Electric cars.. Nothing new

[BrumJim]

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.

There is a strong risk of this, especially as town driving is so much more efficient when driving, and you don't have the problem that a 1 mile or 1/2 mile journey clogs up the DPF (diesel) or similar problems and catalyst inefficiency for a petrol car.

 

[BrumJim]

I think for a lot of people it will take a lot of persuading to move from their IC car to a BEV. I'm not anti but it does require a mindset change . We're so used to filling up maybe once a week that the idea you have to fill the car more often is seen as a backward step.
If you never venture far then even a cheap one may make sense
A friend has two cars, a conventional one and a 6 yo Renault Zoe. He only gets about 80 miles a charge in the Zoe but most weeks this is ample. His family lives at the other end of the country so unless he buys an expensive BEV then it will mean at least one stop on route. He told me when there is a £20000 BEV that does 500 miles on a charge he'll get one. I suspect it's the same for a lot of people.
I'm very grateful to all the early adopters of a BEV they are our guinea pigs.

We already do this with mobile phones. We have moved from Nokias that lasted a month or two (OK, maybe a bit of hyperbole there) to only a few days. Putting your car on charge is a really easy thing to do, either when it needs it, or as the Friday evening treat for the car, and then extra when necessary.

The (not insurmountable) issue I thought about yesterday was when the tyres required some more air. So I went to the petrol station in my BEV car that is going to put them out of business, to pump them up. Where will I go in the future?

 

[middle of the road]

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


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.

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.

Can you give me the source of 'Half of UK residencies have private parking'. Not doubting it but it does seem very high when you look at big cities and towns that have flats and terraced houses and where the highest population density is.

 

[fossyant]

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!

The Spring is an Ideal run about.

 

[middle of the road]

We already do this with mobile phones. We have moved from Nokias that lasted a month or two (OK, maybe a bit of hyperbole there) to only a few days. Putting your car on charge is a really easy thing to do, either when it needs it, or as the Friday evening treat for the car, and then extra when necessary.

The (not insurmountable) issue I thought about yesterday was when the tyres required some more air. So I went to the petrol station in my BEV car that is going to put them out of business, to pump them up. Where will I go in the future?

Agreed we've had to learn to charge a smartphone frequently. Plugging your phone in is dead easy but even then I sometimes forget. Getting home late and in the dark winter months I'm sure many will forget to plug the car in until next they want to use it, then you've got a problem.
We have relatives who live in Westminster who are very 'green' and would love a BEV but the street they live on is terraced with double yellow lines outside. They're not poor but have decided to put off buying a BEV until charging points are on every lampost as they have to park two streets away.
Until it's accepted that huge investment is needed some, like me perhaps, will hold off buying into BEV's.

Do you think the large depreciation in second hand values of BEV reflects this worry?
I've been a passenger in several BEV's including a Tesla and thought they were all very good. The oldest ,a VW, now coming up to 4 years old and my son in law says the range is noticeably different from when it was new.

 

[Alex321]

The (not insurmountable) issue I thought about yesterday was when the tyres required some more air. So I went to the petrol station in my BEV car that is going to put them out of business, to pump them up. Where will I go in the future?

Well I normally do it myself, at home.

But I see no reason why charging stations would be any less likely in future to have air pumps than petrol forecourts do now. Hardly any on the petrol forecourts now are free, so as long as there is a demand, and the charging stations can make a profit, they will provide them.

 

[icowden]

AWe have relatives who live in Westminster who are very 'green' and would love a BEV but the street they live on is terraced with double yellow lines outside. They're not poor but have decided to put off buying a BEV until charging points are on every lampost as they have to park two streets away.

Do they not get out much?

As of January 2021, Westminster City Council had nearly 2,500 electric vehicle (EV) charge points, including those installed in lamp columns. These charge points are located inside or next to lamp columns, often near resident parking bays. Westminster has more EV points than any other UK local authority,

How many are they waiting for?

 

[BrumJim]

Agreed we've had to learn to charge a smartphone frequently. Plugging your phone in is dead easy but even then I sometimes forget. Getting home late and in the dark winter months I'm sure many will forget to plug the car in until next they want to use it, then you've got a problem.
We have relatives who live in Westminster who are very 'green' and would love a BEV but the street they live on is terraced with double yellow lines outside. They're not poor but have decided to put off buying a BEV until charging points are on every lampost as they have to park two streets away.
Until it's accepted that huge investment is needed some, like me perhaps, will hold off buying into BEV's.

Do you think the large depreciation in second hand values of BEV reflects this worry?
I've been a passenger in several BEV's including a Tesla and thought they were all very good. The oldest ,a VW, now coming up to 4 years old and my son in law says the range is noticeably different from when it was new.

I think the larger depreciation is due to the fast moving technology for electric cars. Mine feels very much out-of-date with the Type 2 only charging and the 150 odd miles of useable range.

