The all things EV chat thread

[Blue in Munich]

How about people who charge their cars from their solar panels?

Given that most people will use their cars during the day & charge them overnight, do you reckon there's enough moonlight to make that viable?

https://www.drivingelectric.com/your-questions-answered/132/can-solar-panels-charge-electric-car

 

[bobmac]

Given that most people will use their cars during the day & charge them overnight, do you reckon there's enough moonlight to make that viable?

https://www.drivingelectric.com/your-questions-answered/132/can-solar-panels-charge-electric-car

No, that's why you have batteries and charge them during the day while you're at work.
Then you charge your car overnight from the batteries.
If however your daily commute is 100s of miles every day, and you can't charge at work, don't buy an electric car.

 

[Blue in Munich]

No, that's why you have batteries and charge them during the day while you're at work.
Then you charge your car overnight from the batteries.
If however your daily commute is 100s of miles every day, and you can't charge at work, don't buy an electric car.

So apart from the hideous expense of buying the electric car, you've then got to pay for the solar panels and find room in the house for the batteries in which you are storing the electricity to charge the car overnight. I'm sticking with ICE for the foreseeable then.

If we do ever get it all sorted then potentially we could vastly improve the current pollution levels, depending on exactly how much pollution manufacturing all the solar panels and batteries causes, but I'm not convinced that we will meet the quoted timescales.

 

[bobmac]

I'm out

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Ultimately it’s an emerging technology which already fits well with some people, but it’s got a long way to go before it is the right move for everyone
?

 

[PJ87]

https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/electric-vehicles-debunking-myths/

A fair few myths busted

Interesting one I didn't know

Myth 4: The grid cannot support an increase in electric vehicle charging

Fact: Estimates show that if we all switched our petrol or diesel vehicles to electric overnight, we would experience only a 10% increase in demand, fitting comfortably within the grid’s capacity.

 

[larmen]

Someone mentioned that they might change the tax rules because they miss out on duty due to electric cars.
You have given ideas to the chancellor: https://www.itv.com/news/2020-11-16...rishi-sunak-looks-to-fill-40-billion-tax-hole

Well, he probably had them anyway.


In other news, the EU is discussing the EU7 norm now which basically forces electric forward. As I understand it the current rules gives a maximum average value for a car in regards to how much it can pollute. The new rules say that number is teh maximum at any given time, accelerating, going uphill, towing a caravan, ... Car manufacturers saying it is ruling out combustion engines and want a fair discussion rather than just some values they know cannot be achieved.

 

[PJ87]

Someone mentioned that they might change the tax rules because they miss out on duty due to electric cars.
You have given ideas to the chancellor: https://www.itv.com/news/2020-11-16...rishi-sunak-looks-to-fill-40-billion-tax-hole

Well, he probably had them anyway.


In other news, the EU is discussing the EU7 norm now which basically forces electric forward. As I understand it the current rules gives a maximum average value for a car in regards to how much it can pollute. The new rules say that number is teh maximum at any given time, accelerating, going uphill, towing a caravan, ... Car manufacturers saying it is ruling out combustion engines and want a fair discussion rather than just some values they know cannot be achieved.

Tbh that sounds a darn sight fairer than increases to electric that would affect none drivers

 

[Deleted member 29109]

Why is it? Maybe part of the reluctance to switch to electric may be that most people can see through the myth that electric cars don't pollute when the electricity that powers them is as dirty as the petrol that ICEs use. If the electricity involved was already green, that objection wouldn't exist.

The electricity used to charge them does indeed pollute if derived from the wrong source. And we will never have 100% clean energy however its generated. That is just an unfortunate fact of life.

However, EVs produce much less in the way of emissions locally. Which is the biggest benefit to the environment in my opinion.

 

[Rooter]

https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/electric-vehicles-debunking-myths/

A fair few myths busted

Interesting one I didn't know

Myth 4: The grid cannot support an increase in electric vehicle charging

Fact: Estimates show that if we all switched our petrol or diesel vehicles to electric overnight, we would experience only a 10% increase in demand, fitting comfortably within the grid’s capacity.

It can support it for sure, however, it will take us dangerously close to the maximum self-generation level, meaning to have resilience, we will need to import electricity from France, Ireland, Nordics etc.

The UK has a limit today of producing around 75GW, use peaks historically of late have been circa 60GW. This kind of effects what I do for work, so know a bit about it... having less than 10% spare capacity is not a good thing in simple terms.

 

[larmen]

The electricity used to charge them does indeed pollute if derived from the wrong source. And we will never have 100% clean energy however its generated. That is just an unfortunate fact of life.

However, EVs produce much less in the way of emissions locally. Which is the biggest benefit to the environment in my opinion.

Combustion engines are never clean. Electric engines can be and will be more and more green over time.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Did anyone else see Dispatches on channel 4 this week? Even using youtube for 20 mins each day over a week equate to a 175 mile drive in the car.
Personally I dont think that leccy generation as well as it's use are as green as they try to say.

 

[larmen]

Did anyone else see Dispatches on channel 4 this week? Even using youtube for 20 mins each day over a week equate to a 175 mile drive in the car.
Personally I dont think that leccy generation as well as it's use are as green as they try to say.

An hour of computer uses as much as 2 1/2 hours of driving? Did they calculate the electricity for my laptop only or for all of Google’s servers lumped in?

 

[Bunkermagnet]

An hour of computer uses as much as 2 1/2 hours of driving? Did they calculate the electricity for my laptop only or for all of Google’s servers lumped in?

all of it.

 

[Jamesbrown]

EV’s on the up at work massively. Too many Tesla’s to count, three polestars, Audi Etron, some ghastly MG, couple of leafs and Zoe’s, two e2008’s and a mini electric. Plus plenty on order. On my shift alone there’s a further four on order.

 

[fundy]

EV’s on the up at work massively. Too many Tesla’s to count, three polestars, Audi Etron, some ghastly MG, couple of leafs and Zoe’s, two e2008’s and a mini electric. Plus plenty on order. On my shift alone there’s a further four on order.

what makes the MG ghastly?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

EV’s on the up at work massively. Too many Tesla’s to count, three polestars, Audi Etron, some ghastly MG, couple of leafs and Zoe’s, two e2008’s and a mini electric. Plus plenty on order. On my shift alone there’s a further four on order.

Are these all company cars or are any private?

 

[Ssshank]

Doubt you'll have a choice in the near distant future.

 

[Jamesbrown]

what makes the MG ghastly?

The colour and wheels. Not a fan of any EV SUV at the minute. It’s like they don’t know what to do with them now there’s no exhaust. A tastefully designed rear diffuser wouldn’t go amiss. Kia e-Niro is an example.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Home charging when you live on an urban Victorian or Edwardian street is going to be fun.