Possible EV.

[oigle]

How old was the battey in your ICE car vs the battery in this Taycan.

I could leave my ICE car standing for several weeks without any issues.

Now we need to carry battery packs to back up the battery packs. How does a car with 80kWh of capacity not have the capacity to maintain the “services” for a couple of weeks while the car is not in use?

I do agree that he seemed to be making a meal of the whole issue.

Not very old Rory. I don't know how old your car is or if it has antitheft etc so can't comment on that. I only know my experience. Modern electric cars like Teslas with sentry mode etc use up a fair bit of power just on standby. Presume a "million dollar" electric Porsche would have something as good....My Maxima ICE car had none of that - only anti-theft. Little red light flashing away. Was enough to prevent a start after 4 weeks. Easier to take the neg terminal off than risk it. I do go away in my moho for extended periods.
Very little effort to carry a battery pack with you. Weigh about 750grams and take up the space of a litre of milk. Seems a "thing" with some elec cars to get 12V failure. No alternator of course. Just a charge across from main battery when everything turned on. Maybe they don't want to risk flattening the big battery if the 12V system gets a short or something serious, so there is no connection when the system is shutdown. Easy to run the 12V system down if using some accessories without activating the drive mode. My car actually gives audible warnings when doing so.
It's spelt "Woop woop" by the way

 

[rorywquin]

Not very old Rory. I don't know how old your car is or if it has antitheft etc so can't comment on that. I only know my experience. Modern electric cars like Teslas with sentry mode etc use up a fair bit of power just on standby. Presume a "million dollar" electric Porsche would have something as good....My Maxima ICE car had none of that - only anti-theft. Little red light flashing away. Was enough to prevent a start after 4 weeks. Easier to take the neg terminal off than risk it. I do go away in my moho for extended periods.
Very little effort to carry a battery pack with you. Weigh about 750grams and take up the space of a litre of milk. Seems a "thing" with some elec cars to get 12V failure. No alternator of course. Just a charge across from main battery when everything turned on. Maybe they don't want to risk flattening the big battery if the 12V system gets a short or something serious, so there is no connection when the system is shutdown. Easy to run the 12V system down if using some accessories without activating the drive mode. My car actually gives audible warnings when doing so.
It's spelt "Woop woop" by the way

2017 MB SL400 that spent more time in my garage than on the road. Had the anti-theft, over the air updates, vehicle tracking & location data, link to my phone etc (lock/ open doors, check fuel, tyres send GPS data......etc).

It is not the convenience / effort of having to carry a spare battery pack, but the fact that you feel you need to for a car that is battery powered.

Whoop-Whoop, Woop Woop - still in the middle of nowhere.

 

[bladecrazy]

2017 MB SL400 that spent more time in my garage than on the road. Had the anti-theft, over the air updates, vehicle tracking & location data, link to my phone etc (lock/ open doors, check fuel, tyres send GPS data......etc).

It is not the convenience / effort of having to carry a spare battery pack, but the fact that you feel you need to for a car that is battery powered.

Whoop-Whoop, Woop Woop - still in the middle of nowhere.

I think you want an ev more than your letting on, come on you know you want to.

 

[AndySlade]

I would not say no to a Porsche Taycan, just saying!

 

[SmartAmg]

I would not say no to a Porsche Taycan, just saying!

Ditto that, Andy. And I'm pretty sure not many would.

 

[rorywquin]

I think you want an ev more than your letting on, come on you know you want to.

Oh - I’ll get one eventually. I’m not convinced with the state of the technology right now. Our old B-Class is doing the job so will run it until it gives trouble and then replace it.

 

[SL63 Mark]

Again, nothing new, except they're now extremely difficult to extinguish.

And petrol/diesel car fires are easy to extinguish ? By the time a petrol car has exploded and caught fire, all the owner can do is stand and watch, that is if they were lucky enough not to be in a collision at the time.

I would not want to be anywhere near an ICE car on fire. I would feel considerably safer round an EV, at least the batteries are hidden away, and extremely difficult to ignite.

