I took my Tesla model 3 places that made people's heads spin. The clearance is bad, and I had to replace the bottom coverings a few times (until I installed skid plates), and I scraped more times than I can count, but it always kept going.
The only time I got stuck was on a sand dune. I had been through rivers, up rocky mountains, middle of deserts, icy cliffs, but sand managed to stop me. A huge lifted truck saw me and got me out with a tow strap around my front tire.
No one would believe or understand the places I went with that car, but I know. Electric drive is just superior, end of story.
I will be waiting for someone to make a rugged, utilitarian all-electric truck or jeep-like offroad vehicle. No touch screens, no extras. Just 4 independent motors with adjustable high-low clearance (4 independent hydraulic lifts would be sweet) and at least 500 miles of range -- or more.
As much range as possible. This lets you use the battery for other purposes -- running power tools, running climate control all night, even cooking with electricity.
My dream is a fully electric off/on road vehicle that can go anywhere, with a foldable 10kw+ solar array for silent charging, totally independent of traditional energy infrastructure.
> No one would believe or understand the places I went with that car, but I know. Electric drive is just superior, end of story.
Yes, I've taken my Model 3 to some real stupid places. I've always been impressed. Electric drive has 100% torque at 0 RPM and instant throttle response - makes getting unstuck far too easy.
electric drive for off road is definitely superior. I run a ev conversion company, and started with converting an old 4x4. The amount of fidelity of throttle control is insian, not to mention regen makes for great hill decent.
Ev rock crawling is superior in my experience. the aerodynamic factors are not in play so your range is much better as your just doing fine wheel control and regen all day long. It’s really quite something
I have also been overtaken by old front wheel drive microcars at river crossing. Plenty of lucky idiots out there - it’s all fun and games until it’s not.
On and off-road capability are always at odds with each other, because “agile” also means “unstable”. It’s a matter of compromise and expectations.
Yeah that’s what I said - lucky idiots can get far with the wrong equipment, but it’s just gambling. If you’re lucky, you’re making it into a Matt’s Off-road Recovery video or losing your car entirely, if you’re unlucky the state has to recover a corpse as your car has no roll-cage.
It’s not my taxes going to the clean-up, so you do you. But “lucky idiot” is the correct term whenever a stock model 3 is within a 10 kilometer radius of a trail.
Try going 80mph in the middle of a Wyoming winter with total control, think about what that means a little bit, then tell me what you learned about what a low, multi-thousand lbs center of gravity with independent electric motors means.
Until then, enjoy the fictional world you've created of "right" and "wrong" equipment with rigid definitions. I'll be out in a jungle swinging on a hammock writing code from "impossible" places instead.
The only time I got stuck was on a sand dune. I had been through rivers, up rocky mountains, middle of deserts, icy cliffs, but sand managed to stop me. A huge lifted truck saw me and got me out with a tow strap around my front tire.
No one would believe or understand the places I went with that car, but I know. Electric drive is just superior, end of story.
I will be waiting for someone to make a rugged, utilitarian all-electric truck or jeep-like offroad vehicle. No touch screens, no extras. Just 4 independent motors with adjustable high-low clearance (4 independent hydraulic lifts would be sweet) and at least 500 miles of range -- or more.
As much range as possible. This lets you use the battery for other purposes -- running power tools, running climate control all night, even cooking with electricity.
My dream is a fully electric off/on road vehicle that can go anywhere, with a foldable 10kw+ solar array for silent charging, totally independent of traditional energy infrastructure.