VW e-Transporter & e-California

[johnyboy]

a) unless you have a tesla or fast local charger you shouldn't really consider electric with current public infrastructure - Jaguar are lying to customers about charge times when very few really fast chargers are available right now
Looking at my data I have used 5000kwh at home and 430kwh at superchargers, that's pretty typical (although I have a fellow owner with no home charging who gets by fine due to the longer range)
b) this shows just how far ahead Tesla are with their considered approach to the supercharging network, its all integrated, both to the cars maps and if you don't have free supercharging, just billed to your account as they know your car.
c) Inability to install a charger is not really the fault of an electric vehicle
d) She worried about the first "long distance" trip but executed flawlessly

I wholeheartedly agree that any EV other than Tesla is an enthusiast's choice and the public charging infrastructure needs investment (potentially with government help) if this is to go mainstream.

 

[Loz]

That article just proves you need some thought and prior planning, rather than an impulse purchase of such a vehicle..

 

[larrylamb]

Why did she even think about getting an electric car with no intention of home charging. Would have been no article or drama if she had done some research and sorted the home charger when she ordered the car.

 

[WelshGas]

Quote:
=====
I have driven 3,000 miles on less than £20 of electricity.
=====

And who paid for the " Free " electricity? and the Government contribution of £3,500.

Every amp should be charged for and absolutely no Government contribution nor reduced Road Tax. Also there should be a charge for the additional pollution and environmental damage caused by extracting the rare elements used for the battery etc: Then we can compare the " Real " cost of owning an electric vehicle.

 

[WelshGas]

a) unless you have a tesla or fast local charger you shouldn't really consider electric with current public infrastructure - Jaguar are lying to customers about charge times when very few really fast chargers are available right now
Looking at my data I have used 5000kwh at home and 430kwh at superchargers, that's pretty typical (although I have a fellow owner with no home charging who gets by fine due to the longer range)
b) this shows just how far ahead Tesla are with their considered approach to the supercharging network, its all integrated, both to the cars maps and if you don't have free supercharging, just billed to your account as they know your car.
c) Inability to install a charger is not really the fault of an electric vehicle
d) She worried about the first "long distance" trip but executed flawlessly

I wholeheartedly agree that any EV other than Tesla is an enthusiast's choice and the public charging infrastructure needs investment (potentially with government help) if this is to go mainstream.

For Government read Tax Payer.
Disagree on this point. the Manufacturer should stump up the cost of the charging network if they want to sell the " environmentally friendly - NOT " product.

 

[Amarillo]

And who paid for the " Free " electricity? and the Government contribution of £3,500.

Every amp should be charged for and absolutely no Government contribution nor reduced Road Tax. Also there should be a charge for the additional pollution and environmental damage caused by extracting the rare elements used for the battery etc: Then we can compare the " Real " cost of owning an electric vehicle.

A £30,000 electric car includes about £4,468 VAT. It might help if you think of the Government contribution as a VAT reduction rather than a Government handout to those wealthy enough to afford an electric car.

However, I do entirely agree with your sentiment. It seems absurd that the Government is seen to be subsidising motor car use. Instead it should be doing much more to promote cycling for local journeys.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[johnyboy]

love when @WelshGas stays on the fence about things

 

[Loz]

I also love @Amarillo utopian view of life

Just to pop to the postoffice and drop off a parcel takes me 10 Mins in the car but 1 hour on my bike.

 

[Amarillo]

I also love @Amarillo utopian view of life

Just to pop to the postoffice and drop off a parcel takes me 10 Mins in the car but 1 hour on my bike.

But you could save yourself an hour by not riding a stationary bicycle in the gym and another half hour of not being stuck in traffic on your way to the gym to ride a stationary bicycle.

 

[johnyboy]

Even with electric car we don't really use it anything under 2 miles each way.
Makes me laugh people driving half a mile to the gym or for a pint of milk!

 

[Perfectos]

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, I was told they travelled from Chester down to Bath and back but at the first planned stop all the charging points were out of action. At the next stop all the charging points were being used. I’m not sure what happened next but I think they were helped out by someone with a a Tesla who used their card to enable them to top their battery up a bit. They carried on at reduced speed to save power but eventually it petered out and they ended up having to be recovered. What a nightmare!

Electric power has a place in transport but so do conventional fuels and I hope that manufacturers can find ways to reduce the impact of these on the environment. And hope the government stop punishing those that were previously encouraged to jump on the previous big solution to climate change.

Fantastic if you only want to camp on your own driveway !!!

 

[soulstyledevon]

I also love @Amarillo utopian view of life

Just to pop to the postoffice and drop off a parcel takes me 10 Mins in the car but 1 hour on my bike.

Sounds like you need to pedal faster.

 

[WelshGas]

I also love @Amarillo utopian view of life

Just to pop to the postoffice and drop off a parcel takes me 10 Mins in the car but 1 hour on my bike.

Our nearest Post Office is 10+ miles away along country roads.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Our nearest Post Office is 10+ miles away along country roads.

