‹ BackHN Continuity

Thread

Nissan's third generation e-POWER powertrain

170 points · 462 comments · mroche

  1. Toutouxc · · focus · HN ↗
    I used to like hybrids, and obviously series hybrids are the coolest kind of hybrids, but now that I’m driving a budget EV, I honestly don’t see the point anymore. Just get the EV and skip the awkward half-way step that inherits the most expensive and complicated parts from both designs.

    Seeing a sleek modern car pull away whisper quiet and then start the ICE 3 seconds later with a stutter and a puff of water vapor from underneath is the most schizophrenic sight, it somehow feels more dated than actual ICE cars.

    Unless you live in bumfuck nowhere with expensive electricity, zero solar power and a daily 5 hour commute, an EV will likely work just fine for you.

    1. pseudocomposer · · focus · HN ↗
      I guess you don’t travel by car except for work commutes?

      I’m a few years into PHEV ownership now, and I’m so glad I didn’t get an EV. Just a normal weekend trip to the beach or mountains (200-ish miles from the Triangle of NC either way) would mean I’d have to limit myself to hotels/Airbnbs with a charger. And chargers are VERY sparse everywhere I’ve been.

      With my RAV4 Prime, I get 40-50 miles of EV range, enough that most days I use zero gas. But if I want to hit up the beach or mountains, or take a cross-country trip, or drive up to PA or VA to visit my girlfriend’s family, there’s zero hassle to find a charger. It just reverts to a normal hybrid once you run out of electric-only range (around 20% of the battery’s actual capacity).

      It also performs far better than any EVs or ICEs I’ve seen anywhere close to its price point.

      This “everyone should just have an EV” thing really reads like a modern “let them eat cake.”

      1. boredatoms · · focus · HN ↗
        Im curious how common a 200mile weekend trip actually is. Its been years since Ive driven even 100miles in a single trip
        1. vondur · · focus · HN ↗
          Many other people drive more than you do.
Open on Hacker News to reply ↗

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.