The all things EV chat thread

[Jimaroid]

Who knows what the future will bring.
But as long as manufacturers keep making ICE cars, EVs won't come down in price.

I doubt very much that ceasing ICE production will make EVs cheaper. Nothing is getting cheaper in the next few years so unless EVs become heavily subsidised I'm not expecting them to become any more affordable.

As keeps being said, rare earth elements are a problem by definition of them being rare.

 

[PNWokingham]

Who knows what the future will bring.
But as long as manufacturers keep making ICE cars, EVs won't come down in price.

I don't agree with this and think any push down this path is madness. EVs are the future and we all know it but we have to get there without compromising the economy. EVs should become a lot cheaper than ICEs within a few years anyway as they are a lot simpler. If they strides in battery technology happen - notwithstanding the current supply shocks - then they will naturally take over on economic grounds.

 

[bobmac]

Ah….what you mean is the Real “real world” of traffic and deadlines where a 350 mile journey needs to take 5-6 Hrs not 5-6 hours plus two 50 minute top ups (have a coffee and a rest why don’t you ?)

If you are doing 350 miles per day, the Tesla S would be your best bet at 298 miles of range and if you use the Tesla superchargers you can add 200 miles in 15 minutes and for some cars that is FREE FUEL.

So on Monday you drive 350 miles with one stop of 15 minutes.
And on Tuesday you drive back with one stop of 15 minutes.
Total distance.... 700 miles
Total cost..... 0

 

[bobmac]

I doubt very much that ceasing ICE production will make EVs cheaper.

Mr and Mrs Smith go to buy a car.
The salesman shows them 3 similar cars all the same price.
The petrol version will do 50mpg
The diesel will do 60mpg
The EV will do 150mpg.
The salesman would never sell another petrol or diesel car.
But because the manufacturers are still churning out ICE cars, the showroom have to keep the EV costs high to encourage people to buy the ICE cars until they sell all their backlog.

 

[GreiginFife]

To take a different view on this, just for a moment, this thread was started in Nov 2020. so about 18 months ago. I understand that there has been a pandemic so that has to be taken in to account... but my question is:

In YOUR area, in that 18 months what progress have you seen in infrastructure to support EVs? I was thinking about this earlier on today and in my area, in that time with are net -4 charging points. 2 new points were installed when McD's built a new drive through but 4 were either removed or decommissioned due to a business closing (no-one must have picked up the costs for the chargers to keep operating) or they have been vandalised so often that they've been totally shut down.

We have a new college and school "super campus" being built that will have 20 charge points installed. So that's a positive.

 

[bobmac]

To take a different view on this, just for a moment, this thread was started in Nov 2020. so about 18 months ago. I understand that there has been a pandemic so that has to be taken in to account... but my question is:

In YOUR area, in that 18 months what progress have you seen in infrastructure to support EVs? I was thinking about this earlier on today and in my area, in that time with are net -4 charging points. 2 new points were installed when McD's built a new drive through but 4 were either removed or decommissioned due to a business closing (no-one must have picked up the costs for the chargers to keep operating) or they have been vandalised so often that they've been totally shut down.

We have a new college and school "super campus" being built that will have 20 charge points installed. So that's a positive.

In the back of beyond where I live, there were none within my local town.
Now Tesco have 4.
2x50 kwh
1x22 kwh
1x7 kwh

The 7 and 22 kwh are both free of charge

 

[GreiginFife]

In the back of beyond where I live, there were none within my local town.
Now Tesco have 4.
2x50 kwh
1x22 kwh
1x7 kwh

The 7 and 22 kwh are both free of charge

Our Tesco have 2 and the "big" Tesco has 4, in theory although the big Tesco is where one has been left out of commission following vandalism.

Our rail station had one but it's constant vandalism has left it out of use.

Pure Gym has one in their car park which I think is the closest to me at 4 miles, but for customer use only, understandably.

 

[Billysboots]

Please see post no. 2067

You do know in 2011, you could only buy one EV, a Nissan Leaf which had a range of about 80 miles on a good day, cost around £30,000 and there were around 1,500 chargers in the UK.
Today, there are more than 130 to choose from, many of which are well below £30,000 including the MG5 (250 mile range) and there are presently over 50,000 connectors.
Think where we'll be in another 8 years time.

Then I’ll reconsider in 8 years’ time ?

 

[Billysboots]

To take a different view on this, just for a moment, this thread was started in Nov 2020. so about 18 months ago. I understand that there has been a pandemic so that has to be taken in to account... but my question is:

In YOUR area, in that 18 months what progress have you seen in infrastructure to support EVs? I was thinking about this earlier on today and in my area, in that time with are net -4 charging points. 2 new points were installed when McD's built a new drive through but 4 were either removed or decommissioned due to a business closing (no-one must have picked up the costs for the chargers to keep operating) or they have been vandalised so often that they've been totally shut down.

We have a new college and school "super campus" being built that will have 20 charge points installed. So that's a positive.

We only have one facility within 4 miles of my home address. Whilst I live in a village, we are nevertheless 3 miles from the nearest small town - not one charging facility there despite there being three supermarkets, a leisure centre, a number of small hotels and so on.

 

[Jimaroid]

Mr and Mrs Smith go to buy a car.
... the showroom have to keep the EV costs high to encourage people to buy the ICE cars until they sell all their backlog.

That's a load of hypothetical and conspiracy nonsense.

In YOUR area, in that 18 months what progress have you seen in infrastructure to support EVs?

We've had two 22kW chargers installed in the village. I couldn't say how well they're being used, I sometimes see a bay occupied when I go past. I know the local councillor is campaigning for more but no sign yet.

 

[bobmac]

That's a load of hypothetical and conspiracy nonsense.

If you were Mr Smith, which car would you buy?

 

[Blue in Munich]

If you were Mr Smith, which car would you buy?

The car that best suited my needs.

 

[Jimaroid]

If you were Mr Smith, which car would you buy?

No idea. I don't buy cars by only looking at mpg.

 

[bobmac]

Ok, you have a petrol station at the end of your road and a driveway where you could charge your EV.
You are in the market for a Golf.
The choice is a Golf petrol, a Golf diesel and an e Golf.
All the same price.
Which would you choose?

 

[Jimaroid]

I don't want a Golf.

 

[bobmac]

I'm done

 

[phillarrow]

I don't really have a view on the argument...but those last few posts made me laugh!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I don't really have a view on the argument...but those last few posts made me laugh!

Read them again and imagine Tommy Cooper is reading the lines. It is right up his street and it makes it even funnier.

 

[road2ruin]

I think that over the last 10 or so pages (maybe even more) it can be summed up as....

1. Some won't entertain an EV until they're forced to do so at some point way down the line.

2. Some like the idea of an EV but they're just not practical for them to do so given the current state so will stick with ICE until things change.

3. Some are pro EV and accept the present limitations and just work around them.

As things stand not going to change the minds of those in camps 1 or 3 so we're just going round and round in circles.

 

[Jimaroid]

Ah, c'mon Bob, it's a valid point and I'm glad someone can see the lighter side of the intent.

Buying decisions just aren't that simple. Especially when it comes to motors where most people generally buy to a constrained budget and buy with the heart. I want my next car purchase to be an EV, it just all depends on which car needs replaced first as they're used for different purposes. I know the infrastructure will improve but I don't want to be the sucker that pays over the odds by being the early adopter. Simultaneously I do have a fear of missing out on the low cost per mile the early adopters have. Both of those things will change though, given what's happening with the world I think buying *right now* is a mistake and I have to wait.