasons.
I suspect a lot of naysaying here is from those who haven’t experienced EV ownership as it’s still relatively new (although Tesla is been around for a decade) and they are still expensive.
The complexity argument just objectively makes no sense. Conventional cars are so mechanically complex - thousands of moving parts rotating a moving up and down separated by a few microns of oil. I was troubleshooting something with Carista this week and my LX has 32 ECUs and modules - thousands of miles of wire, and hundreds of sensors that turn a mechanical condition into electrical signal.
Like DC motors, none of this is new stuff people. By comparison the mechanical drivetrain of my tesla is a lot simpler. No engine, trans, differentials, drive shafts, or transfer case.
I also think people have on rose colored glasses about their cruisers. Cracking radiators, cam tower leaks, starters fail without warning, diff locks that stick if you don’t exercise them - and finally - abysmal fuel economy. But hey - I still love mine as do you all.
I think it’s possible to embrace EVs including rivian without them being perfect for every use and every user. And also - you can think elon is a douche because he is.
To get back on topic, Here’s what I love about my M3 that make me look forward to an R1S:
I’m perfectly fine adapting my adventure use to suit an EV. In my state I live less than 100 miles from public land - having 200 miles of range off pavement is more than I need. But that’s not true for everyone.
Consumers want them, manufacturers are responding. Only a matter of time.
I suspect a lot of naysaying here is from those who haven’t experienced EV ownership as it’s still relatively new (although Tesla is been around for a decade) and they are still expensive.
The complexity argument just objectively makes no sense. Conventional cars are so mechanically complex - thousands of moving parts rotating a moving up and down separated by a few microns of oil. I was troubleshooting something with Carista this week and my LX has 32 ECUs and modules - thousands of miles of wire, and hundreds of sensors that turn a mechanical condition into electrical signal.
Like DC motors, none of this is new stuff people. By comparison the mechanical drivetrain of my tesla is a lot simpler. No engine, trans, differentials, drive shafts, or transfer case.
I also think people have on rose colored glasses about their cruisers. Cracking radiators, cam tower leaks, starters fail without warning, diff locks that stick if you don’t exercise them - and finally - abysmal fuel economy. But hey - I still love mine as do you all.
I think it’s possible to embrace EVs including rivian without them being perfect for every use and every user. And also - you can think elon is a douche because he is.
To get back on topic, Here’s what I love about my M3 that make me look forward to an R1S:
- Instant, gut punching torque
- Level 2 charging at home. Leaving home everyday with a “full tank” is awesome
- They use almost no energy when not moving - which is great for putting along a trail
- As much as I love the sound of a big v8, the silence is pretty nice
- I don’t have to lock or unlock or start and stop my Tesla. Just get in.
- Not limiting the form factor to engine up front, and moving power to wheels with transfer case and drive shafts.
I’m perfectly fine adapting my adventure use to suit an EV. In my state I live less than 100 miles from public land - having 200 miles of range off pavement is more than I need. But that’s not true for everyone.
Consumers want them, manufacturers are responding. Only a matter of time.
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bloc
SILVER Star
I think you should definitely keep calling your Tesla an M3 if for no other reason than to annoy bmw fans.
Lol I blame the tesla forums for the jargon
M3 = model 3
M3SR = standard range
M3SR+ = standard range plus
M3LR = long range
M3P = performance
All good, but you still can’t take it on an extended camping/over landing off the beaten path. Range and charging time would make it impossible or suck very bad.
For a normal car, tethered to home, or with spare charging time. I’m convinced it’s a good option.
Im not sure why you think that but respect your opinion. Where I live and how we travel would totally work. my pig of an LX needs a drink every 200 miles. Im not exactly untethered to the beaten path but we make it work. Even on extended trips (3-4 days or more) we’ll head back to pavement for food or fuel every few days. Of course not apples to apples - I could carry fuel cans etc.
Depending where you are, the level 3 charging infrastructure may make it no thing to hit pavement and recharge and then head back to the trail. Looking at Rivian’s charging network plans - I believe that is their intention.
One thing I had to wrap my head around with an EV is that with a gas car, stops mean fill up. “Filing up” with an EV is really inconvenient because a fuller battery takes longer to charge. You reduce this time by a) really working the bottom of the battery and b) only charging what you need to get to next stop plus buffer. Part B is what will be hard to adapt to owning a rivian - sometimes when adventuring I have no idea what next stop will be so the urge will be to wait it out and top up the battery instead if minimizing stop time. Again I’m willing to adapt to that others may not. All good
When driving to Dallas from Seattle I stopped every 200 miles because a) not much more range than that and b) 4 human bladders and two restless dogs. When we stopped we usually got out and stretched, walked the dogs and had snacks. Not hard to imagine stretching that to 20 - 40 minutes to add some range at a level 3 charger.
