Electric cars.. Nothing new

[Alex321]

I wonder if more people are driving BEV's it will increase the obesity crisis. While you're waiting for the battery to charge mention of having a coffee has been made. Now as we all know you can't have a coffee without a slice of cake.

The recommendation has always been to stop for a break every 2-3 hours of driving, regardless of the type of vehicle.

Which for most people, will mean a coffee (or other beverage) stop.

The only difference with an EV is that you will plug it in to charge while you make that stop.

BTW, I find that cake is only compulsory if the coffee stop is part of bike ride.

 

[middle of the road]

The recommendation has always been to stop for a break every 2-3 hours of driving, regardless of the type of vehicle.

Which for most people, will mean a coffee (or other beverage) stop.

The only difference with an EV is that you will plug it in to charge while you make that stop.

BTW, I find that cake is only compulsory if the coffee stop is part of bike ride.

In reality private motorists don't do this, most will drive until they feel tired which usually means they don't;
I'm a cake addict, there, I've said it so on the road to recovery!

 

[biggs682]

Said it before and will say it again the biggest hurdle to overcome is price

 

[fossyant]

Said it before and will say it again the biggest hurdle to overcome is price

Not if you buy a used one, the depreciation is astronomical.

I am planning on a new vehicle next year. The dino juice version can be had at about 30k miles and 3-4 years old. If I went for the leccy version, it would be less than a year old with less than 5,000 miles on it. SAME price.

I'm getting the dino version as it's going to be used for long trips, and the leccy version just does 100 miles on a charge, and won't get me into North Wales, fully loaded with camping gear/bikes etc without some serious range anxiety.

 

[biggs682]

Not if you buy a used one, the depreciation is astronomical.

I am planning on a new vehicle next year. The dino juice version can be had at about 30k miles and 3-4 years old. If I went for the leccy version, it would be less than a year old with less than 5,000 miles on it. SAME price.

I'm getting the dino version as it's going to be used for long trips, and the leccy version just does 100 miles on a charge, and won't get me into North Wales, fully loaded with camping gear/bikes etc without some serious range anxiety.

Agree re depreciation.

We have solar panels so if we upgraded them to include a battery storage system and bought an EV then we could be able to charge it for free apart from the cost involved.

Majority of our miles are sub 15 mile journeys so no issues there , but then 3 or 4 times a year we do 180-230 mile journeys each way and driving is stressful enough without throwing in range anxiety.

And I don't see hybrids as any advantage so I can see us sticking to the Good ol' Note till it finally expires

 

[Jameshow]

In reality private motorists don't do this, most will drive until they feel tired which usually means they don't;
I'm a cake addict, there, I've said it so on the road to recovery!

I've given up biscuits, chocolate and marshmallows it's been a Ricky road!

Seriously I like the Dacia spring but it's range is a bit short esp on the motorway. But if I do 60mph that would increase range tbh most of the M1 was 50 yesterday!

 

[Alex321]

In reality private motorists don't do this, most will drive until they feel tired which usually means they don't;
I'm a cake addict, there, I've said it so on the road to recovery!

I very rarely go over 3 hours without a break. I presume you do, but what makes you think it is generally true of private motorists?

 

[middle of the road]

I very rarely go over 3 hours without a break. I presume you do, but what makes you think it is generally true of private motorists?

I can only comment from conversations with other drivers. Only one said they stop at the recommended intervals. One chap regularly drives from Dover to Spain with just an overnight stop in Bordeaux. Maybe my friends are unique?

 

[CXRAndy]

I wonder if more people are driving BEV's it will increase the obesity crisis. While you're waiting for the battery to charge mention of having a coffee has been made. Now as we all know you can't have a coffee without a slice of cake.

Could be the opposite, superchargers tend to be furthest from cafés.

Opposite when you pay for petrol, wander past shelves of chocolate bars

 

[middle of the road]

Could be the opposite, superchargers tend to be furthest from cafés.

Opposite when you pay for petrol, wander past shelves of chocolate bars

Pay with the card at the pumps here, no chance of chocolate.

