Why Electric Vehicle and Why Tesla

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#3252143 23-Jun-2024 17:30

@Technofreak, what's your personal experience been with EVs? Have you spent much/any decent time driving one?

If not, maybe you should. You'll gain a better understanding of what people are trying to explain here.

You don't have to like them, but at least give them a decent go.

Pretty much every EV driver has driven a standard vehicle, so they've got the best experience to form opinions regarding pros & cons for each vehicle type. On the other hand, a lot of non-EV drivers have never even sat in an EV, so their opinions are formed from what they've heard/seen from the internet or friends/colleagues etc, and some of those opinions are very strong for somthing they've had zero experience with.

Mehrts

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#3252145 23-Jun-2024 17:36

jonathan18: I also notice ICE cars travel at such erratic speeds over Transmission Gully - they'll speed up and overtake on the down sections but struggle to maintain their speed on the up...

@jonathan18 Yep, I've noticed that too.

I always maintain a set speed with cruise/AP and I'll be passing a lot of vehicles on the way up hills, but come to the downhill sections and I'll be left in their dust. It's like they're trying to prove that their car is actually faster than yours. Like good job buddy, you can exceed the speed limit while going downhill...

🙄🥴

Technofreak

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#3252261 23-Jun-2024 20:51

Mehrts:

@Technofreak, what's your personal experience been with EVs? Have you spent much/any decent time driving one?

If not, maybe you should. You'll gain a better understanding of what people are trying to explain here.

You don't have to like them, but at least give them a decent go.

Pretty much every EV driver has driven a standard vehicle, so they've got the best experience to form opinions regarding pros & cons for each vehicle type. On the other hand, a lot of non-EV drivers have never even sat in an EV, so their opinions are formed from what they've heard/seen from the internet or friends/colleagues etc, and some of those opinions are very strong for somthing they've had zero experience with.

We're getting off on a bit of a tangent here.

I was responding to this statement. "They (EVs) are far nicer to drive day to day than an ICE car. That's the starting point"

I have driven EV's admittedly not huge distances but have driven them on the open road and around town. In my experience they are not necessarily far nicer to drive. I didn't say I didn't like them, they were perfectly acceptable vehicles, in my opinion they just weren't far nicer than my ICE. EV's due to their more modern heritage will be better than many ICE vehicles, but not necessarily far nicer than any ICE vehicle.

I also said the statement I was referring to was subjective. Basically what one person thinks makes a car better or nicer may not be what another places any value on. In the same context what I have to say on the matter is also subjective.

I don't know why some posters cannot accept another subjective alternative point of view but instead get all uptight because someone dares to "rock the boat".

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Technofreak

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#3252264 23-Jun-2024 21:03

Mehrts:

jonathan18: I also notice ICE cars travel at such erratic speeds over Transmission Gully - they'll speed up and overtake on the down sections but struggle to maintain their speed on the up...

@jonathan18 Yep, I've noticed that too.

I always maintain a set speed with cruise/AP and I'll be passing a lot of vehicles on the way up hills, but come to the downhill sections and I'll be left in their dust. It's like they're trying to prove that their car is actually faster than yours. Like good job buddy, you can exceed the speed limit while going downhill...

🙄🥴

I think it's more a factor of the ICE engine size / power output.

I notice the same thing when driving my ICE cars, getting left in the dust on the downhill sections. Both ~ 3.5 litre sixes. They have no problem on the hills and are easy to drive at a constant speed, with or without cruise control activated. However when I get to drive a smaller engined car I find it's much harder to maintain a constant speed. Much larger throttle movements are required.

Also a lot of automatics don't have a lot of engine braking so will tend to run away on the downhill sections unless the drivers uses their brakes.

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morrisk

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#3252300 24-Jun-2024 07:31

The title of this thread is "Why electric vehicle and why Tesla"

The answer to why electric vehicle is clear - to reduce the burning of fossil fuels in the hope of reducing the impact of climate change that we are now seeing everyday around the world.

A Tesla EV is one of the many EV options available but there are many others and the answer to "why Tesla " will depend on what you are looking for in an EV.

