Someone suggested this as a thread. People can put their situation and members can help decide between a ev and erev. Always good to brainstorm with the collective.
Help me decide BEV or EREV
- Thread starter Scoutons86
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I personally think it’s way to early until we have confirmed specs to really talk about this comparison intelligently, we need data.
For those of us who are regulars on this forum, its never too early to spend an unhealthy amount of time researching something that may or may not be relevant in 2-3 years.
So dang accurate but yeah, since we're 2-3 years out that's all we've got at this point.
I will say I flipped my reservation from Harvester back to BEV because I realized, in California, I have all the chargers I could need in 2026 then you have 3 more years of maturity to the network. If I can't make it here I'm not trying hard enough. The one thing that could potentially switch me back is cost of Harvester and warranty situation (if it comes with California's TZEV warranty requirements).
I've flipped back and forth a lot. I really don't know what makes the most sense for me so I think over time this thread will prove to be very helpful.
On one hand, BEV will let me rip the bandaid off. No maintenance or dealing with engine stuff.
On the other hand, while infrastructure around us is very good, I worry about potential situations where we have 17 inches of snow and another 40+ projected next week with temps never going above 20. We lose power a lot and a heavy winter storm could be days. We do not currently own a generator (hoping to get one this year).
How long will the BEV be able to keep us up and running and warm? What if we are running low and the nearest working charging station is out of range?
This is a hypothetical because we have another car that is pure gas, but it's something I think about.
On one hand, BEV will let me rip the bandaid off. No maintenance or dealing with engine stuff.
On the other hand, while infrastructure around us is very good, I worry about potential situations where we have 17 inches of snow and another 40+ projected next week with temps never going above 20. We lose power a lot and a heavy winter storm could be days. We do not currently own a generator (hoping to get one this year).
How long will the BEV be able to keep us up and running and warm? What if we are running low and the nearest working charging station is out of range?
This is a hypothetical because we have another car that is pure gas, but it's something I think about.
It would depend on a lot of factors, but if you plan to keep an ICEV for long haul/emergency situations or otherwise, if you think you would be comfortable with BEV as majority use case vehicle, You might prefer the long term wallet benefits, or if you fit the majority of your daily miles within the EREVs 150~ all Electric range it might be the better option anyway. Most range concerns tend to fade once you spend a bit of time with an EV, but a power outage is an unpredictable factor, and could be best combated with an additional charge stop if possible before returning home when outages have a higher likelihood (though not predictable).
Both EREV and BEV will have pro & cons, for me the EREV doesn’t (currently by the predicted numbers) offer enough battery only range for my everyday driving, 130 is kind of my minimum lately, so I would be using the range Harvest almost daily and that’s not ideal for wanting to limit maintenance and fuel costs. Those costs will also be higher in the Scout BEV compared to my bolt, with its larger battery and worse consumption rate, but to charge my car at home is $.09 per Kw to add, so about “ three-quarter tank” is around $3-4 and that will for the majority of the year give me 230~ miles. The equivalent in my Charger was around $30.
So even with harvester tank being smaller running it near daily would add up quickly, with fuel and possible maintenance fees. Once official final numbers are out I could be swayed if the EREVs could offer a little over 200 before the range extender since I do like to take trips nearly 500 miles to visit friends and adventure, but not at the extra “daily expenses” and when road tripping a pit stop for food and bathroom is usually enough to get you another ~100+ miles from a DCFC in my experience
Only reason I’d go EREV is if they delayed the BEV model for a period of time. Otherwise the BEV covers all my daily, monthly and yearly needs.
This is a good discussion topic and a lot will depend on use case circumstances, location and price point. I'm undecided as well but leaning towards BEV with decreased maintenance and will cover my range on a daily commute and shorter trips. At some point I plan to move more remote and EREV could serve as an additional extended generator-so basically piggy backing off of what @robothero mentioned.
Good news, sounds like we have plenty of time before we need to commit to a decision. Will be interesting to see which will come to market first, and honestly if there is a gap between either will be the largest influence on my personal decision.
