EV (electric vehicle) News and Discussion

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › EV (electric vehicle) News and Discussion

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Awrrr
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#2051113 7-Jul-2018 14:57

Just reporting what I read. It was in a NZ automotive magazine. Sorry I don't recall which one. I was leafing through it at my mechanic's.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

MikeAqua

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#2051132 7-Jul-2018 15:57

Rikkitic:
I just read that EVs have a horrible ride because the tyres are kept rock-hard to extend the range. Don't know how true this is.

Priuses have shocking ride and handling, but they are hybrids. I drove a Hyundai Ionic and they ride and handle poorly, even by Hyundai's standards.

Mike

tripper1000

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#2051962 9-Jul-2018 13:37

More media fud.

It's a drivers choice/decision. Hyper-milers run high tyre pressure for economy, but sane people don't. EV's use the same tyres as ICE and just as with an ICE you can deviate from the OEM recommendations.

tripper1000

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#2052009 9-Jul-2018 13:52

MikeAqua:
Priuses have shocking ride and handling, but they are hybrids. I drove a Hyundai Ionic and they ride and handle poorly, even by Hyundai's standards.

Gen1/2 Leaf isn't too bad - the extra weight of the batteries help smooth the ride, lower the CofG & even out the front/rear weight balance, so they sit really flat in tight turns. Cornering seems to be good. Power out of corners is great. Haven't found the limit yet - hoping it isn't too sudden/snappy with more weight in the back.

On the down side the rear end doesn't appear to be independent & on odd occasions when the road undulations are just wrong/right they seem to get an annoying nodding motion going on. Considering that they have a body taken from a budget petrol hatchback the handling isn't too bad.

wellygary

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#2052020 9-Jul-2018 14:01

Linuxluver:
kingdragonfly: There's also "pork-barrel" politics tied to many US military manufacturers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pork_barrel

This getting off-topic, but it's a problem here also.

New Zealand Taxpayers' Union

"A $10 million loan from taxpayers to build a gondola -- this is pork barrel politics typical of Shane Jones' Provincial Growth Fund.

Ruapehu Alpine Lifts owns both major ski-fields in the North Island and enjoys tax free status. A ski-field owning monopoly that doesn’t pay tax is the last organisation that deserves taxpayer subsidies."

I saw the word "loan" there.

The ski field tax treatment is at least partially defensible on tourism grounds. Weren't they originally state owned until they were privatised? That would be the underlying problem if it was the case. Selling them converted a public good into a private asset. That's usually dumb in the long run.

RAL is a non-profit trust, just the same as Scouts, Outward bound or the local rugby club, it was never govt owned

It was set up by members of the Ruapehu Ski Club in the 1920s to promote skiing in the North Island.

Any profits it makes can only be put back in to the development of its own business, it has no ability to pay dividends to anyone....

MikeAqua

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#2052086 9-Jul-2018 15:41

tripper1000:

Gen1/2 Leaf isn't too bad - the extra weight of the batteries help smooth the ride, lower the CofG & even out the front/rear weight balance, so they sit really flat in tight turns. Cornering seems to be good. Power out of corners is great. Haven't found the limit yet - hoping it isn't too sudden/snappy with more weight in the back.

On the down side the rear end doesn't appear to be independent & on odd occasions when the road undulations are just wrong/right they seem to get an annoying nodding motion going on. Considering that they have a body taken from a budget petrol hatchback the handling isn't too bad.

My flat bed 2WD ute used to handle really well with a heavy load, to a point and then ...

With all that mass (1,500kg) in a small wheelbase you would want plenty of rubber IMO.

For comparison a Mazda 3 SP25 is 1,300kg and has 215/R18 tyres.

Mike

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ANglEAUT

altered-ego
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#2052157 9-Jul-2018 18:36

paulchinnz: Some truth in it, but probably only makes a noticeable difference to extreme hypermilers.

The sticker in my door says to use 36PSI while other cars mostly use 32PSI. It certainly doesn't feel hard to me at all.

