CEO of Dodge announces muscle transition from gas to electric.

[GordoJay]

...But hey it's a feel-good moment for idiots....

And a get-rich moment for the elite...

 

[CruiserClass]

I drive my boo boo bus all over the place. Fairly big response area. Sometimes driving code for 40 minutes just to get there. I just don't see any first responder vehicle being all electric within the next 20 years. Elon would need a big breakthrough first.

There are a few departments in my state already using EVs as patrol cars as an experiment. So far it has not been an issue because they have one car per officer. On departments that 'hot swap' where the oncoming shift takes vehicles from outgoing shifts, there's more of an issue since the car can't charge between shifts. Fewer and fewer departments are doing this, though, as pool cars are both bad for recruitment and they don't last as long as individually assigned cars. Kind of the 'rental car' vs 'my car' attitude and deferring maintenance figuring the next shift will take care of it. It has been limited to very small departments so far, though.

I've worked both very urban and fairly rural law enforcement. EVs would have worked for me for the majority of my career. I seldom put more than 150 miles a day on a car, but idled a lot. With new LED lights and their lower power drain, when a police car is in 'mobile road block' mode, an EV would be ideal. When it's in 'mobile office' mode and needs HVAC running, that'd be more of a draw. Pursuit wise, given our relative density we pursue via radio more than via patrol car. Especially with unmanned aerial surveillance drones, it's a lot safer for both the general motoring public and officers to just keep a moving box around the suspects until they bail. Not as fun as the days of chase them 'til the wheels fall off, but more practical in dense areas. Rural departments obviously will not have the same options and resources.

My department is on the large size, nearly 2,000 sworn officers authorized. We experimented with PHEVs for detectives several years ago. Ultimately the program was not renewed when the leases on the vehicles were up. The issue was not with the vehicles or their usage, it was the fact we have take-home cars combined with the cost of wiring detectives' homes for a charger. Detective gets issued a PHEV, city installs a charger in the detective's home. Then what if the detective was reassigned to the streets? You almost always go back to the street for a year or more when you get promoted to sergeant here, for example, before returning to Invest as a Det-Sgt. Is the charger the detective's property to keep now? What if the detective sells the house? What if the detective lives in an apartment? What if the charger malfunctions? If there's a fire and the charger is a suspect in the cause, is the city responsible since they installed the charger?

 

[Frogger22]

Woodwind, or brass? It makes a difference. Embouchure, tonality, etc. Plus, it is well documented fact that brass instruments are just better than woodwinds. And don’t get me started on concussionists percussionists...

I’m a strings man myself

 

[thatJeepguy]

I don't think we're really disagreeing here. I agree that heavy vehicles aren't good candiates for EV. I do think that the average patrol car stays under 300 miles a day, and woudln't be an issue. But I'm not in law enforcement.

Has nothing to do with milage . Its energy density. A cop car never gets turned off and has to run various electronic detection equipment, hvac, comms , lights . At current state of battery tech id give the average hypothetical EV cop car 3-5 hours max run time in any temps other than 65-74 degrees. In temps above or below would further diminish that rate.

 

[CruiserClass]

Has nothing to do with milage . Its energy density. A cop car never gets turned off and has to run various electronic detection equipment, hvac, comms , lights . At current state of battery tech id give the average hypothetical EV cop car 3-5 hours max run time in any temps other than 65-74 degrees. In temps above or below would further diminish that rate.

That's a broad brush that is far from universal in domestic policing in the US.

 

[BlueOvalF22]

When the lightning didn't budge in a hitch to hitch with a dodge Cummins I think they got the message.

 

[wac45]

When the lightning didn't budge in a hitch to hitch with a dodge Cummins I think they got the message.

I wonder how that would have worked out immediately after both had towed a trailer for 100 miles or so first? JW

 

[TomDirt]

I still think full EV is 10-20 years away. EV prices are still too high to benefit the regular consumer. Infrastructure, range and other factors make it impractical for most.

IIRC VW and Volvo said they were going to fully electric by now.

Nobody is talking about what happens to used ICE vehicles. If these 'lectrics are the only choice for new purchases (and gubmint makes it impossible to operate ICE vehicles), then wtf happens to the trade in value your old truck? Is it just worth it's weight as scrap metal? Because artificially lowering the value of the most common asset Americans own, to fit some fantasy world idea, is insane. But that is exactly what our "leaders" are doing.

 

[thatJeepguy]

Nobody is talking about what happens to used ICE vehicles. If these 'lectrics are the only choice for new purchases (and gubmint makes it impossible to operate ICE vehicles), then wtf happens to the trade in value your old truck? Is it just worth it's weight as scrap metal? Because artificially lowering the value of the most common asset Americans own, to fit some fantasy world idea, is insane. But that is exactly what our "leaders" are doing.

You’ll own nothing and you’ll be happy.

 

[drtibrd]

Nobody is talking about what happens to used ICE vehicles. If these 'lectrics are the only choice for new purchases (and gubmint makes it impossible to operate ICE vehicles), then wtf happens to the trade in value your old truck? Is it just worth it's weight as scrap metal? Because artificially lowering the value of the most common asset Americans own, to fit some fantasy world idea, is insane. But that is exactly what our "leaders" are doing.

Cash for Klunkers part deux