Adventures in an all electric vehicle.

[bricol]

Very easy to help you out (you could have easily researched it yourself, mind, instead of making yet another silly post.

Rivian. Tows ~5 tonnes with a range of over 300 miles. At present you would need to import it.

edit: Bricol got there first. Just shows how little people are really interested in finding out for themselves.
Mine will only tow about a tonne and a half (I have had a towbar fitted).

Seen plenty of them in the US, towing too.

Apparently repair costs are a bit silly in a minor fender bender though - I didn't fully read a story where it seemed the entire side needed replacing for some minor damage at the rear.

 

[cheb]

Having to import one isn't really a viable option IMO. Apart from the finance there's spares availability, servicing, warranty questions and no doubt more. What next, all you have to do is design and build one?

I'm not a hater BTW, I looked at electric vans when I replaced mine earlier this year, I spent £20K on a used Vivaro. A similar E-van would have been closer to £50K, and I couldn't find range data for a van driven for long distances. Pootling through the highlands is one thing, battering the outside lane on a motorway for hours is another. Yes I could get an EV for local work and hire an ICE when I go to the mainland but that limits me as to when there might be a van available. I used to do this years ago, family car was a Metro, we hired a bigger when when needed.

 

[Shox Dr]

It would be interesting to see how many forum members with EVs live in a Flat, Terrance etc without off road parking?

Or a new housing estates that might have one space per house if you are lucky

 

[James1979]

It would be interesting to see how many forum members with EVs live in a Flat, Terrance etc without off road parking?

Some local authorities are charging for an annual permit to run the cable across the pavement

Assuming you can park on the road outside your house, that is.

A few people on here have moaned (rightly) from time to time they can’t park outside their house. If we went all or almost all EV that’s going to exacerbate that hugely I’d think. Not only can you not park outside your house, you can’t charge your car either.

No idea what the answer is. Can they put sockets on lamp posts?

I know they’d be low current ones but they’re everywhere and better than nowt?

 

[not done it yet]

Or a new housing estates that might have one space per house if you are lucky

Are you not aware that all new-builds are (or soon will be) by law, fitted with charging facility or the connection ready for a charger?

 

[not done it yet]

Can they put sockets on lamp posts?

Of course. They are already do!

 

[Shox Dr]

Are you not aware that all new-builds are (or soon will be) by law, fitted with charging facility or the connection ready for a charger?

And effect has that, on the currently built houses?

 

[willie.macleod]

There is a real push to get those on lower household incomes away from their cars. We've just had a new scrappage scheme introduced for those who claim qualifying benefits whereby if you have a MOTd vehicle then you get £2k for scrapping it and an extra £500-1000 worth of travel vouchers for bikes or public transport. That may have the effect of raising the entry cost for motoring to close to £3k for a banger that was previously worth £500. More lower end cars will end up being sorted by DIYers and those that can't do it themselves are likely to find their travel options restricted to public transport.

 

[Shox Dr]

Are you not aware that all new-builds are (or soon will be) by law, fitted with charging facility or the connection ready for a charger?

What happens if everyone turns a tap on in a street....


What we having for tea tonight Darling?
It was hot pot. But everyone is charging theirs cars so its more a luke warm pot.

 

[daleyd]

Probably put it on charge from midnight when there’s otherwise little demand, like folk do now? Just a guess…

 

[not done it yet]

What happens if everyone turns a tap on in a street....


What we having for tea tonight Darling?
It was hot pot. But everyone is charging theirs cars so its more a luke warm pot.

Clearly, you are someone who believes all the conspiracy theories?

Do you also think that any, or all, the lamps in the street are going to dim or extinguish, when someone plugs in to charge?

I have two options while charging at home - 2.3kW or 7kW. The lesser of the two is no different than running an oven. The larger is generally used during the night, on cheaper electricity, when you and most others would generally be in bed

Do you have any more conspiracy theories, to try out on the forum? Let’s get the bull excrement out of the way and get back to some semblance of reality.

 

[not done it yet]

And effect has that, on the currently built houses?

My house was built in the 1970s. Plugging in - to a 13A socket - to charge at 2.3kW is not too difficult to arrange.

The larger charger required a feed connection from the consumer panel, in my case. A one-off expense, but not exactly the end of the world.

You specifically posted re new housing estates. That there are changes to the rules should make it obvious to all, that older housing estates were not required to be fitted out ready for EV connection, shirley.

 

[Shox Dr]

Clearly, you are someone who believes all the conspiracy theories?

Do you also think that any, or all, the lamps in the street are going to dim or extinguish, when someone plugs in to charge?

I have two options while charging at home - 2.3kW or 7kW. The lesser of the two is no different than running an oven. The larger is generally used during the night, on cheaper electricity, when you and most others would generally be in bed

Do you have any more conspiracy theories, to try out on the forum? Let’s get the bull excrement out of the way and get back to some semblance of reality.

