What's the problem with electric cars?

[The Thong]

My Brother bought a Kia Optima rechargeable hybrid. His Mrs uses it to go to work which is six miles away. The company she works for allocates a parking space with a charger to those who have either an EV or Hybrid. Five days a week she runs on battery power unless they’ve gotta cover more than the circa 35 miles range the battery gives. Then it used with hybrid power to ease the MPG on the petrol engine. Makes perfect sense all round and saves a fortune in the week on running costs.
Their other car is an E4 VW Polo Diesel that does gazillions of miles on a gallon of the devils spit 😂😂😂

[SnineT]

Originally Posted by The Thong

My Brother bought a Kia Optima rechargeable hybrid. His Mrs uses it to go to work which is six miles away. The company she works for allocates a parking space with a charger to those who have either an EV or Hybrid. Five days a week she runs on battery power unless they’ve gotta cover more than the circa 35 miles range the battery gives. Then it used with hybrid power to ease the MPG on the petrol engine. Makes perfect sense all round and saves a fortune in the week on running costs.
Their other car is an E4 VW Polo Diesel that does gazillions of miles on a gallon of the devils spit 😂😂😂

That is one prime example of it working but how many others can benefit that scenario, ones like this and people who do 5 miles across town they're ideal for but they just don't work for those that need to travel distances to and from work.

Side note a little Toyota rocked up while I was having a smoke today, hybrid Yaris iirc, the float noise coming out of it when she was doing her manoeuvres to park would kick my head in after 20 minutes, it literally sounded like Milkies old ride.

[Forg]

Originally Posted by Tannaton

So if you potter about locally, can charge on your drive, and your journey will never exceed the range, electric cars might be brilliant. But if you're a serious business user, who will exceed the range on a weekly basis or can't charge at home, it is an option with severe limitations and drawbacks - and that's likely to get a lot worse before it gets better.

Would welcome the views of electric car owners? i.e. people who have bought them not just read about them?

I don't know ANYONE who has one "for business", but then in Straya the vast majority of "for business" vehicles are Japanese dual-cabs & there isn't a feasible electric one of those yet.

Most people I know who have them live in the urban-sprawl of cities & the cars are used for commuting or family-duties. Driving between cities etc doesn't involve planning, however if going a little off the beaten track they do need to check there's charging capability where they're going. However most places people "go" have charging capability, say you're heading to the Hunter Valley for a fancy lunch & some wine-tastings, that's actually a there-and-back without needing a charge for most modern EV's ... but if you were driving the week prior so didn't get a full charge then there's inevitably a charging location either near the fancy lunch or wherever you stop for morning-tea or afternoon-tea.
These things all have apps to tell you where the charging locations are as well as availability ... something which probably all ICE cars sold in the last 10 years have as well (my wife's 10yo car is a Holden and has this inbuilt into the bespoke garbage GM SatNav) but which I've never thought to use 'cos I never had need for it. But it's not hard to use, and I can see it wouldn't be an impost when you can no longer rely on the "visual cues" you're used to using when looking for a petrol station.
There are a lot more charging stations around than you think, unless you actually go looking for them ... at least in & around heavily populated areas, here.

A lot of these people also work from home at least half the week, so they're doing a lot of charging from the solar panels on their roof.

I don't think any of the 60-odd employees in our Sydney office has an EV. The Belgian office in Ghent, and I'm guessing about 100-ish people work there, is I reckon 1/3 EV for their company cars now. But since they're company cars (Belgian taxes encourage it - relates to keeping all the manufacturers building cars there) there's no real sense of "investing" in a car choice, resale means nothing & they're offloaded before warranty expires.

[SnineT]

Forg me old Birdman of Austracatraz you must remember where you are solar is plentiful but here in the Grey K we don't get that sort of generation for much more than 6 weeks a year.


Are you missing Holden yet, I sure miss Vauxhall, I'm hoping they return as Pontiac, Buick will do and it would've been great to have a Chevy but they killed that name here with re-branded Daewoo's.

[Fastpatsilents]

Originally Posted by SnineT

Forg me old Birdman of Austracatraz you must remember where you are solar is plentiful but here in the Grey K we don't get that sort of generation for much more than 6 weeks a year.


Are you missing Holden yet, I sure miss Vauxhall, I'm hoping they return as Pontiac, Buick will do and it would've been great to have a Chevy but they killed that name here with re-branded Daewoo's.

No but we have wind aplenty. And solar panels put £1,800 into my bank account last year.

[SnineT]

Originally Posted by Fastpatsilents

No but we have wind aplenty. And solar panels put £1,800 into my bank account last year.

Not for the average house though, you've got a solar farm on your doorstep haven't you?

[Fastpatsilents]

Originally Posted by SnineT

Not for the average house though, you've got a solar farm on your doorstep haven't you?

Nope I've got a domestic 4kw roof system, same as hundreds of thousands of other homeowners.

[pjm84]

OVO energy still owe me just over £1k for my last two quarters (actually 5months).

Had an abundance of electric yesterday with the sunny winter weather. Today is looking good as well. Storage battery topped up the hybrid as that used all its battery yesterday running around and commuting.

Storage battery currently at 51% but will be fully charged by 2pm and back up to its 14.7kWh capacity.

[Cull06]

Originally Posted by Fastpatsilents

No but we have wind aplenty. And solar panels put £1,800 into my bank account last year.

That’s good going. I assume those numbers are from before the massive energy hikes that we saw?

I was talking to a pal the other day about his. Think he said it knocks off about £500 a year from his electricity bill. And earns him a few hundred a year income on top.

Not to be sniffed at. Just needs an RoI assessment.

[SnineT]

Originally Posted by Fastpatsilents

Nope I've got a domestic 4kw roof system, same as hundreds of thousands of other homeowners.

I didn't mean on Fast Towers I meant in your village there's a solar farm nearby.