Adventures in an all electric vehicle.

[dobbslc]

"Electric vehicles are rubbish, they're no good to anyone."
"Electric vehicles are the future, they're perfect for everyone."

This sounds like a line out of the book 1984

By the way, why do electric cars have to have such huge motors? It seems like even the smallest have 200HP or more. Is it the case that irrespective of economy, energy saving or environmental concerns, a car simply can't be marketed unless it's faster that anything the customer has owned before?

I've wondered the same thing! If they're meant to be the "new environment friendly" thing why aren't they more like normal cars in performance?
Mate has a 2 year old iPace with something like 400bhp, Mental!
Someone was asking about them in this thread, I'll say it's very nice indeed and well worth a test drive if you need a 2 ton car with 20" wheels and electric everything!
The marketing plebs are running the asylum with these new electric cars, everything MUST be bigger, faster, have more useless tech than the last one and manufacturers in general as stated earlier are making them more unreliable to cut their costs and force the people (majority) that couldn't fit a light bulb buy new new new.
I'll stick with my 26 year old 3.0 diesel Surf until it's crashed, stolen or forced off the roads by the money grabbers in government at which point I'll be tempted to park it outside Khan's house and burn it

 

[daleyd]

I'm sorry if I offended - it wasn't my intention.
What I said though, was that the expense of a new EV, with the risk factor of its ownership cost, was too big a gamble for many to take.
"The only gamble worth taking, is the one you can afford to lose".
Obviously, you can afford it, & are happy with your gamble.
I made a much smaller wager with my cheap "banger" & I'm happy with mine.

(I still think the odds favour my choice, in virtually all aspects btw, with me losing out on very little on what a new EV (or ICE) offers/provides in real terms - while making a much lower investment. I do wonder just how many miles you'd have to do in an EV versus my cars 36mpg before the break-even point was reached, and the (likely) 40k-ish extra Spend was recouped?)

My main problem - is that the newer used ICE & Hybrid/EV vehicles and their adoption, means that reliable, affordable used vehicles will become a thing of the past (as the risk factor/gamble stakes will skyrocket due to the built-in obsolescence & very high, hi-tech repair & mtce costs of a modern car).
My method of getting reasonable cosy transport... is being systematically eradicated.

I’m not in the slightest bit offended, I just thought it an odd reason to judge people.

New cars have been sold since they’ve been invented, it’s what fuels the second hand cars that other people buy. People buy what’s offered to them, I guess that’s progress.

I’m trying to add some facts to the discussion and dispel some of the myths around ev ownership, from my real world experience. I don’t think it helps any discussion to repeat stuff that simply isn’t true or to invent problems that don’t exist to try and justify your own choice.

It’s of course an absolute given that choosing a secondhand cheap runaround will ultimately lose you less money than running a new car, but as I’ve said that’s your choice, and mine is different. I don’t think it’s a competition too who can spend the least, it’s making the best of your own situation. What I can say is the equivalent ice vehicle we were looking at was similar asking price and more expensive running costs, so for us changing to eV made sense. I wasn't in the market for a 1k runaround so comparing figures from that scenario made no sense.

 

[optima21]

By the way, why do electric cars have to have such huge motors? It seems like even the smallest have 200HP or more. Is it the case that irrespective of economy, energy saving or environmental concerns, a car simply can't be marketed unless it's faster that anything the customer has owned before?

the last trolley buses in Bradford (around 50 years go) used motors ranging from 100 to 150hp and could move 50 people about. so if you want to save the planet, ditch the EV's and bring back the trolley bus.

 

[optima21]

and

And how fast did they travel at full speed? 20mph?

Try another, better, analogy. One that is relevant, if you could find one. Public transport can always be more economical than individual travel (except for push-bikes - and they usually only carry two people at most). Try applying regular public transport for rural areas and the scheme is likely to fall into administration - unless ‘regular’ means ‘not very often’.

and why isnt it relevant, my 35year old 1 Litre polo with around 40 bhp can keep up with modern traffic and can sit at 70 on the motorway. Id swap it for a new electric car if you want to give me £30,000 towards the part exchange. and since Ive been driving the car for the last 25 years, its probably done less damage to the environment (and used up less resources) than the owner of cars who gets a new one every 3 years.