 

[biggs682]

Pay with the card at the pumps here, no chance of chocolate.

Same here

 

[icowden]

In reality private motorists don't do this, most will drive until they feel tired which usually means they don't;
I'm a cake addict, there, I've said it so on the road to recovery!

Yea, and additionally they try to cut a break as short as possible. One of the nice things about EV charging breaks is that chargers can be in nicer places than service stations, and you *have* to take a 20 to 30 minute break and relax.

 

[lazybloke]

I see ignored threads still show up in 'trending'.

As others have said - you don't fuel an EV like you do a petrol car. You just plug in when you are at home.s

Millions of households have no such facility and are dependent on local authorities and landlords to provide chargers. They'll come, but it might take years.

On the rare occasions you have to go a long way, you just plan a break where there is a good supercharger network.

Can you not see beyond your own circumstances?
What you consider "rare" or "a long way" will be different from the perceptions of others. A lot will depend on when you were able to last charge your vehicle; what the size of battery is, what the condition of that battery is, and even factors like the weather. What if your job changes, and your EV range suddenly feels limited and very inconvenient. Or if you have an unwell relative and suddenly need to do lots of extra journeys?

My circumstances are probably v similar to yours, and I'd be happy with an EV; why can't you consider that not everyone is in the same situation?

Fortunately, over half of UK residences do have private parking, public charging infrastructure is improving all the time, and technology is coming on in leaps and bounds to give faster charging and better capacity/safety/practicality; but note that you don't get all benefits without paying a premium. Despite all the progress, I think there will be a significant number of UK drivers - perhaps millions - who will be unable to make the transition to an EV for years to come.

 

[Alex321]

Despite all the progress, I think there will be a significant number of UK drivers - perhaps millions - who will be unable to make the transition to an EV for years to come.

True, but they won't need to for quite a few years yet.

Six years until they won't be able to buy a brand new ICE vehicle (but most people without private parking aren't buying brand new cars), probably another 10 years (maybe more) after that before petrol/diesel forecourts start to become rare enough to be a problem for those still driving ICE cars.

It will be the lack of readily available fuel which will be the final forcing factor for most people who want to stick with ICE.

 

[icowden]

What you consider "rare" or "a long way" will be different from the perceptions of others.

The average person travels 5373 miles by car in the uk with the average journey length being 8.1 miles (2022 statistics). It's nothing to do with perception. Average commuting distances are around 20 miles.

You will know you if you are a regular long range driver, and will also know that statistically you are an edge case and need to plan accordingly or wait another 5 years or so when range is likely to have improved to a level that it is no different from petrol cars.

A lot will depend on when you were able to last charge your vehicle; what the size of battery is, what the condition of that battery is, and even factors like the weather. What if your job changes, and your EV range suddenly feels limited and very inconvenient. Or if you have an unwell relative and suddenly need to do lots of extra journeys?

Well at the last major life change I sold the Astra and bought a Renault Grand Scenic. So I would imagine that most people would re-evaluate their car needs and buy / trade in for a different car from the one that was previously suitable. My nearest elderly relatives are 84 miles away and 117 miles away respectively. Both of those locations I can get there and back without charging once per day and both are too far that you would drive more than that.

My circumstances are probably v similar to yours, and I'd be happy with an EV; why can't you consider that not everyone is in the same situation?

Because usually the people who post that EVs are rubbish or wouldn't suit them are posting out of lack of understanding or knowledge. It's different to driving petrol and many people are not aware of how different it is.

Fortunately, over half of UK residences do have private parking, public charging infrastructure is improving all the time, and technology is coming on in leaps and bounds to give faster charging and better capacity/safety/practicality; but note that you don't get all benefits without paying a premium. Despite all the progress, I think there will be a significant number of UK drivers - perhaps millions - who will be unable to make the transition to an EV for years to come.

I entirely agree, but on the basis of cost. I think this will change over the next 5 to 10 years. Certainly from the next two years we will see a lot of EVs come onto the second hand market as fleet leases expire and this will help drive down the cost of going electric.