Anyone driving an EV?

[Barry]

There certainly seems a huge change in the mood music in the last couple of years.

I know several people that have recently changed cars and although they didn't go EV, electric was very much on their radar. Used buyers all and not quite at the budget to get anything decent in EV, but the fact that they were right on the edge of changing really surprised me. These aren't people 'that' interested in cars, they just wanted a car.

I'm sure by time they change again and the 2020 cars are nicely used, they'll be pretty likely to make the shift.

For all that, when you sit on a motorway clogged as far as the eye can see, you really appreciate the mountain to be climbed if we're to be persuaded out of ICE cars. Making the things is one thing, the infrastructure is a whole different ballgame. We can't even fill in potholes.

[sng45]

Four of us went across to the velodrome at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester on Friday evening to watch the British Track Championships. My friend drove in his new Tesla company car, I must say it was very impressive, particularly the games option within the on board computer, the stand out feature was definitely the "Whoopie cushion" app which allowed him to press a button and produce a long farting noise from whichever seat he should choose to select. He hadn't told me he was doing it and I was so taken with it whilst I was sitting in the back that I thought my friend sitting next to me had let one rip and I immediately opened the window to clear the air ! I assume Elon must charge extra was this feature, although I've no idea what it costs, somehow I can't imagine Ferry or Enzo offering it with their cars.

Less impressive was when he informed us that we were unlikely to make it back to Hull without a re-charge, which is why at half eleven on Friday night I was in the Village hotel in Heckmondwyke having a drink while we waiting half an hour for the car to be charged up.

Overall it was very impressive, particularly the farting noise, but I think I'll stick to my classics for the time being.

[anglophone1]

Ps. I had a go in a Tesla Mk3 Over Christmas. It’s fast and full of ‘tech’ but it has zero style and the interior is so dull.

If I had the time I would buy a Mk1 Honda Insight while they are still good value and fit it with new batteries. They will be a classic for sure.

https://bumblebeebatteries.com/products ... a-insight/

About £10-12k all in - good deal!
C

[gridgway]

We have had a Zoe for coming up to 3 years. It does the job really. Gets from a to b, uses electricity.

It's quite fast in non-eco mode, but somehow the acceleration is just vile. It's the jerk I think inherent in electric cars. Just not nice. It's no fun doing journeys where you need to charge. Its suspension is dire. Rock solid and very jiggly. Horrid being a pax in the back with your knees up round your ears.

But it does the job of all the journeys from home and back within the range which is ok. It is best just pootling about. If you hustle it, it's kind of ok, but not comfortable.

It belongs to Mrs R and she loves it. It's functional and ok. Not as nice to drive as the Rover 25!

Mrs R will go again when it comes to the end of its PCP in a couple of months. The new Zoe is favourite. Perhaps the ID3. Will look at the Leaf again (Mrs R not keen on the seating position when we looked last time around). Perhaps keep the one we've got.

They are all pretty pricey really.

Graham

[Nine One One]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UjL7Y2D7GQ

[hot66]

New Honda


https://youtu.be/FR3VJ35zkcY

[70sThrowback]

Recently watched this Harrys Garage video which I found confirmed my thoughts about whether to get an EV or not. Basically if you do short commutes / live in a city its a no brainer. However if you want to drive long distances its a compromise.

https://youtu.be/CEyfCcAbtKU

[Barry]

New Honda


https://youtu.be/FR3VJ35zkcY

Such a shame they didn't stick closer to the concept car which looked brilliant. Had it launched with a three door / big wheel option as displayed even I would have started to ponder a PCP to get one on the drive. And I regard £2k as proper money for a daily But no, another pair of doors, titchy little wheels. Another sensible accountant's car .

JTP and I have talked about a classic EV as he has to go into central London regularly so there's a chance of a different sort of project for us at some point. Still at the vaguely pondering stage. Tricky man maths and existing project holding it back at moment.

Realistically, I don't do any miles so range for me is pretty much a non-issue: 30-50 miles would do to dip my toes in. Smart 4/2 ED (so later previous shape) was co-developed with Tesla and actually has great figures compared to the current one. I know that platform drives very well (I've had four different Smarts and still have my original 2002 City Cabrio, plus a Roadster Coupe). Still drawn to Twizy's though, which probably isn't very grown up.

