EV (electric vehicle) News and Discussion

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#2089453 12-Sep-2018 18:22

kingdragonfly: I don't see the connection either.

Car seats and steering wheels engineering is rather difficult, due to various regulations and testing.

I was curious and looked them up. They do seats, but they also do automotive electrical systems and are expanding their high-power electric drivetrain product line. So from that perspective it makes sense. On the other hand as far as I can tell they are headquartered in the US, not the UK. Still, either way, more & better EVs is better for everyone.

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#2089471 12-Sep-2018 18:53

Good write-up in Forbes

https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2013/11/22/evhevs-growth-bodes-well-for-lear-corporation/#102bbad571e8

"Lear Corporation manufactures and distributes automotive interior systems. It operates as the global leader in the seating segment and is one of the only four worldwide suppliers in the electrical power management system with total systems capability in both the traditional and high-power electrical distribution systems segment. This segment include wire harness, terminals and connectors, junction boxes and wireless remote control devices.

While the EPMS division contributed only 25% to the company’s top-line in 2012, it constitutes almost 45% of the company’s valuation, according to our estimate. A key trend supporting this estimate is the growing demand for electric and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).

Potential To Grow The Electrical Content Per Vehicle

In recent times, the focus on adding more electronically controlled functions on a vehicle has increased, which calls for improving the functionality of the vehicle’s electrical architecture. Fueled by the growing popularity of EV/HEVs, the electrical content per vehicle is rising. Compared to the traditional powertrain vehicles, these vehicles have the potential to more than double the electrical content per unit. Therefore, as the proportion of EV/HEVs within the overall vehicle sales increases, there is an opportunity for Lear to grow the electrical content per vehicle.
..."

kingdragonfly

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#2090886 14-Sep-2018 20:07

Youtube: very short video of Jag's driverless car with moving eyeballs

Clawhammer

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#2090907 14-Sep-2018 21:06

kingdragonfly: Good write-up in Forbes

https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2013/11/22/evhevs-growth-bodes-well-for-lear-corporation/#102bbad571e8

"Lear Corporation manufactures and distributes automotive interior systems. It operates as the global leader in the seating segment and is one of the only four worldwide suppliers in the electrical power management system with total systems capability in both the traditional and high-power electrical distribution systems segment. This segment include wire harness, terminals and connectors, junction boxes and wireless remote control devices.

While the EPMS division contributed only 25% to the company’s top-line in 2012, it constitutes almost 45% of the company’s valuation, according to our estimate. A key trend supporting this estimate is the growing demand for electric and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).

Potential To Grow The Electrical Content Per Vehicle

In recent times, the focus on adding more electronically controlled functions on a vehicle has increased, which calls for improving the functionality of the vehicle’s electrical architecture. Fueled by the growing popularity of EV/HEVs, the electrical content per vehicle is rising. Compared to the traditional powertrain vehicles, these vehicles have the potential to more than double the electrical content per unit. Therefore, as the proportion of EV/HEVs within the overall vehicle sales increases, there is an opportunity for Lear to grow the electrical content per vehicle.
..."

This seems to promote the idea that putting more electronics in a car is good. By all means call me a Luddite if you wish but to me electronics in cars means:-
Additional cost for facilities we never knew we couldn't live without
More little black boxes which can go wrong and when they do we have a choice of paying whatever it costs to diagnose the fault and replace whatever sized "assembly" the manufacturer wishes to sell us or leave the dead car in the drive as an ornament.
More opportunity for someone to access ( hack ) into important systems and play around with them. Probably not a problem at the moment but there are a lot of be devious ba..........s out there who would think it great fun.

Simple is beautiful....... And much easier to work on if it goes wrong.

kingdragonfly

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#2090944 15-Sep-2018 06:34

I just heard a story about a little old lady and her Morris Minor.

She complained that it smoked badly, and ran rough.

She took it into the shop and the mechanic tuned it up, and she picked it up.

After a few days, she returned saying it still smoked badly and ran rough.

The mechanic puzzled asked her to take him on a ride.

She pulled her choke knob, and hung her purse on it.

Wherever she drove, she kept her purse on the extended choke cable.

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#2090945 15-Sep-2018 07:17

When I was last in the U.K. I bought a Ford Mondeo turbo diesel. One day it started to smoke and run rough so into the garage. Plug the laptop into the OBD socket to fing it had lost all of the injector calibration settings. Had to pull all of the injectors out to get their calibrations then to the Ford dealer, who was the only one with the software to re-enter them and get it running. Also had the software updated to the latest version.

Two months later the same happened again. Sold it very soon after that.

Progress. !!!!!!!!!!,

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#2091190 15-Sep-2018 18:25

So it looks like the truth might be about to escape, something else to consider before you buy that EV

From One News article

A four year study on energy usage in New Zealand households warns current trends will not be sustainable when the country makes the complete switch to renewable energy.

The NZ Green Grid project investigated the energy usage of 45 North Island properties, and isolated the energy use down to what appliances were using the electricity.

The study found increased heatpump use over winter and the increase use of electric vehicles could use more energy than what is presently possible from renewable sources.

It also found the average house had between two and three appliances for refrigeration.

Energy Research Centre co-director Michael Jack said the infrastructure and market structures needed to change.

