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BMW X5
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05-08-2026LAST POST
04-29-2026
jaffles wrote
For me the whole EV is heavier causes road damage is just BS. You are onto it however and its water, and water alone. I get blamed for wrecking the roads all the time with 20 wheels and 45T twisting and turning. However the road is fine until it rains, then the water very quickly exposes every weakness there is in that roads surface or its preparation. It also explains why roads go pear shape in rain where trucks don't go. The heavy EV is no more than an idea that makes sense to find a tax for new tech. Still they use the roads so should be paying their way.
Absolute and total BS. There are many very popular ICE vehicles that weigh as much, if not more, than EVs, yet know one is clutching their purses over them. It's almost like it's a manufactured talking point...

Ford F-150: 4,000-6,000 lbs.
Ford Excursion: 6,650-7,700 lbs.
Chevy Suburban: 5,600-6,000 lbs.
Toyota Highlander: 4,145-4,595 lbs.
BMW X5: 4,828-5,672 lbs.
Etc.

Also: I didn't buy an EV for the gas savings – that's just icing on the cake. I bought it because, IMO, it's a superior car for my use as a daily driver. Electricity costs will obviously rise as time goes on (of course, gas prices will too), but it's going to have to rise a whole hell of a lot to meet or exceed gas. Which it won't.
04-29-2026
Phillies8008 wrote
Absolute and total BS. There are many very popular ICE vehicles that weigh as much, if not more, than EVs, yet know one is clutching their purses over them. It's almost like it's a manufactured talking point...

Ford F-150: 4,000-6,000 lbs.
Ford Excursion: 6,650-7,700 lbs.
Chevy Suburban: 5,600-6,000 lbs.
Toyota Highlander: 4,145-4,595 lbs.
BMW X5: 4,828-5,672 lbs.
Etc.

Also: I didn't buy an EV for the gas savings – that's just icing on the cake. I bought it because, IMO, it's a superior car for my use as a daily driver. Electricity costs will obviously rise as time goes on (of course, gas prices will too), but it's going to have to rise a whole hell of a lot to meet or exceed gas. Which it won't.
Dont forget the amount of real environmental pollution (toxic chemical) that goes into manufacturing and EOL disposal of EV batteries. The most often overlooked inconvenient fact.
I am actually totally fine with people buying EV's as long as there is zero subsidies for them and cost include battery EOL disposal.
04-29-2026
Lot of folks calling Bull $hit around here, but I prefer facts over attitude.

4 reasons electric vehicles might need to lose some weight

According to the University of Tennessee’s Center for Transportation Research, EVs often weigh 30% more than gas-powered vehicles. :confused2

Electric vehicle weight: What are the downsides?
1. Stopping distances
2. Car insurance costs
3. Lagging highway infrastructure
4. EV tires: How they wear
04-29-2026
Another often overlooked fact is that "EV" deployment is self-limiting as long as you dont want your electricity rationed.
In other words, the grid can not handle everyone having an EV, even 25%, if that.
Both generation capacity and transmission capability are nowhere near for even 25% EV adoption.
So enjoy your EV, but for your own sake, dont spread the message.
04-29-2026
kilowatt88 wrote
Another often overlooked fact is that "EV" deployment is self-limiting as long as you dont want your electricity rationed.
In other words, the grid can not handle everyone having an EV, even 25%, if that.
Both generation capacity and transmission capability are nowhere near for even 25% EV adoption.
So enjoy your EV, but for your own sake, dont spread the message.
The infrastructure for gasoline and diesel distribution also didn't sprout overnight. In Sweden now we're having the usual suspects spread news about how charging stations are "sitting unused" while "costing their owners money". Because the infrastructure was built out faster than actual EV adoption, those of us with EVs have it good right now, there's more than enough chargers to go round. Of course things will balance out in the end.

For those of you in places where the infra is lagging adoption, you have the opposite problem, but it'll work itself out.
04-29-2026
Car-Addicted wrote
Lot of folks calling Bull $hit around here, but I prefer facts over attitude.

