Thanks paulchinnz

The car is in the UK, registered April 2016 and has done about 5300kms.

WelshGit:

 

Thanks paulchinnz

 

The car is in the UK, registered April 2016 and has done about 5300kms.

 

Cool.

linuxluver is this forum's expert on use of that vintage.

WelshGit:

Thanks paulchinnz

The car is in the UK, registered April 2016 and has done about 5300kms.

WelshGit:

Thanks paulchinnz

The car is in the UK, registered April 2016 and has done about 5300kms.

JimmyH:

 

Electric cars are getting interesting. But ranges in the 150-200km zone followed by hours to recharge aren't nearly enough to tempt me off fossil fuels at current pricing. I don't do a lot of long trips, but I do the off few, and constant range anxiety, wondering where charge points were, and potentially waiting for hours to recharge wouldn't work for me.

I doubt my next car will be an electric one.

 

However, the car after the next one might be. I see Here that Samsung now appear to have a battery pack good for 372 miles (nearly 600km) on a charge, and which can regain 310 miles (circa 500km) of charge on just 20 minutes of charging. Mass production set to start in 2021.

 

With those stats I would be seriously interested. Enough to drive from Wellington to (say) Taupo with the aircon on most of the way, stop for 45 minutes for lunch while the car charges, then press on to Auckland. If that was cost competitive with a petrol car, and the battery pack had a reasonable lifespan, then I would be in. Particularly if it had zippy performance like some of the Tesla models.

 

So, maybe in the mid-2020s, I will go electric.

 

All EVs have zippy performance because they all have instant access to 100% of torque. 

You should do a test drive of a LEAF. Turn the ECO off. Then you'll drag off every other thing at the lights.....except a Tesla. 

People who have bought LEAFs have said they were surprised at the peppy performance....they hadn't expected it. You get 80kw instantly. No moving up through the gears. It's a "Star Trek" warp drive moment the first time. 

As for battery life......use the word "engine" for a petrol car. What state is the engine in after 10 years? Engines degrade. They need to be replaced.....sometimes well within 10 years depending on how they were driven.

The differences aren't as stark as some would have us believe. But absolutely - an EV with 400km range, can charge in 15-20 mins and a battery that lasts a decade (and / or can be easily replaced at a reasonable price) is going to kick petrol cars to the kerb. 

Linuxluver:

 

JimmyH:

 

Electric cars are getting interesting. But ranges in the 150-200km zone followed by hours to recharge aren't nearly enough to tempt me off fossil fuels at current pricing. I don't do a lot of long trips, but I do the off few, and constant range anxiety, wondering where charge points were, and potentially waiting for hours to recharge wouldn't work for me.

It doesn't take hours to charge an EV. Yesterday I went to the Vector fast chargers at Greenlane and added 40% to my battery in 12 minutes. That's an additional 80km. More than I needed to get to Piha and back. Hours is what you do at home while you sleep. For $1 or $2. This would be the normal thing. You'd only fast charge at a charging station if going long distances.....which isn't usually every day. 

The relationship of EVs to chargers other than at home is very different to petrol cars. You can go weeks without needing to charge anywhere but at home. Some people go for months. 

When considering cost, take into account virtually no servicing being required....because much of the stuff that breaks/ wears out (air filters, oil filter, all belts and coolants and fluids) in a petrol car doesn't even exist in an EV. Also factor in the thousands of dollars in petrol you don't buy.....especially if you're a lead-footed driver who throws petrol money out the window. 

It's worth noting that many people have become content with charging their phones every night, this is not too dissimilar in my opinion. I can definitely see, and accept, the benefits for round town. For me it'd still be a second car option.

Linuxluver: an EV with 400km range, can charge in 15-20 mins and a battery that lasts a decade (and / or can be easily replaced at a reasonable price) is going to kick petrol cars to the kerb.

Only at a ~30-40K NZD price point, if it costs $60K the takeup will be incredibly slow.........

NzBeagle:

 

 

 

It's worth noting that many people have become content with charging their phones every night, this is not too dissimilar in my opinion. I can definitely see, and accept, the benefits for round town. For me it'd still be a second car option.

 

If I never had to leave the city with an electric vehicle, then I would consider one. However since I still like to take long drives, and fast chargers in the bottom South Island are next to non existent (I haven't checked a map recently though), it means I would still need to have an ICE car - and I can't afford to own two cars.