MikeFly

148 posts

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#3252307 24-Jun-2024 08:06

morrisk:

The answer to why electric vehicle is clear - to reduce the burning of fossil fuels in the hope of reducing the impact of climate change that we are now seeing everyday around the world.

I didn't buy the Tesla to save the planet.

One thing I would add about would I buy Tesla again, only if they have V2H capability, otherwise I am buying something else.

johno1234

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#3252330 24-Jun-2024 09:30

Do any have V2H specifically, as opposed to V2L?

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MikeFly

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#3252334 24-Jun-2024 09:43

According to Google, currently only Nissan Leaf, the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

Tesla Cybertruck has it (although I wouldn't buy one of those) so possibly more Tesla EVs will come out with it in future.

We won't be replacing the Tesla for a few years so plenty of time for that to happen as far as I am concerned.

BlakJak

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#3252385 24-Jun-2024 11:34

Dingbatt:

Underclass:

Dingbatt:

What’s the company policy for charging portable devices in the office?

Electric bikes and scooters are a no no

I was thinking more about phones, tablets and laptops….. All of which have been known to burst into flames.

The energy stored in a phone or tablet pales in comparison to larger devices. As such the danger associated with any potential fire is substantially different.

Commercial sprinklers or even a hand extinguisher will readily contain any event involving a phone/tablet/laptop. Not so a larger vehicle. Possibly not even an eScooter.

And why would an employer willingly take on the running costs of an EV?

Not a great argument.

No signature to see here, move along...

Obraik

2123 posts

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#3252387 24-Jun-2024 11:38

BlakJak:

The energy stored in a phone or tablet pales in comparison to larger devices. As such the danger associated with any potential fire is substantially different.

Commercial sprinklers or even a hand extinguisher will readily contain any event involving a phone/tablet/laptop. Not so a larger vehicle. Possibly not even an eScooter.

And why would an employer willingly take on the running costs of an EV?

Not a great argument.

Assuming someone is around to catch those fires and get them with an extinguisher.

The point is, an EV is less likely to burst into flames while parked than an ICE vehicle. Silly policies involving how far they have to be parked from a building, etc are just kneejerk reactions to BS headlines.

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BlakJak

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#3252389 24-Jun-2024 11:39

Technofreak:

Mehrts:

jonathan18: I also notice ICE cars travel at such erratic speeds over Transmission Gully - they'll speed up and overtake on the down sections but struggle to maintain their speed on the up...

@jonathan18 Yep, I've noticed that too.

I always maintain a set speed with cruise/AP and I'll be passing a lot of vehicles on the way up hills, but come to the downhill sections and I'll be left in their dust. It's like they're trying to prove that their car is actually faster than yours. Like good job buddy, you can exceed the speed limit while going downhill...

🙄🥴

I think it's more a factor of the ICE engine size / power output.

I notice the same thing when driving my ICE cars, getting left in the dust on the downhill sections. Both ~ 3.5 litre sixes. They have no problem on the hills and are easy to drive at a constant speed, with or without cruise control activated. However when I get to drive a smaller engined car I find it's much harder to maintain a constant speed. Much larger throttle movements are required.

Also a lot of automatics don't have a lot of engine braking so will tend to run away on the downhill sections unless the drivers uses their brakes.

Drivers who don't know how to use their gearboxes (manual or automatic)...

I drive Ngauranga Gorge a LOT and have never had a problem selecting an appropriate speed and gear to manage a constant speed uphill and I often marvel at other motorists who can't do it.
But it's not something that's taught when people learn to drive. The point-and-click nature of EV's simplifies things.

(I drive a Hybrid now and it's not as easy because no manual gear selection or overdrive on the CVT... but it's not impossible if you can find where to rest your foot.)

Downhill on the gorge my regen braking is overtaken and so some judicious application of real brakes is still required to avoid busting the speed limit by too much.

TG is much the same, just longer.

No signature to see here, move along...