Good news, sounds like we have plenty of time before we need to commit to a decision. Will be interesting to see which will come to market first, and honestly if there is a gap between either will be the largest influence on my personal decision.
Living with a BEV Truck currently, thinking about ever having to go back to a gas-guzzler gives me the willies big time. Also makes the decision for BEV vs Harvester much easier, if you know what you are getting into. But I am also in the NE, and like the OP from CA says, plenty of infrastructure here for roadtrips, and I can charge from home for 90% of all my driving. I also don't want to give up on any storage, perform more maintenance or rely on 2 systems. BEV's simplicity is a big draw to me.
If you have not seen it yet, you might find it helpful to look at the info I posted about using a BEV to provide backup power for my house:
IMHO, an EV is better because it will last a lot longer than a gas generator will, and I am just as likely to find a working DCFC as operational gas station (if the power is out, the gas stations can't pump gas). That may not be true in your area, but it is something to think about.
TBH, I'm still split on this. Currently reserved for Harvester, but it might change.
Reserved Harvester because:
But just the other day, we were talking about which vehicle we want to take on the big road trip this summer. The Tucson is reliable, and fits us (family of 4) just fine, and fuels just like a hybrid on the road. But the Ioniq 9 is larger/more comfortable (more space between the kids
). And its got enough range (~320mile EPA range) and charging speed (5-80% in 24min on a 350kw charger) that it "might" be viable. But would likely add ~30min - 1hr 30min to an already long drive.
So it sort of depends on if we want to have a gas vehicle for longer trips, or not. And... we don't know what we don't know right now. If road tripping the ioniq goes well, we might say "go for it" and get the BEV. If it doesn't, we'll probably look to add the Harvester, and that will become the road trip vehicle.
Some of it might come down to cost as well. If the Harvester is a $20k option, then... I'm likely out no matter what. And if the base model BEV only has like 230 miles of range for some reason, and the 350 mile version costs $20k more... then that would also change things.
We'll see where it goes from here.
Reserved Harvester because:
- Primary family vehicle at the time was a Tucson PHEV, with only 30 miles of range... but we have loved it.
- Take road trips every year from WA to UT, where we do ~900 miles in one day (each way).
- Trip is through rural WA, ID, and UT. Charging exists... but its not as prevalent as gas.
- The distance means that we're effectively trying to be moving at all times (we bring our food in the car in a cooler, only stop for fuel/restroom breaks), trying to avoid stretching it even farther, and needing a hotel on the way (taking 2x as many vacation days, and adding $$$ to the trip).
- 150 mile of EV range is well more than needed for my normal day to day.
But just the other day, we were talking about which vehicle we want to take on the big road trip this summer. The Tucson is reliable, and fits us (family of 4) just fine, and fuels just like a hybrid on the road. But the Ioniq 9 is larger/more comfortable (more space between the kids
). And its got enough range (~320mile EPA range) and charging speed (5-80% in 24min on a 350kw charger) that it "might" be viable. But would likely add ~30min - 1hr 30min to an already long drive.So it sort of depends on if we want to have a gas vehicle for longer trips, or not. And... we don't know what we don't know right now. If road tripping the ioniq goes well, we might say "go for it" and get the BEV. If it doesn't, we'll probably look to add the Harvester, and that will become the road trip vehicle.
Some of it might come down to cost as well. If the Harvester is a $20k option, then... I'm likely out no matter what. And if the base model BEV only has like 230 miles of range for some reason, and the 350 mile version costs $20k more... then that would also change things.
We'll see where it goes from here.
When I discover someone driving an EV, I always ask "would you go back to driving an ICE". The answer is almost always no. This is good to hear as it reconfirms that those who make the leap often don't go back based on my encounters. I'm sure there is data out there to confirm or debunk this....
I understand a lot of the feels here. And I also don't think I could buy an all gas vehicle anymore.
