EV pickup range while towing

[mgk920]

What will the expected general rate posted on the signs for energy at these stations (ie, USAdollars per joule in 2022-01-01 money) be?

Mike

[ethanhopkin14]

This whole thread is a lot to digest, but one thing that is most striking to me about it:  lots of people debating the merits of EVs, but a dearth of input from people who own or drive EVs.  This technology is moving fast, and some of the opinions I am seeing people share here about range and charging speed make me think that your point of reference is a 2011 Nissan Leaf or an old GM EV1.  I'd like to share my own personal experience and observations as an EV owner that may help clear up some of these misconceptions.

First off, with regards the electric pickup trucks originally referred to in this thread:  the technology and infrastructure are not there yet for out-of-town towing.  I still have an ICE pickup truck that I use to tow my boat because I do take it to several lakes that are a 100-200 mile round-trip from my house.  I would not want to try to tow my boat to Lake Tahoe or Lake Berryessa with a Lightning or an R1T, even with the largest battery option, because I am unconvinced I could make the trip without having to stop and charge midway with a trailer attached.  There are not enough pull-through charging stations out there, and I would not want to have to unhitch a trailer to charge.  IMHO, we are about 5-10 years away from the combination of having pickups with enough range, and enough pull-through charging stations for me to consider replacing my ICE pickup.

I have also owned, over the past several years, a Tesla Model S, Model 3, and Model Y.  Our family uses the Model Y as our primary mode of transport.  It recharges every night in our garage, and although advertised at 300+ mile range, realistically gets closer to 250 when you drive like a normal human.  For most days, that range is all we need and don't need to plug in again until we get home that night, even when taking a day trip to more distant places 100+ miles away.

Road trips are a piece of cake also, we have taken 1000+ miles trips, and the navigation in the car does a great job of telling you where you need to stop and charge.  Tesla has built out an excellent charging network over the past 10 years, and it certainly does have gaps, but I have yet to encounter a trip I did not feel comfortable making due to a lack of chargers.  Do we have to stop more often than we did in an ICE vehicle?  Yes.  At my typical interstate driving speeds of 80-85 MPH, I'm stopping about every 2 hours.  In my younger days, I would have scoffed at that preferring to only stop maybe every 3-4 hours when I needed gas.  I'm in my 40's now, and I appreciate being able to stretch my legs a little more often.  Our average charging stop on a trip like that is about 20-30 minutes.  Longer than the ~5 minute fill-up at a gas pump, sure...  but if you factor in taking a bathroom break or grabbing food, the difference diminishes.

So do EVs require you to stop more often and for longer on a long road trip?  Yes.  But, on road trips that I have done my entire life, such as from the Bay Area to San Diego or Phoenix, taking the trip in an EV vs an ICE vehicle has not added that much additional travel time.  I find that traffic or weather conditions along the way make a much bigger difference than how many times I had to stop.

If I lived in a place that does not provide somewhere to charge a car, or frequently traveled to or through remote off-grid areas, I probably would not have decided to purchase an EV.

I am a suburban homeowner who rarely has to travel more than 250 miles in a day, in fact most days I drive less than 100 miles in a day.  The number of other Americans who would describe themselves the same ways is probably a majority of the population at this point. An EV is an ideal choice in a case like mine. I did not choose to own an EV for environmental reasons, my decision was purely economic. Gas has always been expensive where I live, and I have solar panels so the electricity at home home is essentially free (the cost of panels will have paid for themselves by 2024). Obviously YMMV (quite literally).

I appreciate this insight and you have opened my eyes to a lot of realities about having an electric car.  I still think they are a great idea and are all for them.  I just don't want the ban on gas powered vehicles is all.  If I can go to Home Depot and choose between an electric weed eater or a gas powered one, why can't we do the same thing with cars?

[SEWIGuy]

This whole thread is a lot to digest, but one thing that is most striking to me about it:  lots of people debating the merits of EVs, but a dearth of input from people who own or drive EVs.  This technology is moving fast, and some of the opinions I am seeing people share here about range and charging speed make me think that your point of reference is a 2011 Nissan Leaf or an old GM EV1.  I'd like to share my own personal experience and observations as an EV owner that may help clear up some of these misconceptions.

