EV (electric vehicle) News and Discussion

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#1648547 10-Oct-2016 14:19

MikeB4: An EV for us would be a second or third vehicle, if we lived in say Christchurch then it could be a primary vehicle. Unfortunately in Wellington in order to leave our fabulous city one has to climb hills and that hurts range considerably today. In a few years it is not going to be an issue.

]

We are the same. An EV would work as the kids' little vehicle (3rd vehicle), but that only cost $7k so ...

There is no EV available in NZ that could do what I ask the Pajero to do. The Mazda 3 I just like. If I could get equal or better performance (range, handling, acceleration & deceleration), aesthetics and comfort at a similar same price I would swap it for an EV.

Mike

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#1648552 10-Oct-2016 14:29

Linuxluver:

The fast charger going in at Otaki would address than in the next few weeks. There is already one in Featherston. :-)

Are these genuinely single chargers? Or single stations each with multiple chargers - like conventional service station.

If they really are single chargers, what happens if you need to charge but the single charger in e.g. Featherston is occupied by someone charging while they have lunch? Can you book in advance for particular time slot?

Mike

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#1648555 10-Oct-2016 14:42

MikeAqua:

Linuxluver:

The fast charger going in at Otaki would address than in the next few weeks. There is already one in Featherston. :-)

Are these genuinely single chargers? Or single stations each with multiple chargers - like conventional service station.

If they really are single chargers, what happens if you need to charge but the single charger in e.g. Featherston is occupied by someone charging while they have lunch? Can you book in advance for particular time slot?

Or, even worse, they have been vandalised or are just out of order...

Linuxluver

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#1648574 10-Oct-2016 15:19

RUKI:

Linuxluver:

....

EVs can be strategic power storage grid components

Another element that will be of strategic value is the potential to use an EV as a defacto powerwall for a home. This is why Telsa is moving rapidly on solar panels, powerwalls and electric vehicles. The potential is there is run your house for hours or even days off a large EV battery....and still have enough power to drive around. If charged via solar, this is even more valuable. But people running the grid are beginning to think of a massive distributed network of EV batteries plugged in at various times during the day with potential to support fluctuations in generation by renewable sources. If the wind slows down there is a momentary gap in supply, the grid could, conceivably, draw on a million EV batteries to fill the gap for seconds or minutes...and do it close to where the power is needed.

Can't do any of that with a petrol car.

In Japan they've made a product to support that. JDM had standard inventors in ICE cars (12 to 100 AC) for ages and lately V2H for EVs.

However if EV is only car in the household - it is not very practical idea. 24 or even 30KWH battery in the newer Leaf is not enough to run my household for a day (33KWH / day in winter on ave);

Meaning that one would be without electricity and without the car pretty soon.

In US there are several completed and tested (e.g. Arizona, 4 days run) very simple (deployed in a few minutes) solutions to run Prius as a 2-3KW generator (using APC UPS) for as long as you have petrol. They say it is better than industrial Honda generators for that matter. On my to do list - plug and play solution: running coffee machine (1.2KW) on the Piha beach from my Prius :-)

It's meant to supply power at peak when (notionally) most expensive or more likely to require non-renewable generation.....then later, the car charges up and the house starts using the grid again.

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Linuxluver

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#1648577 10-Oct-2016 15:23

MikeAqua:

MikeB4: An EV for us would be a second or third vehicle, if we lived in say Christchurch then it could be a primary vehicle. Unfortunately in Wellington in order to leave our fabulous city one has to climb hills and that hurts range considerably today. In a few years it is not going to be an issue.
]

We are the same. An EV would work as the kids' little vehicle (3rd vehicle), but that only cost $7k so ...

There is no EV available in NZ that could do what I ask the Pajero to do. The Mazda 3 I just like. If I could get equal or better performance (range, handling, acceleration & deceleration), aesthetics and comfort at a similar same price I would swap it for an EV.

