Electric Cars

[Frontstep]

The world is waiting for a cheap electric vehicle then sales will take off and problems with range will be forgotten in a headlong rush to buy.

 

[PovertySpec]

The world is waiting for a cheap electric vehicle then sales will take off and problems with range will be forgotten in a headlong rush to buy.

Whereupon the number of people being run over by cars silently creeping up on them in car parks will increase five fold.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Whereupon the number of people being run over by cars silently creeping up on them in car parks will increase five fold.

Nah, they'll all have cheap speakers under the hood playing V8 engine sounds.

Maybe small annoying cars could have the "crazy frog" ringtone thingy on continuous loop

 

[Frontstep]

Whereupon the number of people being run over by cars silently creeping up on them in car parks will increase five fold.

Why will they have blacked out windscreens ?

Do Teslas have a people scoop on them ?

 

[C350Carl]

Whereupon the number of people being run over by cars silently creeping up on them in car parks will increase five fold.

I read an article that someone, I think it was Tesla, did testing with a couple of blind volunteers. At round town speed in amongst the normal noise of everyday life they could hear the vehicles coming due to tyre noise.

But if people can't look where they are going in car parks because they generally have their faces glued to their phone screens. Then it sucks to be them.

 

[Craiglxviii]

I read an article that someone, I think it was Tesla, did testing with a couple of blind volunteers. At round town speed in amongst the normal noise of everyday life they could hear the vehicles coming due to tyre noise.

But if people can't look where they are going in car parks because they generally have their faces glued to their phone screens. Then it sucks to be them.

Trouble is blind volunteers have significantly more attuned hearing than normally-seeing ones, and it's those one needs to worry about.

Consequently, when we do testing, we use seeing volunteers with blindfolds on. Big difference to the results.

By the way I agree about the "texters".

 

[Alfie]

The world is waiting for a cheap electric vehicle then sales will take off and problems with range will be forgotten in a headlong rush to buy.

Not me.

Until EV cars recharge in minutes and have a decent range, they wont sell in droves. For me the fact that I could get home and be near flat on charge and suddenly need to use the car in an emergency, is a complete killer. (literally!).

 

[Craiglxviii]

Not me.

Until EV cars recharge in minutes and have a decent range, they wont sell in droves. For me the fact that I could get home and be near flat on charge and suddenly need to use the car in an emergency, is a complete killer. (literally!).

But then the same could be said of getting home with the tank near empty and needing to find a filling station. In an EV you could have 80% charge in 30 minutes with existing rapid charge tech.

If we can assume a 500 mile+ range in the next generation (competitive against ICE cars) and enough education about them for owners to trickle-charge every night, you wouldn't be stuck in the first place.

Like I said before, a lot more to do with changing how one thinks about the car rather than what the car cannot do.

 

[JBell]

The roofs should be solar panels

 

[Craiglxviii]

The roofs should be solar panels

They likely will be, Leaf incorporates a solar panel into the top surface of the rear spoiler, the only trouble is that they're really not cheap. Still, 1m^2 of solar cells should produce 150W peak at the current (badoomtish) tech level.

The trouble is, taking the leaf as an example, it has a 30kW.hr battery, so that 150W solar cell will need 200 peak hours to fully charge it.

So roof solar cells, not insignificant but more "handy" than "essential".

 

[Alfie]

But then the same could be said of getting home with the tank near empty and needing to find a filling station. In an EV you could have 80% charge in 30 minutes with existing rapid charge tech.

If we can assume a 500 mile+ range in the next generation (competitive against ICE cars) and enough education about them for owners to trickle-charge every night, you wouldn't be stuck in the first place.

Like I said before, a lot more to do with changing how one thinks about the car rather than what the car cannot do.

I see what you are saying and some of it does come down to educating people to change their habits.

However, people are always reluctant to change their habits when there are very clear disadvantages with the technology at present. The analogy of a near empty tank isnt quite representative because with a near empty tank you can still drive the car somewhere to get fuel quickly. With a flat EV you cant and when you do its a 30 minute wait for charging (at best).

One area that I would be interested in understanding is the actual cost to fully recharge the car. Actual cost to replace the batteries.

The above said, my mother has a Prius and its the most dreadful car ever. I pleaded with her not to buy it but she was 'swayed' by the salesman. Next time Im going with her!

 

[Craiglxviii]

I see what you are saying and some of it does come down to educating people to change their habits.

However, people are always reluctant to change their habits when there are very clear disadvantages with the technology at present. The analogy of a near empty tank isnt quite representative because with a near empty tank you can still drive the car somewhere to get fuel quickly. With a flat EV you cant and when you do its a 30 minute wait for charging (at best).

One area that I would be interested in understanding is the actual cost to fully recharge the car. Actual cost to replace the batteries.

The above said, my mother has a Prius and its the most dreadful car ever. I pleaded with her not to buy it but she was 'swayed' by the salesman. Next time Im going with her!

All true, but situational. Example: a couple of years ago before we moved in together my missus slipped over on a wet kitchen floor (I was at work, so didn't push her!) and was stuck. In agony, ripped ligaments, turn muscle etc, little 'un was only just 2yo at the time and tried to help her up, stroking her saying "poor mummy" and so on. Heartbreaking. Anyway she'd done as women usually do and had run her car down "until the light comes on" (education was needed here too!) The nearest filling station was 20 minutes away, in the opposite direction from A&E so she lost 40 minutes in doing that.

To fully recharge the car is pretty simple- take the Leaf, as it is now it has a 30kW.hr battery (I just looked this up for my last post) and a typical domestic 'leccy rate is £0.12/kW.hr so 30 x 0.12 = £3.60, for 80 miles = 3.6/80 = 4.5pence per mile.

Cost of the battery, I have seen quoted at £5k so take that as ballpark, assume 12k miles per year and a 5 year lifespan for the battery (being pessimistic there) gives you a battery cost per mile of 8.3 pence or a combined cost per mile of 12.8 pence.

 

[C350Carl]

Trouble is blind volunteers have significantly more attuned hearing than normally-seeing ones, and it's those one needs to worry about.



Consequently, when we do testing, we use seeing volunteers with blindfolds on. Big difference to the results.



By the way I agree about the "texters".

It may have been blindfolded.

 

[Alfie]

How many homes though have a beefy enough power feed to charge these vehicles fast with most home consumer units rated at 30amp max.

I am looking at a Smart electric car for a specific purpose but i would keep a normal car aswell, in any event.

 

[Craiglxviii]

How many homes though have a beefy enough power feed to charge these vehicles fast with most home consumer units rated at 30amp max.

All, they're designed specifically for domestic installation without any modifications to the power supply.

 

[Alfie]

All, they're designed specifically for domestic installation without any modifications to the power supply.

I thought the fast chargers could draw 60 amps?

 

[Craiglxviii]

I thought the fast chargers could draw 60 amps?

Not the ones I've seen, can't speak for others though.

 

[PovertySpec]

The roofs should be solar panels

Put a wind turbine on top and you've solved it JBell

 

[LostKiwi]

I thought the fast chargers could draw 60 amps?

How much does a domestic cooker draw...?

 

[Craiglxviii]

How much does a domestic cooker draw...?

30A.