OK I understand now. So long as everyone agrees with you, with your aggressive attitude All ticky boo.

As you were.

 

[atomant48]

It would be interesting to see how many forum members with EVs live in a Flat, Terrance etc without off road parking?

Or a new housing estates that might have one space per house if you are lucky

Yes this is a fair point. I’m very fortunate we can park all cars on our drive and I charge probably 99% of the time at home. Interestingly when they stopped the government grants for charger installations (I didn’t bother but it was subsidies by £300 or so from memory) they made them still available for multiple occupancy buildings (flats etc).

I have got by for 2 years off a 10A supply - as long as you plan ahead it gives me 100 or so daily range and i top it up completely on the weekend. But i can imagine the difficulty in (a) getting a park outside your property and (b) running a lead out and (c) protecting that lead (!!) in say a terraced house.

So for those types of properties i think the near term solution (I see power poles with connections etc a little longer term - notably because of the different agencies that would have to pay for it !) is more / better public charging farms. And that are priced more fairly !!

 

[DAPPH]

At this point I've only read up to page 4, #80... (getting bored of the arguments, civil-enough as they are).

Retired, my longest normal round-trip in one day is 40 miles, once a week.
Maybe every 3 months, I "might" do a 120 mile day.
Other more normal days its 15 mile round trips, couple of times a week.
None of the destinations are public transport friendly.

Not short of a bob or two but at 67, I just can't bring myself to be overly spendy on cars - my diesel 4x4 (love it) cost £2k in 2018 and maintenance over 5 years has been less than £3k, so that's where I'm in my ££££budget comfort zone.

I think an EV would suit most of my trips; would just come down to finding an EV for about £2k.
I like the look of the Renault Zoe but the cheapest one on autotrader is £3k , 300 miles away, and doesn't work
and not too keen on "renting" the battery, either.

Might have to wait 10 or 15 years before availability is so widespread that the prices come down to my level.
But by that time I will be over 80, so seems less likely for me.

So I may as well enjoy my 4x4 mud-plugging go-anywhere gas-guzzler and forget EVs

True , until you are totally banned from using it because the screamie greenies have got control or the fuel energy companies have diversified enough to stop global production of diesel & petrol for sale at Joe public prices.

 

[bricol]

OK I understand now. So long as everyone agrees with you, with your aggressive attitude All ticky boo.

As you were.

I don't think he was aggressive - just possible humourously exasperated by those putting problems in the way of every single suggestion of how things are done/might be done with developing tech.

Its all new - things will be learnt, improved, developed, changed - much like any other project.

I assume there were similiar issues when someone suggest storing thousands of litres of flammable fuel . . . and complaints when rule were brought in to minimise the amount that could/should be stored at home . . .

 

[DAPPH]

There are four in Tesco, 2 in Wilko, Asda has none, and I don't think I've seen any anywhere else in our town.

Do an internet search for them , you'll be surprised where they are . Round here ( Ammanford ) local authorities are also putting them in their own carparks

 

[DAPPH]

Plastic bottle under the driver's seat Malcolm

Just purchased a 1.5 litre four inch wide necked sports drinking bottle from Tesco for such eventualities @ £ 6.50 .
I now have three such bottles in my car ...managing to fill two in one day .

 

[dobbslc]

Do you also think that any, or all, the lamps in the street are going to dim or extinguish, when someone plugs in to charge

Probably not if just one plugs in but if 15 do that then going but the state of the UKPN cabling in many streets it'll melt the weakest joint or pop the transformer.
They really are miles behind in upgrading the network in a lot of areas, please ignore most of if not all what the government says, have we learned nothing from the last few years?

 

[redlig]

Well, if you want to get really picky, they were first seriously used over a hundred years ago (but thanks Pedro). Fell out of favour as oil products and ICE engines developed in the early years of the 20th century.

Milk floats have been around a very long time. They virtually fell out of favour by about 25 years ago.

Electric toy cars have been around a very long time - whether similar to scalextric or mechanised ’pedal‘ type toys. My first (which I still have - but with no guide track for it - was a christmas prezzie in the later 1950s.

The Enfield 8000 electric car was introduced during, or after, the 1973 oil shortage (perhaps look up the Jonny Smith project where he converted his to a veritable road-going monster - sponsored (in part?) by Adrian Flux Insurance).

The Sinclair C5 came along early in 1985.

The Nissan Leaf was first introduced in 2010, but not too common (and not in the UK), after Musk introduced his first BEV in 2008, but let’s be a bit more sensible about the ‘general’ introduction in reasonable numbers. 10 years was just an approximate round number, without being precise. But as you commented, the above may be a bit of education for you.

Please don't involve the Sinclair in anything but the Jokes thread. Even Sir Clive refused to drive one at the press launch so I've been told.