Battery Electric Vehicle News / Enjoying the Transportation Revolution

JKenH

Amazing how much leasing costs have dropped for a Nissan Leaf over the last year. (23+9months, 8k miles n-Connecta).

source: https://www.leaseloco.com/car-leasing/nissan/leaf/110kw-n-connecta-40kwh-5dr-auto/6175/2-24-8000-9-0

 

joefizz

JKenH said:

Some mixed messages here but it looks like the PICG will end on 31March to be replaced by other incentives

One of the takeaways from the election campaign was that EV and RE subsidies aimed at the individual were using poor people/taxpayers to subsidise those who could easily afford them anyway. I know the Tories did mention this but very quietly and I know the Greens did get some blowback on the doorsteps because of it.

Ive mentioned in past posts various thinktanks talking about buying out individual ROCs/FIT or just scrapping it altogether (RHI here set a precedent).

With the push for infrastructure investment it will be interesting to see if the Tories do push away from subsidising individuals to subsidising network/infrastructure/companies.

Solarchaser

JKenH said:

Amazing how much leasing costs have dropped for a Nissan Leaf over the last year. (23+9months, 8k miles n-Connecta).

source: https://www.leaseloco.com/car-leasing/nissan/leaf/110kw-n-connecta-40kwh-5dr-auto/6175/2-24-8000-9-0

 

Holy moly!!
Nearly a third of the price.
That's astonishing!

buglawton

Tesla removes autonomous features from car once it was sold on through a 3rd party - seems standard policy
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/02/10/ai_roundup_070220/

ABrass

buglawton said:

Tesla removes autonomous features from car once it was sold on through a 3rd party - seems standard policy
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/02/10/ai_roundup_070220/

The working theory on this is that it was sold by Tesla who planned to remove the Autopilot before selling it onto the dealer, but had failed to do so. The dealer then sold the car which still had autopilot onto its new owner who then performed a routine update only to find autopilot had vanished.

Normally autopilot does go with the car, it seems that Tesla sometimes strip it off when they buy and resell their cars.

JKenH

Shell to replace UK service station forecourt with EV charging hub

https://thedriven.io/2020/02/10/shell-to-replace-uk-service-station-forecourt-with-ev-charging-hub/

Martyn1981

More offerings from Nikola (assuming they actually / ever launch a vehicle). Looks and sounds good, but not sure why you'd want to add all the hassles of a HFC to a 300 mile range BEV.

The Nikola Motor Badger Will Have 600 Mile Range & Arrive As A Battery Electric & Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle

Today, Nikola Motors unveiled a new electric truck, the Badger. The vehicle is still in the early stages of development, but the company is working on a battery electric version and a hydrogen fuel cell electric configuration that can also recharge its onboard battery from the grid. The Badger will hit the market with a 600 mile (965 km) range and a 0–60 mph time of 2.9 seconds.

NigeWick

Martyn1981 said:

 not sure why you'd want to add all the hassles of a HFC to a 300 mile range BEV.
Mart, it read to me as two different vehicles.

Martyn1981

NigeWick said:

Martyn1981 said:

 not sure why you'd want to add all the hassles of a HFC to a 300 mile range BEV.
Mart, it read to me as two different vehicles.

Yep, me too, the 160kWh BEV, with a range of 300 miles, and then the plug-in HFC which is the BEV plus all the fun and additions of the HFC and tank etc.

I'd have thought that a 300 mile pick up BEV was pretty adequate, so adding the cost of the HFC (and fuel cells don't seem to be lasting particularly long) is a tad OTT. But remember that when Nikola launched it was as a HFC semi that would be better than a BEV semi, but that vehicle has grown ever larger batts, and is now offered* in a BEV only format too. So the HFC upgrade on the pick up might just be Nikola trying yet again to find a problem for them to fix with a FC.
*Not technically offered as Nikola hasn't started producing anything yet, but their stage mules look very impressive.

Martyn1981

Not 'BEV' news, and perhaps more appropriate for the solar news thread, but I thought I'd post this here as it shows the potential fuel savings from commercial vehicles, as they get some, any, all electric help.

Buses and coaches have quite a high continuous electrical demand (regardless of powertrain), so anything that reduces the need to extract that from FF's at a measly efficiency is a plus:

Flixbus fleet tests 18% CIGS panels

After announcing plans to test hydrogen fuel cell buses in November, the European coach travel route planning start-up has begun a pilot project to reduce diesel consumption by using solar panels on the vehicles of its partner companies. FlixBus says the ultra-thin, lightweight CIGS modules help save 1.7 litres of diesel per 100km.

Trailar, which describes itself as owned by Bonn-based Deutsche Post DHL Group on its website, claims its solar “mats” have 18% conversion efficiency and weigh 2kg per m². The panels were developed in partnership with U.S.-based CIGS specialist MiaSolé, a subsidiary of troubled Chinese thin-film manufacturer Hanergy.