The all things EV chat thread

[PJ87]

That's in the US where they love their gas guzzlers, hardly surprising when they only pay 50p-60p per litre and the large distances they travel.

It's also been posted when it actually happened ... Just looking to up the post count

Nothing to see here

 

[SteveJay]

Given the recent extreme weather and high snowfalls, I have read reports of people being stranded in their cars for many hours. What do EV users feel about that risk?

Not only the ability to keep a car running/heated for an extended time, which I assume an EV could cope with, but the risk of abandoning the car or being stuck for so long that the battery is depleted. I read that some AA mechanics advocate the need for mobile charging vehicles to mitigate the need for recovery of such cars.

 

[bobmac]

I read that some AA mechanics advocate the need for mobile charging vehicles to mitigate the need for recovery of such cars.

The RAC are there already and have been for years

 

[Mudball]

Given the recent extreme weather and high snowfalls, I have read reports of people being stranded in their cars for many hours. What do EV users feel about that risk?

Not only the ability to keep a car running/heated for an extended time, which I assume an EV could cope with, but the risk of abandoning the car or being stuck for so long that the battery is depleted. I read that some AA mechanics advocate the need for mobile charging vehicles to mitigate the need for recovery of such cars.

Tesla owners discover the cold, hard truth about EVs

Not all batteries like subzero temperatures

www.theregister.com

 

[doublebogey7]

Given the recent extreme weather and high snowfalls, I have read reports of people being stranded in their cars for many hours. What do EV users feel about that risk?

Not only the ability to keep a car running/heated for an extended time, which I assume an EV could cope with, but the risk of abandoning the car or being stuck for so long that the battery is depleted. I read that some AA mechanics advocate the need for mobile charging vehicles to mitigate the need for recovery of such cars.

Don't know but I suspect an EV has an equal chance of running out of juice as an ICE in a similar situation. To keep warm an EV simply requires the heater using electricity, where in an ICE the relatively inefficient engine we also needs to be running. Granted though it might take little longer to get back up and running.

 

[PJ87]

Don't know but I suspect an EV has an equal chance of running out of juice as an ICE in a similar situation. To keep warm an EV simply requires the heater using electricity, where in an ICE the relatively inefficient engine we also needs to be running. Granted though it might take little longer to get back up and running.

The only main difference is the ice car can carry a big tank of fuel . But anyone starting a journey with small range left in their charge is nuts. Like you say equal chance of running out, and the EVs are built well to run those heated seats, steering wheels and heating on very low power.

One difference is an EV won't just burn through power sitting there. They are efficient at waiting around. So if you get stuck in a jam for 2 hours you will lose less juice compared to what an ice car will lose. Providing both are left on ofc. There is always the option to turn off

 

[bobmac]

I was told many years ago if I was going out in bad weather I should take the following....
Sleeping bag
Extra clothing
48 hours of food/water
Torch/spare batteries
Warning triangle
Spade
Bag of sand
Mobile phone
Spare gallon of petrol
First aid kit.

I don't think the bus driver was too impressed

 

[PJ87]

I was told many years ago if I was going out in bad weather I should take the following....
Sleeping bag
Extra clothing
48 hours of food/water
Torch/spare batteries
Warning triangle
Spade
Bag of sand
Mobile phone
Spare gallon of petrol
First aid kit.

I don't think the bus driver was too impressed

Seen some proper stupid drivers out this morning on my walk. Rather than deice the car properly which takes in an ice car what about 5-10 mins just waiting. They are driving with that tiny window of vision that's less than a porthole on a ship

Blooming dangerous

Also just helped my EV cabbie neighbour out as his battery was dead.. I thought oh no not the big one? No he meant the key battery lol luckily I got about 10 inside the house so he's on his way

 

[jim8flog]

I was told many years ago if I was going out in bad weather I should take the following....
Sleeping bag
Extra clothing
48 hours of food/water
Torch/spare batteries
Warning triangle
Spade
Bag of sand
Mobile phone
Spare gallon of petrol
First aid kit.

I don't think the bus driver was too impressed

I was told many years ago "stay at home in bad weather"

 

[Jimaroid]

To keep warm an EV simply requires the heater using electricity, where in an ICE the relatively inefficient engine we also needs to be running. Granted though it might take little longer to get back up and running.

Got me thinking, this might be a bit backwards? Efficiency isn’t a specific measure, it’s contextual.

ICE’s are ineffcient at converting fuel energy to mechanical force. They need fuel to heat, then turn heat into force. The lost energy is nearly all heat. If heat is what’s wanted, combustion engines are an efficient way to generate it.

Electric motors are the opposite. They convert energy to mechanical force with very little lost as heat. If heat is what’s wanted, an electrical motor is not a good way to get it. Instead you use an electrical reistance heater, or a motor driving a heat pump.

Heat pumps and ICEs are both forms of a heat engine. One converts mechanical force to heat, the other converts heat to mechanical force.

