What's the problem with electric cars?

[cogs]

Originally Posted by ITSv40

Tesla have now become 'mainstream' and are affordable for everyone.

That is the sort of sweeping statement the government would make from their ivory tower. But in the real world everyone includes me and I certainly can't afford one, I can't even afford to replace my current car with another car the same age and milage thanks to the prices of secondhand cars and I doubt I'm not alone in that.

[FreshAir]

The problem with electric cars are various IMO:

1. The battery technology is evolving. Today's technology will be the VHS compared to 4K movie streaming in a few years. The new technology will bring greater capacity for a given size which will either give greater range or lower cost. That will kill 2nd hand values for the current versions.

2. Ticking time bomb that is the battery. They are made up of c 10,000 cells. Only 1 has to go bad. Repair is expensive, and once faulty 1 is repaired how long before next fails. This makes 2nd hand cars a lottery. Has the battery been regularly charged to 100% or high current charged? At least with traditional engine they are known quantity and rarely fail in expensive way, and can be replaced with second hand one at local garage.

3. Charging access. Not everyone has driveway with access to charge off street. What if family has 3 or 4 cars, and all need to charge overnight. We are not going to have multiple chargers at home (7kW x 4....)

4. Time to charge when travelling. Not everyone wants a big break, or to stop and find they need to queue then charge. Also need to go when charge is finished to avoid the roth of those queuing.

I expect I'll be sticking with engines for may years to come.

[Whippy]

Agreed, current battery technology is an expensive and ultimately futile rabbit hole that the industry led by politicians has dived down. Solid state cells are in development by the worlds largest car manufacturer, then it will start to become a realistic option for most.

I honestly believe the future will have to be a multi fuel scenario, a mix of fossil fuels, electric cells, hydrogen as well as oil replacement wet fuels. Trying to kid everybody that pure electric for everything is just plain idiotic. We will find a way to do this although ultimately I think the damage is done. We're trying to bolt the stable door. My money is on cats developing an opposable thumb and taking over the reins. Maybe.

[Whippy]

And, 21 million cars on the roads this weekend, if we all switch to EV next year we'll be cooking our turkeys over a candle Christmas 2024 as the grid lights up in pretty blue sparks and gives up.

[Ulrikas PA]

Originally Posted by Whippy

Agreed, current battery technology is an expensive and ultimately futile rabbit hole that the industry led by politicians has dived down.

Politicians / law-makers will chop and change, just like their edicts:-

Diesel is bad ..
Diesel is good (for co2) ..
Diesel is bad (for Nox) ..
Electric is good ..
But maybe not yet so we need a 'hybrid' solution - synthetic fuels playing their part

I'm with you and have actually just bought another used diesel hybrid - economical and Euro 6 emissions on the motorway, air quality respecting around town?

[Tannaton]

I’ve just read on an electricians forum that as of now all new connections to the grid for residential properties will be downgraded to 80amps from 100amps currently… that might be challenging given many will have electric heating, hot water, cooking as well as EV charging.

[Frank Bullitt]

I have a 12KW Air Source Heat Pump and 7KW car charger - the ASHP never goes anywhere near 12KW, the most it’s ever pulled is 7KW; along with other small items that might be on overnight 60A is probably as much as I need, 80A would be fine and the 100A we have is more than sufficient.

[Frank Bullitt]

Charging the car in the busy holiday season, always going to be a queue-ridden mess.

‘FB, you can’t post this sort of real-world experience, because the (insert the lazy media source playing to my prejudice) want me to think otherwise, and like a sheep I’ve been happy to lap this absolute rubbish up because really, I can’t get my head around anything being better than when I was 20.’

3366ea94-dfd8-4e85-8e90-798d291a6312.jpg

[baggy798]

Gets that dark at about 4:30? Unlikely to be anyone around in a car park, on Christmas Eve, on a Sunday, at 4:30, sitting there for half an hour with a car full of restless Cornettos and Viennettas, and melting ice creams in the boot.

Might have even been taken at 8 in the morning.

It's not even plugged in. Fake news!

[Frank Bullitt]

It was about 5pm on a busy Christmas Eve in the West Midlands and it is plugged in, the charge port is on the nearside and it’s easy to see the screen on the charger is different to the other screens you plum