Poll- What have you Reserved... Let's get a small idea of the take rates.

[J Alynn]

When you put it that way, the BEV option sounds more appealing. Is the level 2 charger something that I would order through Scout, or are there other places to buy them? This will be my first EV so I'm not familiar with the charging systems.

I only offer as my wife and I are newbies and she was very hesitant to try EV. I found a deal with Lexus (which she had been wanting a Lexus-to be fair, she works hard, earned plenty but never treats herself) so she agreed slightly reluctantly to try it and 6 months in she will never go back. There is anxiety initially but it fades in a few weeks-once you understand the daily/weekly process it becomes second nature and so easy. We pull in the garage, walk to passenger side and plug in the trickle charger and it’s that simple-instant “fuel”. With a level 2 charger investment (if you choose) it is even faster to fill up, so to speak. We will go to a level 2 charger when we get the Scout but until then she’s content just trickle charging. Ultimately you have to do what is right for you, but if fear of unknown is the hesitation-I encourage you to take a leap of faith. So long as you have charging infrastructure and aren’t in the vast void of the Midwest you will be very satisfied and also save a lot of money too

 

[luke.a.johnson44]

I only offer as my wife and I are newbies and she was very hesitant to try EV. I found a deal with Lexus (which she had been wanting a Lexus-to be fair, she works hard, earned plenty but never treats herself) so she agreed slightly reluctantly to try it and 6 months in she will never go back. There is anxiety initially but it fades in a few weeks-once you understand the daily/weekly process it becomes second nature and so easy. We pull in the garage, walk to passenger side and plug in the trickle charger and it’s that simple-instant “fuel”. With a level 2 charger investment (if you choose) it is even faster to fill up, so to speak. We will go to a level 2 charger when we get the Scout but until then she’s content just trickle charging. Ultimately you have to do what is right for you, but if fear of unknown is the hesitation-I encourage you to take a leap of faith. So long as you have charging infrastructure and aren’t in the vast void of the Midwest you will be very satisfied and also save a lot of money too

I live in Lincoln, NE so plenty of charging options in town here. I work at a rural hospital in southeast Nebraska. Not as many charging options there, but I think if I just charge it every night, I will be good.

 

[luke.a.johnson44]

This might be a dumb question, so the BEV experienced people please chime in. Why do they suggest charging your EV to 80% and not 100%?

 

[maynard]

If only it was that much in real life...

I’m thinking it will be way more by next year…

 

[Scoutsie]

This might be a dumb question, so the BEV experienced people please chime in. Why do they suggest charging your EV to 80% and not 100%?

For the same reason you’d do it with your cell phone or a laptop or anything with a rechargeable battery: to extend the life of the rechargeable lithium battery, which can only support so many charges. It reduces voltage and chemical stress on the battery that then slows down capacity loss and extends the life. It’s a weakness of lithium, which is why a lot of batterymakers are trying to find other chemistries to use that extend the life/capacity/consumer appeal/etc of a battery.

 

[luke.a.johnson44]

For the same reason you’d do it with your cell phone or a laptop or anything with a rechargeable battery: to extend the life of the rechargeable lithium battery, which can only support so many charges. It reduces voltage and chemical stress on the battery that then slows down capacity loss and extends the life. It’s a weakness of lithium, which is why a lot of batterymakers are trying to find other chemistries to use that extend the life/capacity/consumer appeal/etc of a battery.

Thanks. I didn't think of it that way, but you are right.

 

[J Alynn]

This might be a dumb question, so the BEV experienced people please chime in. Why do they suggest charging your EV to 80% and not 100%?

It’s the amount of space for the electrons. It was explained to me like filling a football stadium. At first it’s quick to get in and fill spots but the more people, the slower the process to find your seat. That explanation just made a lot of sense to me-hope it does for you as well. Hopefully @SpaceEVDriver or @R1TVT or other long term ears can give a more scientific explanation

 

[luke.a.johnson44]

It’s the amount of space for the electrons. It was explained to me like filling a football stadium. At first it’s quick to get in and fill spots but the more people, the slower the process to find your seat. That explanation just made a lot of sense to me-hope it does for you as well. Hopefully @SpaceEVDriver or @R1TVT or other long term ears can give a more scientific explanation

That makes sense.

 

[THil08]

This might be a dumb question, so the BEV experienced people please chime in. Why do they suggest charging your EV to 80% and not 100%?

Its has to do with heat and electrons movement. The more open space the faster the ions can pack in. Once it starts getting into that 80-100% range, the electrons are more tightly packed and can move less and they start to create more heat.

Heat and batteries don't have the best relationship for longevity.

Also its takes less time to charge up to 80% because you aren't having to force in the last 20%

 

[mrgold35]

I can check my battery health on my iPhone (currently at 83% on my 13 Pro Max). Any phone apps, OBD-II readers, and/or built-in diagnostic screen that can do the same for PHEV, BEVs (and EREVs)?

Charging infrastructure away from home, range anxiety, recharging time, and battery pack degradation after 100k (add in resell value after 100,000 miles) seems to be near the top of most folks list when purchasing an EV for the first time. Those types of questions is the reason for me to go for the EREV Traveler instead of the BEV version.

 

[Gottesacker]

I live in Lincoln, NE so plenty of charging options in town here. I work at a rural hospital in southeast Nebraska. Not as many charging options there, but I think if I just charge it every night, I will be good.

I have a family member that lives there as well (Lincoln) with a Tesla Model 3. I don’t think there’s been any issues getting around the area. They are often heading south-west from Lincoln, so away from charging infrastructure, but still no big problems.

