Battery Electric Vehicle News / Enjoying the Transportation Revolution

Magnitio

So, the chap who supposedly had an issue with stopping his runaway EV has been arrested....

https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/24182858.jaguar-driver-said-brakes-failed-m62-warrington-arrested/

Netexporter

EVM looking at the heavy discounting on many new EVs

New Electric Car Prices 2024! (Discounts Galore!) (youtube.com)

JKenH

I like this type of application (vehicle mounted access platform) that save huge amounts of energy (and emissions) with no compromise in use. No additional infrastructure is needed and the cost savings are considerable. Although the CO2 savings aren’t huge, there is no downside whatsoever to these uses and governments could easily legislate to ban ICE alternatives. Who would sensibly object?

Electric access platform ‘cuts CO2 and improves productivity’

An engine will use about 10 kilowatts of power on when ticking over, which Paish says is far more than is needed. In fact, between 90-98% of fuel is wasted with diesel engines when operating an access platform.

He explained: “Most of that 10kW is just dissipated as heat... 3% efficiency is just an insult to any engineer. Using the engine is just a bad solution.”

Paish says that previous electric-powered access platforms used hydraulic systems that were designed to be coupled to an engine without considering how they should be adapted for an electric motor.

Working during lockdown, he said: “We started from a blank sheet of paper and reconfigured our hydraulic system to be so that it would be as efficient as possible when driven by electric motor.”

The average over the cycle is only 800 Watts. If the time spent at full reach is three minutes, the average requirement falls to 250W.

https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/electric-access-platform-cuts-co2-and-improves-productivity

Coastalwatch

I have to report sad news this week of replacing the front pair of tyres on the Nissan Leaf prior to them achieving the hoped for 40k miles. With mileage at 38k, looking good and 3.5mm of tread reported from the MOT back in June a slow puncture on offside front developed into a not so slow puncture requiring action. With them now approaching six years in service it seemed sensible to let them go and put the money towards a new pair, Sob!

As for the rears, well they had 4.5mm of tread on outer edges remaining so will stay precisely where they are until either wear or another puncture deems otherwise.

S'funny, but unlike many MOT recommendations of the past on previous vehicles there were no figures for brake pad wear. Perhaps they forgot to measure them!

Martyn1981

We've been getting warnings on the MOT/service for the IONIQ for 3yrs now. Varying from 4.5mm up to 6mm and back down to 4mm. Low mileage, sadly reflects the loss of love poor Ian suffered when the first Tesla arrived. 

Coastalwatch

Martyn1981 said:

We've been getting warnings on the MOT/service for the IONIQ for 3yrs now. Varying from 4.5mm up to 6mm and back down to 4mm. Low mileage, sadly reflects the loss of love poor Ian suffered when the first Tesla arrived. 

Ian! Afraid you've lost me there Mart.

Magnitio

Coastalwatch said:

Martyn1981 said:

We've been getting warnings on the MOT/service for the IONIQ for 3yrs now. Varying from 4.5mm up to 6mm and back down to 4mm. Low mileage, sadly reflects the loss of love poor Ian suffered when the first Tesla arrived. 

Ian! Afraid you've lost me there Mart.

Ian the Ioniq. Probably.

Martyn1981

Another article in the EV mythbusting series. This time looking at weight. The single biggest takeaway, I believe, is that as battery density improves (around 5% pa), the issue will mostly resolve itself within a decade. This should also improve the vehicle's efficiency, and storage space, or alternatively, allow for greater kWh's of batts, if more range is needed/wanted.

Are electric cars too heavy for British roads, bridges and car parks?

Nevertheless, Transport & Environment, a campaign group, calculates that EVs are on average between 300kg and 400kg heavier. For every 150km of range, it adds about 100kg of battery weight, said Lucien Mathieu, the cars director at the Brussels-based group.

Heavier vehicles mean there is more friction between tyres and road, and more stress on whatever is below the car. That means roads deteriorate quicker. Academics at the University of Edinburgh in 2022 calculated that there could be between 20% and 40% additional road wear – think potholes, the driver’s bane – associated with battery vehicles compared with internal combustion engines.