[Barry]

Recently watched this Harrys Garage video which I found confirmed my thoughts about whether to get an EV or not. Basically if you do short commutes / live in a city its a no brainer. However if you want to drive long distances its a compromise.

https://youtu.be/CEyfCcAbtKU

Ah good, I watched the first part of that a while ago, forgot to follow the second film. I don't tend to watch much car content on screen but do enjoy Harry's Garage (and Harry's Farm). Will catch up on this one, thank you

[impmad2000]

I have worked on some next generation EV technology and reckon the longer you wait, the better it will be. I don’t understand why an EV should give a jerky power delivery, a DC motor should be seemless in power power delivery and it all under firmware control. Essentially current drives torque, voltage limits motor speed. We had a great new technology we got from fag packet sketches to driving a van in prototype form( EC FP7 Safedrive) with the Mutually Coupled motor. Presented at Geneva motor show some years back. This design promotes high current, low voltage ( hence SAFEdrive) to give 1500Nm torque at 1500 rpm approx. Torque delivery was from stationary. We used a 97%+ Split Pi DC to DC power converter which gave a 2:1 step up. So standing battery voltages were at 48v and drove the motors at ~100v max unlike most EVs with a standing voltage of 500 to 700 V or higher ! Currents were high at 400A with higher peaks, but that is how the motor was designed and very different.
The Split Pi is totally bi directional and so the regeneration was equally at 97%+ efficiency.
This is all public domain info about a technology, like many others I am sure which are in development.
Just imagine where we would be if the Lohne Porsche hub motors were replaced with Mutually coupled motors.... no gearbox and torque that would shred tyres !!
What Tesla has done is to totally disrupt the established motor industry. The industry is responding and bringing forward plans. Things will need to change in our attitude to car ownership. Rent by the hour city electric cars, a change in legislation to promote Twizy sized personal transport ( L category vehicles) and to give legal highway access to Scooters and electric bikes outside where EBike legislation limits.
I have to love the steps to embrace electric drive, been following it for years, but today I’d rather buy a big V8 before they are outlawed than a EV city car.
EVs will get better, and the EV transport economy ( charging, city access, ownership etc) will slowly change but we have all had 100+ years for the IC engined transport economy to develop and so should not expect the EV one to step in over night.
I take my hat off to the early adopters and wait quietly for the really interesting technology to hit the streets.
Tim

[gridgway]

I don’t understand why an EV should give a jerky power delivery

Very interesting Tim and exciting futures. With my comment about jerk, I didn't mean jerky as in on-off-on-off. I meant the rate of change of acceleration and the profile gave too much jerk and makes the electric drive experience quite unpleasant. But then maybe I'm at odds with the world in thinking that more torque doesn't necessarily equate to better in my book!
Graham

[Gary71]

I don’t understand why an EV should give a jerky power delivery

Very interesting Tim and exciting futures. With my comment about jerk, I didn't mean jerky as in on-off-on-off. I meant the rate of change of acceleration and the profile gave too much jerk and makes the electric drive experience quite unpleasant. But then maybe I'm at odds with the world in thinking that more torque doesn't necessarily equate to better in my book!
Graham

Just comes down to the quality of the powertrain calibration and throttle map. No reason for it to feel that different from a ice car.

[gridgway]

Mind you the very best part of the Zoe buying experience three years ago was the appalling lack of knowledge of the sales people. Including, "the best thing about electric cars is they have no torque. None at all. No siree"

[Sam]

None of our 3 Zoes is jerky. 2014, 2015 and 2016. It’s possible your one is duff...

[rhd racer]

Our eGolf is not jerky. It does require a smoother driving style on the full regeneration mode, as a mere lift of the throttle sticks the brakes on, which takes a little getting used to. In that mode, which we use all the time but still only gives 2/3rds of the manufacturers quoted range in winter), it is a proper one pedal driving experience!

I do find the sudden urge of acceleration at any speed quite fun, but then I only drive it about once a month so it is a novelty for me. The Mrs is still raving about it though, and she is a bit of a car nut.

Per the earlier points, we decided to do this one on a lease and take the financial uncertainty out of residuals and treat it as an experiment. We have about 2 years left, certain already we won’t keep it, but would get another if a better range could be achieved, and by then it probably will on brands other than Tesla and Porsche