 

[Broverlander]

I live in Lincoln, NE so plenty of charging options in town here. I work at a rural hospital in southeast Nebraska. Not as many charging options there, but I think if I just charge it every night, I will be good.

Most people who have a BEV only charge at home, over night. That's where 99% of the charging takes place. You really only have to think about the charging infrastructure if you're going somewhere on a longer trip where you can't make it there or back home on a single charge. Now this all assumes you have a Level II charger at home. And if you have a full BEV, you probably should. The battery pack on my Rivian, for example, is massive and I could never trickle charge that thing. If you're thinking about going BEV, call three electricians and get bids from them for the cost to have a Level 2 installed. Supply the charger yourself (they are around $500). Depending on the complexity of where your electrical panel is located and the current remaining capacity, it could be cheap or it could be not. That may affect your decision too.

 

[Broverlander]

This might be a dumb question, so the BEV experienced people please chime in. Why do they suggest charging your EV to 80% and not 100%?

Based on existing battery tech (this does not apply to new battery tech that may be coming in the next few years or decade) whether you charge to 80% or 100% depends on the the type of battery you have. There are two main types, NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) and LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate). For NMC, you only want to regularly charge to 80% (this is what I have now). You can and should charge to 100% when you need it, but daily, limit it to 80% (you set that limit in the truck through the infotainment). It's better on the battery as note in posts here. It makes your battery last longer. But LFP you charge every night to 100% (this is what I'll have in the Scout. More on that below). For that type of battery, it's better for the battery to charge to 100% daily.

Manufacturers will tell you what you need to charge to. For these Scouts, the BEVs will have NMC and the Harvesters will have LFP. So if you buy the BEV, charge daily to around 80% and only charge to 100% when you're road tripping. For the Harvester, charge to 100% daily. I'm getting the Harvester for reasons sprinkled throughout the posts by my charging habits will change.

Scout purposefully selected these batteries for different purposes for these vehicles. Typically you find NMC in larger batteries because they aren't designed to be charged up and topped off all the time. LFP is though. With the Harvester, the generator is trickle charging (or maybe more) the battery when it's on. That's not good for an NMC battery, but is fine for LFP. Also, LFP is cheaper so they can keep the Harvester price the same (smaller, cheaper battery plus engine cost) the same as the BEV (larger, more expensive battery).

 

[cyure]

Based on existing battery tech (this does not apply to new battery tech that may be coming in the next few years or decade) whether you charge to 80% or 100% depends on the the type of battery you have. There are two main types, NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) and LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate). For NMC, you only want to regularly charge to 80% (this is what I have now). You can and should charge to 100% when you need it, but daily, limit it to 80% (you set that limit in the truck through the infotainment). It's better on the battery as note in posts here. It makes your battery last longer. But LFP you charge every night to 100% (this is what I'll have in the Scout. More on that below). For that type of battery, it's better for the battery to charge to 100% daily.

Manufacturers will tell you what you need to charge to. For these Scouts, the BEVs will have NMC and the Harvesters will have LFP. So if you buy the BEV, charge daily to around 80% and only charge to 100% when you're road tripping. For the Harvester, charge to 100% daily. I'm getting the Harvester for reasons sprinkled throughout the posts by my charging habits will change.

Scout purposefully selected these batteries for different purposes for these vehicles. Typically you find NMC in larger batteries because they aren't designed to be charged up and topped off all the time. LFP is though. With the Harvester, the generator is trickle charging (or maybe more) the battery when it's on. That's not good for an NMC battery, but is fine for LFP. Also, LFP is cheaper so they can keep the Harvester price the same (smaller, cheaper battery plus engine cost) the same as the BEV (larger, more expensive battery).

That is a question I do have. Do we think the cost will be the same for EREV/BEV or so we think one will be more expensive. I keep thinking the EREV will cost more, but I could be wrong.

 

[speedrye]

That is a question I do have. Do we think the cost will be the same for EREV/BEV or so we think one will be more expensive. I keep thinking the EREV will cost more, but I could be wrong.

I'm expecting the BEV to be $2,275 more than the Harvester.

 

[cyure]

I'm expecting the BEV to be $2,275 more than the Harvester.

That’s a very specific amount. Can I ask why?

 

[speedrye]

That’s a very specific amount. Can I ask why?

After running the numbers, the Scout's team will come to the conclusion that the production costs are nearly identical between the two models, but the low number of BEV reservation holders are used to paying the BEV tax, so that number was artificially created to increase profit margin by an amount deemed acceptable by focus groups. Basically, it's an amount low-enough that most BEV buyers will accept without walking elsewhere, and completely made-up otherwise.

 

[cyure]

After running the numbers, the Scout's team will come to the conclusion that the production costs are nearly identical between the two models, but the low number of BEV reservation holders are used to paying the BEV tax, so that number was artificially created to increase profit margin by an amount deemed acceptable by focus groups. Basically, it's an amount low-enough that most BEV buyers will accept without walking elsewhere, and completely made-up otherwise.

I thought the EREV would cost more due to the complexity.

 

[speedrye]

I thought the EREV would cost more due to the complexity.

Early on around here, one of the Scout people hinted that they expected the EREV to be a little cheaper, but I haven't been able to find that post since. I'm starting to think I'm losing my marbles and most evidence points that way, but that really stuck out to me.

 

[THil08]

Early on around here, one of the Scout people hinted that they expected the EREV to be a little cheaper, but I haven't been able to find that post since. I'm starting to think I'm losing my marbles and most evidence points that way, but that really stuck out to me.

I remember it. It’s probably floating around in the reveal post or something.