First off, with regards the electric pickup trucks originally referred to in this thread:  the technology and infrastructure are not there yet for out-of-town towing.  I still have an ICE pickup truck that I use to tow my boat because I do take it to several lakes that are a 100-200 mile round-trip from my house.  I would not want to try to tow my boat to Lake Tahoe or Lake Berryessa with a Lightning or an R1T, even with the largest battery option, because I am unconvinced I could make the trip without having to stop and charge midway with a trailer attached.  There are not enough pull-through charging stations out there, and I would not want to have to unhitch a trailer to charge.  IMHO, we are about 5-10 years away from the combination of having pickups with enough range, and enough pull-through charging stations for me to consider replacing my ICE pickup.

I have also owned, over the past several years, a Tesla Model S, Model 3, and Model Y.  Our family uses the Model Y as our primary mode of transport.  It recharges every night in our garage, and although advertised at 300+ mile range, realistically gets closer to 250 when you drive like a normal human.  For most days, that range is all we need and don't need to plug in again until we get home that night, even when taking a day trip to more distant places 100+ miles away.

Road trips are a piece of cake also, we have taken 1000+ miles trips, and the navigation in the car does a great job of telling you where you need to stop and charge.  Tesla has built out an excellent charging network over the past 10 years, and it certainly does have gaps, but I have yet to encounter a trip I did not feel comfortable making due to a lack of chargers.  Do we have to stop more often than we did in an ICE vehicle?  Yes.  At my typical interstate driving speeds of 80-85 MPH, I'm stopping about every 2 hours.  In my younger days, I would have scoffed at that preferring to only stop maybe every 3-4 hours when I needed gas.  I'm in my 40's now, and I appreciate being able to stretch my legs a little more often.  Our average charging stop on a trip like that is about 20-30 minutes.  Longer than the ~5 minute fill-up at a gas pump, sure...  but if you factor in taking a bathroom break or grabbing food, the difference diminishes.

So do EVs require you to stop more often and for longer on a long road trip?  Yes.  But, on road trips that I have done my entire life, such as from the Bay Area to San Diego or Phoenix, taking the trip in an EV vs an ICE vehicle has not added that much additional travel time.  I find that traffic or weather conditions along the way make a much bigger difference than how many times I had to stop.

If I lived in a place that does not provide somewhere to charge a car, or frequently traveled to or through remote off-grid areas, I probably would not have decided to purchase an EV.

I am a suburban homeowner who rarely has to travel more than 250 miles in a day, in fact most days I drive less than 100 miles in a day.  The number of other Americans who would describe themselves the same ways is probably a majority of the population at this point. An EV is an ideal choice in a case like mine. I did not choose to own an EV for environmental reasons, my decision was purely economic. Gas has always been expensive where I live, and I have solar panels so the electricity at home home is essentially free (the cost of panels will have paid for themselves by 2024). Obviously YMMV (quite literally).

I appreciate this insight and you have opened my eyes to a lot of realities about having an electric car.  I still think they are a great idea and are all for them.  I just don't want the ban on gas powered vehicles is all.  If I can go to Home Depot and choose between an electric weed eater or a gas powered one, why can't we do the same thing with cars?

Don't worry. There won't be a ban on gas powered vehicles any time soon - if ever. Economics remain undefeated, and until those start making better sense for the majority of Americans, gas vehicles will continue to exist.

[jeffandnicole]

This whole thread is a lot to digest, but one thing that is most striking to me about it:  lots of people debating the merits of EVs, but a dearth of input from people who own or drive EVs.  This technology is moving fast, and some of the opinions I am seeing people share here about range and charging speed make me think that your point of reference is a 2011 Nissan Leaf or an old GM EV1.  I'd like to share my own personal experience and observations as an EV owner that may help clear up some of these misconceptions.

First off, with regards the electric pickup trucks originally referred to in this thread:  the technology and infrastructure are not there yet for out-of-town towing.  I still have an ICE pickup truck that I use to tow my boat because I do take it to several lakes that are a 100-200 mile round-trip from my house.  I would not want to try to tow my boat to Lake Tahoe or Lake Berryessa with a Lightning or an R1T, even with the largest battery option, because I am unconvinced I could make the trip without having to stop and charge midway with a trailer attached.  There are not enough pull-through charging stations out there, and I would not want to have to unhitch a trailer to charge.  IMHO, we are about 5-10 years away from the combination of having pickups with enough range, and enough pull-through charging stations for me to consider replacing my ICE pickup.