4 reasons electric vehicles might need to lose some weight

According to the University of Tennessee’s Center for Transportation Research, EVs often weigh 30% more than gas-powered vehicles. :confused2

Electric vehicle weight: What are the downsides?
1. Stopping distances
2. Car insurance costs
3. Lagging highway infrastructure
4. EV tires: How they wear
I have always wondered what the tolerances of older parking structures are because they weren't designed in an era with cars this heavy.
04-29-2026
Car-Addicted wrote
Lot of folks calling Bull $hit around here, but I prefer facts over attitude.

According to the University of Tennessee’s Center for Transportation Research, EVs often weigh 30% more than gas-powered vehicles. :confused2
There is some truth to this, but it's downstream of cars becoming heavier in general. It didn't use to be the case that everyone had to get a big SUV just to get themselves and 1-2 kids from A to B. If you needed extra cargo space for the odd IKEA haul, you'd just rent a trailer. Now everyone's rolling around in cars where they use at most 20% of the passenger and cargo capacity during 90-95% of their trips, because "they might need it" for the last 5-10%.

Are EV's heavier? Yes. Could this effect be canceled out by people just buying normal sized cars that are tuned to what they need 95% of the time instead of oversized effing SUVs? Also yes.

And I'm writing this from a mostly European perspective. You fine folks over in the US like your cars even bigger than we do here.
04-29-2026
louielouie wrote
I have always wondered what the tolerances of older parking structures are because they weren't designed in an era with cars this heavy.
That's is a two bladed sword. Extra weight and Issues with battery fires and the ability to get appropriate fire fighting equipment in.
04-29-2026
W2k your points are well founded. Maybe I'm just starting to look around at other vehicles since I got an X5 (which to me is huge) but I seeing more SUV's at are massive. Chevrolet Suburban / GMC Yukon XL / Cadillac Escalade ESV / Ford Expedition MAX should have their own zip code. I never want to hear any of these guys whining about the price of fuel.
04-29-2026
zubobawud49 wrote
I don’t think it has to be an all-or-nothing switch either. A lot of people are landing somewhere in the middle—plug-in hybrids or just planning their “last ICE” more carefully.

Curious if others feel the same shift, or if this just reinforces sticking with ICE as long as possible.
Rational people feel and act that way.
But there is an increasing shortage of those around these days.

When your news cycle is owned by social-media algo driven conspiracy theories, acting rationally frequently takes second row to "joining the crowd". And then repeating whatever arguments that crowd is embracing on any given Wednesday.

Having said that, I've jumped on EV bandwagon ~12 years ago out of curiosity, and for cost-savings reasons. My first EV cost me LESS in monthly lease payments ($189) vs. 4 tanks of gas I would normally buy for my daily commuter. In other words, it was free to drive!

And then Tesla made EVs more fun to drive then most ICE vehicles, so there is that going for EVs now!
Phillies8008 wrote
Absolute and total BS. There are many very popular ICE vehicles that weigh as much, if not more, than EVs, yet know one is clutching their purses over them. It's almost like it's a manufactured talking point....
Very true.
Exactly no-one was freaking about the weight of SUVs when those got super-popular in mid-90s.
Yet the same folks are pretending extra weight with EVs is a deal-breaker.

Common, man!
Car-Addicted wrote
4 reasons electric vehicles might need to lose some weight
Sorry, but that is an example of 4 straw-man arguments.
No EV needs to loose weight if one is not objecting to the extra weight of SUVs and full-sized trucks on the road (driven by IRS deductions weight thresholds in Section 179).
kilowatt88 wrote
Another often overlooked fact is that "EV" deployment is self-limiting as long as you dont want your electricity rationed.
In other words, the grid can not handle everyone having an EV, even 25%, if that.
Another straw-man argument.
Anyone complaining about investments into AI datacenters due to "electricity will be rationed"?

