The memory effect...

You complaining about me being disingenuous has to be the most perfect example I've ever seen of someone complaining about the mote in the other fellow's eye while ignoring the beam in his own eye. Compared to attempting to have a real debate with you, nailing Jell-O to a wall is bog easy. Apparently you consider it the moral equivalent of eating babies to ever acknowledge that anyone disagreeing with you ever has a valid point.

I certainly regret trying to engage you in meaningful dialogue, because you make that impossible.
-

 

Martin, it seems to me that you were disingenuous in creating a thread purportedly about a problem with remembering to charge an EV and then turning it into a soapbox questioning the enthusiasm for and growth of plug-in EVs. Plug-in EVs are certainly not the best fit for all people, but they work great for some, in the same way that FCVs work great for others. You seem to have greater enthusiasm for FCVs and depending on your particular situation, it may work better for you.

Personally, I'm very enthusiastic about fuel cell vehicles. I waited three years for the planned growth in H2 fueling infrastructure as I wanted to get the (original) Clarity FCV, only to see a number of "planned" stations never materialize. And I'm in Southern California, one of the prime H2 regions in the US. There is still only a single H2 station within a 35 minute driving radius of both home and work for me. On Sunday, a fire on the H2 delivery truck for this station led to this station shutting down, and it remains shut down today. If I depended on a FCV for my daily commute and happened to be low on fuel, this would have been problematic. So while I appreciate FCVs in theory, the actual implementation of the H2 infrastructure has not reached the level of practicality for my area.

 

Quoting from my copy of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary -- Tenth Edition:

disingenuous
adjective

lacking in candor; also: giving a false appearance of simple frankness: calculating
​

Cited from the dictionary I keep at my desk for reference, and not cherry-picked in any way.

Generally speaking, I think that if a debate descends into arguing over the definition of words, it's a very strong indication that the dialogue has gone far past any meaningful exchange of ideas. But in this case, citing the actual dictionary definition appears appropriate. I'm not going to engage in any further argument over what "disingenuous" actually means. If someone else wants to literally argue with the dictionary, then I'll get out of the way.
-

 

Altho I note that it's an oxymoron to call anything mobile a "station", nonetheless there are (or at least were) what are described as mobile hydrogen fueling "stations". Toyota has sometimes used those to supplement the H2 fuel supply in southern California, since the build-out of H2 fueling stations has fallen so woefully short of what the California Fuel Cell Partnership promised. It appears to me that, as the years pass, the reality is diverging more and more widely from the promises of the CFCP. This should not be a surprise to anyone who prefers to look at things as they really are, rather than engaging in wishful thinking, given that these false promises are coming from those who are -- still! -- actively promoting the "hydrogen economy" hoax.

From October 2015: "Toyota Provides Mobile Half-Fill Hydrogen Refuel Stations For Mirai In US While Waiting On Infrastructure"
-

 

As for filling my ice, I open an app and say 'hey bring me gas overnight while I sleep' and the good lord giveth.

 

I have a Plugless system for my Volt. Its worked great for a few years but unfortunately it looks like they went out of business.

 

I have the same problems, leaving the accessories on all weekend, leaving lights on after a storm during the day, late for work and noticing I'm almost out of fuel.
My Mitsubishi ute has auto lights off, so one problem fixed with that vehicle, seams the new electric and all cars I suppose r getting better at prompting us to Remember these things.

 

Do you also occasionally forget to take the gas hose out of the car after filling up at the gas station? Or forget to put the cap back on your gas tank fill pipe?

In practice, BEV drivers report that they get into the habit of plugging in after they park at home at night, and once they get into the habit, they don't ever forget to do it. The idea that it's a "problem" to remember to plug in at night is something generally seen only in "concern troll" posts from EV bashers... like the one above.

* * * * *

Since I'm absent-minded, I used to occasionally forget and lock my keys in the car. This was usually no more than a minor annoyance, since I carried a spare key in my wallet. But once I ventured out leaving my wallet behind, and...

The resulting hassle left me so angry that it motivated me to spend a few minutes actually thinking about the problem, instead of just letting the hassle upset me. It occurred to me that the problem was I had a tendency to hold up the handle as I slammed the car door, so I could lock the door without using the key. Once I realized that, the solution was obvious: Always use the key to lock the car door! After that, I never again locked my keys in the car.

My point is that if you find you keep forgetting something, then change your habits so that you can't forget it. If you were to, for example, always make sure you plugged the car in before closing the car door after you got out, then you simply wouldn't ever forget to plug it in. Not unless you have a habit of going off and leaving your car door open after you park!
-

 

Somebody must be really desperate to bash BEVs by claiming it's a negative that you have to remember to plug them in. I've been known as a "forgetful" person even from childhood and yet, I plug my cellphone, ipad and road laptop in by habit and have never run out. Getting home and not plugging is the exception and usually means that I used so little charge that day I'm good for the next. The charging timer is set to come on in the wee hours when rates are the lowest. Much less hassle than taking my old Saturn for a fill up. In case you haven't noticed, filling stations are usually located on busy arterial roads and just getting back into the traffic stream can be an adventure. Instead, I step out the door, unplug the car and enter a usually calm suburban street.

Like PuPu I have locked keys inside the car in the past. My solution was to never slam the door unless the keys were in my fist. Haven't tried to lock the Leaf with the fob inside. I suspect the car will complain. I'll have to give that a go.

 

There are a lot of reasons but having to remember to plug in is unlikely to be close to the top.
Here the reasons I was hesitant and what I have encountered since owning an EV:
-Relatively few options for purchase compared to ICE vehicles..combined with...
-Cost. The person who drives a 40 or 60K BMW or Benz is less likely to buy a Volt but doesn't want to pony up 90+ for a Tesla.
-Range anxiety. It's not about remembering to plug it in at home, it's the time/hassle of recharging on long trips.
-Lack of familiarity. Plenty of (educated) people I talk to are hardly comfortable with concept of a hybrid. They are incredulous (really!) when they learn that a Tesla or Leaf doesn't need gas.

I have spent the last 2 weeks driving ICE vehicles while my Model S is suffering from rodent damage (our Toyota ICE had damage as well). Had to fill up with gas three times, not a big deal but I realized I have become very spoiled by being able to plug in at home!