I have also owned, over the past several years, a Tesla Model S, Model 3, and Model Y.  Our family uses the Model Y as our primary mode of transport.  It recharges every night in our garage, and although advertised at 300+ mile range, realistically gets closer to 250 when you drive like a normal human.  For most days, that range is all we need and don't need to plug in again until we get home that night, even when taking a day trip to more distant places 100+ miles away.

Road trips are a piece of cake also, we have taken 1000+ miles trips, and the navigation in the car does a great job of telling you where you need to stop and charge.  Tesla has built out an excellent charging network over the past 10 years, and it certainly does have gaps, but I have yet to encounter a trip I did not feel comfortable making due to a lack of chargers.  Do we have to stop more often than we did in an ICE vehicle?  Yes.  At my typical interstate driving speeds of 80-85 MPH, I'm stopping about every 2 hours.  In my younger days, I would have scoffed at that preferring to only stop maybe every 3-4 hours when I needed gas.  I'm in my 40's now, and I appreciate being able to stretch my legs a little more often.  Our average charging stop on a trip like that is about 20-30 minutes.  Longer than the ~5 minute fill-up at a gas pump, sure...  but if you factor in taking a bathroom break or grabbing food, the difference diminishes.

So do EVs require you to stop more often and for longer on a long road trip?  Yes.  But, on road trips that I have done my entire life, such as from the Bay Area to San Diego or Phoenix, taking the trip in an EV vs an ICE vehicle has not added that much additional travel time.  I find that traffic or weather conditions along the way make a much bigger difference than how many times I had to stop.

If I lived in a place that does not provide somewhere to charge a car, or frequently traveled to or through remote off-grid areas, I probably would not have decided to purchase an EV.

I am a suburban homeowner who rarely has to travel more than 250 miles in a day, in fact most days I drive less than 100 miles in a day.  The number of other Americans who would describe themselves the same ways is probably a majority of the population at this point. An EV is an ideal choice in a case like mine. I did not choose to own an EV for environmental reasons, my decision was purely economic. Gas has always been expensive where I live, and I have solar panels so the electricity at home home is essentially free (the cost of panels will have paid for themselves by 2024). Obviously YMMV (quite literally).

I appreciate this insight and you have opened my eyes to a lot of realities about having an electric car.  I still think they are a great idea and are all for them.  I just don't want the ban on gas powered vehicles is all.  If I can go to Home Depot and choose between an electric weed eater or a gas powered one, why can't we do the same thing with cars?

Huh?

You still can. Most states aren't banning them, at least yet.

For your weed eater, CA is banning them in 2024. Other states are considering similar bills.

[skluth]

They can also be charged while shopping or when visiting attractions from Disney to museums.

How many parking spots at your local Kroger or Walmart have an EV charger? How many at the mall or warehouse store? How many parking spots at Disney have an EV charger?

The best we can say right now is that public EV chargers exist, but they are not ubiquitous. Neither are they available in sufficient quantities to service the public if/when EV's become a significant proportion of the vehicle fleet (let alone when ICE vehicles are banned).

A story in the Detroit News about an EV RV:
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2022/07/14/van-life-goes-electric-rv-makers-race-lure-millennials/10038691002/ 
120 miles. Yeah, that's going to get you a long way toward your campsite in Yellowstone.

There are no EV chargers at my local Walmart or Kroger, though there is one across the street from my local Kroger. There are also chargers at the Palm Springs Art Museum, (several) in the PS downtown parking structure, at a couple other parking lots downtown, downtown Palm Desert (the other major downtown in the Coachella Valley), the local Westfield mall, at several local hotels and most casinos, the nearby outlet mall in Cabazon, and even at the Walmart in Palm Desert. There are also EV chargers at the local minor league ball park, the tram to Mount San Jacinto, a couple local libraries, and the city hall of conservative Rancho Mirage. EVs are more popular here than much of the country, but I don't think it will take long before the rest of the populated parts of the country are as covered.

As far as towing and RVs go, I don't think anyone here is arguing that EVs are ready for those purposes yet so if that's your argument, you're not disagreeing with anyone.

[SEWIGuy]

And why would a significant number of people need a charger at the local Kroger or Wal-Mart? Most people live a few miles from either, and drive locally to get to both.  People likely just charge up at home.

[jamess]

If I can go to Home Depot and choose between an electric weed eater or a gas powered one, why can't we do the same thing with cars?

Interesting example, since gas powered lawn equipment is being banned left and right. They create a huge amount of local pollution and everyone hates the noise.