The EREV is much better than the PHEV here, because effectively "all" local driving becomes EV only (at least for me). And one of the main draws for me for an EV, is the lower running costs. Charging at home is wayy cheaper than gas for me. But DC fast charging is quite a bit more expensive. So much more that the pricing gets really darn close to price parity with gas vehicles (depending on which vehicle you're talking about).
So for the "once a year road trip" situation, I don't mind paying for/using gas.
Or at least the idea of it
.(and yes, I realize that only using the harvester once a year also might not be ideal, but thats a separate thing going on in my brain
).
We had been hybrid owners since 2002.
We got the Mustang BEV in 2022. And within a few road trips we were trying to figure out the finances to get rid of our gas Tacoma. We managed that in 2024. We’re now all BEV with 80,000 miles, around half as road trips.
We will never go back to a gas vehicle. I sold my gas motorcycle late 2025 and now I only have a diesel tractor and a gas chainsaw. I use them rarely enough that I am willing to put up with the noise, smell, mess, and hassle of a gas engine for those until I have the money and time to replace or redesign them.
The cost of BEV may look higher, but my experience and my math shows that the total cost of ownership is lower for a BEV than for an ICEV, an HEV, a PHEV, or an EREV.
We’re in the middle of a small winter storm with short, dark, cloudy days with snow and ice on the solar panels. Last night I turned off the grid. I want to see how long our whole-home battery backup will last. Overnight we saw a little less than 1 kW power draw, and a little less than 2 kW draw on average during the day. We have 64 kWh of connected whole-home battery backup. So, we’re looking at about 6 hours * 2kW + 18 hours * 1 kW = 30 kWh. That means we have more than two full days of energy stored in the whole home batteries. Then another day in a second battery that I need to hook up. Then 4 days from the Lightning using its 7.2 kW power outlet in the bed. Then another 3 days from the Mustang, if needed (this would require hooking up a small inverter to charge the whole home batteries before they’re discharged—I’ll never have to bother with that). And I currently have my entire workshop lit up with 1 kW of lighting. If I don’t run those, it’ll be even better.
That’s 10 full days of no grid power and no solar power. All without having to go to get gas or diesel for a generator or having to listen to the drone of a generator for that long. This is assuming I don’t bother to go remove the snow and ice from the panels or the snow and ice doesn’t melt.
For a Scout-sized battery, it would be about 4 days of off-grid use for a normal day of keeping the heater running, working from home, cooking breakfast, microwaving lunch, cooking dinner, and watching whatever nonsense is on the boobtoob.
As I was typing this, a big chunk of snow and ice slid off the solar panels and the power generated from them jumped from 700 Watts to 1200 Watts. I won’t have to bother with clearing them.
We got the Mustang BEV in 2022. And within a few road trips we were trying to figure out the finances to get rid of our gas Tacoma. We managed that in 2024. We’re now all BEV with 80,000 miles, around half as road trips.
We will never go back to a gas vehicle. I sold my gas motorcycle late 2025 and now I only have a diesel tractor and a gas chainsaw. I use them rarely enough that I am willing to put up with the noise, smell, mess, and hassle of a gas engine for those until I have the money and time to replace or redesign them.
The cost of BEV may look higher, but my experience and my math shows that the total cost of ownership is lower for a BEV than for an ICEV, an HEV, a PHEV, or an EREV.
We’re in the middle of a small winter storm with short, dark, cloudy days with snow and ice on the solar panels. Last night I turned off the grid. I want to see how long our whole-home battery backup will last. Overnight we saw a little less than 1 kW power draw, and a little less than 2 kW draw on average during the day. We have 64 kWh of connected whole-home battery backup. So, we’re looking at about 6 hours * 2kW + 18 hours * 1 kW = 30 kWh. That means we have more than two full days of energy stored in the whole home batteries. Then another day in a second battery that I need to hook up. Then 4 days from the Lightning using its 7.2 kW power outlet in the bed. Then another 3 days from the Mustang, if needed (this would require hooking up a small inverter to charge the whole home batteries before they’re discharged—I’ll never have to bother with that). And I currently have my entire workshop lit up with 1 kW of lighting. If I don’t run those, it’ll be even better.