You didn't mention climate change or emissions reductions even once. This is the point of divergence between yourself and someone who has already bought an EV. Once you factor that in, it not only makes sense it's almost urgent.

But if you ignore it....yeah, EVs cost more to buy and can't go as far or you can't get them with the right colour of leather....or whatever excuse.

Ignoring climate change isn't really an option anymore. We've used that one up.

If we knew the truth about Climate Change....

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Linuxluver

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#1648586 10-Oct-2016 15:55

MikeAqua:

Linuxluver:

The fast charger going in at Otaki would address than in the next few weeks. There is already one in Featherston. :-)

Are these genuinely single chargers? Or single stations each with multiple chargers - like conventional service station.

If they really are single chargers, what happens if you need to charge but the single charger in e.g. Featherston is occupied by someone charging while they have lunch? Can you book in advance for particular time slot?

You would wait. That sometimes happens. I've waited for a short time on a couple of occasions. But the numbers of EVs are still small enough that waiting is absolutely rare. It will happen more often around Auckland because half of the EVs in NZ are in Auckland. But Featherston? If you had to wait it would be a cause for celebration. :-)

Solutions: If everyone used "Plugshare" and checked in, the charger would show as "In use" in the app. I think charge.net.nz are also working on a booking function for their chargers. So you can plan around it. Similarly, if a critical charger is down then someone adds a note to Plugshare and anyone else can see it and plan around it. That said, chargers have been very reliable and vandalism seems restricted to hitting the reset button.....easily fixed by the next user (with a 5 mins delay while it re-boots). I suspect the fact the chargers contain instantly lethal amounts of electricity has caused vandals to find safer targets. Most are in very visible, public locations....often with camera surveillance. I haven't heard of one being vandalised to the point of being unusable in NZ to date.

There will be more chargers. I'm not worried about it......and again, bear in mind chargers will be mainly for travellers and people who are driving a lot today.....most people charge at home and would have no need for one in ordinary daily driving.

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#1648664 10-Oct-2016 17:35

∆∆The thread appears to have turned into a soapbox. A shame really. Guess I won't bother visiting it anymore.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

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#1648694 10-Oct-2016 18:41

I think that mentioning Climate change as a compelling reason to buy a EV is not soap box but common sense, if you don't have a fundamental disagreement with the realities of world wide scientific research.

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#1648938 11-Oct-2016 09:31

While it is important we're all aware of climate change, and all arguments aside, I have found this thread interesting in regards to the feedback and stories that are posted regularly about the trips that can be completed. While I have no interest in joining in just yet, it's great to hear how Steve gets on with his journeys around the countryside. I'll continue to follow on with interest, especially as the range of EV increases over time and more drivers join the revolution, and hopefully I'll learn a lot from this thread. Having switched between ICE RC Cars to Electric, I can see the attraction, also, give Formula E a try if you're in Auckland, great set up for electric Go Karts, and you don't get out stinking of fumes!

I drive a hybrid conservatively, but I ride a motorbike aggressively and have a couple of other petrol cars for fun. I'm contributing to the problem.

MikeAqua

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#1648960 11-Oct-2016 09:54

Linuxluver:

MikeAqua:

We are the same. An EV would work as the kids' little vehicle (3rd vehicle), but that only cost $7k so ...

There is no EV available in NZ that could do what I ask the Pajero to do. The Mazda 3 I just like. If I could get equal or better performance (range, handling, acceleration & deceleration), aesthetics and comfort at a similar same price I would swap it for an EV.

You didn't mention climate change or emissions reductions even once. This is the point of divergence between yourself and someone who has already bought an EV. Once you factor that in, it not only makes sense it's almost urgent.

You are right I didn't. Let's price in some trees to soak up that CO2.

Our annual carbon outputs from the Mazda are just over 2 tonnes CO2 . That's using our average fuel economy which is ~10% worse than official specs.