[tradephoric]

So do EVs require you to stop more often and for longer on a long road trip?  Yes.  But, on road trips that I have done my entire life, such as from the Bay Area to San Diego or Phoenix, taking the trip in an EV vs an ICE vehicle has not added that much additional travel time.  I find that traffic or weather conditions along the way make a much bigger difference than how many times I had to stop.

The EV cannonball run record is over 16 hours slower than the ICE cannonball run record (42 hours and 17 minutes VS. 25 hours 39 minutes).   ICE drivers have modified their vehicles to achieve the cannonball run record (increasing their gas tank size to reduce the number of stops) so it should be possible to shatter the EV cannonball run record if you find a way where you don't have to wait on charging (battery swap).  Now some would say that's cheating but you are still driving across the country in an EV.

[ethanhopkin14]

If I can go to Home Depot and choose between an electric weed eater or a gas powered one, why can't we do the same thing with cars?

Interesting example, since gas powered lawn equipment is being banned left and right. They create a huge amount of local pollution and everyone hates the noise.

A) Those bans haven't even been talked about where I live and B) swap it out with whatever.  Generator, power washer.  Same point.  I am saying let there be two options.

I own an electric mower, weed eater and power washer. 

[SectorZ]

If I can go to Home Depot and choose between an electric weed eater or a gas powered one, why can't we do the same thing with cars?

Interesting example, since gas powered lawn equipment is being banned left and right. They create a huge amount of local pollution and everyone hates the noise.

A) Those bans haven't even been talked about where I live and B) swap it out with whatever.  Generator, power washer.  Same point.  I am saying let there be two options.

I own an electric mower, weed eater and power washer.

How's that electric powered generator going to work?

[GaryV]

They can also be charged while shopping or when visiting attractions from Disney to museums.

How many parking spots at your local Kroger or Walmart have an EV charger? How many at the mall or warehouse store? How many parking spots at Disney have an EV charger?

The best we can say right now is that public EV chargers exist, but they are not ubiquitous. Neither are they available in sufficient quantities to service the public if/when EV's become a significant proportion of the vehicle fleet (let alone when ICE vehicles are banned).

A story in the Detroit News about an EV RV:
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2022/07/14/van-life-goes-electric-rv-makers-race-lure-millennials/10038691002/ 
120 miles. Yeah, that's going to get you a long way toward your campsite in Yellowstone.

There are no EV chargers at my local Walmart or Kroger, though there is one across the street from my local Kroger. There are also chargers at the Palm Springs Art Museum, (several) in the PS downtown parking structure, at a couple other parking lots downtown, downtown Palm Desert (the other major downtown in the Coachella Valley), the local Westfield mall, at several local hotels and most casinos, the nearby outlet mall in Cabazon, and even at the Walmart in Palm Desert. There are also EV chargers at the local minor league ball park, the tram to Mount San Jacinto, a couple local libraries, and the city hall of conservative Rancho Mirage. EVs are more popular here than much of the country, but I don't think it will take long before the rest of the populated parts of the country are as covered.

As far as towing and RVs go, I don't think anyone here is arguing that EVs are ready for those purposes yet so if that's your argument, you're not disagreeing with anyone.

You made the statement that vehicles could be charged when shopping or visiting attractions.

My point was that, in public parking facilities like that, an EV charger is more of a show-off novelty today. "Look how environmentally conscious we're being, we've installed chargers." When there might be 2 slots. If a majority, or even a significant minority, of vehicles become EV, there won't be enough capacity at stores and attractions to charge those who want to use them.

That's for regular transportation - cars, SUV's, pickups, etc. I'm not even talking about vehicles towing RV's or motorhomes.

[jdbx]

So do EVs require you to stop more often and for longer on a long road trip?  Yes.  But, on road trips that I have done my entire life, such as from the Bay Area to San Diego or Phoenix, taking the trip in an EV vs an ICE vehicle has not added that much additional travel time.  I find that traffic or weather conditions along the way make a much bigger difference than how many times I had to stop.

The EV cannonball run record is over 16 hours slower than the ICE cannonball run record (42 hours and 17 minutes VS. 25 hours 39 minutes).   ICE drivers have modified their vehicles to achieve the cannonball run record (increasing their gas tank size to reduce the number of stops) so it should be possible to shatter the EV cannonball run record if you find a way where you don't have to wait on charging (battery swap).  Now some would say that's cheating but you are still driving across the country in an EV.