Please keep this GZ community vibrant by contributing in a constructive & respectful manner.

paulchinnz

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#2052185 9-Jul-2018 19:15

I have mine at 36 PSI too and don't really notice it being 'hard', albeit I'm not a connoisseur.

When Rikkitic stated rock hard tyres, I interpreted that as ~44 PSI.

tripper1000

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#2052550 10-Jul-2018 11:54

On 16" wheels I did try running 44psi for a week, but it caused more noise/vibration within the car - not much difference to bumps, but a more transmission of higher frequency vibration into the body. Caused a bunch of new rattles and noises in the car, and I was uncomfortable that it could be compromising handling & braking performance, so dropped it back to the proper 36 psi.

frednz

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#2052603 10-Jul-2018 13:03

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/07/08/142382/roadblocks-for-government-fleets-electric-shift?preview=1#

From the above:

A briefing prepared by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority for Energy Minister Megan Woods illustrates how difficult it will be to meet the Government’s 2025 commitment.

Government organisations are reluctant to commit to electric vehicles (EVs) for one main reason - the high price of the cars and charging infrastructure.

“Even with cheaper running costs, the investment is presently hard to justify for most EVs in the market.”

Well, if the Government can't justify buying EVs because of their prohibitively high cost, how can individuals justify this?

For example, the new Hyundai Kona 64 kWh, when it goes on sale here, is expected to cost at least $70,000 and dealers' are apparently taking deposits for new Konas based on a price of $79,999. The petrol Kona costs around $40,000, so you can see the premium that we have to pay for the privilege of driving an EV with a range of 400 km.

Looks like Government subsidies on EVs are an urgent priority!

MikeAqua

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#2052625 10-Jul-2018 13:26

frednz:

Well, if the Government can't justify buying EVs because of their prohibitively high cost, how can individuals justify this?

For example, the new Hyundai Kona 64 kWh, when it goes on sale here, is expected to cost at least $70,000 and dealers' are apparently taking deposits for new Konas based on a price of $79,999. The petrol Kona costs around $40,000, so you can see the premium that we have to pay for the privilege of driving an EV with a range of 400 km.

Looks like Government subsidies on EVs are an urgent priority!

Govt subsidies won't help govt.

In time EV technology should get cheaper and better.

Early adopter of most technologies face a cost premium. This is what is happening with EVs.

Mike

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wellygary

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#2052626 10-Jul-2018 13:27

frednz:

Well, if the Government can't justify buying EVs because of their prohibitively high cost, how can individuals justify this?

Looks like Government subsidies on EVs are an urgent priority!

The only problem is that the subsidies are never enough to make EVs "cheap"

All that happens is that the middle and upper class get a "less expensive" new car, paid for by everyone, including families in Auckland who are looking to buy an imported people mover and finding there is no real EV option....

GV27

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#2053053 11-Jul-2018 06:46

Does someone who can afford a Tesla need a government subsidy?

tripper1000

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#2053071 11-Jul-2018 08:10

Overseas, (such as the UK) the subsidies are tiered to favour everyday cars over luxury cars.

The price will come down as battery prices drop. At the moment the 'savings' from battery price drops are going towards bigger batteries, so the ticket prices are staying more or less the same but performance is leaping up. Once the performance meets the publics expectations, prices will drop. There is no reason why EV's won't ultimately be cheaper than ICE, and they will sell them selves.

kingdragonfly

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#2055232 12-Jul-2018 17:54

Not sure how I feel about this...

https://money.cnn.com/2018/07/10/investing/china-germany-cars-tech/index.html

"German automakers know the future of their industry is electric, autonomous and in China."

"Top German carmakers including BMW (BMWYY) and Volkswagen (VLKAY) have inked a series of deals this week to continue developing electric and self-driving cars in China.

The flurry of commitments coincides with a trip to Berlin by Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, but it also reflects a growing recognition that China holds the key to the auto industry's future.

Factories in China produced about 25 million passenger cars last year, according to the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers. China is already the top market for many global car brands, and its drivers purchase more electric vehicles than any other country.

BMW and Volkswagen have announced a total of six new deals this week alone."

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