 

[AndySlade]

I have a friend who had a brand new BMW. On returning from a shoot at Newbury, shortly after joining thr M4 Westbound at J13, he noticed the paint bubbling on his bonnet. He pulled to hard shoulder rapidly and suddenly the front of the car was engulfed in flames. He very quickly got his expensive PCP air-rifle and large 12 litre 300bar air cylinder out of boot and ran back down hard shoulder and behind the barrier. Within 2 mins the car was destroyed. Hate to think what would have happened to air cylinder in the raging fire, a potential bomb.

A diesel 3 series, which had been in the main dealers 2 days beforehand. He had a main problem with the dealers accepting any responsibility (they had worked on fuel system to injectors), until BMW headquarters intervened. Perhaps they did not want the photos he took appearing in the press. Car was recovered to his business premises and was there long after BMW replaced the car like for like with new. Perhaps it helped that he replaced his car every 18 months and was and still is a BMW.

One of the few times he did not have his wife with him, she is partially disabled and not very mobile.

 

[SmartAmg]

I have a friend who had a brand new BMW. On returning from a shoot at Newbury, shortly after joining thr M4 Westbound at J13, he noticed the paint bubbling on his bonnet. He pulled to hard shoulder rapidly and suddenly the front of the car was engulfed in flames. He very quickly got his expensive PCP air-rifle and large 12 litre 300bar air cylinder out of boot and ran back down hard shoulder and behind the barrier. Within 2 mins the car was destroyed. Hate to think what would have happened to air cylinder in the raging fire, a potential bomb.

A diesel 3 series, which had been in the main dealers 2 days beforehand. He had a main problem with the dealers accepting any responsibility (they had worked on fuel system to injectors), until BMW headquarters intervened. Perhaps they did not want the photos he took appearing in the press. Car was recovered to his business premises and was there long after BMW replaced the car like for like with new. Perhaps it helped that he replaced his car every 18 months and was and still is a BMW.

One of the few times he did not have his wife with him, she is partially disabled and not very mobile.

Glad to hear your mate's ok. But you sure it wasn't an EV? Must have been. Can't possibly have been an ICE car.

 

[Timeandleisure]

Still umming and aahing on this one as technology and experience advance... I think some models are stunning and have come a long way. Having said that, I would welcome more upfront comprehensive information on potential environmental hazards too because this is different technology and behaves differently depending upon the environment. This could include where you keep the car parked in your own home.

My reluctance is over the structual crashworthiness of EVs with Luton now also raising my awareness of other concerns. Looking into these, I don't even remember hearing about a similar incident in 2017/8 where Liverpool Echo arena car park also suffered a catastrophic melt down.

Mayor Joe Anderson reveals what caused Liverpool ECHO arena car park fire

Almost 1,400 cars were destroyed in the massive blaze that broke out on New Year's Eve

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk

Given when this happened, should lessons have been learnt? Is there enough training and capability of thrid party entities to cope with scenarios these new technologies bring?

During my research I came across this voluntary technical bulletin publised in July 2023 and I certainly learnt a few things which should be critical enough to be shared by councils and dealers so we can make better informed choices.

How many car parks, public or private, will make the grade? Especially when reduced width spaces and wider cars are on the increase. The re-ignition of EV fires was also an eye opener.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1168956/covered-car-parks-fire-safety-guidance-for-electric-vehicles.pdf

Arson is also gets a disturbing mention...

I think these issues need more discussion so any concerns can be waylaid...

I am still on the fence!

 

[SmartAmg]

I am still on the fence!

Watch out for splinters.

 

[rf065]

And petrol/diesel car fires are easy to extinguish ? By the time a petrol car has exploded and caught fire, all the owner can do is stand and watch, that is if they were lucky enough not to be in a collision at the time.

I would not want to be anywhere near an ICE car on fire. I would feel considerably safer round an EV, at least the batteries are hidden away, and extremely difficult to ignite.

Petrol/diesel fires are far easier to extinguish than a lithium battery, you can ignore that all you like, but it's a fact. (as for lithium batteries being harder to light, they actually self combust, with no effort on anyones part)
I was listening to a Fire Chief on TV the other day who explained the biggest fire safety advance in the last 50 years has been the invention of oven chips. Before that most fires were started with chip pans and hot oil.
Almost a week later and the London Fire Chief was stating that the majority of fires are now started by lithium batteries in E bikes & E scooters.
Looks like we're progressing backwards?