No excuse for you then WelshGas, a horse is all you need.

 

[soulstyledevon]

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, I was told they travelled from Chester down to Bath and back but at the first planned stop all the charging points were out of action. At the next stop all the charging points were being used. I’m not sure what happened next but I think they were helped out by someone with a a Tesla who used their card to enable them to top their battery up a bit. They carried on at reduced speed to save power but eventually it petered out and they ended up having to be recovered. What a nightmare!

Electric power has a place in transport but so do conventional fuels and I hope that manufacturers can find ways to reduce the impact of these on the environment. And hope the government stop punishing those that were previously encouraged to jump on the previous big solution to climate change.

Just to compare.
My Nissan works van is about 9 months old.
Full charge is well under the 100 miles, at around 79-89. That’s a full overnight charge. Can’t figure out, why I get different values in the mornings.

The last week with the cold mornings and heating on, light, etc. Real world driving has gone down to anything from 30-50 miles.
Having to charge it every other night.

It’s a complete failure, but ticks some ISO numbers for the company

 

[WelshGas]

No excuse for you then WelshGas, a horse is all you need.

Wouldn’t ride a horse on those roads, cycling is bad enough, especially during Autumn when the farmers are out flailing their hedges, punctures on most trips. Got solid tyres on my Christmas list.

 

[WelshGas]

A £30,000 electric car includes about £4,468 VAT. It might help if you think of the Government contribution as a VAT reduction rather than a Government handout to those wealthy enough to afford an electric car.

However, I do entirely agree with your sentiment. It seems absurd that the Government is seen to be subsidising motor car use. Instead it should be doing much more to promote cycling for local journeys.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

Fine for city dwellers, and those who live outside the great conurbations?
I think city dwellers could pay for their own cycle ways and promotions after all they do already have very good public transport systems compared to those who live outside. Resources could then be directed to those areas that actually need them, better transport systems, subsidies for vehicle purchase and hundreds of charging points + the infra structure to support them. I mean, the countryside already has most of the wind/solar and water power generation capability, unlike the cities, so shouldn’t be too much of a problem. I mean, most of the pollution hot spots are in cities already so why should the countryside suffer restrictions when we don’t have that localised problem.
Just saying.

 

[Amarillo]

Fine for city dwellers, and those who live outside the great conurbations?
I think city dwellers could pay for their own cycle ways and promotions after all they do already have very good public transport systems compared to those who live outside. Resources could then be directed to those areas that actually need them, better transport systems, subsidies for vehicle purchase and hundreds of charging points + the infra structure to support them. I mean, the countryside already has most of the wind/solar and water power generation capability, unlike the cities, so shouldn’t be too much of a problem. I mean, most of the pollution hot spots are in cities already so why should the countryside suffer restrictions when we don’t have that localised problem.
Just saying.

Sadiq Khan is investing £169 million into London's cycle network per year 2016 - 2021. The Government is spending double that on the A14 upgrade through the countryside over the same period. And that is just one rural road scheme. There is a more or less parallel guided busway which cost £181 million, again through the countryside, which opened in 2011.

 

[WelshGas]

Sadiq Khan is investing £169 million into London's cycle network per year 2016 - 2021. The Government is spending double that on the A14 upgrade through the countryside over the same period. And that is just one rural road scheme. There is a more or less parallel guided busway which cost £181 million, again through the countryside, which opened in 2011.

And many villages have 1 bus a day/week if they are lucky. To get to my local hospital by public transport takes over 3 hrs. For a 20 minute consultation it would take over 7 hrs to get there and back by bus.
As you’ve stated previously you have a bus route outside your house. Lucky you, we don’t even have the bus let alone a route.

 

[Amarillo]

And many villages have 1 bus a day/week if they are lucky. To get to my local hospital by public transport takes over 3 hrs. For a 20 minute consultation it would take over 7 hrs to get there and back by bus.
As you’ve stated previously you have a bus route outside your house. Lucky you, we don’t even have the bus let alone a route.

We must be mad to be planning our Escape to the Country probably in 2025.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[WelshGas]

We must be mad to be planning our Escape to the Country probably in 2025.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

As long as you’ve still got your “ Diesel “ California you’ll be fine.

 

[Loz]

As long as you’ve still got your “ Diesel “ California you’ll be fine.

Except the potholes we got out here will swallow a Brompton wheel

 

[pjm-84]

Mrs M’s Golf GTE hybrid had a range of 31 miles when it was new. ​

Just bought a nearly new one for the business to replace the VW UP. Does yours have the electric energising noise when you turn the ignition on? VW have said this is normal with hybrids. (Well SWMBO's Outlander doesn't make this sort of noise). Sounds like a fan when you're inside the car and not moving.

 

[Amarillo]

Except the potholes we got out here will swallow a Brompton wheel

Pah - rural potholes. I'll raise you urban sinkholes - both on roads I have regularly cycled along.

 

[WelshGas]

Pah - rural potholes. I'll raise you urban sinkholes - both on roads I have regularly cycled along.

So that's why CrossRail is delayed.