I love my BMW i4. Highest ranked electric car by Consumer Reports. And it’s lightning fast and the distance is phenomenal. Prior to this car I’ve owned more combustible BMW’s than I can remember and loved them all. This electric car, however, beats them all!
OT: Electric vehicles
- Thread starter BellyFullOfWhiteDogCrap
- Start date
My 12 year old got one for Christmas. He’s gone 72 miles in just about two days. I took it for a spin on Christmas and started researching one for myself
What is amazing is how many pre teens I see on these now.
And not sure how an adult can call it exercise. Myself, if I got one, I would call it for what it is- a way to enjoy what I used to on a real bike but my knees and back no longer allow me to.
That poster was riding a non-electric, fwiw.
I'm with you personally, but you can definitely call an ebike exercise if you're using it to push yourself in ways you wouldn't with a regular bike. Like if you didn't bike at all or use it to replace car trips.
Just so you know, I've ridden a road bike off and on for more than 40 years. I've always used it as exercise. I never raced at all. I'm 66, and I'm in better condition now than I was in my mid-forties.
As fsng was saying, I think the kids you're talking about riding bikes and not pedaling are riding ebikes and they're not considered road bikes. A road bike is a pedal bike that doesn't have touring geometry and can also be called a racing bike although purists would dispute that. I've had an '84 Bianchi Alloro road bike since it was new and still ride it at 78. It's great exercise and I've never raced it either.
Didn't mean to hijack the EV thread.
could be- I did not read the entire thread and made the assumption that it was part of the EV discussion. My bad
This is what I mean by my previous post. Someone always post stuff like “Tesla finally cracks FSD” when there is a new release. I’m sure it’s a big upgrade (otherwise they wouldn’t release it). But, is it FSD? Most likely not.
Agree. For EVs, the issue is range. Not sure it will ever be solved.
the way technology is improving , I would guess range problems will be solved .
Solid state batteries will improve range and as they are improved , expect range top improve with it.
Charging stations will become more available and might just start showing up in gas stations, if the EV market makes that a worthwhile addition.
Also home charging units prices will go down as new technology makes building them for home use less expensive and instillation mush easier so price of installing unit won't hurt too much..
The main question will be the cost of charging units, with the way energy prices are rising .
But maybe used with a solar power system at home might cut costs down
EV development basically depends on the type of investment put into improving EV technology if improved range will be obtained so buying an EV would be considered a good idea,
Right now ,I would say buying an EV might be nice for a second car, but for now >gas rules the road.
Neat sound bite, but about as hideously and irresponsibly incorrect as anything ever typed on the internet, purposely or accidentally.
So, so false. Since late 90's, prices have dropped, range has increased, charging is faster, longevity has increased and they're lighter in weight. Like comparing earliest cell phones to what we have today.
Yeah, not much happened in 2025.
Solid-state batteries:
- Mercedes-Benz conducted road tests of prototype solid-state packs, targeting over 620 miles (1,000 km) of range.
- Factorial Energy's lithium-metal solid-state cells powered a modified Mercedes EQS to over 745 miles (1,200 km) on a single charge in testing, with the company going public and aiming for commercial availability by 2027.
- Other players like Toyota, BMW, and QuantumScape advanced prototypes, with some demonstrating high energy densities (up to 500+ Wh/kg in labs) and ultra-fast charging (e.g., 10-80% in under 15 minutes).
- CATL launched its Naxtra brand, achieving the world's first sodium-ion battery to pass China's new EV safety certification (GB 38031-2025).
- It offers 175 Wh/kg energy density (comparable to LFP), over 500 km range in passenger EVs, excellent cold-weather performance (-40°C), and plans for large-scale deployment in 2026 across passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and storage.
- Companies like HiNa and BYD also advanced production, positioning sodium-ion for budget EVs and reducing lithium dependency.
- Energy densities rose in production packs, with some exceeding 300 Wh/kg.
- LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) expanded in Western markets (e.g., GM and Ford planning U.S. adoption), offering longer life and lower costs.
- Breakthroughs included lithium-metal anodes (e.g., KAIST/LG Energy Solution prototype for ~500 miles range and 12-minute charging) and lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) chemistries for better range at LFP-like prices.
- Pack prices fell toward $115/kWh (with projections under $80/kWh by 2030), driven by manufacturing efficiencies and material innovations.
- Faster charging became more practical, with some packs supporting 80% charge in 10-20 minutes via advanced thermal management and high-power designs.
- Sustainability efforts included better recycling and reduced cobalt/nickel use.
2026 off to a slow start, too:Yeah, not much happened in 2025.
Solid-state batteries:
Sodium-ion technology advanced as a cheaper, more abundant alternative to lithium-ion:
- Mercedes-Benz conducted road tests of prototype solid-state packs, targeting over 620 miles (1,000 km) of range.
- Factorial Energy's lithium-metal solid-state cells powered a modified Mercedes EQS to over 745 miles (1,200 km) on a single charge in testing, with the company going public and aiming for commercial availability by 2027.
- Other players like Toyota, BMW, and QuantumScape advanced prototypes, with some demonstrating high energy densities (up to 500+ Wh/kg in labs) and ultra-fast charging (e.g., 10-80% in under 15 minutes).
Conventional lithium-ion batteries continued evolving:
- CATL launched its Naxtra brand, achieving the world's first sodium-ion battery to pass China's new EV safety certification (GB 38031-2025).
- It offers 175 Wh/kg energy density (comparable to LFP), over 500 km range in passenger EVs, excellent cold-weather performance (-40°C), and plans for large-scale deployment in 2026 across passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and storage.
- Companies like HiNa and BYD also advanced production, positioning sodium-ion for budget EVs and reducing lithium dependency.
Also:
- Energy densities rose in production packs, with some exceeding 300 Wh/kg.
- LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) expanded in Western markets (e.g., GM and Ford planning U.S. adoption), offering longer life and lower costs.
- Breakthroughs included lithium-metal anodes (e.g., KAIST/LG Energy Solution prototype for ~500 miles range and 12-minute charging) and lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) chemistries for better range at LFP-like prices.
- Pack prices fell toward $115/kWh (with projections under $80/kWh by 2030), driven by manufacturing efficiencies and material innovations.
- Faster charging became more practical, with some packs supporting 80% charge in 10-20 minutes via advanced thermal management and high-power designs.
- Sustainability efforts included better recycling and reduced cobalt/nickel use.
World's 1st Production Solid-State Battery! - CleanTechnica
Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe. A small company in Finland, Donutlabs, has announced the world’s first production solid-state battery. The batteries are rated at 400 Wh/kg. Verge Motorcycles has incorporated Donutlabs’ true solid-state battery (SSB)...
cleantechnica.com