Earlier in this thread I listed 10-20 of trips I’ve done in the past few years. I tried to research whether it would have been possible with electric and for most, it didn’t really seem possible. As charging networks improve this will change, but the time added to charge seems unavoidable. Stopping for 20-40 mins every 200 miles would probably add about 15% to our travel times. On our trips to other western states and Canada we are pulling long driving days, so the added logistics and time are way less than optimal.Im not sure why you think that but respect your opinion. Where I live and how we travel would totally work. my pig of an LX needs a drink every 200 miles. Im not exactly untethered to the beaten path but we make it work. Even on extended trips (3-4 days or more) we’ll head back to pavement for food or fuel every few days. Of course not apples to apples - I could carry fuel cans etc.
Depending where you are, the level 3 charging infrastructure may make it no thing to hit pavement and recharge and then head back to the trail. Looking at Rivian’s charging network plans - I believe that is their intention.
One thing I had to wrap my head around with an EV is that with a gas car, stops mean fill up. “Filing up” with an EV is really inconvenient because a fuller battery takes longer to charge. You reduce this time by a) really working the bottom of the battery and b) only charging what you need to get to next stop plus buffer. Part B is what will be hard to adapt to owning a rivian - sometimes when adventuring I have no idea what next stop will be so the urge will be to wait it out and top up the battery instead if minimizing stop time. Again I’m willing to adapt to that others may not. All good
When driving to Dallas from Seattle I stopped every 200 miles because a) not much more range than that and b) 4 human bladders and two restless dogs. When we stopped we usually got out and stretched, walked the dogs and had snacks. Not hard to imagine stretching that to 20 - 40 minutes to add some range at a level 3 charger.
Ah yea I read those. For what it’s worth I plotted out our Seattle > DFW trip using a better route planner (popular EV app that tries to minimize charging times) and driving the Tesla would have added 4 hours of stops with longest stops being 40 min.
That sounds like a lot but I don’t think it’s much more than we stopped already with the kids and dogs.
For highway trips it’s not an issue for most but we’ll see how fast rivian can stand up their network for off hwy travel.
Unless you get 10mpg on the highway there's no need to refuel every 200 miles in the LX. Even at 15mpg you can cover well over 300 miles on a tank. EV's have their place but long distance and far removed remote travel aren't it at the moment.
Great thing about many non ev suvs, you can add an LRA and range anxiety on something like the 200 is the past. My 200 range is 450mi. I hate stopping and wasting time when I’m trying to get to my destination. Longest stops are for food only. Otherwise, it’s grab gas, stretch for 15mins. and continue on. Having to find a charging station that may not be located in a convenient spot to grab decent food in walking distance, especially if the weather is bad, seems like it would not make road tripping that much fun. Getting gas is so much more convenient. Hybrids and Evs are definitely the winner as city cars vs ice. Some people might be ok extending road trip drive times, not us. Until they can fully charge under 15mins., no way am I extending unnecessary stops to get to our vacation destination.
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Another factor worth considering is WHERE you stop for that 15 min pee/dog walk/sandwich break. When we're on a road trip, the last place we want to be stopped for any length of time is exactly where you'd normally find EV chargers: right in front of shopping centres. We like to stop on quiet pull outs, perhaps a side FSR, etc., where we can actually relax, find some nature to look at, and some sticks to chew (for the dog). No chargers there, and never will be. This is why it's so important (for us) to be able to "fill up" in 5 mins and GTFO of there.
Tesla (and Flo) superchargers were recently installed in our little city; nestled right between Walmart, Mark's Warehouse, liquor store, Rona, and fast food. Literally the last place I want to spend any significant time. But I do understand why these charges are there. They want tourists shopping, and it's convenient to be able to load up on goods while your car is charging. But that's just not for me.
To be fair, I've done some longer road 1k mile trips (not adventure trips) with my wife's Tesla during Rona. At least in my neck of the woods, the reason for driving the Tesla was partially due to the availability of higher quality stops associated with the charging stations. Many times exclusive stops that were far far higher in quality than the standard gas station stops for the masses with dripping wet and gross restrooms.
Granted, this may not be the case as charging stations become more mainstream. I'm with you that I much prefer to find an interesting away from the masses place to stop. My stock LX570 couldn't do that as stock range had it tied to gas stations. The LRA aux tank, now with 500 mile range finally helped me achieve that. Which is why I'm gung ho about the potential for an EV that also has 500 mile range. I'm frankly not interested in any adventure vehicle that has less than 400 mile range.
400 miles / 24 gallons = 16.67 MPG
I wonder when we will see huge battery tankers that can pull up and top up or charge 4 teslas to full at a remote stop.
While electricity cant be delivered like gas as was pointed out earlier, a giant battery can surely be hauled. Seems like a good service business to me.
I would guess it would be a good venture for next 10 years or so until the charge networks proliferate.
While electricity cant be delivered like gas as was pointed out earlier, a giant battery can surely be hauled. Seems like a good service business to me.
I would guess it would be a good venture for next 10 years or so until the charge networks proliferate.
