can't vouch for all, but certainly many. All the EVs on the VW Meb (Seat, VW, Audi, Skoda) have the facility. It's lovely to get into a nice warm car with no ice on the windows.
Are we being forced to go electric?
- Thread starter gavroche
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No.
An unused EV will retain charge for a long time. You lose 2-3% per month if it isn't being driven. Less than that if you put it in deep sleep.
You have been told multiple times now that it doesn't cost £50 to charge an EV. You persist with this idea that an EV owner will be charging from empty to full on the most expensive charger available. If you have a home charger it will cost you on average £5-6 to fill up. If you don't, it will cost between £30 and £40 at the moment*. The charge is not magically evaporating into thin air.
No. The conclusions that can be drawn are that EVs are cheaper to run if you have a home charger, but still cost effective if you don't. There are charging membership schemes which reduce the cost of charging, and this is only likely to get better as take up increases.
*This is important. We are currently in a phase similar to when Diesel and Petrol were over £2 per litre. Prices will drop. They already have for home tariffs.
UPDATE: Ubitrricity have just announced they are dropping prices on their lamp-post chargers to 37p off peak (midnight to 7am) and 40p peak (7am to midnight). So if you live in one of the many council areas serviced by Ubitricity a full tank from empty is going to cost you £30-£33 assuming an 83kwh battery. Obviously you won't be charging from empty to full, so most likely about £20 on any given charge. That's about 7p per mile (down from around 10p per mile) compared with 15-20p per mile for petrol or diesel.
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Andy in Germany
Guru
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- Rottenburg am Neckar
374 pages in, and the issue of power availability, materials, and the challenges of replacing an IC car fleet with electric cars have not been resolved (and let's not even start on congestion and long distance trucks).
Also, all this talk of range, petrol, charging et c. is so complicated, without all the extra issues of maintenance and associated complications. It makes me glad I don't have one of the things.
Also, all this talk of range, petrol, charging et c. is so complicated, without all the extra issues of maintenance and associated complications. It makes me glad I don't have one of the things.
How is it complicated? There is less maintenance, and all you have to do is plug in. You can't put the wrong type of electricity in the tank, and you know exactly how much power is left in the vehicle. The vehicle will route you to a charger if you aren't sure where there is one. It literally couldn't be easier. You just have to change your mindset.
I'm gathering that you therefore are not fond of change.
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Rottenburg am Neckar
I don't have to worry about it at all, that's why I'm glad I never bought a car.
EV's are an attempt to avoid or at least postpone change, to convince consumers and voters that we can keep doing the same thing with magic new technology.
I'm looking forward to change very much, and I think it will benefit many people, but it won't mean wholesale EV use.
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I think it will. But the EVs will increasingly be driven by AI reducing the number of cars on the road generally and making it far more affordable to do a journey. Busses are expensive and slow and the government isn't interested in investing in them. Robocars remove the decision from Govt.
potsy
Rambler
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Must admit it would be lovely to come out of work at 7pm in the winter and it being all ice free and ready to go, I assume you can do this even when it's not plugged in?
Not correct. They have been giving out grants for operators to go EV.
God help us
cougie uk
Guru
Mines a Nissan and it has the facility. No need for it to be plugged in.
- Location
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fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Fixed that for you !
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Could walk it in icy weather. £40k for a warm bum ! 
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Rottenburg am Neckar
As yet I have yet to see the evidence this will be practical, or even possible.
Or this. There are grand claims, and even timetables, but they seem to be without anything we can verify, like numbers. If a date is given it tends to be forgotten quietly.
In the UK possibly. fortunately European authorities are learning that buses, trams and other public transport are a good idea. Even if you could have a thousand AI cars trundling about they still take up the same as a thousand IC cars. Public transport is much more efficient.
Governments are realising the cost of cars on society is too high; it matters not if they are run on IC, batteries or magic pixie dust.
Governments will have to mandate and maintain the infrastructure. For a long time the Automotive industry has made the than governments have obligingly provided infrastructure essentially free. As the infrastructure is built using oil, that can't continue because it will become increasingly expensive.
Even if we could generate the electricity, and find the lithium, and EV's were somehow less wasteful of road space than IC vehicles, and AI could control them, there will be a need to dramatically reduce infrastructure maintenance costs, and therefore traffic, vehicle weight, and and speeds. We have the technology for this, but it isn't personal EV's.
All uphill
Still rolling along
- Location
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I agree with a lot of what you say Andy.
I'd like to see a broader change than just replacing dirty ICE cars with heavy EVs. An expansion and prioritisation of walking and cycling alongside improved public transport would be high on my list.
EVs will be the best solution for some people, but a two ton car to get the kids a kilometre to school, or to visit the local supermarket is, imo, irresponsible.
It's almost as if the EV/ICE debate avoids any thoughts about better alternatives.
Like you I no longer have a car and can honestly say it's a relief (although Ms AU does have a car).
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