BlakJak

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#3252393 24-Jun-2024 11:45

Obraik:

BlakJak:

The energy stored in a phone or tablet pales in comparison to larger devices. As such the danger associated with any potential fire is substantially different.

Commercial sprinklers or even a hand extinguisher will readily contain any event involving a phone/tablet/laptop. Not so a larger vehicle. Possibly not even an eScooter.

And why would an employer willingly take on the running costs of an EV?

Not a great argument.

Assuming someone is around to catch those fires and get them with an extinguisher.

The point is, an EV is less likely to burst into flames while parked than an ICE vehicle. Silly policies involving how far they have to be parked from a building, etc are just kneejerk reactions to BS headlines.

If your EV lives on the charger when at home, that's different to an ICE which is 100% inert when at home.

I'm sure if the EV is also inert - not being charged - then the risk is as low, if not lower.

Most of the stats I can find quickly reflect on collisions or other events with loads of other circumstances in play.

Other reading: https://premium.goauto.com.au/insurers-still-assessing-ev-fire-risks/

Also, this has been thrashed previously and probably is not worth going over again, except that I agree with you - insurers and their knee-jerk aversion to risk are probably influencing this too much.

No signature to see here, move along...

Obraik

2123 posts

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#3252403 24-Jun-2024 11:56

BlakJak:

If your EV lives on the charger when at home, that's different to an ICE which is 100% inert when at home.

I'm sure if the EV is also inert - not being charged - then the risk is as low, if not lower.

Most of the stats I can find quickly reflect on collisions or other events with loads of other circumstances in play.

Other reading: https://premium.goauto.com.au/insurers-still-assessing-ev-fire-risks/

Also, this has been thrashed previously and probably is not worth going over again, except that I agree with you - insurers and their knee-jerk aversion to risk are probably influencing this too much.

A lot of ICE fires (and subsequent recalls) are due to fuel lines leaking on hot parts after being parked, or just not being properly protected from those hot parts and eventually melting.

I'm not convinced this is an insurance policy, considering I have yet to hear people be told by their insurance company that they can't park their EV in the garage at home. So far, the only stories I've heard (including in this thread) are grape-vine rumours.

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robjg63

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#3252421 24-Jun-2024 12:22

This fires in EVs 'conversation' (and I am using the term loosely) is BS (are we starting to get FUD bots on GZ?) and not what the thread was about.

"Why Electric Vehicle and why Tesla?" - one part of my reasoning for Tesla was the Model Y was the largest selling vehicle in the world last year.

Apart from regional variations from battery suppliers and having the steering wheel on the other side that's pretty much the same car everywhere.

Hopefully a lot of cars means things like after market parts and even Tesla parts are as plentiful enough.

Possibly in the future, maybe even someone like a third party company might produce some kind of replacement battery pack at reasonable prices. I dont think it would ever normally be necessary because the existing evidence suggests the batteries will last he lifetime of the car. But imagine if battery tech changed so much in the next couple of years that you could fit a 1000km battery pack that was half the size/weight and a tenth of the cost. There are potentially enough Teslas to make that a worthwhile business excercise.

Also - I forgot - this was a selling point - Safest car of the year.

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RUKI

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#3253951 27-Jun-2024 21:13

Recent frastration from our friend who's got their Tesla damaged. Wheel smashed, car can only be towed on a flatbed tow truck.
Insurance doesn't pay - waiting for assessment conducted by Tesla and Tesla only (!?). Owner called Tesla. Tesla NZ said: expert evaluation of the damage will be done via photo. Long wait, many calls, shift of decision from Tesla - bring the car to the office. Car arrived on a flatbed tow truck - Tesla said - NO, take it back, evaluation cannot be done by the office, as one and only "expert" is Australia based and they are terribly busy and will do evaluation by photo (LOL) - just have to wait.
Opinion: suggestion of doing evaluation by photo is unprofessional IMO.
Observation: Today at Silvia part, Auckland. As you may know charge current on all free chargers over there is now 6A only instead of 16A. Heaps of Teslas charging. I guess they still would, even if charge current will be reduced to 1A. Old saying: "winegar tastes sweet when free".

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