Battery Electric Vehicle News / Enjoying the Transportation Revolution

Martyn1981

Nice headline, but part of the article jumped out at me, as being very impressive:

Hamburg intends to have 100% of its bus fleet zero-emissions buses driving on green electricity by “the beginning of the 2030s.” Hamburger Hochbahn AG already won the German Sustainability Award 2024.

Hamburg Orders 350 Electric Buses from Daimler

The electric bus revolution continues to grow. The latest news in this regard, arriving yesterday, comes from Hamburg, Germany, and Daimler Buses. Daimler has been tapped by Hamburger Hochbahn AG to supply the transit agency with 350 electric buses. In particular, these will be Mercedes-Benz eCitaro and Mercedes-Benz eCitaro G city buses.

Martyn1981

We all know battery costs continue to fall fast, so this short report from Recurrent makes for pleasant reading, especially the side angle regarding SH BEV's and pack replacements..

By 2030, Replacing an EV Battery Will Cost Less Than Fixing a Gas Engine

Not just new EVs

While price parity between new EVs and new gas cars is important, the real excitement has to do with used EVs and battery replacements. As a reminder, most Americans do not buy new cars. Be it gas or EV, the MSRP is more than they want to pay. This leaves around 75% of us shopping for pre-owned vehicles. The biggest concern shoppers have with used EVs remains the battery health, and the fear of a pricey (if unlikely) battery replacement. 

And here’s where it gets cool: as battery prices drop, replacement batteries get really affordable. Soon enough, it will be cheaper to replace a battery pack than it would be to replace a combustion engine. 

And, unlike gas cars whose hundreds of moving parts often cause mechanical problems as they age, EVs have far fewer moving parts to wear down.

As a reminder, battery replacements are exceedingly rare, and are generally covered by special battery warranties that last or exceed 8 years/100,000 miles. The lifespan of a lithium ion battery is expected to be 200,000 miles or more.

Martyn1981

I thought this short analysis, at just 6min, gives a great introduction to the issues and economics behind the Chinese rise in BEV production, and their many advantages over the European legacy car industry.

Certainly explains why Europe (and Japan and US) are struggling.

What's behind Europe's car industry crisis? | Ed Conway analysis

The EU and UK car industry is in a state of turmoil as it struggles with transitioning to the manufacture of electric vehicles.

Sky's Ed Conway delves into the crisis and explains how China has come to dominate the EV car market and looks at whether the auto industry here can compete.

Martyn1981

Vid from Just Have a Think, looking at some recent reports on EV's.

Are Electric Vehicles a MISTAKE?

Are electric vehicles a mistake? Well, to listen to certain sections of the mainstream press and social media, you'd be forgiven for thinking that they're a disastrous concept and their sales are tanking fast. But does that tally up with the real-world data?

Grumpy_chap

But does that tally up with the real-world data?


Well does it?
Don't leave us in suspense 

EricMears

Grumpy_chap said:

But does that tally up with the real-world data?


Well does it?
Don't leave us in suspense 

Can only speak for myself but having bought our first EV nine years ago when it was intended only as a 'shopping trolley' after DERV prices were shooting up and have since progressed to something that easily has a range of over 200 miles I can't see anything I could regard as a 'mistake' that I might have made.

Costs of recharging away from home are frightening but that's a very rare occurrence that doesn't make a great deal of difference to annual average cost /mile.   Absolutely every other aspect is positive - in particular having an EV tariff and a home battery system means that our electricity bills are a fraction of what they might otherwise have been.

QrizB

Grumpy_chap said:

But does that tally up with the real-world data?
...
Well does it? Don't leave us in suspense 

It's one of those "this meeting could have been an email" moments, isn't it?

Although more like "this 10-minute video could've been a 1000-word blog post".

I didn't watch the video but I did read the transcript, and the answer appears to be "no, EVs aren't a mistake". The video states that while there is a bigger carbon footprint to manufacture an EV than an ICE, in the developed world the lack of tailpipe emissions mean the EV breaks even after a year. In the US, due to higher ICE emissions and a dirtier grid, that break-even is reached even sooner.

Netexporter

I was quite surprised at the much quicker carbon payback in the US. I just hope they haven't made the mistake of thinking that a US gallon is 8 pints, when converting to proper scientific units, as used in the civilised world.

QrizB

Netexporter said:

I was quite surprised at the much quicker carbon payback in the US. I just hope they haven't made the mistake of thinking that a US gallon is 8 pints, when converting to proper scientific units, as used in the civilised world.

I think it's based on this IEA report:
https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2024/outlook-for-emissions-reductions
(I've not fully read the report, so I can't say how well the video has represented its findings.)

Martyn1981

Netexporter said:

I was quite surprised at the much quicker carbon payback in the US. I just hope they haven't made the mistake of thinking that a US gallon is 8 pints, when converting to proper scientific units, as used in the civilised world.

LOL good point. But (pedantry alert), a US gallon is also 8 pints, it's just that a US pint is smaller (16fl oz v's 20fl oz) than a UK pint.