OT: How the electric car revolution could backfire

[charles]

yes. partly because many of the dual carriageay sections get blocked by lorries. - one doing 49mph being overtaken by another doing 50mph.

[Brian Reay]

The Tesla salesman claimed longer but he was a salesman ;-)

The other issue is weight, the Tesla we were interested in weighed in at

3T or so, as much as my unladen motorhome.

We've also looked at the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, that has the attraction you'd not get struck for want of a charge point. It is also heavy compared to a similar 4x4.

Tesla were 'more than vague' re battery issues, including replacement, loss of capacity etc.

Their idea of stopping on a long drive for a 'top up' while having a coffee seemed unbelievably naive. Even with far more petrol stations than charge points and 'filling' taking a minute or to, you still need to wait at busy times. With limited charging points and EVs converging on them for longer charges, you could be waiting a long time.

No doubt Minister's cars will have access to special charge points ;-)

[Tim Streater]

The difficulty with hydrogen is always that of being able to transport enough of it.

[Huge]

[20 lines snipped]

I've already seen a queue of Teslas at London Gateway services ...

[tim...]

why what?

would they still buy them? because electric cars are too inconvenient for them

would they still buy them even if HMG tried to encourage them not to by slapping an extra tax on ICE cars - Um because electric cars are too inconvenient for them

so all those people running vintage cars would have to push them around

there's a ban on their manufacture and importation for normal domestic use. That's the point, without a blanket ban on sales, it didn't work

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[Capitol]

The A30 from Exeter westwards is superbly equipped with laybys. I don't know why we don't build other roads the same way.

[tim...]

it's always feasible for new builds, you just get fewer houses per unit area (or less garden per property)

Builders haven't taken garages and drives out of new build developments because buyers don't want them. They did it because it means you can get more properties on the plot

tim

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[Huge]

aka "elephant racing".

BTW, does anyone else think the general standard of driving on the A1 is less aggressive than that on the M1? I prefer to use the A1, when appropriate, because fewer people try and kill me.

[tim...]

the give away is that you went in one way and out the other within a few seconds/minutes

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[Capitol]

and you can no longer get the car into the garage because the car is too wide/tall!

[Graeme]

In message , Huge writes

Yes! I tend to avoid the M1 partly for that reason, and partly because Lynn Bowles *always* mentions M1, M25 and M6.

[tim...]

laptop batteries are better than that now

[Robin]

One answer is to make it on the spot.

It's what they do at some of the sites for hybrid buses. Centralised production is cheaper. But there are obvious savings on distribution costs. And because the hydrogen is stored locally, the grid only needs to meet the average demand, not peak levels. Add on more storage and the average can be over more than a day or week so it's easier to use a mix of "baseload" and variable sources.

I suspect though the regulations won't allow DIY production in a basement.

[tim...]

I have scrapped previous cars because running repairs became more than the

2nd hand value of the car (which is sub 1000 for most 12+ year old cars)

in one case the failure of a couple of electrical items, one of which an MOT failure, the other not

and the second a failed wheel bearing and brake cylinder (different wheel).

both cars had done barely 100K

I don't believe that component manufacture has improved to stop this happening.

tim

[tim...]

and how many people pay that?

And how many of them are not in an income category for which being seen to run around in a knackered car would be a series dent in their credibility?

tim

[tim...]

how do they "stick it in the boot"?

surely it is too heavy for you to lift in yourself when you need it?

and if it always there, there is no benefit

tim

[tim...]

and WTF does that mean?

Oh it's Harry!

tim

[tim...]

Oops

dennis

[tim...]

ITYF that Gove has.

He has pushed the can down the road far enough for the real implementation to be someone else's problem, after he has left politics.

Some time around 2030, I expect HMG to admit that this target is unachievable and change it.

The 2040 date is based upon the assumption that battery technology will, by about 2025, make BEVs the same cost to buy (and range) as ICEs and that 50% of sales will then be BEVs without any help from government.

But then that will flat-line unless HMG solve the problem of recharging for the 40% who can't recharge at home.

That will involve HMG in spending money.

Money that HMG very possibly wont have.

And then there is the distinct possibility that battery technology wont have evolved enough by 2025, something I am skeptical about as well.

tim

[tim...]

is there a vastly reduced number of petrol pumps?

there might be a vastly reduced number of petrol stations

but that will be because the small 4 pump stations have closed because they can't compete with the Supermarket's 12 pump stations

tim