Are EVs the way forward?

[Salty Spuds]

Yes. And 12000 >> 100.

Oops! My bad. I was getting confused with the previous ice age that happened about 100 000 years ago, one of the 10 or so that we’ve had in the last million years, which in geological time is about last Sunday, in between Countryfile & Antiques Roadshow.
The difference with the end of this ice age, is that we have a whole range of politicians, scientists, media, pseudo scientific businesses all trying to cash in on it. All the countless previous ones have gone unnoticed, apart from within the geological community.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Have any of you watched Earth on the BBC? Currently on the iPlayer, and an excellent programme and would help some what in regards to time and Geological periods of time. Each major sequence is followed by a shift in time and these are over millions of years, quite mind boggling.

Now to bring us back to today. Almost 24 years ago to the day ( it was my birthday) I drove into Chamonix in the Alps, and as you look to your right from the motorway towards Mont Blanc, you can see two glaciers, so close, you feel you could reach out and touch them. Earlier this year, I was on the same stretch of motorway and those same glaciers have receded up the mountain so far, you can barely see them.

The irony being, the scene was viewed from my Transporter, but could have been seen from my mates Tesla ( who was on the same trip) but he was 4 hours behind us due to charging issues.

Also seek out Professor Ian Stewart. A geologist who made a BBC series called “Men of Rock”.

BBC Two - Men of Rock, The Big Freeze, Future ice ages

Iain Stewart explains the science of predicting future ice ages and their impact.

www.bbc.co.uk

BBC Two - Men of Rock, The Big Freeze, Effects of Earth's changing orbit

How changes in Earth's orbit can contribute to fluctuations in temperature and climate.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[jaybee]

Electric Vehicle Explosions Rise 46% in a Year – The Daily Sceptic

Exploding with the force of a bomb blasting 2,000°C super-heated jets of flame into surrounding areas, EV fires have risen 46% in just a year. No wonder the public are turning against them, says Chris Morrison.

dailysceptic.org

 

[Sackmycook]

Tosh

 

[Sasquatch]

Electric Vehicle Explosions Rise 46% in a Year – The Daily Sceptic

Exploding with the force of a bomb blasting 2,000°C super-heated jets of flame into surrounding areas, EV fires have risen 46% in just a year. No wonder the public are turning against them, says Chris Morrison.

dailysceptic.org

Although Chris Morrison forgets to mention that ICE cars are ninety times more likely to self combust than EVs. Nintely times. Thats a phenomenal difference. Had that actually happen to me in a petrol Golf and it isn't fun.

If the public are turning against EV's, and that's open to debate, it's because of misinformation and carefully selective presentation of facts by the likes of Chris Morrison, the Daily Mail, Facebook 'experts', etc, the sort of fools that turned the public against the MMR vaccine.

 

[Scruffy]

I do a lot of miles and probably see a few dozen burnt out ICE vehicles a year ( one only last week ), but I've yet to see a burnt out EV.

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

Nobody has mentioned the several cases of electric cars failing to respond. Basically driving themselves with the driver having no control. Accelerating to 90mph with no control or no brakes is pretty scary stuff.
Another issue that EVs have that’s never been a problem with ICE powered cars.
Here’s an example I found after a quick search

Driver tells of horror as electric car 'goes on rogue 90mph drive with no brakes'

Nathan Owen says he was trapped in his car for 35 minutes driving at high speed as police tried to help him slow down

www.standard.co.uk

 

[ginkster]

Nobody has mentioned the several cases of electric cars failing to respond. Basically driving themselves with the driver having no control. Accelerating to 90mph with no control or no brakes is pretty scary stuff.
Another issue that EVs have that’s never been a problem with ICE powered cars.
Here’s an example I found after a quick search

Driver tells of horror as electric car 'goes on rogue 90mph drive with no brakes'

Nathan Owen says he was trapped in his car for 35 minutes driving at high speed as police tried to help him slow down

www.standard.co.uk

And that’s never happened in an ICE vehicle? Remember the Toyota stuck throttle saga about 15 years ago?
I’ve had it myself when the throttle linkage on the carb over-centred and stuck full on. Thankfully I was in a Fiat 127 so it didn’t accelerate that fast!

 

[Stay Frosty]

Not the first time it happened to him either, last time it was 120mph...
I used to have a Suzuki Bandit 1200 like that if the damn thing wasn't pulling through the first three gears with the front wheel in the air it would race up to 130mph and then go into a speed wobble, I got rid of the thing after 7 yrs and went back to driving cars.

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

And that’s never happened in an ICE vehicle? Remember the Toyota stuck throttle saga about 15 years ago?
I’ve had it myself when the throttle linkage on the carb over-centred and stuck full on. Thankfully I was in a Fiat 127 so it didn’t accelerate that fast!

It doesn’t stop the brakes working though.
Having a stuck accelerator is scary but not near as scary as loosing total control.

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

Not the first time it happened to him either, last time it was 120mph...
I used to have a Suzuki Bandit 1200 like that if the damn thing wasn't pulling through the first three gears with the front wheel in the air it would race up to 130mph and then go into a speed wobble, I got rid of the thing after 7 yrs and went back to driving cars.

