So the idea of a car that can do 500 miles on a tankful is pretty much irrelevant if all you ever need is to be able to go 20 miles to work or maybe 100 miles at the weekend to visit a National Trust property or whatever.
Agreed. We could replace our MINI with an EV in a heartbeat as its daily mileage is almost always less than 100 and 90% of the time less than 20.
My Disco is another matter. On Tuesday, it towed the best part of 3T for 110 miles on a third of a tank of diesel. I don’t think there is an EV in concept form that might even get close to this.
Our 4/4 is often asked to do 300 miles in a day and could (funds permitting) be replaced by a 200 mile range equivalent if a recharge could be completed over a lunch stop. The charging infrastructure may well support this in 5 years time.
It is important to remember that disruptive technology is often inferior to the mainstream on launch. It then improves and overtakes. Think pagers and mobile phones, VHS and DVR or digital camera and film.
Paul Costock, UK Plus Four 75th - Furka Rouge - Pip Disco 5 Teddy - 17h1 Irish Draught cross
My Disco is another matter. On Tuesday, it towed the best part of 3T for 110 miles on a third of a tank of diesel. I don’t think there is an EV in concept form that might even get close to this.
There are a couple of conversions for Defenders that give much higher power and torque, the same towing capacity and a 200 mile range, which would be absolutely perfect for our Landy.
The kicker of course is the cost, which is in the £70 - 90k range. But if my numbers ever come up on the premium bonds, my Landy is in for a surprise
Tim H. 1986 4/4 VVTi Sport, 2002 LR Defender, 2022 Mini Cooper SE
So the idea of a car that can do 500 miles on a tankful is pretty much irrelevant if all you ever need is to be able to go 20 miles to work or maybe 100 miles at the weekend to visit a National Trust property or whatever.
Agreed. We could replace our MINI with an EV in a heartbeat as its daily mileage is almost always less than 100 and 90% of the time less than 20.
My Disco is another matter. On Tuesday, it towed the best part of 3T for 110 miles on a third of a tank of diesel. I don’t think there is an EV in concept form that might even get close to this.
Our 4/4 is often asked to do 300 miles in a day and could (funds permitting) be replaced by a 200 mile range equivalent if a recharge could be completed over a lunch stop. The charging infrastructure may well support this in 5 years time.
It is important to remember that disruptive technology is often inferior to the mainstream on launch. It then improves and overtakes. Think pagers and mobile phones, VHS and DVR or digital camera and film.
Paul, the MiniEV is a hoot, more like an original Mini experience than any of the ICE Minis. I suggest you don't try it or you will want one!! About 130 miles on a charge.
As to an EV Truck Tesla promise the Cyber Truck...
Priced from $69,900 (£53,700), its specs include a claimed 500-mile range on a charge, 0-60mph in just 2.9sec and the ability to complete the quarter mile in just over 10sec. The towing capacity is 6350kg, Musk claims. The Cybertruck's angular body is said to be made of “ultra-hard 30X cold-rolled stainless steel”.
I'm not sure that the 0-60 time is important, but 6.3 towing limit means it would be classed as an HGV in Europe.
They also plan a smaller version for Europe, the same size as the largest Ford Crew Cab pickup truck sold here, to be called the Wolverine!
Peter, 66, 2016 Porsche Boxster S No longer driving Tarka, the 2014 Plus 8...
As lots have already said as the technology improves over the coming years we'll massive improvements in range, charge times will drop significantly and the number of charge points will increase so there are no queues to plug-in for the 5-10mins that will be required. The cost of electricity will go down as more an more clean energy is produced and the size and weight of the batteries will reduce to enable better packing and improved handling and power to weight ratios.
The biggest issue at the moment is that the majority of manufacturers are all taking ICE designed vehicles and just swapping out the ICE for a stack of batteries and an electric motor. If anyone has had the opportunity to drive a small purposes built from the ground up EV such as a BMW i3 I think you'd have to be impressed by the way it goes as an overall package.
For the record I'm 100% ICE at present with a V12, V8 and V6 cars and a flat twin motorcycle and I've no plans to go EV at this time. However, I can see that our choice of EV and the real world practicality will be very different in 3-5 years and pretty much unrecognisable in 10.
As lots have already said as the technology improves over the coming years we'll massive improvements in range, charge times will drop significantly and the number of charge points will increase so there are no queues to plug-in for the 5-10mins that will be required. The cost of electricity will go down as more an more clean energy is produced and the size and weight of the batteries will reduce to enable better packing and improved handling and power to weight ratios.
The biggest issue at the moment is that the majority of manufacturers are all taking ICE designed vehicles and just swapping out the ICE for a stack of batteries and an electric motor. If anyone has had the opportunity to drive a small purposes built from the ground up EV such as a BMW i3 I think you'd have to be impressed by the way it goes as an overall package.
For the record I'm 100% ICE at present with a V12, V8 and V6 cars and a flat twin motorcycle and I've no plans to go EV at this time. However, I can see that our choice of EV and the real world practicality will be very different in 3-5 years and pretty much unrecognisable in 10.
Good post.
