Which electric car to buy?

[Borris]

Nearly all London centric responses.

However, my comment (post #1292), was made in light of some of the recent decisions the larger car makers such as VW, Honda, GM and Toyota appear to have made.


Even smaller volume manufacturer Porsche seem to be putting their money elsewhere in eco fuel development.

 

[GrannyJen]

Nearly all London centric responses.

However, my comment (post #1292), was made in light of some of the recent decisions the larger car makers such as VW, Honda, GM and Toyota appear to have made.


Even smaller volume manufacturer Porsche seem to be putting their money elsewhere in eco fuel development.

I have some agreement with you Borris, as an owner of an EV.

My car works very well for me, it's powered off my solar panels and if I want, generally, to travel outside it's range limit of around 200 miles then I have a lovely camper to travel away in. My motivation also was in still being able to travel in the light of antics by Extinction rebellion, just stop oil, striking tanker drivers, Putin weaponising energy, Arab middle-east boycotts, etc.... all of which in my recent lifetime have severely disrupted the supply of fuel.

However I live with range anxiety even when I am not driving it. Next year, February, I have to make a return trip to Tilbury. 180 mile round trip in the depths of winter. Thinking about it now gives me range anxiety. Yes, probably I will have enough in the battery but if the wind is in the wrong direction, if it's raining and I need wipers, cold etc.... Yes, lots of places to refuel, if I want to spend 40 minutes or so kicking my heels in the depth of winter, if they work, if they are unoccupied and if I have the right App, and the latter is an absolute Joke. It's like car parks. I have five car parking apps on my phone right now and I will guarantee if I turn up at a car park that I have previously not used then I would need six.

I have no other anxiety than that. WBAC indicates that my depreciation is no more than on the equivalent ICE car, it is a joy to drive, I've just had a free software update whilst I was asleep in bed, it's cheap to service with little to maintain (Important to me when I can't even add oil without losing the filler cap). Above all it always starts the day with a "full tank" and if we did have power cuts then I still have my Solar.

There is no doubt that refuelling is not just a significant achilles heel but foot and leg as well. I am sure it will improve, I am sure that in time better and more robust means of refuelling will come along, but currently it is a shambles.

 

[Amarillo]

Have to disagree Tom.

Having lived within the semi-rural north west of the Greater London Boundary there are a lot of places not served by effective public transport. Some villages (Harefield as an example) have no tube or train line) and the buses ramble on their way to anywhere.

As with most things London centric the tube and train lines often just radiate in and out of the centre, making east-west journeys difficult.

The recent Uxbridge abd South Ruislip by-election highlighted the issue although I think a lot of that has been the rushed 9 months notice of the impending change.

Tongue in cheek question. If private car use isn't needed in Greater London how many trips does your Citygo make each week, especially if I've guessed correctly you are more or less in zone 2?

Zone 4, just outside the South Circular Road which is a very approximate Zone 3/4 boundary.

When in London we use our Citigo almost daily, and multiple times a day. We have a bus stop directly outside our house with a 20-30 minute service. One direction goes to Clare’s mum, the other direction to my mum and dad, passing multiple supermarkets and parks either way. Yet, despite this, our usual mode of transport to visit parents, the park to walk the dog, or the supermarket is the Citigo.

We are part of the problem.

Motoring in London is too cheap and too convenient.

We *always* cycle to school. We never drive into the congestion zone, and only rarely into Zone 2. Clare works at Guys Hospital (London Bridge) and either cycles or takes the train.

I know there are parts of “rural” outer London which are poorly served by public transport. But public transport does exist. I once walked the entire LOOP (London Outer Orbital Path) which broadly follows the outer London boundary. I did it walking 2 or 3 sections at a time, entirely using public transport to get to/from home to/from the start/finish of each section. I expect the proportion of Londoners living more that 5 minutes cycle ride or 15 minutes walk from a train/tram/bus stop is very low. Perhaps as low as a fraction of 1 percent. I’d love to know the answer. If such people do exist, and I’m sure they do, it would be within the gift of the Mayor to offer car use discounts of as much as 100%.

*edit

Uxbridge postal town (not the same as the constituency) has 336 bus stops on 31 bus routes. Unhelpfully I have not been able to find the area of the postal district.

 

[Wildcamper]

Chinese EVs represent a security risk.

Warning that Chinese electric car ‘invasion’ could paralyse Britain

Communist country’s extensive penetration of the British economy poses national security risk

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[soulstyledevon]

All said and done.
If you put your sensible head on, this car would probably work for 90% of people.

 

[Wildcamper]

All said and done.
If you put your sensible head on, this car would probably work for 90% of people.

Chinese - no chance!

 

[soulstyledevon]

Chinese - no chance!

 

[Wildcamper]

So you support the Chinese system and its aggression! Better start learning mandarin.

 

[Wondering Star]

Better dust down the horse and cart if you wish to avoid the influence of the Chinese within the fields of electrification and battery technology.
Just like the Japanese in the 70's their products will sell not only on price but also reliability. May take a few years to build the selling infrastructure but it will happen.