That’s 10 full days of no grid power and no solar power. All without having to go to get gas or diesel for a generator or having to listen to the drone of a generator for that long. This is assuming I don’t bother to go remove the snow and ice from the panels or the snow and ice doesn’t melt.
For a Scout-sized battery, it would be about 4 days of off-grid use for a normal day of keeping the heater running, working from home, cooking breakfast, microwaving lunch, cooking dinner, and watching whatever nonsense is on the boobtoob.
As I was typing this, a big chunk of snow and ice slid off the solar panels and the power generated from them jumped from 700 Watts to 1200 Watts. I won’t have to bother with clearing them.
One advantage I see for the Harvester is to use it only on trips where DCFC is so much more than home charging. Driving as a hybrid on the road for 500 miles still gets you 33mpg for 15 gallons.
I just did the math on this. EDIT, small change, found the Ioniq 9 was showing total energy used, not what was charged.
TLDR: WA to UTA, and back (~1800 mile round trip, ignoring local driving at the destination) fueling/charging costs.
BEV (Hyundai Ioniq 9): ~$345
Hybrid (Hyundai Tucson/Toyota Highlander/GrandHighlander/Sienna): $180
Combustion vehicle (Honda Pilot): $220
AbetterRoutePlanner shows my Ioniq 9 would use 386kwh to drive from WA to UT using their default efficiency settings for the vehicle. A quick search shows that EA chargers cost ~$0.48 or so on avg in these states. Most of that would be sourced from fast chargers, less about ~68-70kwh that we'd use from my house. But probably wouldn't get much meaningful home charging while visiting family.
Which means that for that drive, we'd spend ~$185 on charging, just one way.
Then I compared the Tucson PHEV, which gets ~30mpg give or take (as low as 27mpg at speed with my bike on the rack, and up to the low-mid 30mpg range, so using 30mpg as an avg). And with an avg gas price of ~$3.30 a gallon or so, that comes in around ~$90-95.
Given, those are different size vehicles, so its not "quite" a perfect comparison. But a Toyota Grand Highlander hybrid gets very similar mileage as the Tucson, and is nearly identical in size to the Ioniq 9.
If you change the other vehicle to a pure combustion vehicle, it gets closer. A Honda Pilot gets what 23-25mpg on the highway? That would cost ~$110 in gas for the trip.
Then again, I save a ton of money charging at home, so its not a total loss. But at least at the moment, DC fast charging, is still pretty expensive in comparison to a gas vehicle of similar size/type, in the Mountain West/West coast.
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Lots of details still to be filled in. Hard to say if the extra equipment on the EREV will push the price higher than the extra batteries on the EV. Depending on your driving patterns, odds are an EV will handle quite a bit of your driving without DCFC. DCFC would probably handle most of the rest - but do take a tad more planning.
I don't like the idea of maintaining another complicated and complex system within the vehicle - so I am leaning towards EV. But I need to see prices and real world ranges to see if it is an EV that fits my needs and budget. I don't see myself wanting to go Harvester, but then the question will be what are the other options looking like in 2 years. I don't like the looks of the Rivian, and don't see much other competition for the Traveler today. But yes, my love of the looks of the Scout might not be enough to push me over the distaste of another rarely used gas engine.
I don't like the idea of maintaining another complicated and complex system within the vehicle - so I am leaning towards EV. But I need to see prices and real world ranges to see if it is an EV that fits my needs and budget. I don't see myself wanting to go Harvester, but then the question will be what are the other options looking like in 2 years. I don't like the looks of the Rivian, and don't see much other competition for the Traveler today. But yes, my love of the looks of the Scout might not be enough to push me over the distaste of another rarely used gas engine.
I mean what else am I going to do? Work at my job? Pay attention to my children/pets?
Harvester for me. One I’m a sport fisher, and being able to go into the hidden trails for lakes, and staying out there for a few days. And still being able to come back will be great. Along with the ability to have a backup generator for the house. Nj infrastructure where I am is pretty much crap since power lines are all above the ground. So too much ice on the lines kills power for days.
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