Like the title says, are there any EVs that just have a Bluetooth radio and that’s it? Like a normal car, not a smartphone on wheels? If not, do you all think that this will actually happen at some point? This is the main reason why I can’t (and will never) buy an EV. I like to have actual buttons everywhere on my car. I think those massive tablets on these cars with all the touch buttons are very dangerous. I like an “entertainment system” that only connects to my phone with either a headphone jack of or Bluetooth. It’s a car, not a PC.
If you have an old truck, Edison Motors has preorders for the Pickup Truck conversions. The kit will only have the drive train stuff in it and anything else is not something they’re interested in. They are working with autoshops to do the conversions, so it’s not a DIY thing.
Nice. I don’t have a truck, I was just wondering in case I want to replace my car in the future.
Well, another thing that’s nice about Edison Motors is that they’re the Engineers, Mechanics and End Users for the kits. It all started because they wanted a Tesla Semi Truck to try for their logging company, but got snubbed by Tesla. It should have much higher usability then a truck designed by someone who’s never driven a truck before.
This isn’t like a Prius where the Engine, Electric Motor and Tires are all connected mechanically at some point. The Diesel/Generator unit is only connected to the E-Axle via electrician power. Because the company supported open standards and open documentation, you could just get the e-axle, ESC, and battery pack and build a pure EV around it. They need to focus on a simple product line with the broadest use cases for starting though, so I’m not surprised they aren’t talking about pure EV trucks.
There’s also strong community and wealth of information on swapping EV guts into older cars. You get the benefits of EV without the spyware and info-distractions. These are all custom jobs though, so a cost estimate is impossible. Deboss has a very interesting EV project going on right now. Edison says the total cost of their kits should be around 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of a new truck
I have an old Scottsdale truck I’m eyeing for a Edison conversion. The juxtaposition of a modern diesel/EV hybrid drive train combined with an 80’s square body truck with manual crank windows it too irresistible. All running on biodiesel as well.
eBikes
While an amazing option for city commutes, mine is close to 100km daily. I have no idea if it’s possible to use an e-bike for that, but it would certainly take up even more of my limited free time to do so.
That’s pretty extreme commute, a deeply unsustainable one regardless of the type of power system in your car.
Yup, it is. Unfortunately, I had to endure that for close to a year (I will be assigned somewhere else this summer) and me and my colleagues had to carpool. Public transport would have been the best, but for that route the bus only goes twice a day.
Nevertheless, e-bikes are great if your commute isn’t that long!
So, you want them to sell their house now? Lol
Depends on where you are. In Europe some of the cars that have a shared platform—as in you can get an ICE or EV on the same model—are worth looking at. A bunch of the Stellantis-built stuff, like Peugeot or Vauxhall, are pretty “standard car, but EV”. Similarly Renault has some good options.
I live in the US. I wish we had access to some European cars. I’m originally from the middle East and all those cars you mentioned are there, not in the US for some reason. I remember we had Opel that is nowhere to be found in the US. Same with some Toyota trucks like Helix… Etc
Ah yeah, I feel like there’s better selection here, definitely. I think they sold the Volkswagen e-Golf in the US, no? Not great range but it’s just a Golf for the most part. Not still manufactured though, would have to look used.
I’m not sure. The laws are so fucking weird and stupid in this country.
The old Chevy Sparks are basically golf carts with 4 doors and permission to drive in the roads. They are the least “techy” EVs I’ve seen in person as they are really just a battery swap with the minimally-appointed ICE version of the car, which is very sparse on the electronic doodads.
My Hyundai Ioniq 5 has ample physical buttons on the center console, steering wheel, and door, and a physical door handle that Teslas lack. Sure there is a touch screen (smaller than industry average), but I don’t frequently use it, the buttons outside the screen are enough.
Man, that sounds like a good car. I already like Hyundai cars. I have two kids and I don’t want to be fiddling with touch screens while driving. Shit is scary.
Buy an older ICE car, pay for an EV conversion.
I always liked the idea of converting an old e30 BMW
Nah I’m not knowledgeable on it. I just read that some people were having it done at a cost of $6k-$8k for popular car models that were easy to work on.
If you’re going to go to all the trouble of an EV conversion, I’d suggest getting something stylish or with a nice interior (or whatever you prioritize) but a shitty/unreliable stock drivetrain, since you’re ripping it out anyway. In a sense, making a reliable Honda into an EV is a waste of a reliable Honda.