In terms of forgetting, I'm sure there is (or will be) an App for that, where the car knows it is at home, is low on battery, and you might need it tomorrow, so sends a message to remind you.

Lack of charging for on-street parking is a real concern. We now exclusively take holidays in cottages with chargers, and would chose a hotel with similar provision over one without for the same reason, that being that finding, and getting back, from a charger adds extra stress that you don't need.

4 years and loss of battery capacity doesn't sound good. Mine is around 7 years old, with no sign at all of degredation.

 

[middle of the road]

Do they not get out much?

How many are they waiting for?

You can't get near their place to park. They pay Westminster a large amount to enable them to park in a residents parking space. Problem is the council has seen a nice earner and issued many more permits than there are spaces. Add finding a space with a charging point and it's going to be nigh impossible.
You're in dreamland if you think 2500 charging points is anywhere enough for the size of the borough.


They normally use the tube, bus, train or Shanks's Ponies when they go anywhere but they have a very old infirm relative in Evesham and keep a car for any emergencies.
If it was me I'd move as I hate the place, busy as hell and just off the Edgware Road. The house has been valued at 1.75 million, so money isn't the problem but they love the London life.😕

 

[Electric_Andy]

is low on battery, and you might need it tomorrow, so sends a message to remind you.

We have that feature on the cats GPS collar, tells you when it's low on battery and also when it's finished charging. So I'd be very disappointed if a multi thousand pound car didn't have this feature

 

[icowden]

You can't get near their place to park. They pay Westminster a large amount to enable them to park in a residents parking space. Problem is the council has seen a nice earner and issued many more permits than there are spaces. Add finding a space with a charging point and it's going to be nigh impossible.
You're in dreamland if you think 2500 charging points is anywhere enough for the size of the borough.


They normally use the tube, bus, train or Shanks's Ponies when they go anywhere but they have a very old infirm relative in Evesham and keep a car for any emergencies.
If it was me I'd move as I hate the place, busy as hell and just off the Edgware Road. The house has been valued at 1.75 million, so money isn't the problem but they love the London life.😕

So you've just conceded that they hardly use the car so they don't need to charge it that often, and I have pointed out that there are a huge number of charging points. In June 2023 there were just under 6000 residents with a registered EV in Westminster. So that's 1 charger for every 3 EVs.

Plus living in central London, it would be far quicker to get the train from Paddington to Evesham and keep a car up there near the station (or pay for a taxi). 3 hour drive from Westminster vs 1 hour 40 on the train once you are at Paddington (20 mins tube from Westminster if that).

Have you considered that they just don't want one, and are making excuses?

 

[Julia9054]

We have that feature on the cats GPS collar, tells you when it's low on battery and also when it's finished charging. So I'd be very disappointed if a multi thousand pound car didn't have this feature

Your cat is battery operated?

 

[classic33]

Do they not get out much?

How many are they waiting for?

Parking charges for EV and hybrid cars rose by 1,800% at the start of April this year, within the City of Westminster.


And to get back onto the thread title, despite the advances made in technology over the last 100 years, batteries and motors, the range hasn't improved much for city driving.

 

[middle of the road]

So you've just conceded that they hardly use the car so they don't need to charge it that often, and I have pointed out that there are a huge number of charging points. In June 2023 there were just under 6000 residents with a registered EV in Westminster. So that's 1 charger for every 3 EVs.

Plus living in central London, it would be far quicker to get the train from Paddington to Evesham and keep a car up there near the station (or pay for a taxi). 3 hour drive from Westminster vs 1 hour 40 on the train once you are at Paddington (20 mins tube from Westminster if that).

Have you considered that they just don't want one, and are making excuses?

Perhaps you don't realise it but trains mostly stop at night. No problem for them getting to Paddington, 10 minute walk but in the middle of the night, not a chance. It's the reason they bother owning a car. He's looked for a car sharing scheme but none exists locally.
There may well be 6000 residents with a EV but the population is over a quarter of a million. If you do the maths then if everyone wants to charge, it means 1 charging point per 100 residents. Assume only a quarter of that number will have a car it's still a long way off. Of course I'm not even including people who drive to work (some still do) who will need to charge their cars ,so there are still a lot more charging places needed.
I don't disagree, with their sort of use the frequency of needing to charge is low and an BEV would provide a perfect answer, if they could be sure of a charging place not too far away.
I don't think they're making excuses , I just think at the moment they've ruled it out. They have said that when the elderly relative dies they'll give up a car altogether.

 

[Alex321]

There may well be 6000 residents with a EV but the population is over a quarter of a million. If you do the maths then if everyone wants to charge, it means 1 charging point per 100 residents.

What an utterly pointless piece of "maths".

If there are only 6,000 EVs, then it is not remotely close to possible for all residents to want to charge at once.

Number of residents per charge point is completely irrelevant, it is number of EVs per charge point which matters.

Assume only a quarter of that number will have a car it's still a long way off.

So you are for some reason "assuming" that there are roughly ten times as many EVs as there actually are. How silly.