"Wind is variable. It's only generating when the wind blows.

"Solar is generating during the middle of the day, when there's less demand for it.

"What you need to do is either shift your demand to those time when the renewables are being produced or somehow store those renewables for use at later times," he said.

Dr Jack said one possible option was using heatpumps that were set on a thermostat, where temperatures could be lowered during certain hours of the day.

He said if changes were not made, the switch to completely renewable energy would be a costly.

rnz.co.nz

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#2091196 15-Sep-2018 18:29

Clawhammer: When I was last in the U.K. I bought a Ford Mondeo turbo diesel. One day it started to smoke and run rough so into the garage. Plug the laptop into the OBD socket to fing it had lost all of the injector calibration settings. Had to pull all of the injectors out to get their calibrations then to the Ford dealer, who was the only one with the software to re-enter them and get it running. Also had the software updated to the latest version.

Two months later the same happened again. Sold it very soon after that.

Progress. !!!!!!!!!!,

My own stupid fault, should have bought a Morris Minor, I can still remember what the choke is for and I don't have a handbag anyway.

kingdragonfly

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#2091456 16-Sep-2018 14:30

What Really Happens To Old Electric Car Batteries?

The bad: some individuals throw away old Lithium small batteries incorrectly, from phones, laptops and power tools, even when companies will take them off their hands for free

The good: obviously a several hundred KG car battery pack can not be casually thrown away. A number of countries make the manufacturer responsible for disposal. At the very least, almost worldwide there there are laws against dumping batteries. Besides there's money to be made in those old batteries.

Linuxluver

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#2091466 16-Sep-2018 15:01

Clawhammer:

So it looks like the truth might be about to escape, something else to consider before you buy that EV

I'll have solar on my roof and a couple of big batteries in the garage.

This will be common.

People determined to be negative will see bad things. That's just how it is.

I prefer to see solutions. There are solutions.

With battery costs rapidly falling, having grid-scale batteries to capture renewable energy for use later will be more economic.....and if we actually put a cost on emissions....it will be even more "economic". There are many forms of battery.....including gravity. Push or pump something uphill and let it fall down later, making power.

We can't afford to be stupid for much longer......climate change is accelerating.

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Linuxluver

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#2091468 16-Sep-2018 15:08

MikeAqua:

Clawhammer:

Yes, shutting that smelter down would release a lot of generation but would be a massive hit to our export figures. Also, this is generation in the South Island, most of the consumption is in the north island and the H.V. D.C . Link doesn't have an infinite capacity.

It would also presumably reduce our bauxite imports by a corresponding amount. So the net impact on balance of trade may not be that severe. It would be a socio-economic disaster for Southland though.

Really?

There are about 800 full time staff at Tiwai Point. That is a fair number of people.

Past governments destroyed *many* more jobs than that with the flick of a pen by removing tariffs. Granted, not everyone can then just open a cafe to make a living.....

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Linuxluver

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#2091470 16-Sep-2018 15:15

MikeAqua:

SaltyNZ:

Pretty much my point too, and also recognising that that in itself doesn't completely solve the issue because the power has to be moved.

Very important point. Northern drift and urban drift are increasing the distance between generation and consumption.

There would be a logical case for establishing more generation in the upper half of the N Island.

Or increasing incentives for businesses to (re)locate in the South Island where energy is 100% renewable, 24/7.

Anyone from the lower NI should be reasonably happy to go to the Nelson area....as the weather is better, too.

Or we lay more cable across the Strait. This probably cheapest in the long run.

But I'm looking toward more home and business local generation and storage. That reduces the grid load. A million homes making 5kw on a sunny day and storing 25kWh in much cheaper batteries......would move 2.5gWh of power stored to meet demand at the evening peak period....and also add more for use during the day.

This isn't hard. But were' constrained by out-moded business and market models.

Every disaster / flood / quake tells us we shuld have power made in every home to increase resilience in the event of bad things.......and we still don't do it because we're hung up on who has to pay for it.....yet we ALL have to pay for it one way or another when the disaster happens....and people go for days or weeks or even months without water or - particularly - power.......

This is just dumb.

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GV27

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#2091499 16-Sep-2018 16:14

Payback periods on solar are about twenty years. It just doesn't add up at the moment. Better to wait for the price to drop world-wide than spend a heap of our limited cashpayer funds on feel-good tech that will only get cheaper/better over time.

kingdragonfly

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#2091613 16-Sep-2018 18:17

For all you speed demons, more interested in fun than the environment tomorrow, electric vehicles are the best.

In the States, I have to chance to driven lot of classic cars, including a 1967 Corvette Mako Shark, 1968 GTO Judge.and Porsche 911 Carrera.

But I've never experienced head snapping acceleration that an EV gives.

I just rented a Jaguar i-Pace in Los Angeles for a day, and ye ol' gearhead Gods, it's fun.

Even the most boring looking EV ever, the Chevrolet Bolt EV, is no slouch off the line.

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#2091644 16-Sep-2018 19:05

kingdragonfly:

I just rented a Jaguar i-Pace in Los Angeles for a day, and ye ol' gearhead Gods, it's fun.

If you want speed, the Tesla Model S P100D is the one you want, will outrun most anything that is road legal, and a lot that isn´t.

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