Also don’t touch our beloved nsx or integra. Unless it’s cooked then go right ahead!👍
Do you really think somebody would pay $300k+ for an NSX and convert it to EV?
I thought the same thing when someone converted a classic 911 into an ev. I mean they probably sold the drivetrain to other people but still.
I have a 2016 Hyundai Tucson that is almost paid off and works flawlessly. I actually never thought of conversion. I’ll have to look into that. Thank you.
Sure thing. I think I read that some had paid between $6-8k for conversions.
If your hate only goes towards touchscreens and not having physical buttons, Mazda is (or at least was) very anti-touchscreen. I haven’t done any research on their current stance or if they have good EVs, but a neighbor of mine was really happy with his Mazda ICE car for having a button for everything.
I have a Mazda (not an EV) and am loyal to the brand because of their dial system. The dial makes it so easy to navigate menus without taking my eyes off the road for long
How Are mazdas? I’ve never even ridden in one, believe it or not. Tell me more, I’m interested. Lol
I have the 2021 Mazda3 Hatchback Premium Plus, so I have all the options (the COVID used car prices were great for when my previous one got totaled, the insurance company really paid out). It was brand new when I bought it. I have very few issues with it.
It’s quick, fun to drive, and feels really premium for not being priced insanely. I personally think it’s comfortable, but if you’re looking for more space, it’s probably not the way to go. For example, the front seats aren’t very usable with a rear-facing car seat in the back. The trunk space is pretty good imo. But I hate large cars in the first place.
I don’t use Android Auto or CarPlay because I enjoy the ease of use of the built-in system. The control scheme uses a dial between the seats where your arm rests, so it’s really easy to keep a hand on the wheel and navigate menus with it. There are also some quick buttons and a volume knob. The software could use a little work because sometimes album art doesn’t show up, but that’s mostly been fixed by changing Bluetooth settings on my phone. I truly don’t think there’s a better way to build a car control system.
I can’t speak on reliability of my own car, but my mom had a CX-5 and it seemed to last a good while without maintenance issues. I’ve personally had no problems so far. I’ve had good luck with Mazda dealership service too and I’ll probably stick with getting maintenance from them just so I can be sure someone who knows how those cars are built is working on it.
If Mazda comes out with an EV that has decent range and doesn’t utilize a touchscreen, I’d for sure get like, the 3rd or 4th generation of it (because 1st and 2nd Gen anything can suck.
That’s awesome. I really appreciate the details. I’ll keep an eye out for them, too. My 2016 Hyundai Tucson still kicks like a champ and I’m not planning on replacing it any time soon. I got the bumper to bumper extended warranty on it when I bought from the dealer and I still have at least 1.5 years left on it. I don’t drive much anyway, as I work from home and only go to the gym, or take the kids around town. That’s about it.
That’s awesome. Never knew that about Mazda.
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Hmmmm, y’all are making me like Mazda. Lol. Anyone likes Mitsubishi around here? Haha
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Digging my Mirage. Low-key cheap, simple display that integrates well w/ phone, and 40+ MPG.
Also easy to paddle shift into “oh fuck” mode, which burns more gas but gets me out of some hairy situations when AC is running.
Would prefer a hybrid, but this is the car the numbers worked out on in a sane way. I tried hypermiling in a Prius 1G (99, I think) on both a KY parkway and I24, and it sorta worked but was a huge PITA as well. Context, US 41 thru Evansville, Parkway, 24. Not terrible for the time at all, but a bit stressful here and there.
2024 has touchscreens now
2024 Mazdas have touchscreens, so much for that analog vision of theirs. And they have just as much telematics and always-connected privacy-invading tech as other makes.
I got a 2022 Hyundai Kona EV. It does have a touch screen, but most functions can be done with buttons, except for navigation. It does have Android auto, but you don’t have to use it. It has an aux port or Bluetooth audio as an option
Second that, we own the non-EV version and the central console is pretty well designed. The car itself has a few ergonomy flaws though imho
Buy an old, used EV (and replace the battery)?
All new cars have infotainment systems and computerized controls and displays these days. This is in no way specific to EVs. In Europe there is the Dacia Spring. That’s a very simple and down to the absolute essentials kind of vehicle. But not something I would ever want to drive.
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I tried an VW ID3 this weekend, the software was low key, it mostly relied on you having Apple Car or it’s android equivalent.
Just rented a KIA Niro and wouldn’t have been able to tell it was an EV from the interior. HSS Bluetooth but I usually opt for Android auto.
