Another thing about electric cars

[alan_m]

I once had a Citroen ZX and it was always cheaper to buy the parts for a Peugeot which shared the same engine and running gear items.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Dave Plowman (News) presented the following explanation :

They were a gradual development, over 120 years and ICE became more widespread and greater distances were covered. For electric vehicles we expect and need high capacity charging to be available now.

It would not be such a problem if the charging were instant, like fillingup with diesel, but imagine a garage choked up with cars sat there for many hours, recharging, whilst a long queue builds up outside all waiting to recharge.

[alan_m]

Yep, he is really selling the benefits of an electric car.

[alan_m]

But isn't that part of Boris's new green jobs economy?

[Theo]

If you have a small petrol car and do that, you end up doing much the same. eg a fuel tank that's 6 gallons full to 'empty'. At say 40mpg that's

240 miles per tank, and if you start looking for fillups at halfway you're doing it every 120 miles.

I often end up setting the satnav to take me to a Asda/Tesco/Sainsbury/Morrisons with filling station that's close to my route and at the right distance for when I'd need to fill up (rather than paying motorway services ripoff prices or driving around haphazardly looking for stations). Even better if they have a cafe that's open. Cheap fuel, toilets, reasonably priced food, the full supermarket offering if I want something different, and possibly a more interesting town location.

That's not that different to what you'd do in an EV. Satnavs handle it just fine.

Theo

[alan_m]

I've never owned a car that has done less than 300+ miles per tank of petrol. Even when the empty light comes on there is usually another 50 miles in the tank. My current car will do 400+ miles on a tank (without registering empty) at motorway speeds (plus a bit).

[williamwright]

Without wishing to appear smug, because of the family traditions of (a) not spending money if it can possibly be avoided and (b) using motorhomes and vans, I never go into a motorway café except to use the lavatory (and I only do that to stretch my legs and save filling my own bog.) Even in the work van I have a gas hob and everything necessary to make a decent snack and hot drink.

I don't stop for fuel on the motorway if I can help it because the prices are too high.

Bill

[The Natural Philosopher]

Born in Islington married to a 'person of colour'. I mean. Really. What DO you expect?

[charles]

Going back a great many years, the same Lucas starter motor was used in the Mini and the Anglia. it was much cheaper to buy a from a Ford dealer.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Fredxx submitted this idea :

The diesel heater in my car will run quite happily on red or white diesel, as will the engine. There is absolutely no difference between the two, other than the colour and the duty charged.

[Jethro_uk]

And until and unless houses are guaranteed the parking space outside their door, I suspect it will remain so.

[Dave Plowman (News]

I think that may be over estimated. All the houses here already have an 80 amp supply. No restrictions via the main feeders on how much you use of that in practice. And peak demand - cooking etc - is likely to be at the same sort of times. So charging a car overnight may well not overload the feeders. It's not as if everyone will need to charge every car from empty to full every single day.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Your nearest filling station is always half a tank away? You really must live in the sticks. ;-)

[Dave Plowman (News]

Remind us of how many 'greenies' are in power?

Perhaps you need your memory jogged. We have a Tory government with a large majority.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Just where does your car live at night?

There is no doubt some way will be needed to replace lost revenue from fossil fuel taxes.

Err, why would there be a trip hazard if there was a charging point on the edge of the kerb outside your house? Do you trip over trees and lampposts, etc?

[Dave Plowman (News]

You need to find the handbook for the radio. Most can receive more than one station. I know it's tricky, but just persevere.

[Dave Plowman (News]

I'd say you need to look for a better solution. ;-)

[charles]

I was thinking of the infra-structure needed for supplies at the edge of the road for those who park there.

[NY]

Exactly: it needs a dramatic change in lifestyle to make sure that the car is always fully charged when you set off from home in the morning or from work in the evening (places where you can leave the car to charge for many hours), in case you need to make a detour that lengthens your normal journey. And it will put paid to journeys of more than the range of the car because the refuelling time is so much longer than for a petrol/diesel car. And there is always the worry that the place where you plan to charge the car has no spaces left or has a power cut / equipment failure, leaving you stranded.

[Jethro_uk]

Plus the shift in underlying highway legislation about rights to park on the highway. That is removing them from non electric cars.