I have never participated in a cannonball run or modified the fuel capacity of a vehicle, but I can say that a drive to Phoenix from my place, a trip of about 750 miles, has taken about 10-12 hours over the past 20+ years that I have been doing it, whether I'm in an EV or an ICE vehicle.  The biggest variable has always been traffic, construction, and weather in that order.

I think the place where you might notice the biggest difference is medium-length trips...  the trips of 3-6 hours that you normally can accomplish on a single tank of gas, or with only one short stop.  The 3-4 times a year that I take a trip like that are more than compensated for by all of the time the rest of the year driving closer to home that I never need to think about getting gas, or even know what the current price of gas is.

[jdbx]

If I can go to Home Depot and choose between an electric weed eater or a gas powered one, why can't we do the same thing with cars?

Interesting example, since gas powered lawn equipment is being banned left and right. They create a huge amount of local pollution and everyone hates the noise.

A) Those bans haven't even been talked about where I live and B) swap it out with whatever.  Generator, power washer.  Same point.  I am saying let there be two options.

I own an electric mower, weed eater and power washer.

How's that electric powered generator going to work?

They are portable battery packs with an AC inverter built in.  I have a small one that I use when we're camping.  You recharge it when you have power, or they sell solar charging kits also. I think calling it a "generator" is a bit of a stretch, but I believe that's what was implied.

I have a 40V battery electric weed eater and I have found it a lot more reliable and easier to use than the old 2-stroke one I had before it.

[Scott5114]

So do EVs require you to stop more often and for longer on a long road trip?  Yes.  But, on road trips that I have done my entire life, such as from the Bay Area to San Diego or Phoenix, taking the trip in an EV vs an ICE vehicle has not added that much additional travel time.  I find that traffic or weather conditions along the way make a much bigger difference than how many times I had to stop.

The EV cannonball run record is over 16 hours slower than the ICE cannonball run record (42 hours and 17 minutes VS. 25 hours 39 minutes).   ICE drivers have modified their vehicles to achieve the cannonball run record (increasing their gas tank size to reduce the number of stops) so it should be possible to shatter the EV cannonball run record if you find a way where you don't have to wait on charging (battery swap).  Now some would say that's cheating but you are still driving across the country in an EV.

How many Cannonball Runs do you personally do in the average week?

[SectorZ]

So do EVs require you to stop more often and for longer on a long road trip?  Yes.  But, on road trips that I have done my entire life, such as from the Bay Area to San Diego or Phoenix, taking the trip in an EV vs an ICE vehicle has not added that much additional travel time.  I find that traffic or weather conditions along the way make a much bigger difference than how many times I had to stop.

The EV cannonball run record is over 16 hours slower than the ICE cannonball run record (42 hours and 17 minutes VS. 25 hours 39 minutes).   ICE drivers have modified their vehicles to achieve the cannonball run record (increasing their gas tank size to reduce the number of stops) so it should be possible to shatter the EV cannonball run record if you find a way where you don't have to wait on charging (battery swap).  Now some would say that's cheating but you are still driving across the country in an EV.

How many Cannonball Runs do you personally do in the average week?

It's not how many one does, it's how many they want to do and how an EV could inhibit that dream...

[jeffandnicole]

So do EVs require you to stop more often and for longer on a long road trip?  Yes.  But, on road trips that I have done my entire life, such as from the Bay Area to San Diego or Phoenix, taking the trip in an EV vs an ICE vehicle has not added that much additional travel time.  I find that traffic or weather conditions along the way make a much bigger difference than how many times I had to stop.

The EV cannonball run record is over 16 hours slower than the ICE cannonball run record (42 hours and 17 minutes VS. 25 hours 39 minutes).   ICE drivers have modified their vehicles to achieve the cannonball run record (increasing their gas tank size to reduce the number of stops) so it should be possible to shatter the EV cannonball run record if you find a way where you don't have to wait on charging (battery swap).  Now some would say that's cheating but you are still driving across the country in an EV.

The cannonball runs have also been done with gasoline engines that have been updated and improved upon for a hundred years. Modern EVs have been around a decade or so. Really no comparison, and future EVs will have greatly reduced distance times.

[bwana39]

The charging infrastructure network definitely needs work, especially on the non-Tesla side of things. Having to circle around to find working chargers on a few road trips with my friend in their EV is annoying and cumbersome when we we want to go somewhere more remote than the Interstates, so I can't imagine trying to rely on it for something more substantial.

