Research

[Craiglxviii]

So you admit selection bias?

 

[MalcQV]

Done and not bad. I did not notice anything odd.
FWIW I don't really like the idea of electric cars. That said I've never driven/passenger in one and probably the same reason I won't try squid.
However I would like a Tesla 3 if old Musky could manage to produce one for the UK in the next few years, but he can't as he's sending them into space instead and all the other EV's in the £30k(ish) sector look ****.
I'm fortunate to have two proper ICE cars for fun and am happy that as we move toward the milk float of tomorrow, that like horses we will most likely be able to carry on with them until full autonomy.
So this year my aging but lovely V6 petrol CLK will probably be replaced with a petrol 4-pot A-Class, or some other German or Japanese brand, brand new or nearly new, which if new will only be my second ever brand new car (excluding company lease).

Unlikely it'll be Electric because what there is looks pretty awful/expensive.

 

[LostKiwi]

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (hybrid), Mitsubishi Outlander,and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV in just electric mode. So yes a 4x4 I don't have the exact variants to hand (somewhere amongst a very large pile of paperwork) The info on the specs etc were taken from the Mitsubishi website and the Parkers website.

That explains the odd numbers then - especially in pure electric form.

 

[brandwooddixon]

Well it's closed now, but my bias against battery powered electric vehicles are:

1. Limited range.
2. Difficulty in recharging.
3. Slowness in recharging.
4. Environmental issues.

To clarify:

1. My family is spread around the country, typical journey is 120 miles plus each way for a visit; I'm currently driving 150 miles per day for work. What about holidays, day trips etc. public transport isn't often viable.
2. You have a charging point at home, but what about at work, or at services.
3. Waiting overnight for a general commute at home is all well and good, but having to wait for an additional 30 minutes for a fast charge partway through a journey that already takes 1 hour 45 minutes isn't really for me. I already leave at 5.30am as it is!
4. Production of battery packs and use of coal, gas or wood pulp (biomass) for electricity production aren't really any better for the environment mean that the electric car isn't emissions free. In any case the UK is woefully short on generating capacity even if the national grid could support everyone having an electric car. So more power stations and improved electricity infrastructure required.

I'm not against electric vehicles, just those using rechargeable batteries, their limitations are too great for me at the moment. I personally think that the fuel cell is the way forward.

 

[LostKiwi]

use of coal, gas or wood pulp (biomass) for electricity production aren't really any better for the environment mean that the electric car isn't emissions free.

Actually thats not correct. Power stations (be they coal, gas or whatever) are much more tightly controlled on their emissions than motor vehicles and are now legally required to have carbon capture technology to reduce CO2.
And in 2015 22% of all power generation in the UK was from renewable sources. An electric car may not be emissions free but it is substantially better than ICE.

If an owner of an electric vehicle invested £10k on a solar setup they would be able to provide sufficient off grid power for most average users electric vehicle requirements.

In my opinion the way forward will be super capacitors. Near instant recharge and virtually no fuel transportation/storage issues.

 

[Craiglxviii]

It’s the explosion risk issue with caps...

 

[MalcQV]

Whilst I'm not really in favour of electric cars (except for my regular commute) they are indeed far better for the environment regarding CO2.

Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power plants are around 50%+ efficient. ICE can only dream about such efficiency.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Whilst I'm not really in favour of electric cars (except for my regular commute) they are indeed far better for the environment regarding CO2.

Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power plants are around 50%+ efficient. ICE can only dream about such efficiency.

Toyota’s 1.3 turbo gasoline engine achieved 38% in 2014 and I’ve read reports that they’re now pushing 42%. Most modern turbo diesels are already at this figure.

The 50%+ of CCGT ignores the 5-7% losses inherent in power transmission alone (and 2-3% conversion losses at substations) so for straight power efficiency the two generating sources are about even Stevens.

 

[EmilysDad]

Toyota’s 1.3 turbo gasoline engine ......

Is that similar to a petrol engine .....

 

[Craiglxviii]

Is that similar to a petrol engine .....

That’s Toyota’s designation for it...

 

[EmilysDad]

That’s Toyota’s designation for it...

But not what we in the UK/England/etc call it

 

[Craiglxviii]

But not what we in the UK/England/etc call it

It’s what Toyota in the U.K. call it.

Boot? Trunk? Hood? Bonnet? Either or either?

The same logic applies to anything else. I don’t want to call that a Mondeo, it’s a Sierra...

 

[keefysher]

It’s what Toyota in the U.K. call it.

Boot? Trunk? Hood? Bonnet? Either or either?

The same logic applies to anything else. I don’t want to call that a Mondeo, it’s a Cortina...

FTFY

 

[MalcQV]

Toyota’s 1.3 turbo gasoline engine achieved 38% in 2014 and I’ve read reports that they’re now pushing 42%. Most modern turbo diesels are already at this figure.

The 50%+ of CCGT ignores the 5-7% losses inherent in power transmission alone (and 2-3% conversion losses at substations) so for straight power efficiency the two generating sources are about even Stevens.

But then there's little oil cost to transport the electricity to the electricity station. (cables and pylons need manufacturing hence some small fossil fuel cost)

Just as Toyota move the figures, so indeed does the power industry. We're now looking at 62%.
https://www.gepower.com/about/insights/articles/2016/04/power-plant-efficiency-record

It's always going to be more efficient than a petrol or diesel engine. I do not know enough about pollution from used batteries. I would imagine the cost of pollution to manufacture electric or ICe cars is about the same?

EV's are less polluting and more efficient.

 

[LostKiwi]

Power stations using fossil fuels also have very effective carbon capture systems making the effective level of CO2/kW very low.
Even ships (one of the other targets of finger pointing) are fitting carbon capture systems now - Brittany Ferries is retrofitting their fleet at the rate of one per year for example.