Common, man!
louielouie wrote
I have always wondered what the tolerances of older parking structures are because they weren't designed in an era with cars this heavy.
Yep, we've never had 6,000+lbs SUVs and trucks on the roads until EVs came along.

Common, man!
kilowatt88 wrote
I am actually totally fine with people buying EV's as long as there is zero subsidies for them and cost include battery EOL disposal.
I would be too, if we didn't fight all these oil wars to power ICE vehicles. To the tunes of Trillions of $$$.
Over, and over, and over again.

a

P.S.: Let's not forget the other anti-EV arguments:
- EV technology is not "there" yet.
- No-one can afford to install an EV charger in thier garage / home / parking lot.
- EVs sponteneously catch on fire, while ICE cars never do.
- China / Iran / North Korea wants you to buy EVs, and you have to hate that.
- EVs will cause your d*ck to fall off.
04-30-2026
Car-Addicted wrote
Lot of folks calling Bull $hit around here, but I prefer facts over attitude.

4 reasons electric vehicles might need to lose some weight

According to the University of Tennessee’s Center for Transportation Research, EVs often weigh 30% more than gas-powered vehicles. :confused2

Electric vehicle weight: What are the downsides?
1. Stopping distances
2. Car insurance costs
3. Lagging highway infrastructure
4. EV tires: How they wear
So I assume you have the same weight concerns about the just as heavy vehicles I posted before. Right?
04-30-2026
Phillies8008 wrote
So I assume you have the same weight concerns about the just as heavy vehicles I posted before. Right?
Nice strawman :D Like for Like
04-30-2026
The comparable size and capacity EV probably weighs 25% more on average. Chevy Blazer EV versus Chevy Suburban as a big car example, but anyone can look up a bunch more examples if they want to research this further.

There are probably some exceptions. Stripper Tesla Model 3 might only be 10-15% heavier than a small to mid size 5 passenger car. And of course people can argue over what is comparable.
04-30-2026
I've said this for two decades regarding road taxes (in relation to up-and-coming EVs):

Remove the road tax from fuel. Apply the road tax to tires.

Done.



Bonus: Tire use relates to road erosion and damage much more than fuel does (since it better accounts for the vehicle mass and many other smaller factors).


(Yes tires will absolutely explode in price, and tire repair shops will sprout up, and robust secondary markets will arise, and many people will use ALL of the tire instead of replacing "early" or for safety. These are all fine with me. )
04-30-2026
Car-Addicted wrote
Nice strawman :D Like for Like
Um, doctor heal thyself?

But maybe you can explain to me why the weight of EVs is a concern while the weight of non-EVs isn't? You don't seem to have expressed any concern for those, oddly.
04-30-2026
pbonsalb wrote
The comparable size and capacity EV probably weighs 25% more on average. Chevy Blazer EV versus Chevy Suburban as a big car example, but anyone can look up a bunch more examples if they want to research this further.

There are probably some exceptions. Stripper Tesla Model 3 might only be 10-15% heavier than a small to mid size 5 passenger car. And of course people can argue over what is comparable.
Why does "comparable size" matter? Does asphalt care? Heavy is heavy is heavy. If a 5,000 lb. EV is supposedly bad for asphalt*, why wouldn't a 5,000 lb. ICE vehicle be?

*But are they really? Sure doesn't seem like it.
Experts said EVs’ additional weight has little impact on infrastructure...
So speaking of straw men...
04-30-2026
You are missing the point. The weights are not the same.

Sure, one 5000 lb vehicle causes just as much damage as another. But the comparable size and capacity EV weighs more so it causes more road damage.
04-30-2026
afadeev wrote
Rational people feel and act that way.
But there is an increasing shortage of those around these days.

When your news cycle is owned by social-media algo driven conspiracy theories, acting rationally frequently takes second row to "joining the crowd". And then repeating whatever arguments that crowd is embracing on any given Wednesday.