No current electric pickup owner is going to tow for any significant distances. They'll use it to go back and forth to their office complex, posing as a fake cowboy on their way back to their suburban tract.

Plenty of diesel-guzzling pickups are treated just the same. 

Not every station has diesel, but it is of no comparison. There is Diesel available just about everywhere.

[tradephoric]

The cannonball runs have also been done with gasoline engines that have been updated and improved upon for a hundred years. Modern EVs have been around a decade or so. Really no comparison, and future EVs will have greatly reduced distance times.

The first successful EV in America dates back to 1890 when William Morrison debuted his 6-passenger electrified vehicle capable of top speeds of 14 mph.  A working prototype has been around for over 130 years with the opportunity during that time for people to tinker and improve its design.  Yet after 130 years a production EV struggles to drive over 100 miles between charges when towing a trailer at freeway speeds.  You may think pointing that out is a cheap shot but it's still a fact. 

[Scott5114]

The cannonball runs have also been done with gasoline engines that have been updated and improved upon for a hundred years. Modern EVs have been around a decade or so. Really no comparison, and future EVs will have greatly reduced distance times.

The first successful EV in America dates back to 1890 when William Morrison debuted his 6-passenger electrified vehicle capable of top speeds of 14 mph.  A working prototype has been around for over 130 years with the opportunity during that time for people to tinker and improve its design.  Yet after 130 years a production EV struggles to drive over 100 miles between charges when towing a trailer at freeway speeds.  You may think pointing that out is a cheap shot but it's still a fact. 

And that fact is utterly useless to someone who never tows a trailer at freeway speeds (i.e. most of America).

[Max Rockatansky]

FWIW the last time I hauled a 5,000 trailer was about a decade ago with a Chevy Suburban.  I seem to recall 8-9 MPG was the best I could do at freeway speeds.  The only reason I got semi-acceptable range was due to the 31 gallon gas tank.

[Scott5114]

I've never even owned a vehicle with a trailer hitch. The only time I've driven one was the old beater pickup I learned to drive in, and of course I never drove it with a trailer attached.

[jeffandnicole]

The cannonball runs have also been done with gasoline engines that have been updated and improved upon for a hundred years. Modern EVs have been around a decade or so. Really no comparison, and future EVs will have greatly reduced distance times.

The first successful EV in America dates back to 1890 when William Morrison debuted his 6-passenger electrified vehicle capable of top speeds of 14 mph.  A working prototype has been around for over 130 years with the opportunity during that time for people to tinker and improve its design.  Yet after 130 years a production EV struggles to drive over 100 miles between charges when towing a trailer at freeway speeds.  You may think pointing that out is a cheap shot but it's still a fact. 

Of course it's a cheap shot. Something else came along to power vehicles and that became the standard. Nothing unusual about that whatsoever. Standards change over time, and things improve.

[mgk920]

Diesel pickup trucks are very fuel efficient compared to gasoline fueled ones in heavy use.   BTW, the main difference between retail 'auto' diesel fuel pumps and the ones intended for CDL  trucks is the rate at which there are set to deliver fuel.

Mike

[Max Rockatansky]

Diesel pickup trucks are very fuel efficient compared to gasoline fueled ones in heavy use.   BTW, the main difference between retail 'auto' diesel fuel pumps and the ones intended for CDL  trucks is the rate at which there are set to deliver fuel.

Mike

Certainly helps they achieve max torque at way lower RPMs than gasoline engines.

[tradephoric]

The cannonball runs have also been done with gasoline engines that have been updated and improved upon for a hundred years. Modern EVs have been around a decade or so. Really no comparison, and future EVs will have greatly reduced distance times.

The first successful EV in America dates back to 1890 when William Morrison debuted his 6-passenger electrified vehicle capable of top speeds of 14 mph.  A working prototype has been around for over 130 years with the opportunity during that time for people to tinker and improve its design.  Yet after 130 years a production EV struggles to drive over 100 miles between charges when towing a trailer at freeway speeds.  You may think pointing that out is a cheap shot but it's still a fact. 

Of course it's a cheap shot. Something else came along to power vehicles and that became the standard. Nothing unusual about that whatsoever. Standards change over time, and things improve.

So 130 years from now... when you are 177 years old... will they finally be able to push that range up to at least 200 miles between charges when towing a trailer?  I guess it won't matter to you by that point.