It also doesn't help when I find the current electric cars to be ugly ..

wellygary:

 

Linuxluver: an EV with 400km range, can charge in 15-20 mins and a battery that lasts a decade (and / or can be easily replaced at a reasonable price) is going to kick petrol cars to the kerb.

 

Only at a ~30-40K NZD price point, if it costs $60K the takeup will be incredibly slow.........

 

Agreed. 

A new government later this year could be a game-changer. A simple policy like: add a tax to petrol / diesel and the sale of petrol / diesel cars that's used to fund a rebate on buying EVs. Even better, ban diesel for non-commercial transport. It's a cancer-causing fuel. 

The places that are actually doing something something about climate change, or even just cutting emissions to improve health, are doing these things already.  

I hope that the election promises this year do include some sort of encouragement for EV takeup.

I have no problem with a bit of extra fuel tax to subsidise EV pricing. Same as I have no problem with fuel tax paying for Public Transport (why don't we have Electric buses in Auckland - you can fit a lot of battery in the floor of a bus?)

trig42:

 

I hope that the election promises this year do include some sort of encouragement for EV takeup.

 

I have no problem with a bit of extra fuel tax to subsidise EV pricing. Same as I have no problem with fuel tax paying for Public Transport (why don't we have Electric buses in Auckland - you can fit a lot of battery in the floor of a bus?)

 

A little off topic, but isn't Wellington even swapping out the Electric buses? Also, isn't their already encouragement in the form of no RUCs? Importing from Eu/Jp have proven economical, and the savings are in the running costs when compared. Many people are probably waiting for larger selection and more range, as once you do the math, the initial outlay pays itself off.

NzBeagle:

 

trig42:

 

I hope that the election promises this year do include some sort of encouragement for EV takeup.

 

I have no problem with a bit of extra fuel tax to subsidise EV pricing. Same as I have no problem with fuel tax paying for Public Transport (why don't we have Electric buses in Auckland - you can fit a lot of battery in the floor of a bus?)

 

 

A little off topic, but isn't Wellington even swapping out the Electric buses? Also, isn't their already encouragement in the form of no RUCs? Importing from Eu/Jp have proven economical, and the savings are in the running costs when compared. Many people are probably waiting for larger selection and more range, as once you do the math, the initial outlay pays itself off.

 

NZ Bus is converting some of its buses in Wellington and Auckland to be electric. The trolley wires will disappear. An all-electric bus is just as mobile and flexible as a diesel bus.....so it removes that tethered element.

It's a $43m deal done with Wrightspeed. Ian Wright was a co-founder of Tesla. He left to found Wrightspeed. They focus on larger vehicles - trucks and buses and do both full-electric and also range-extended vehicles that burn fossil fuels  to make power for the vehicle's battery. Essentially an on-board generator. BMW's i3 electric car has a range-extender option (for example).  

Linuxluver:NZ Bus is converting some of its buses in Wellington and Auckland to be electric. The trolley wires will disappear. An all-electric bus is just as mobile and flexible as a diesel bus.....so it removes that tethered element.

 

It's a $43m deal done with Wrightspeed. Ian Wright was a co-founder of Tesla. He left to found Wrightspeed. They focus on larger vehicles - trucks and buses and do both full-electric and also range-extended vehicles that burn fossil fuels  to make power for the vehicle's battery. Essentially an on-board generator. BMW's i3 electric car has a range-extender option (for example).  

 

Yes that's what I thought. The Wrightspeed powertrain is pretty impressive, good option for many metropolitan applications, buses and refuse are perfect. 

Id love there to be government buy in to electric vehicles but I cant see them wanting to spend any real money.

Unless.....Tewai smelter is closed and the government has to suddenly find a market for all that unused electricity to prevent the share prices of electricity companies that were floated a couple of years ago from tanking and Joe Public getting angry at the government.

On rapid chargers; I've used the Dunedin rapid charger twice in 6 months (first time was out of curiosity) usually charge at night at home. I got a 32A circuit put on the outside of my house.

A.

afe66:

Id love there to be government buy in to electric vehicles but I cant see them wanting to spend any real money.

Unless.....Tewai smelter is closed and the government has to suddenly find a market for all that unused electricity to prevent the share prices of electricity companies that were floated a couple of years ago from tanking and Joe Public getting angry at the government.

On rapid chargers; I've used the Dunedin rapid charger twice in 6 months (first time was out of curiosity) usually charge at night at home. I got a 32A circuit put on the outside of my house.

A.