However, the analysis (which did not carry out real-world tests) found that any extra wear is “overwhelmingly caused by large vehicles – buses, heavy goods vehicles”. Road wear from cars and motorcycles is “so low that this immaterial”, they said.

However, in the longer term, the assumption that electric cars will always be heavier is also open to question. Auke Hoekstra, an energy transition researcher at the Eindhoven University of Technology, estimates that batteries are cramming twice as much energy into the same weight every decade. If that continues, the weight problem will disappear before it has started.

Martyn1981

Sounds like a great pilot scheme. Solar powered battery swap stations allowing for cleaner generation, 'faster' charging than having to wait, cleaner air. Even an aid to the nation's balance of trade, by reducing FF imports. Hopefully a great intro to BEV's that will allow many areas to leapfrog ICE cars, as their economies grow.

Solar-Powered Battery Swap Stations Could Speed Rwanda’s Shift to Electric “Motos”

Like many parts of Africa, motorcycles are the most popular form of transportation among Rwanda’s 13.3 million people. Whether they’re commuting to work or school, transporting jugs of water from the local taps, or just running everyday errands, people on “motos” can be found zipping up and down most busy streets in the East African nation. Many locals also rely on these motos for their livelihoods as taxi drivers.

But despite their convenience and popularity, motos — mostly powered by fossil fuels — leave behind more than just dusty roads. The two-wheeled vehicles produce greenhouse gas emissions, noise, hazardous air pollution, and contribute to the country’s heavy reliance on imported oil.

The road transport sector is responsible for 13% of Rwanda’s national emissions, with more than a quarter of it coming from motos. The gas-fueled motos also contribute more than 90% of particulate matter air pollution.

Electric motos, especially those powered by renewable energy, offer a promising solution for reducing emissions, improving air quality, and providing economic benefits.

If solar-power battery swap stations can be successfully piloted in Kigali, it can not only bring direct benefits to Rwanda’s economy, environment and people, but also provide a replicable model for the green transformation of an estimated 5 million motorcycles in East African countries.

1961Nick

Martyn1981 said:

Another article in the EV mythbusting series. This time looking at weight. The single biggest takeaway, I believe, is that as battery density improves (around 5% pa), the issue will mostly resolve itself within a decade. This should also improve the vehicle's efficiency, and storage space, or alternatively, allow for greater kWh's of batts, if more range is needed/wanted.

Are electric cars too heavy for British roads, bridges and car parks?

Nevertheless, Transport & Environment, a campaign group, calculates that EVs are on average between 300kg and 400kg heavier. For every 150km of range, it adds about 100kg of battery weight, said Lucien Mathieu, the cars director at the Brussels-based group.

Heavier vehicles mean there is more friction between tyres and road, and more stress on whatever is below the car. That means roads deteriorate quicker. Academics at the University of Edinburgh in 2022 calculated that there could be between 20% and 40% additional road wear – think potholes, the driver’s bane – associated with battery vehicles compared with internal combustion engines.

However, the analysis (which did not carry out real-world tests) found that any extra wear is “overwhelmingly caused by large vehicles – buses, heavy goods vehicles”. Road wear from cars and motorcycles is “so low that this immaterial”, they said.

However, in the longer term, the assumption that electric cars will always be heavier is also open to question. Auke Hoekstra, an energy transition researcher at the Eindhoven University of Technology, estimates that batteries are cramming twice as much energy into the same weight every decade. If that continues, the weight problem will disappear before it has started.

Our current Model 3 performance weighs 1847kg compared to the 1775kg of the BMW 435d Gran Coupe it replaced. I doubt the extra 72kg will cause any bridges to collapse!

The weight issue is mainly due to the desire for SUVs which are inherently aerodynamically inefficient & often carry unnecessary weight due to platform sharing with ICEVs. The extra weight obviously requires a much bigger battery pack which adds yet more weight.