Thermodynamics is fun.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Seen some proper stupid drivers out this morning on my walk. Rather than deice the car properly which takes in an ice car what about 5-10 mins just waiting. They are driving with that tiny window of vision that's less than a porthole on a ship

Blooming dangerous

Also just helped my EV cabbie neighbour out as his battery was dead.. I thought oh no not the big one? No he meant the key battery lol luckily I got about 10 inside the house so he's on his way

Do you go through them quickly?

 

[PJ87]

Do you go through them quickly?

Lol good point. No I litterally just changed the batteries in my ct10 sensors on the clubs. Needed 14 and come in packs of 12 think it was so 2 packs and left overs for car keys

 

[BubbaP]

For buying used cars, some would say - for a cabriolet buy in winter, a 4x4 buy in summer.
Wonder if now can add, for an EV, buy in winter? (At least on the shorter range models).

 

[Mudball]

@Mudball when is the charger being installed?

Corsa leaves Tuesday.. can't wait!!!!

Kia should be ready Friday but if not we can manage with one car for a few weeks until it's ready

Bye bye pauxhall.. your build quality of cars is awful.

It was installed this morning. I think it is a bit too high, but he said that they need to be 1.4m above the ground - to avoid someone backing their Range Rover into a live 32A device.

Havent tested it on the car. The solar is also live, and now starting to trickle fill it.

 

[PJ87]

It was installed this morning. I think it is a bit too high, but he said that they need to be 1.4m above the ground - to avoid someone backing their Range Rover into a live 32A device.

Havent tested it on the car. The solar is also live, and now starting to trickle fill it.

Be good to see your experience once used to it at full speeds

 

[Captain_Black.]

Mild hybrid. It's just supposed to help a little with acceleration and gas mileage. It certainly helps with the power when it works, and it keeps the engine noise down as well....it's a CVT, so fairly noisy in general. I don't care that much about the mileage, we don't drive anough to really care about that too much. My main complaint is a fairly simple one.....the Ignis is advertised as a city car with a mild hybrid to help with power and mileage....but it doesn't work if the outside temps are much below 10C. What's the point then? A city car (which means short trips) that the hybrid won't work half of the year. Just got it in November....worked fine for the first few weeks, but the weather was pretty mild.

Your car has multiple sensors some of which will control the mild hybrid function.
Probably, coolant temp, road speed, battery voltage & maybe air temp.
1x of those sensors may be faulty?
Although I would have thought if that we're the case, it would put a warning light on?
But maybe not?
It does seem very odd why the hybrid battery doesn't kick in on low air temperature.

Is there an owners forum for your particular car?
It would be worth checking to see if anyone else is having the same issue.

 

[Mandofred]

Your car has multiple sensors some of which will control the mild hybrid function.
Probably, coolant temp, road speed, battery voltage & maybe air temp.
1x of those sensors may be faulty?
Although I would have thought if that we're the case, it would put a warning light on?
But maybe not?
It does seem very odd why the hybrid battery doesn't kick in on low air temperature.

Is there an owners forum for your particular car?
It would be worth checking to see if anyone else is having the same issue.

I had the car into the dealer on Tuesday....service fellow hitched it up to their computers (computer says no) and showed everything working within specs. They made sure to point out that there is a tiny section of the cars manual that states that it may not work if the engine coolant temp and battery temp aren't within specs....but no info on what those specs are.....and I wouldn't have know before buying.

Checked on the forum site...yes, this is an issue with the Ignis. Another problem is the collision sensor (on the windshield) not working when it rains/gets wet....really??? in England?? Wish I had done more research before I bought now.

Regen energy goes into the battery....nothing comes out when the temps are cool. I am currently doing a mileage check by hand to see what kind of mpg I'm getting....the car computer said 41 last time I checked, which is a good bit lower than it should be.....but if the hybrid isn't working it would make sense. Also doing a daily record of temps when I drive and at what temp it eventually will start working.

Just wrote an email to Suzuki and the dealers asking the car to be Rejected. Probably no chance of anything happening....but if this was a common problem for several years (as it seems), it would seem the dealer is responsible to let buyers know.

 

[Captain_Black.]

Modern cars ehh?
I thought progress meant better.
I see Ford have just recalled 1,000's of Ecoboost 1000cc engines due to the drive belt breaking up, block the oil pump & blowing up the engine.
Also a very simular problem affecting Transit vans

 

[clubchamp98]

Modern cars ehh?
I thought progress meant better.
I see Ford have just recalled 1,000's of Ecoboost 1000cc engines due to the drive belt breaking up, block the oil pump & blowing up the engine.
Also a very simular problem affecting Transit vans

Been a problem for a while with these engines.
My mates 14 reg Focus had its engine replaced after it blew up !

 

[Mandofred]

Well, to give Suzuki a tiny bit of credit....they've kind of answered my message on the same day I sent it. Not by answering my questions of course.....just the same gobbledygook. I've asked again for them to tell me how warm it needs to be outside before the hybrid system will work.....I'm betting they will not answer the question. Their response....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Regrettably, all hybrid systems are effected by some circumstances, the system will typically not switch to electric mode when:

• the front and rear de-misters are on.
• The vehicle is trying to get up to the selected cockpit temperature.
• The vehicle has been used in the main for short journeys as the hybrid battery has not been given adequate opportunity to reach its optimal charging position.