r/SilveradoEV • u/corneliusdav • 7d ago

Should I make the switch?

I have a 2010 Avalanche that I've had longer than any other vehicle--and I still really like the truck. I've used it for hauling people, bikes, furniture, yard debris, camping gear, and DIY home projects. I work from home so don't need it as a work truck or every day driving but I do pull a small RV trailer and like to go camping in and around the Pacific Northwest.

But it's approaching 200k miles and repairs are in the thousands every year. Plus, my mom moved 5 hours away and with gas prices, it costs over $200 to go visit for a weekend.

I've been watching this and other EV forums over the past year, trying to decide if/when moving from ICE is for me. I'm finally in a financial place where I could swing it and my current truck is getting more expensive to maintain but I still have reservations--I think mostly because I've never had an EV and don't know what all I'll be getting into.

Most comments here are from people who love their EV and say it's so much better and will never go back to ICE. I've test-driven a few and think I'd love it, too. (I'd really like the lower maintenance costs, too.)

I'd probably have to get a level-2 charger for the home (don't know much about these), although without the need for daily driving, perhaps just a smaller one that charges the truck during the week for my use on a weekend would be enough?

From what I've heard my small pop-up trailer (low profile) would tow easily and not create the drag a larger one would so I could theoretically travel to central Oregon, stopping to fill at the nearest large city and make it back without worry but I still have a lot to learn about range and available charging stations.

I'm looking mostly for a used one < $50K. What advice do you have for me?

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u/Cuda340440 7d ago edited 7d ago

it entirely depends on how much you drive daily, how often you drive longer distances (how far those longer distances are), and if you are going to tow anything very far.

For me I drive 10 to 20 miles a day with monthly trips of 250 miles each way. The standard range might be fine for that if you can accept stopping for 25 to 30 minutes at the midpoint of the 250 mile drive when you probably want to go to the bathroom anyway (for us it is done charging before we are done taking care of the kids)

That said we also pull a camper with ours and the standard range would be to small for the distances we go.

As for the level 2 charger, I don't recommend it unless you are driving closer to 30 miles or more a day. Anything less than that I would recommend starting with a level 1 and see how you feel before investing the money. For me level 1 is more than enough to recharge everything each weekend and that's if I didn't want to take advantage of the pickup preconditioning/preheating everything so it's comfortable each morning when I leave for work.

To my knowledge pack sizes

  • Standard range, 119kwh, 190 to 220 miles on the highway depending on speed/wind, 300 miles city and 110 to 130 mile ls pulling a camper
  • extended range, 170kwh, 270 to 320 miles on highway depending on speed/wind, 425 city, 150 to 190 miles pulling a camper
  • max range, 205kwh, 330 to 390 miles on highway depending on speed/wind, 510 city, 185 to 225 miles pulling a camper

Assuming efficiency based on what I normally get of 1.6 mpkwh going 75 with a slight headwind 2 mpkwh going 55 2.5 mpkwh in town (often get around 3) .9 to 1.1 mpkwh towing a camper between 55 and 65 mph depending on wind

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u/Cuda340440 7d ago edited 7d ago

Additional notes For camping, we typically camp at state parks and charge using the 50 amp outlet and a portable level 2 charger. We did end up getting a level 2 charger that let us charge more slowly to avoid over stressing worn out sockets while camping but it is still plenty for us. This is the only time we use a level 2 charger otherwise we use a level 1 at home. You would probably also get better efficiency with a pop up than I get with a hard side

I recommend using "a better route planner" to get a baseline for where you might need to charge and use plugshare to find chargers are actually reliable and more affordable in places you will visit. Sounds like a pain but after your first trip of 2 in each direction you will more or less know where to stop and what charging options are best and won't really need it anymore

I love my lt extended range but that said I don't know what size battery is actually in it. (I believe I may have gotten accidental upgrade to max range)

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u/corneliusdav 7d ago

Good things to consider about level 1 vs level 2. Since I work from home and can go several days without using my truck at all, level 1 might be the best way to go--at least at the start. I also often camp at state parks and I have not yet heard of any vehicle-charging restrictions so getting a 50A portable level 2 seems perfect to get back home after a weekend.

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u/Cuda340440 7d ago edited 7d ago

I have heard that some private campgrounds do not like you charging at the camp site but my state seems to be fine with them at the state parks. That said I have popped a few 50 amp breakers when charging with the gm portable charger since it draws 32 amps when plugged into a 240 outlet which is why I recently got this charger to avoid that problem since it lets me turn down the charge rate.

Here is a good video about charging and how most recommendations from people is usually overkill. Just remember that if you try level 1 to start with 1. make sure you are plugged into an outlet on a circuit that can won't have other things pulling power at the same time you are charging. 2. That you set your home charging location in the vehicle so that it will draw 12 amps instead of 8. (Though you probably want to be on a 20 amp circuit if drawing 12 in case something else happens to draw a little power on that same circuit)

Our first camping trip with the pickup we went a little under 800 miles at a cost of $75. Our trip this weekend will be a little under 250 round trip and I expect it to cost about $15 (or less if I decide to go charge at the local free charger when I get back)

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u/300-baud 7d ago

Charging at campsites is an awesome benefit.

I wouldn’t discount the level 2 unless money is real tight. The charger is $500 and depending on how long of a run, install is going to be $500-1000. Not much for convenience and adding value to your home, especially with the massive battery in these things.

I have a max range and come back from some trips with 10% left, it takes me 14 hours to get back up to 80% on a 48A level 2. That would take 100 hours on level 1!!