To offset that using carbon credits derived from a carbon forest in NZ costs <$50 per annum.

Don't believe my estimate? Make it $500 per year.

Cheap

Mike

Linuxluver

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#1649127 11-Oct-2016 12:51

Dingbatt: ∆∆The thread appears to have turned into a soapbox. A shame really. Guess I won't bother visiting it anymore.

It's not a soap box.

Climate change is WHY many have already bought people buy EVs...and it's arguably the single most important reason in the long run. It's why the EU is moving to ban ICE cars completely in the next few years.

Continuation bias is a real risk...it crashes planes regularly.....and pointing it out isn't a "soap box".

We're already well past the point where action was urgent.

Saying so might not be what some people want to hear......You'd hope they would perk up their ears instead of shoving their fingers further in.

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Linuxluver

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#1649129 11-Oct-2016 12:53

MikeAqua:

Linuxluver:

MikeAqua:

We are the same. An EV would work as the kids' little vehicle (3rd vehicle), but that only cost $7k so ...

There is no EV available in NZ that could do what I ask the Pajero to do. The Mazda 3 I just like. If I could get equal or better performance (range, handling, acceleration & deceleration), aesthetics and comfort at a similar same price I would swap it for an EV.

You didn't mention climate change or emissions reductions even once. This is the point of divergence between yourself and someone who has already bought an EV. Once you factor that in, it not only makes sense it's almost urgent.

You are right I didn't. Let's price in some trees to soak up that CO2.

Our annual carbon outputs from the Mazda are just over 2 tonnes CO2 . That's using our average fuel economy which is ~10% worse than official specs.

To offset that using carbon credits derived from a carbon forest in NZ costs <$50 per annum.

Don't believe my estimate? Make it $500 per year.

Cheap

That's fine. Post the carbon credit docs when you have it in hand. :-)

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MikeAqua

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#1649223 11-Oct-2016 14:26

Linuxluver:

That's fine. Post the carbon credit docs when you have it in hand. :-)

Sorry, I didn't mean to convey the impression I would actually buy any carbon credits. Just pointing out that if I wanted to address my emissions foot print I could do so much more economically than by paying a 30% purchase premium for an EV.

I suspect when the Tesla 5 comes around EVs will be cheaper and better then ICE cars and there will be decent network of rapid chargers. At that point I'll be keen as mustard.

Mike

Willuknight

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#1649237 11-Oct-2016 14:42

NzBeagle:

While it is important we're all aware of climate change, and all arguments aside, I have found this thread interesting in regards to the feedback and stories that are posted regularly about the trips that can be completed. While I have no interest in joining in just yet, it's great to hear how Steve gets on with his journeys around the countryside. I'll continue to follow on with interest, especially as the range of EV increases over time and more drivers join the revolution, and hopefully I'll learn a lot from this thread. Having switched between ICE RC Cars to Electric, I can see the attraction, also, give Formula E a try if you're in Auckland, great set up for electric Go Karts, and you don't get out stinking of fumes!

I drive a hybrid conservatively, but I ride a motorbike aggressively and have a couple of other petrol cars for fun. I'm contributing to the problem.

I have an ICE atm but I want a EV as soon as possible. If my current car dies, I'd buy a leaf instantly, even though I really need a station wagon for my needs, but I'd make it work. If only I could afford a S, or even a 3, but thats in dreamland atm.

Also while I have an ICE and are therefore contributing toward the problem - there is something really powerful us ICE owners can do - Call for change in our legal and poltical climate that address climate change. Become brand ambassadors of EV and raise awareness. You're allowed to call for a change while waiting for that change to happen! And we need that change to happen before the second hand market of EVs is plentiful and affordable.

Linuxluver

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#1671181 15-Nov-2016 10:15

The head of the BMW workforce says management needs to move to EVs faster......or be left behind.

BMW labor chief urges management to accelerate EV rollout

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