 

[dobbslc]

and since Ive been driving the car for the last 25 years, its probably done less damage to the environment (and used up less resources) than the owner of cars who gets a new one every 3 years.

This ^ is another factor the marketing plebs, Gretaistas and government seem to conveniently forget.
A new car every 3 years does no good for the environment.

 

[optima21]

This ^ is another factor the marketing plebs, Gretaistas and government seem to conveniently forget.
A new car every 3 years does no good for the environment.

yeah it would screw the economy up if we had a make do and mend policy, but government policy is driven by making more, and generally people are aspirational and wanting new things to show off. recycling is all well and good but wouldn't it be better if we didn't have to replace things in the first place.

 

[dobbslc]

If everyone bought old Toyota's we wouldn't need to replace anything

 

[fizzy]

The reason modern cars are more powerful is that they are so flipping heavy!
Remember how big American cars used to be? Driving in Florida recently I realised European cars have more than caught up.
My first car was a Rover SD1 - it was huge for it's day and yet weighed 1300kg. A Vauxhall Insignia weighs 1700kg. A Discovery 4 weighs about 2700kg unladen

 

[fizzy]

I have recently read about a problem with one pedal electric cars. Apparently the braking can be quite strong backing off the pedal but the brake lights don't come on. Rather worrying.

 

[dobbslc]

Yes I've come across that but it was a Tesla, not sure if they have this system or his lights were out!

 

[knighty]

I have recently read about a problem with one pedal electric cars. Apparently the braking can be quite strong backing off the pedal but the brake lights don't come on. Rather worrying.

the break lights do come on, not sure who told you that but they're wrong :-)

 

[daleyd]

Ours do over a certain level of deceleration. Same as an ice car if you lift off throttle I guess….

 

[Erie Fred]

If everyone bought old Toyota's we wouldn't need to replace anything

Make them out of stainless steel, being electric, just swap out wheel motors, batteries & controllers every 100k miles or so.
Vehicle gets a re-build.

 

[Shox Dr]

Make them out of stainless steel, being electric, just swap out wheel motors, batteries & controllers every 100k miles or so.
Vehicle gets a re-build.

Look where that got Deloran. (or was that another Gov FU)

 

[Erie Fred]

Look where that got Deloran. (or was that another Gov FU)

The Delorean was Stainless steel. Period
End of similarities to what I am suggesting.
How you can suggest they would meet the same fate is mind boggling.

 

[Robbie260]

Did a city and guilds and IET electric vehicle charging point installation course a few weeks back. The amount of guff and form filling etc etc for installing a charger is madness proper madness. Passed thankfully even though I’d never read the on-site guide or 18th edition wiring regs before.

 

[pint]

If everyone bought old Toyota's we wouldn't need to replace anything

that's not true, had to replace a uj. it hadn't been greased in the 200k miles it did tho

 

[atomant48]

Yes I've come across that but it was a Tesla, not sure if they have this system or his lights were out!

The Teslas bring on the brake lights at a certain decel rate (which is dependent on a few variables - battery charge one of them) - you can actually see the brake lights come on in the display on the dash.

 

[GRW]

I believe the big motors & big performance of so many of the Tesla cars etc is for one reason (same as all the expensive demo's and competition entry specials like for the Goodwood Hill Climb).... its to win the hearts and minds of Joe Punter & encourage adoption.

To so many, their car is (they seem to think) a reflection of and indication of themselves (or at least, of how they wish to be perceived). So buying a "milk float" is decidedly uncool, but an EV that can out-accelerate an ICE hot-hatch, with an "impressive" Top Trumps" bhp & torque etc factsheet, is far more palatable & says better with the self-image.

They don't offer so many truly "sensible" & practical EV's simply because they know the market, & know the punter.... so really the reason why is because the buying public have their priorities shot to hell, and wouldn't buy them (but perhaps will in the future, when the cost of living becomes crazy).

 

[dobbslc]

that's not true, had to replace a uj. it hadn't been greased in the 200k miles it did tho

Shocking!