EV on

Gaming on the Go - What the Sega Nomad Taught Me About EVs

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 04:15:57 +0000

In my teens, close family friends gave me a [Sega Nomad](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genesis_Nomad) along with several Genesis/Mega Drive games. Up until then, I was only allowed a computer and a GameBoy, so the Nomad—with its colour screen and vast game library—became an instant favourite as I travelled around Europe.

It was a fantastic but little-known device; its biggest flaw was its battery life. Even with the brightness set to its lowest, you’d be lucky to get two hours of playtime. It basically turned into a mobile Genesis with a small TV, forcing me to hunt down cigarette lighters in cars or wall plugs to keep it going. You learned to time your gaming between the 6-AA life and finding a dependable source of electrons.

2 Years on towing with the Lightning

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 04:15:57 +0000

It has been two years since we picked up the Lightning, and I wanted to discuss what has changed. Many of my first posts focused on the present rather than the future. Well, here we are in the future.

I planned a trip from Standish to Duck Creek RV Park in Muskegon. I followed the same process I outlined two years ago:

Plug the destination into the FordPass App and chuckle at the recommendations.
Go to ABRP and see what the recommendations were.
Go to PlugShare and validate the reviews of chargers and the general path.
Look at Google Earth and determine if a trailer can park next to the charger.

I plan my stops with the idea that I can double back (with a trailer) to another alternative. This is probably a byproduct of my aviation background, but I always have a diversion “charger” in play. With that in mind, I planned three stops on our drive and was pleasantly surprised:

Happy Mother's Day - Here is a Tesla

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 04:15:57 +0000

My Dad and I drove to Ohio to pick up the Tesla Model 3, which I had traded for my beloved BMW Z4MC. At the time, buying a Tesla in Michigan was illegal due to the franchise rules. It was bittersweet as we took the road trip to, sight unseen, pick up the vehicle I had purchased online. Alicia and I knew with the impending arrival of our child, the 2 seater would only get a little use in our household. We had batted around getting another BMW, Audi, or Volvo. Still, in the end, I did the math and figured an electric car would be suitable. My transition from aerospace & defence to renewable energy sealed the deal. I already took the risk of changing career fields, so why not take another and switch to an EV in rural Michigan?

Trip to Frankfort with the Lightning

Sat, 18 Jun 2022 04:15:57 +0000

TL;DR

Great test run with the Airstream cut short by a sick kiddo. Stats and thoughts are below!

Solid headwinds and gradual climb = 1mi/kWh on the way there
Downhill with light winds and modified driving habits = 1.4mi/kWh
Charging networks were more than sufficient to get us there and back.
The chargers were positioned so that the truck and trailer could fit.
The winds were so destructive in Cadillac that a buggy took off in the Meijers parking lot and rammed the back of the Airstream…grumble grumble
Ford PR reached out to try and repair our failed navigation system, but alas, nothing. We had to rely solely on Google Maps through Android Auto.
The Pro Trailer system randomly forgot the Airstream after calibrating a few weeks ago and then randomly remembered it when we got home. Fun.
BlueCruise worked with the trailer connected, which seems odd. It was helpful but made me nervous, given the ping-pong between lanes that BlueCruise does. I found myself turning off cruise control to avoid it engaging.

F-150 Lightning towing stats

Mon, 30 May 2022 04:15:57 +0000

TL;DR - Towing my 23fb Airstream with the lightning basically cuts range in half.

I was able to tow the Airstream around 30 miles today and understand how the Lightning does with some weight behind it. The TL;DR is that with a 23-foot Airstream, I am seeing 0.8mi/kWh. Compared to the 1.5-1.8 I have seen on my road trips thus far without the trailer, its around 50% of the range when towing.

BlueCruise, Charging, and Trip Stats

Sat, 28 May 2022 04:15:57 +0000

Charging networks are just as strategic as battery suppliers. Everyone who isn’t Tesla needs to focus on build-out. What we have today is not acceptable to the vast majority of consumers.

Charging Network

Our Tesla, when it sits for a few days, can drop significant battery capacity, so when we pulled up to Mackinaw City, I wanted to be sure we had more than the 70 miles we had. I put into the Ford’s GPS the closest high-speed charger and navigated.

Prep for our first road trip in the F-150 Lightning

Fri, 27 May 2022 04:15:57 +0000

It made big news yesterday, but for the sake of posterity, we are the first F-150 Lightning Owner in the world at this point. The timing was great as we have a long-ish road trip today to visit the beautiful Mackinac Island.

This meant practically moving a car seat, all the junk in the current truck, and getting the suitcase and bikes loaded before the following day. Yippie!

First Charge

At the dealership, I had to sign paperwork stating that I acknowledged that the fast charger would not come for some amount of time. How much time? No idea, but luckily we have the Tesla and Airstream, so we already have a NEMA 14-50 in the garage.