Electric Conversion - Would You?
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Ewan
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Within a few years, nearly everyone on here will have an electric car. I really dont understand the negativity. By then the ranges of them will be better, the batteries smaller, the charge times faster, the infrastructure more advanced, etc. I really don’t see what some of you are so afraid of. The latest Audi is plain awesome - super fast, quite, smooth and luxurious. Other than making a loud noise, it does everything an equivalent petrol version does, just better.
Go and test drive a Porsche Taycan and surprise yourselves at how good they are.
But of course, keep a petrol car as well if you can, as I’m all for them as well. Even though my Strad is slow, uncomfortable, impractical and antisocially noisy (to the extent I suspect I can’t drive through Knightsbridge anymore), it is fun in a purely childish way.
Go and test drive a Porsche Taycan and surprise yourselves at how good they are.
But of course, keep a petrol car as well if you can, as I’m all for them as well. Even though my Strad is slow, uncomfortable, impractical and antisocially noisy (to the extent I suspect I can’t drive through Knightsbridge anymore), it is fun in a purely childish way.
Phil H
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I'm one of the naysayers Ewan; I don't hate EV's in the least and I'm not a luddite, I am just convinced that EV's are not sustainable on the scale required to have a serious impact on climate issues. IMHO they are fine as an interim solution but no more than that, and in any case they will remain unaffordable for the masses.
I'm sure that other technologies will eventually replace EV's, although the day will come when private vehicle ownership will be a thing of the past with only the wealthy able to indulge such pleasures. Mass transport systems will eventually provide arterial movement, with localised services expanded as necessary. By the time all that happens though, I will have long since departed this life, having had the pleasure of de-coking my first car back in the 70's and latterly working my way into a Maserati or two - and HS2 will be a distant memory for those who remain!
I'm sure that other technologies will eventually replace EV's, although the day will come when private vehicle ownership will be a thing of the past with only the wealthy able to indulge such pleasures. Mass transport systems will eventually provide arterial movement, with localised services expanded as necessary. By the time all that happens though, I will have long since departed this life, having had the pleasure of de-coking my first car back in the 70's and latterly working my way into a Maserati or two - and HS2 will be a distant memory for those who remain!
philw696
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For me pretty well my whole life has been involved with suck squeeze bang and blow and I love it with two wheels or four.
Probably a Dinosaur but reckon I can make it last my lifetime.
People forget where all the raw materials come from and a lot of exploitation of people in the process.
Having been hands on with them my whole work career and competed in Motorsport with bikes and cars my guilty pleasure is a cordless nut gun and drills.
A good debate that will keep going I'm sure.
Probably a Dinosaur but reckon I can make it last my lifetime.
People forget where all the raw materials come from and a lot of exploitation of people in the process.
Having been hands on with them my whole work career and competed in Motorsport with bikes and cars my guilty pleasure is a cordless nut gun and drills.
A good debate that will keep going I'm sure.
zagatoes30
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All of the above is highlighting that the EV big switch over has a number of flaws the biggest being the distribution network, be it multi car home charging, availability of public chargers and medium to long term battery life. There will be a lot of EVs stuck on the side of the road and recovery trucks will just carry quick charge units to get you home.
philw696
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Let's hope the Recovery Trucks are Diesel
Ewan
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The multi-car home charging worry is theoretical, not real, with the most popular EV cars (Tesla) already having ranges of over 300 miles. How many multi-car households have several drivers all of whom drive over 300 miles everyday and need to fully recharge from flat every night? None, I suspect. Charging once a week is more than enough for the average UK driver.
I see in the news that UK car production (where we make virtually no EV cars) has hit a 65 year low, while Tesla (building cars in the US, China and soon Germany) has made record sales and profits. And oil hit a 7 year high yesterday, at 90 Dollars a barrel. The writing is on the wall (as well as in the legislation), so we all might as well get used to it.
But my real point is that EV cars are actually really rather good (already), and will only get better (quickly). Yes, they are more expensive than their ICE equivalents, but that will change.
I see in the news that UK car production (where we make virtually no EV cars) has hit a 65 year low, while Tesla (building cars in the US, China and soon Germany) has made record sales and profits. And oil hit a 7 year high yesterday, at 90 Dollars a barrel. The writing is on the wall (as well as in the legislation), so we all might as well get used to it.
But my real point is that EV cars are actually really rather good (already), and will only get better (quickly). Yes, they are more expensive than their ICE equivalents, but that will change.
GeoffCapes
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The thing is, the average man in the street simply cannot afford a Tesla, with or without subsidies.
And will they buy a second hand EV with the fall in performance of existing batteries? Probably not as it will still be unaffordable for the 'average man in the street'.
Phil H
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Spot on Mr Capes!
zagatoes30
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The price point for high range cars like Teslas is well out of most peoples reach, the cheaper EVs seem to have useable ranges closer to 120 miles which would be more of a challenge to families using them daily. Also due to range anxiety most people will want to top up daily (just looked what happened when there were rumours of petrol shortages last year)
CatmanV2
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Although TBF the man on the street wasn't in the market for an early ICE either. Or indeed a second hand one. And probably wouldn't have been, even with subsidies.
Ford (and others) worked out how to make them much cheaper and lo....
C
safrane
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You have to remember of the cheaper EVs that you may also have to rent the battery on top of the cost of the car.
A Zoe costs you c£50pcm to rent the battery, or an average of £5k more used if its been bought, even when you purchase a second hand version - for many £5k is what they pay for a whole ICE car with the engine!
Renault drop this last year and included the battery, but it will take 3 or 4 years for those to trickle onto the used car market
No idea how other cheaper EVs stack up battery lease wise.
zagatoes30
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Can't beat the look of multi throat carbs
Oneball
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Works by burn/heating the coal to produce gas. Same as town gas. Can do it with wood too, which was very popular in Germany, France etc in WW2
stikey
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