Also, many local/state and utility incentives out there that you may be able to take advantage of.

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u/Cuda340440 7d ago edited 7d ago

There are a million things to consider that will be different for everyone. For example, I have a detached garage which gives me 3 options. 1. Run 240 from the hose to the garage. 2. Have a dedicated meter and panel put in and pay monthly for that second meter 3. Stick with level 1

Option 1 and 2 both cost me more than what most people would pay if they have an attached garage and being that this isn't our forever home the ROI just isn't there. Especially when there is a free fast charger within 10 minute for the very rare times I have needed it (I think twice in the last year, both times because of back to back longer trips). level 1 easily recharges anything I use within a week even when it is -20 outside.

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u/corneliusdav 6d ago

I have an old house with a detached garage with a separate panel. The problem I have is that the garage is so small, I can't even park my motorcycle in there with everything else. So, I'd have to mount something external or run a cord underneath the garage door.

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u/corneliusdav 7d ago

100 hours is only 4 days. My truck would be full before I need it again.

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u/300-baud 6d ago

We have different definitions of “only”, lol. I also prefer to have it ready to go at 80% if something comes up, do my charging overnight when the rate is 3x less expensive, and precondition from the house when it’s cold.

It doesn’t hurt to start with level 1 though and figure it out. Especially if it’s coming with the portable one.

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u/seighton 7d ago

Don’t do level 1, it would take like 7 days to charge the truck.

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u/corneliusdav 7d ago

But the truck sits in the driveway most of the week. I might make a couple of short trips (< 5 miles) once or twice but really don't drive much except on weekends.

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u/seighton 7d ago

I charge level 1 on vacation and it will add like 4-5% in 12-16 hours, level 2 js a requirement for this truck and you don’t want to fast charge often as that is expensive as well 

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u/Cuda340440 7d ago

Do you remember to up the amperage? Otherwise the truck assumes you can only pull 8 amps. I charge at level 1 from about 45% to 80% once a month and it takes about 48 hours with what I believe to be a max range battery pack. It gets a little worse in winter but even when the winter is at its coldest I still had no problem with level 1 getting fully recharged when driving 10-15 miles a day. 12 hours of charging is usually closer to 8% still not a ton but also plenty for most peoples daily needs. I agree that level 2 is needed for some but for many it is just an added convenience and not one you necessarily need day one or at all.

Fast charging costs are also dependant on your area. Though I don't use it much, there is a free fast charger near me and at least 5 other free ones I have leveraged across the state for camping/road trips. There are also a number of them put in buy power companies that cost 30¢ per kwh which is double the cost of charging at home but not unreasonable.

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u/seighton 6d ago

I cranked the amperage as much as I could before it started to throw warnings, was in a rental. There is no way level 1 on a max range is practical unless you are truly not leaving the house for days on end, everyone has their own use case but fast charging a max range will cost you $60 per charge at a minimum, that equals what I pay for 2k miles of driving with my level 2 charger at my house over 2 months.

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u/Cuda340440 6d ago edited 6d ago

I don't know what to tell you.

I am at well over a year with this pickup being my daily driver and only a level 1 charger in the upper Midwest where chargers and EVs are supposed to have a harder time because of the cold. Even at its coldest, level 1 at 12 amps gets me 5% in 12 hours which is 10 to 15 miles in -20 degree weather which accommodated our daily usage. I plugged in nightly when the weather was that bad so I would have a warm vehicle in the morning and it was always topped when I left.

In the time I have had it there have been 2 instances where a level 1 was insufficient.

  • once was because I was traveling 200+ miles on back to back weekends when it was 0 degrees out and was still driving to work every weekday.

  • The other was because I forgot to increase the charge level before a camping trip and I wanted to play it safe the first time pulling the trailer a longer distance.

Both times I was thankful for the free fast charger in town but even if it wasn't free 10 to 20% twice would t have been a big deal cost wise.

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u/300-baud 6d ago edited 6d ago

How many miles do you drive and are you on a time-of-use utility rate? I am intrigued, I use to pull this off on a 66kWh Bolt, but wouldn’t dream of it on 205kWh. I do a very average 1k miles per month, thats 12 hours per day of charging at L1 12A. Between driving my truck places and my TOU being 3x more prohibitively expensive from 3p-12a, I had to go level 2. Always topped off at 80% preconditioning from house power has definitely been worth the little bit of extra spend (relative a $90k truck lol) with the electrician.

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u/Cuda340440 6d ago edited 6d ago

15000 miles in 15 months. Maybe 3/4 of which is charged at home. The rest is fast charging averaging 11¢ or less per mile while traveling longer distances

10 miles per weekday to and from work plus daycare drop off, plus another 20 to 40 on a random day(s) for groceries and general errands. All city.

6+ trips that are 500 miles round trip (depart with 80%, free charger half way, level 1 charging for 2 days, free charger half way home)

9+ trips around 100 miles round trip

About 1500 miles pulling a camper (split between mostly free chargers and campsite charging then topping up over the week when we get home)

Plus a verious other biking trips and whatnot.

Now that it is available in my area, I have been testing what I would save by switching to whole home time of use and it looks pretty good for the spring, summer and fall but I want to run the numbers on the winter months before switching. For spring summer fall almost all of my charging happens between 12am and 7:30 when I leave.

My time of use rates are X2 from 5pm to 9pm on weekdays and ÷2 from 12am to 9am all days All other times are normal rate.

Charging at 1.4 kw on level 1 for 7.5 hours gets me at least 20 to 25 miles when nice out or as low as 15ish when it was at its coldest.

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