 

[ArunAlec]

Better dust down the horse and cart if you wish to avoid the influence of the Chinese within the fields of electrification and battery technology.
Just like the Japanese in the 70's their products will sell not only on price but also reliability. May take a few years to build the selling infrastructure but it will happen.

Not to mention our telecommunications network….. remove Chinese technology from it and we won’t even be able to have a moan on forums like this!

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Not to mention our telecommunications network….. remove Chinese technology from it and we won’t even be able to have a moan on forums like this!

+ utilities…loving my Chinese water, but not so keen on the now lifted hosepipe ban.

 

[ArunAlec]

+ utilities…loving my Chinese water, but not so keen on the now lifted hosepipe ban.

“What did the Romans ever do for us?” ……….

 

[clarinetbcn]

Just some added context from the US Environmental Protection Agency:

Electric Vehicle Myths | US EPA

Facts and myths about electric vehicles.

www.epa.gov

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Just some added context from the US Environmental Protection Agency:

Electric Vehicle Myths | US EPA

Facts and myths about electric vehicles.

www.epa.gov

Interesting.
One thing I’d like to understand is how payments to the EV owner for ‘Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging’ are handled.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Interesting.
One thing I’d like to understand is how payments to the EV owner for ‘Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging’ are handled.

If at home, would be measured on a smart electricity meter. Measures in/out from/to the grid.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

If at home, would be measured on a smart electricity meter. Measures in/out from/to the grid.

I get that, but let’s say you charge your EV at a motorway services at a particular tariff (high) and then give juice back to the grid at home at a lower tariff, how would you be compensated?

 

[johnyboy]

I get that, but let’s say you charge your EV at a motorway services at a particular tariff (high) and then give juice back to the grid at home at a lower tariff, how would you be compensated?

No; it is up to you how and where to charge the car and whether/when to sell it back to the grid

 

[Wildcamper]

All said and done.
If you put your sensible head on, this car would probably work for 90% of people.

Buy an MG4 and support global warming.

China continues coal spree despite climate goals

World’s biggest carbon emitter approving equivalent of two new coal plants a week, analysis shows

www.google.com

 

[Velma's Dad]

Just happened up on this... sharing for anyone worried that EVs are somewhat heavier than their equivalent ICE cars...

Graphic compares the most popular car sold in Europe against most popular sold in USA. Oh World.

 

[johnyboy]

Buy an MG4 and support global warming.

China continues coal spree despite climate goals

World’s biggest carbon emitter approving equivalent of two new coal plants a week, analysis shows

www.google.com

The same China who added more renewables than the entire needs of Spain or South Afruca or Australia last year?
The same China who is due to ADD solar capacity this year that exceeds the entirety of USA solar?
Same China where one in three cars bought were electric last year?

 

[Wildcamper]

The same China who added more renewables than the entire needs of Spain or South Afruca or Australia last year?
The same China who is due to ADD solar capacity this year that exceeds the entirety of USA solar?
Same China where one in three cars bought were electric last year?

The same China that, alone, was responsible for 30+% of global CO2 emissions in 2021. Must be laughing all the way to the bank.

 

[Amarillo]

The same China that, alone, was responsible for 30+% of global CO2 emissions in 2021. Must be laughing all the way to the bank.

China’s energy mix.

I don’t suppose they can eek out much more hydropower, but wind, solar and nuclear will all increase steadily while coal, gas and oil will fall steadily as China’s population starts to fall.

 

[Velma's Dad]

I don’t suppose they can eek out much more hydropower, but wind, solar and nuclear will all increase steadily while coal, gas and oil will fall steadily as China’s population starts to fall.

I hope you are right but at the moment it's heading very rapidly in the other direction. I read that the CCP reacted very decisively to last year's heat waves and consequent water shortages in the Yangtze basin (arguably and if so ironically driven by climate change)... by ordering the acceleration of another tranche of coal fired generation.

 

[Amarillo]

I hope you are right but at the moment it's heading very rapidly in the other direction. I read that the CCP reacted very decisively to last year's heat waves and consequent water shortages in the Yangtze basin (arguably and if so ironically driven by climate change)... by ordering the acceleration of another tranche of coal fired generation.

As soon as China’s extra demand can be taken up by new nuclear, wind and solar, coal, gas and oil will stabilise and in time start to decline.

They are now building massive 18MW offshore wind turbines, sufficient for 80,000 homes at current demand.

I’m optimistic. The Chinese junta know and understand the damage climate heating will cause.

 

[Amarillo]

As soon as China’s extra demand can be taken up by new nuclear, wind and solar, coal, gas and oil will stabilise and in time start to decline.

They are now building massive 18MW offshore wind turbines, sufficient for 80,000 homes at current demand.

I’m optimistic. The Chinese junta know and understand the damage climate heating will cause.

Some info on China’s nuclear power ambitions.

===

China has 55 plants with 57GW in operation, 22 under construction with 24 GW and more than 70 planned with 88GW.

===

So assuming planning to going online for nuclear power is fifteen years, by 2038, China will go from 57GW of nuclear power to 169GW. A tripling.

In contrast, the UK’s current peak demand for electricity is around 60GW.