I haven't taken the EV plunge yet primarily for financial reasons, but I'm getting awfully tempted for the sheer performance. I was at a set of traffic lights the other day, 2nd in line behind a Tesla. The lights control one-way access to a single-lane stretch of hill (Toadsmoor, for those Stroudies who know it). The lights turned green, and we both went. I was in the Landy, which is quite low geared so you change from first to second almost immediately, certainly in less than 3 seconds from start-off. In that time the Tesla was away and out of sight up the hill, so probably 500m away. The way it just f*cked off was just incredible. If you can get performance like that, who cares about having a second cup of coffee while you wait for a recharge?
Tim H. 1986 4/4 VVTi Sport, 2002 LR Defender, 2022 Mini Cooper SE
As lots have already said as the technology improves over the coming years we'll massive improvements in range, charge times will drop significantly and the number of charge points will increase so there are no queues to plug-in for the 5-10mins that will be required. The cost of electricity will go down as more an more clean energy is produced and the size and weight of the batteries will reduce to enable better packing and improved handling and power to weight ratios.
The biggest issue at the moment is that the majority of manufacturers are all taking ICE designed vehicles and just swapping out the ICE for a stack of batteries and an electric motor. If anyone has had the opportunity to drive a small purposes built from the ground up EV such as a BMW i3 I think you'd have to be impressed by the way it goes as an overall package.
For the record I'm 100% ICE at present with a V12, V8 and V6 cars and a flat twin motorcycle and I've no plans to go EV at this time. However, I can see that our choice of EV and the real world practicality will be very different in 3-5 years and pretty much unrecognisable in 10.
Good post.
I haven't taken the EV plunge yet primarily for financial reasons, but I'm getting awfully tempted for the sheer performance. I was at a set of traffic lights the other day, 2nd in line behind a Tesla. The lights control one-way access to a single-lane stretch of hill (Toadsmoor, for those Stroudies who know it). The lights turned green, and we both went. I was in the Landy, which is quite low geared so you change from first to second almost immediately, certainly in less than 3 seconds from start-off. In that time the Tesla was away and out of sight up the hill, so probably 500m away. The way it just f*cked off was just incredible. If you can get performance like that, who cares about having a second cup of coffee while you wait for a recharge?
I know that hill and surroundings by hiking and I am sure one day the pump in my chest will jump out. Doesn't that kind of acceleration present it's own safety problems. I once filtered into a roundabout only to see the car that had been on the otherside of the round about nearly hit me up the arse.
Given my personal views about the pace of change and development that I feel certain we will see over the coming few years I'm not sure that purchase of an EV would be the way I'd go at this time. I think a short 24month lease arrangement would work and then you have two clear benefits: 1) Being able to change up to the latest battery and charging tech as it develops; AND 2) No risk of crippling depreciation as a result of the pace of change that could make a 3-4 year old EV seem positively archaic My company is 100% Carbon Neutral and we are trying to arrange a group deal in the UK on reducing leasing rates on EVs through a central supplier and if we can get something agreed I'd be happy to affect an intro on this forum to anyone who wants to try an EV without the potential depreciation concerns over poor battery technology being massive overtaken in a few years' time.
Given my personal views about the pace of change and development that I feel certain we will see over the coming few years I'm not sure that purchase of an EV would be the way I'd go at this time. I think a short 24month lease arrangement would work and then you have two clear benefits: 1) Being able to change up to the latest battery and charging tech as it develops; AND 2) No risk of crippling depreciation as a result of the pace of change that could make a 3-4 year old EV seem positively archaic My company is 100% Carbon Neutral and we are trying to arrange a group deal in the UK on reducing leasing rates on EVs through a central supplier and if we can get something agreed I'd be happy to affect an intro on this forum to anyone who wants to try an EV without the potential depreciation concerns over poor battery technology being massive overtaken in a few years' time.
If you want new, then very probably. But you can get a 5 year old sub 50k mile BMW i3 for less than £12k that would make great little local runaround as it would still have a 100mile range or thereabouts.
I admit to having a very old-fashioned attitude about leasing or renting stuff. I've always saved up and bought anything I wanted, I've never liked the commitment of having to have an income to enable making payments, but that's just me, I know it doesn't bother many people.
Congratulations of achieving Carbon Neutrality, that's quite an achievement. Well done!
Tim H. 1986 4/4 VVTi Sport, 2002 LR Defender, 2022 Mini Cooper SE
If you drive less than 100 miles a day the charger infrastructure is unimportant as long as you can charge at home. There are a lot of good used EVs from, according to the Telegraph, from £5000 to £30,000
If your need for regular and reliable charging away from home of office is significant then although there are a raft of cars on the way the public charging networks are, still woeful, which in my view narrows the options to just one, Tesla. With Tesla you can charge at up to 300 miles range in 1 hour and no less than 150 miles in an hour, depending on the age of the charger.
Things like the 32A, 7kwh chargers in Tesco are no more than virtue signaling..50kwh is the absolute minimum. There are 15 charging points within 7 miles of my home, only 1 is more than 7kw, at 50kw and it is a pay and display car park, frequently blocked by non EV cars. The nearest fast charger is at Amesbury, where there are 16 x 250kw, Tesla chargers.
The Tesla is good for a range of 260 miles, for more than that we take the ICE car.
Peter, 66, 2016 Porsche Boxster S No longer driving Tarka, the 2014 Plus 8...
