What is one feature you hope Scout will include that has not yet been shown?

[mrgold35]

I imagine the Scout BEV & EREV would have similar sized 12v battery that does lock/unlock, welcome lights, security, and ACC mode for radio/windows when the vehicle is not started. My SWAG is the EREV might use the electric motor/generator to start the I.C.E. when needed and it won't have a traditional starter on a fly wheel. The DC inverter should recharge the 12v battery enough in a normal driving for enough 12v power during down time?

I had issues with 12v battery running down in my hybrids when sitting for almost a month during lockdown. It was because of all the electronics, transmitters, computers running in the background. I needed to use a battery tender or drive to normal engine operating temperature for +20 minutes every week or two to keep the 12v from running down. My two pervious non-hybrid (dumb) vehicles could sit for months with zero issues with the 12v battery.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

The EREV won't need a bigger 12V battery than the BEV. Non-hybrid gassy vehicles need large 12V batteries that can push high amperage because they need to overcome the engine's rotational intertia. The hybrid has that in the high-voltage battery. A BEV only needs a 12V battery as a separate standby power source, for accessories (not a need, but it is convenient), and to open and close the high-voltage relays so the the vehicle can be powered down and up again.

There's no need for a large 12V battery.

There is a need for a high-quality 12V Battery Management System and need for a high-quality monitoring.

 

[JBernhardFL]

Never having had an EV and only hearing antidotal stories about 12V batteries dying and people being unable to get into their cars, is there another reason that for daily driving you would need a bigger 12V battery? Or do the bigger ones just last longer?

One other question, the battery in my Jeep lasts about 5 years. I just know when I get to about the 5 years mark it’s about time to replace it. Are the 12V batteries the same in an EV? Do they tend to last a set amount of time and if you replace them on a regular schedule can you avoid being stuck with a dead 12V battery?

My BEV experience is with the Subaru Solterra and currently the Subaru uncharted. They are badged as Subarus but made by Toyota. There are widespread rampant issues with the 12V batteries dying quite quickly. Many want either a larger battery which Subaru was sued for and lost with their ICE cars. There were DCM issues. The current ones the battery is only needed to activate things so the traction battery can then take over. If there’s any sort of parasitic drain then it’s a problem and your battery will die within days. I don’t drive mine daily and have had no issues taking it to the airport and leaving it. Keeping doors locked and the charging port closed tell things to shut down most of the time. I also carry a battery jumper a noco I got from Amazon. Oddly enough I never had to use it on my BEV so far just my ICE vehicles. Using accessory mode or non “ready/Drive” modes are bad for these small batteries in some of these cars.

 

[oldgeeksguide]

My BEV experience is with the Subaru Solterra and currently the Subaru uncharted. They are badged as Subarus but made by Toyota. There are widespread rampant issues with the 12V batteries dying quite quickly. Many want either a larger battery which Subaru was sued for and lost with their ICE cars. There were DCM issues. The current ones the battery is only needed to activate things so the traction battery can then take over. If there’s any sort of parasitic drain then it’s a problem and your battery will die within days. I don’t drive mine daily and have had no issues taking it to the airport and leaving it. Keeping doors locked and the charging port closed tell things to shut down most of the time. I also carry a battery jumper a noco I got from Amazon. Oddly enough I never had to use it on my BEV so far just my ICE vehicles. Using accessory mode or non “ready/Drive” modes are bad for these small batteries in some of these cars.

Sorry to hear of your 12v battery issues. It’s said to be a problem with Hyundai/kia EVs as well. Any other thoughts on your experience with uncharted/solterra? I’ve been seeing a lot of positive vibes wrt uncharted, but it’s hard to tell if it’s real or marketing.

 

[JBernhardFL]

Sorry to hear of your 12v battery issues. It’s said to be a problem with Hyundai/kia EVs as well. Any other thoughts on your experience with uncharted/solterra? I’ve been seeing a lot of positive vibes wrt uncharted, but it’s hard to tell if it’s real or marketing.

Ohh I absolutely love our uncharted. The Solterra had abysmally slow charging. We traded it in for the uncharted which leaves me smiling ear to ear when I charge it and drive it. The ride is very nice. I thankfully have not had issues with the battery drain that many others have had on the subreddits I follow. Many of them are on their 3rd replacement battery in cars with 2000 miles.

