Looks like one of my old Scalextric cars. Doe you have to keep straightening out the part of wire braids underneath?
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https://autoweek.com/article/los-an...ncept-previews-ev-commercial-van-la-auto-show
Looks like this is going to happen. Thoughts?
It's very difficult to tell but it looks as big as a T6 to me. In the photo of the front cab, the folded down middle seat looks a similar width as the gap between the seats in a Cali.This looks to be a size down from the transporter our calis are based on, look how close the front seats are together. I’m sure there will be an electric Cali, but I’m not convinced this is it sadly.
Yeah, but our leisure batteries are topped up by the alternator (powered by the engine) while driving.Current EV cars have battery capacity around 20-30kWh (maybe an eTransporter would have more).
The leisure batteries in an Ocean/SE have 2x90AH at 12V. Assuming that only half of that energy is actually available (it’s not good to flatten leisure batteries), then we have about 1kWh of power available. This would be fine for lighting and prob fridge.
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Yeah, but our leisure batteries are topped up by the alternator (powered by the engine) while driving.
Currently (pun intended) I don’t think it would work at all. Not without substantial infrastructure changes (at camp sites for example) And what about off grid or wild camping?True. I don’t think an eCali would work for me currently.
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The leisure side could be completely charged by solar. I reckon there is space on the roof for at least 500 watts. We, as a family of four, managed 5 summer months (June to November) without hookup with 200 watts of solar. The battery was also charged by driving, but when on campsites for 4+ nights the leisure battery was always at 100% by nightfall (except when parked under a tree) until we hit the winter months and triple whammy of short days, lower sun and increased cloud cover.Currently (pun intended) I don’t think it would work at all. Not without substantial infrastructure changes (at camp sites for example) And what about off grid or wild camping?
Unless you keep the radio onAnd you have 60 spare miles for pottering from your wild campsite.
There is a solar roof on the Buzz already, said to give an additional 9.3 miles range per (sunny) day. And I’m not sure where you get 300 real life miles range from... VW talk about the Buzz being an ideal delivery van because of that kind of users short operating radius.The leisure side could be completely charged by solar. I reckon there is space on the roof for at least 500 watts. We, as a family of four, managed 5 summer months (June to November) without hookup with 200 watts of solar. The battery was also charged by driving, but when on campsites for 4+ nights the leisure battery was always at 100% by nightfall (except when parked under a tree) until we hit the winter months and triple whammy of short days, lower sun and increased cloud cover.
The motor battery could be quite large in a van. It could even have two batteries - halving the charging time in locations where each can be charged independently.
So, with a real-life range of 300 miles, drive 120 miles from your charging point to your wild campsite, rely on solar for leisure for as long as you like before driving 120 miles back to the charging point. And you have 60 spare miles for pottering from your wild campsite.
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It wouldn’t matter if the radio was powered from the leisure battery.Unless you keep the radio on![]()
If/when we buy a second car it would suit us very well to go all electric.Mrs M’s Golf GTE hybrid had a range of 31 miles when it was new. That is without the heating or a/c. Now, just over three years later, the indicated range has dropped to 28 miles. In the cold weather, knock a few more miles off, so 26. Turn on the heating or a/c, range drops to 20 miles (mostly, being misers, we end up driving round freezing with misted up windows!). Add to this, the indicated range is a lie, so 20 miles becomes 12 in the real world. Luckily, we also have an internal combustion engine.
So if we are expecting a range of around 300 miles from our future e-California, this equates to our Golf multiplied by approximately 10. So 300 miles would become 280 after 3 years, in the cold weather 260. Turn on the heater and you get 200. Deduct the range exaggeration, and you will be looking at 120 miles. And no internal combustion engine backup. Ok for a milk float provided your round isn’t too big!
A friend of a a friend has a Nissan Leaf
Quote:Article on running an electric car in today’s Mail Online
LOUISE ATKINSON says electric cars are shocking
https://mol.im/a/6485323
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