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"Are Electric Cars the future of Low Carbon Transport?"

(730 posts)
  • Started 16 years ago by chdot
  • Latest reply from Baldcyclist
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  1. Baldcyclist
    Member

    Yes, if you can charge at home EV is a no brainer.

    We don't use charging network very much, but when we do we do 'perceive' it as very expensive - in reality it's probably similar cost to petrol, but when you spend £4 to fill your car up most of the time and then are charged £60 it does feel a bit annoying, but it's fine really.

    Only small gripe we do have is on range, the two EVs we have are perfect most of the time, but when I go hill walking up north often hard to find a charger, or even get to destination on one charge. Long motorway trips are fine though as lots of chargers.

    Will probably upgrade one of the cars next year to something with 350-400 mile range for those up north journeys.

    I do see lots of folk in my estate with EVs (I accept I'm in a priviladged minority), but there are lots of 5 year old model 3s hitting the market at more affordable prices, that seem still to have 90%+ battery in them. Also very cheap VW's and Leafs now which are great runnarounds.

    Still think hydrogen should play a role for those with no access to charging, can just reuse existing network of fuel stations.

    Posted 9 months ago #

  2. Baldcyclist
    Member

    I do get the 'drivers' reticence to move to EV.

    My old BMW made great noises on back roads and felt really engaging to drive, and planted to the road. Whereas my wee eGolf although you can chuck it arround and it's fun to drive windy roads (my wife loves it more than her car) it doesn't have anywhere near the same drama as a souped up petrol car does (even though the EVs are on paper faster).

    I do miss that, but not enough to consider another revvy car.

    Posted 9 months ago #

  3. chdot
    Admin

    https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/electric-cars-make-you-sick-4059243

    Posted 2 months ago #

  4. neddie
    Member

    I’m willing to bet it’s the style of driving that makes people sick, combined with EVs being ridiculously overpowered, sometimes with sub-5 second 0-60 times

    Nothing to do with the powerplant

    A good driver drives in such a way that their passengers don’t notice they’re being driven

    Posted 2 months ago #

  5. LaidBack
    Member

    “Our balance is made up of our ears, our eyes and all the joints in our body sending information to our brain, telling us where we are in space.” He gives the example of being under the deck on a boat...

    Can't say I've noticed although only been in the village community EV twice and roads are so twisty around there.
    Did notice that ebuses can appear to see- saw. Put that down to weight of 500kWh* of batteries.
    Other week bus was full of students coming back from Dundee. Most were locked into laptops or earphones so wouldn't be subject to the motion clues in quote?

    *A flat uses 3000kWh per year. Larger house 4000kWh. Ovo average figures for UK. Scottish figures likely to be higher.

    Posted 2 months ago #

  6. ejstubbs
    Member

    I was nearly thrown down the stairs of one of Lothian's electric buses the other day when the driver chose to accelerate hard as we were approaching a stop. It might have been a mistake on the driver's part, or they may have felt that there was a good reason for lurching forward as people were already starting to move around the bus, but I've certainly never felt that much oomph from any of their diesel buses.

    Posted 2 months ago #

  7. ejstubbs
    Member

    @neddie: I'd agree that the acceleration issue is entirely down the the nut holding the steering wheel (assuming that they are actually doing that, and not busy texting). I'm sure that the manufacturers could implement some kind of limiter, but I'm also sure that the outcry from an antisocial minority of potential customers would be deafening.

    I suspect that the clumsy regenerative braking is more likely to be due to shortcomings in the logic of the car's systems, and there may be little the driver can do about that unless and until they can get used to the way the system behaves*. I think it's different to engine braking an ICE car where simply lifting off the throttle slows the car down progressively and smoothly in a predictable way, with additional driver control via the clutch and gearbox (which an EV doesn't have). That's assuming that you're not in too low a gear for your current speed to begin with, in which case simply lifting off the throttle can feel quite jerky - but that is simply down to bad driving.

    * Of course it might be helpful if they weren't going quite so fast in the first place. Which brings us back to the issue of misguided and/or irresponsible control inputs by the nut holding the steering wheel.

    Posted 2 months ago #

  8. LaidBack
    Member

    Village community car (Citröen Espace EV) cannot be charged easily for last week as both chargers are not working. Also affects Volunteer Fire Service vehicle.
    Battery on 8 seater vehicle had only 40 miles showing which is not enough to go to Pitlochry Station and back due to Moulin moor height. (26 mile round trip).
    Has now been driven to Blairgowrie to top up but obviously that takes time and used 13 miles of charge. (Also nearest petrol station now village one is no more).
    Our Dutch friends charged their rented EV with lead from house so may come to that if chargers stay broken. 'Luckily' very few EVs here - some twin engined large hybrid EV types. Vast majority say they'd 'never' rely on an EV but may have one as second car. (We just use buses etc).

    Posted 2 months ago #

  9. chdot
    Admin

    “

    Battery electric cars will overtake diesels in Great Britain by 2030, analysis suggests

    “

    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/04/battery-electric-cars-diesels-great-britain-london-ulez

    Posted 1 month ago #

  10. Baldcyclist
    Member

    Diesels now only make up 5.2% of UK car sales, whilst Full EV's now make up 22.7% of all UK car sales.

    If you include Hybrid EV's that becomes 47% of all UK car sales. Petrol still in lead with 47% of sales.

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    Posted 1 month ago #

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