Electric cars

Gloomendoom

Electric cars? They're shockingly BAD!

Herzlos

AdrianC wrote: »

Those who buy softroaders are, kinda by definition, less interested in the environment and sustainability.

Why? They are almost as efficient as small cars, but may provide something that would otherwise only be available in a much larger SUV.


Also why would you assume the only reason to want an EV is because of the environment? That's not why I want one (though it's no bad thing that it's better for the environment).
I'm not sure anyone on here has said their reason for getting one is environmental. It's almost always cost savings.

Gloomendoom

jeepjunkie wrote: »

LOL!


She should have signed up to all the local charge point schemes and organised the home charged prior to the car's delivery... Oh well...


A good read though, cheers!

Makes you wonder why she didn't get advice from her Tesla owning neighbour before she had the thing delivered.

Herzlos

It does sound like she was going out of her way to have problems with it. I assume that it'd be delivered fully charged, or if she picked it up someone would explain how the charging works.

AdrianC

It's the Daily Mail. Surely you aren't actually expecting accurate, well-researched journalism?

jimbo6977

The DM article is clearly a bit of a wind up, as is their way, but it does have a basis in validity.

Imagine the writer had bought an ICE car: No need to arrange months in advance for several different organisations to involve themselves in setting up a charging point at her home. No need for a multitude of cables and adapters. No need to sign up to a different payment system for every different filling station brand. No great hunt for a filling station. No need to break a middling-distance journey for hours to fill up.

Electric cars should have been designed from the start with interchangeable batteries that could be exchanged at a multitude of retailers, in a similar way to bottled gas.

AdrianC

jimbo6977 wrote: »

Electric cars should have been designed from the start with interchangeable batteries that could be exchanged at a multitude of retailers, in a similar way to bottled gas.

Tesla played with it briefly a few years back - but an Israeli company, BetterPlace, had been touting it as the future a decade ago. They lingered for a few years, but went under in 2013.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd0WPw3p2MQ



Very few ideas are completely new, though - there was also a British company, Battery Traction Ltd, who'd tried it before WW2.

almillar

Imagine the writer had bought an ICE car: No need to arrange months in advance for several different organisations to involve themselves in setting up a charging point at her home

Not sure you're comparing apples with apples. How complicated is it to get a petrol pump installed in your home?!! I got a charge point installed free with my purchase of the Zoe, and it all went smoothly.

No need to sign up to a different payment system for every different filling station brand

Agree. This needs to get better. We've got contactless payment in stores now, and chargers just need to catch up with this. Looks like this is happening slowly as chargers are upgraded and replaced.

Electric cars should have been designed from the start with interchangeable batteries that could be exchanged at a multitude of retailers, in a similar way to bottled gas.

They were - Renault Fluence. The idea took off in Saudi Arabia, I think, but nowhere else.

AdrianC

almillar wrote: »

Not sure you're comparing apples with apples. How complicated is it to get a petrol pump installed in your home?!!

It's trivially easy.



That apart, the dwell time difference of refuelling/recharging makes it much less relevant.

I got a charge point installed free with my purchase of the Zoe, and it all went smoothly.

You mean the manufacturer included the installation within the purchase price of the car. That's a very different situation, especially when you consider purchasers of used EVs.


Yes, the number of properties with charge points installed will rapidly increase - there are already consultations on changing building regs on new-builds, both residential and non-residential - to require EV charge points wherever relevant. And, obviously, subsequent EV purchases will not require the addition of a new circuit, and even the potential for upgrading the CU tails described in the Mail piece (I leave it to others to decide how realistic that is...), but the final connection point may well still require changing to suit any new vehicle.

wymondham

Might consider electric once the charging point issue gets sorted plus the cost comes down. Just looked out of interest for a Renault Zoe on lease. Is about £650 a month!!! - I can get a fully loaded Jag for that easily... ouch!