 

[strider]

My BEV experience is with the Subaru Solterra and currently the Subaru uncharted. They are badged as Subarus but made by Toyota. There are widespread rampant issues with the 12V batteries dying quite quickly. Many want either a larger battery which Subaru was sued for and lost with their ICE cars. There were DCM issues. The current ones the battery is only needed to activate things so the traction battery can then take over. If there’s any sort of parasitic drain then it’s a problem and your battery will die within days. I don’t drive mine daily and have had no issues taking it to the airport and leaving it. Keeping doors locked and the charging port closed tell things to shut down most of the time. I also carry a battery jumper a noco I got from Amazon. Oddly enough I never had to use it on my BEV so far just my ICE vehicles. Using accessory mode or non “ready/Drive” modes are bad for these small batteries in some of these cars.

In the early days, Teslas would kill their 12V batteries due to overcharging. They eventually figured it out. Recently they have moved to building their own 16V Li-Ion batteries (which messes with some devices that are expecting 12V). My 2022 Model X Plaid has one of these. So far so good.

Bottom line is that monitoring is key. A Tesla will tell you when the 12V battery is getting weak and give you plenty of time to change it. AFAIK my wife's 2018 Model S is still on its original battery. Her 2012 Model S went through a 12V every 2 years (she owned that one from 2012 to 2018 when she got this one).

 

[cyure]

In the early days, Teslas would kill their 12V batteries due to overcharging. They eventually figured it out. Recently they have moved to building their own 16V Li-Ion batteries (which messes with some devices that are expecting 12V). My 2022 Model X Plaid has one of these. So far so good.

Bottom line is that monitoring is key. A Tesla will tell you when the 12V battery is getting weak and give you plenty of time to change it. AFAIK my wife's 2018 Model S is still on its original battery. Her 2012 Model S went through a 12V every 2 years (she owned that one from 2012 to 2018 when she got this one).

So basically, listen to the car when it tells you it needs one.

 

[BeerParty]

I realize this is a small non issue. But having had two other BEV’s both with smaller than they should have had 12v batteries I hope they put a decently sized 12V battery into the scout and they make it so we can upgrade to an AMG without having to get crazy with using tenders or putting in diodes into the breaker panel like I’ve had to do with other cars to get the upgrade.

Never having had an EV and only hearing antidotal stories about 12V batteries dying and people being unable to get into their cars, is there another reason that for daily driving you would need a bigger 12V battery? Or do the bigger ones just last longer?

One other question, the battery in my Jeep lasts about 5 years. I just know when I get to about the 5 years mark it’s about time to replace it. Are the 12V batteries the same in an EV? Do they tend to last a set amount of time and if you replace them on a regular schedule can you avoid being stuck with a dead 12V battery?

I think @JBernhardFL is asking for a standard 12V battery in the Scouts so we can replace the 12V battery with a standard automotive battery. For example, my RAV4 hybrid has a non-standard 12V battery (because of the hybrid system), so replacing the 12V requires getting a specific battery size. It isn't fatal, the RAV4 is popular enough that non-Toyota batteries are available in that size. But for the Scouts, if they go with a custom sized 12V battery, we will likely only be able to get replacements from them.

In my Ioniq 5, the owners of older cars have said the original 12V battery in the car doesn't last very long because Hyundai cheaped out on the battery. Most people suggest replacing it with an AGM battery, which should last a lot longer. Luckly, the battery in the Ioniq 5 is a standard size, so an after market 12V AGM battery is easy to find for it.

Other than cranking the engine, the 12V battery in a BEV has the same loads as an ICE. That includes maintaining the car's systems even when the car is turned off. For example, it has to continuously power the system that listens for your key fob so you can remotely unlock your doors. This is why modern ICE vehicles tend to have 12V battery issues if they are not driven for a while. Without running the engine regularly to recharge the battery, even the low power draw while "off" will eventually discharge the battery. I have to put my RAV4 on a battery tender to maitain the 12V battery, since I don't drive it very often. So a 12V battery in a BEV will have a similar lifespan as a 12V battery in an ICE.