 

[rorywquin]

............. Before that most fires were started with chip pans and hot oil.
.......

My wife very nearly burned our house down. She was making prawn crackers when a friend phoned and she forgot about the oil on the cooker. Interior had to be repainted, curtains dry cleaned or replaced, new carpets etc etc. Luckily she’d smelled the smoke and was able to throw the pan out the back door.

We had a hell of a fight because of her “carelessness". Yep we had a very nice electric deep fryer which she’d decided was too much of a hassle for a few prawn crackers.

 

[Bay Leaf]

Are you 100% sure?

I am yes. You can make your own mind up.

 

[lewyboy]

I am yes. You can make your own mind up.

I’m not 100% behind it, the opinion seems a little outdated.

Are Child Miners Exploited to Manufacture Electric Car Batteries?

The use of child labor to extract cobalt from mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo is certainly a major problem.

www.snopes.com

It pays to do some research however little.

 

[oigle]

2017 MB SL400 that spent more time in my garage than on the road. Had the anti-theft, over the air updates, vehicle tracking & location data, link to my phone etc (lock/ open doors, check fuel, tyres send GPS data......etc).

It is not the convenience / effort of having to carry a spare battery pack, but the fact that you feel you need to for a car that is battery powered.

Whoop-Whoop, Woop Woop - still in the middle of nowhere.

Mmmm. Horses for courses. I actually owned the battery pack before the EV and carried it in my MOHO as I sure didn't want to be stuck somewhere in the bush with a flat starter battery. Never needed it but ...insurance. I just now carry it in the EV. I think a number of people have maybe sat in their EVs with aircon running, radio etc., maybe waiting for something like a train arrival. The aircon is unlike ICE and operates as a heat pump but eats electricity from the 12V battery when main system not activated. Wouldn't take too long to exhaust the battery. Perhaps our Porsche clown was guilty there. Drivers maybe need to be better educated in that area. As I said, my Kia warns me but maybe some others don't.

 

[rorywquin]

Mmmm. Horses for courses. I actually owned the battery pack before the EV and carried it in my MOHO as I sure didn't want to be stuck somewhere in the bush with a flat starter battery. Never needed it but ...insurance. I just now carry it in the EV. I think a number of people have maybe sat in their EVs with aircon running, radio etc., maybe waiting for something like a train arrival. The aircon is unlike ICE and operates as a heat pump but eats electricity from the 12V battery when main system not activated. Wouldn't take too long to exhaust the battery. Perhaps our Porsche clown was guilty there. Drivers maybe need to be better educated in that area. As I said, my Kia warns me but maybe some others don't.

As an aside have you ever tested it? Those packs are usually hugely overrated. I still have a set of heavy duty jumper cables that I used in Oz for all my bush adventures (still brand new and unused). Had a LC200 (lifted & modded for offroad) and Kimberly Karavan and did about 30,000 miles in the outback including crossing the Simpson desert, Oodnadatta, Birdsville etc.

 

[00slk]

Bring back leaded hi octane petrol, will catch fire, but you can blow out the flames with your breath, as I did when my race car caught fire in the engine bay when fuel leaked on to the distributor. 110 octane Aviation fuel, safe as houses in cars. As long as you catch it in time, like 5 minutes
Trouble is, all the safe stuff we used in the old......yesterday days is gone, and now we have volatile fuels, batteries and other rubbish. Yep, certainly going backwards

 

[bladecrazy]

Just read an article on bbc news about renewables and 5 years ago 1 in 25 cars sold was an ev, globally its now 1 in 5 , does not matter about the ice ban changeing in the uk i think momentom has already begun .

 

[Blobcat]

Just read an article on bbc news about renewables and 5 years ago 1 in 25 cars sold was an ev, globally its now 1 in 5 , does not matter about the ice ban changeing in the uk i think momentom has already begun .

That is because of taxation on company cars