Having said that, I've jumped on EV bandwagon ~12 years ago out of curiosity, and for cost-savings reasons. My first EV cost me LESS in monthly lease payments ($189) vs. 4 tanks of gas I would normally buy for my daily commuter. In other words, it was free to drive!

And then Tesla made EVs more fun to drive then most ICE vehicles, so there is that going for EVs now!



Very true.
Exactly no-one was freaking about the weight of SUVs when those got super-popular in mid-90s.
Yet the same folks are pretending extra weight with EVs is a deal-breaker.

Common, man!



Sorry, but that is an example of 4 straw-man arguments.
No EV needs to loose weight if one is not objecting to the extra weight of SUVs and full-sized trucks on the road (driven by IRS deductions weight thresholds in Section 179).



Another straw-man argument.
Anyone complaining about investments into AI datacenters due to "electricity will be rationed"?

Common, man!



Yep, we've never had 6,000+lbs SUVs and trucks on the roads until EVs came along.

Common, man!



I would be too, if we didn't fight all these oil wars to power ICE vehicles. To the tunes of Trillions of $$$.
Over, and over, and over again.

a

P.S.: Let's not forget the other anti-EV arguments:
- EV technology is not "there" yet.
- No-one can afford to install an EV charger in thier garage / home / parking lot.
- EVs sponteneously catch on fire, while ICE cars never do.
- China / Iran / North Korea wants you to buy EVs, and you have to hate that.
- EVs will cause your d*ck to fall off.
I just want to say thank you for this post. The ev propaganda in 2026 is nutty
04-30-2026
No need for a change of heart. I've been waiting for an EV that suits my needs and that I can trust. I think I've found the right one or a couple to choose from. With 59 solar panels on my home roof, I can charge it overnight like my phone, at my convenience, so why not drive off sunlight? We don't take long trips and 300-400 miles will last a week or two. I still have my 2 series rwd, manual for fun but for a daily driver to/from the grocery store or a local restaurant where it's not even far enough to get an ICE up to operating temperature, an EV works perfectly. Looking forward to never visiting a gas station again other than for my weekend/fun car.
04-30-2026
Unfortunately because of the chassis architecture (battery skateboard), it forces most cars into a high chair situation. The Taycan and Tesla S seems to combat this with a lower general stance but most EVs look too tall or have weird high waisted proportions because of it.

Also there's pretty much 0 non-boutique brand 2-door coupes or convertibles.
04-30-2026
W2k wrote
The infrastructure for gasoline and diesel distribution also didn't sprout overnight. In Sweden now we're having the usual suspects spread news about how charging stations are "sitting unused" while "costing their owners money". Because the infrastructure was built out faster than actual EV adoption, those of us with EVs have it good right now, there's more than enough chargers to go round. Of course things will balance out in the end.

For those of you in places where the infra is lagging adoption, you have the opposite problem, but it'll work itself out.
This is spoken like someone did not do sufficient research into the topic and relies on mainstream media for "news".
There is also a factor of scale. What MAYBE possible for a country like Sweden (Which relies heavily on Norwegian Oil btw), but ALSO has severe strain on the grid (Even today nowhere near at roughly 15% EV overall), but even for Sweden, infrastructure upgrades required to support transmission (let alone generation - electricity is not generated via magic dust and most of it still comes from traditional sources) would be in the billions. Who is going to pay for this? Taxpayer? EV adaptors? Are you willing to pay $250K for a Honda Civil level EV?

And now, for a country like US, multiply this orders of magnitude.
I really wish people did research on these things.

(And save yourself time from the "solar and wind" will save us argument because the amount of holes in that is off the scale with just 15 minutes of internet research (but avoid mainstream news media)
04-30-2026
afadeev wrote
Another straw-man argument.
Anyone complaining about investments into AI datacenters due to "electricity will be rationed"?

Common, man!


Let me guess, if I told you, in say, 2018 that in 2 years you will be required to take an untested toxic injection to keep your job (or even leave your house like some EU countries), you would totally call me completely crazy yes?