Now that’s scary

 

[Scruffy]

Nobody has mentioned the several cases of electric cars failing to respond. Basically driving themselves with the driver having no control. Accelerating to 90mph with no control or no brakes is pretty scary stuff.
Another issue that EVs have that’s never been a problem with ICE powered cars.
Here’s an example I found after a quick search

Driver tells of horror as electric car 'goes on rogue 90mph drive with no brakes'

Nathan Owen says he was trapped in his car for 35 minutes driving at high speed as police tried to help him slow down

www.standard.co.uk

Google Ford Explorer and Ford Mondeo, cruise control failure early 90's. Several people died in the US as a result.

 

[ginkster]

It doesn’t stop the brakes working though.
Having a stuck accelerator is scary but not near as scary as loosing total control.

I’d be sceptical that was the case here, especially given the lack of follow up action (e.g. recall), other incidences or findings from the investigation. I’d also be surprised if the design, safety and backup requirements of the brakes on EVs are any different to those on hybrid or ICE vehicles. There could of course have been an issue with the vehicle, but far more likely is an issue with the pedal to steering wheel interface. It’s startlingly common for (normally automatics) to accelerate uncontrollably while the driver is pressing the brake, er accelerator pedal in panic. Happened in our street last year, flattening 2 walls, smacking up 3 cars and injuring a school kid.

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

Google Ford Explorer and Ford Mondeo, cruise control failure early 90's. Several people died in the US as a result.

Apparently one person died in UK also as a result of this.
These must be automatics and stuck in gear then?
If the accelerator jammed on in my manual then I would just dip the clutch and brake.
Engine be screaming its head off but at least I wouldn’t crash.

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

I’d be sceptical that was the case here, especially given the lack of follow up action (e.g. recall), other incidences or findings from the investigation. I’d also be surprised if the design, safety and backup requirements of the brakes on EVs are any different to those on hybrid or ICE vehicles. There could of course have been an issue with the vehicle, but far more likely is an issue with the pedal to steering wheel interface. It’s startlingly common for (normally automatics) to accelerate uncontrollably while the driver is pressing the brake, er accelerator pedal in panic. Happened in our street last year, flattening 2 walls, smacking up 3 cars and injuring a school kid.

I just remember reading a few stories of this happening over last few years.
Think one of them was an MG.
He had to ram it into the central barrier along side police to get it to stop.
Suggesting he had lost control of acceleration and brakes.
Just left with steering

 

[Lubrown]

I do a lot of miles and probably see a few dozen burnt out ICE vehicles a year ( one only last week ), but I've yet to see a burnt out EV.

Although EVs are relatively new, well in terms of selling in big numbers, in all my many years I’ve only ever seen burnt out (and occasionally still burning ICE vehicles).
If EVs are so explosive, and we have lots round here left charging on the roads overnight, how come I’ve never seen one? Literally not one.
I don’t doubt there have been some but it’s clearly not a common issue. We’d see it in local news every week, fire brigades would be up in arms.

These vehicles are produced, after years of research, with input by highly trained and experienced people, and testing by companies that want to have repeat business and don’t want to be sued.
It’s not like they are some hobbiest filling their camper with a couple of lithium ion batteries, mixing and matching kit and doing all their own wiring. And how many of these have caught fire as that is far more likely?

 

[ginkster]

I just remember reading a few stories of this happening over last few years.
Think one of them was an MG.
He had to ram it into the central barrier along side police to get it to stop.
Suggesting he had lost control of acceleration and brakes.
Just left with steering

That may be the case, but the same happens regularly with hybrid and ICE vehicles, it’s just the press can’t sensationalise it in the same way. I doubt the propulsion technology has anything to do with it at all.

Two pedal ops and rapid acceleration are more likely the cause of driver errors.

 

[Lubrown]

And that’s never happened in an ICE vehicle? Remember the Toyota stuck throttle saga about 15 years ago?
I’ve had it myself when the throttle linkage on the carb over-centred and stuck full on. Thankfully I was in a Fiat 127 so it didn’t accelerate that fast!

Toyota also recalled millions of vehicles as the brakes might stop working.

Numerous manufacturers recall vehicles due to possible safety concerns every year. It’s not solely a EV thing.
And with modern cars being more and more electric anyway (steering and throttle are now generally by wire rather than a mechanical system) again… there is no difference.

The one difference there is in all this - on type emits gasses from an exhaust. That’s it.

 

[Graham Jones]

That may be the case, but the same happens regularly with hybrid and ICE vehicles, it’s just the press can’t sensationalise it in the same way. I doubt the propulsion technology has anything to do with it at all.

Two pedal ops and rapid acceleration are more likely the cause of driver errors.

Yesterday, in a suburb in Melbourne, Oz....House badly damaged and 2 cars in the garage, destroyed by fire while charging. Maybe just a coincidence, but happening too often over here.

 

[Lubrown]

Electric Vehicle Explosions Rise 46% in a Year – The Daily Sceptic

Exploding with the force of a bomb blasting 2,000°C super-heated jets of flame into surrounding areas, EV fires have risen 46% in just a year. No wonder the public are turning against them, says Chris Morrison.

dailysceptic.org

If we are to believe a UK fire service that records incidents, the Swiss Civil Contingencies Agency reviewing available recorded data and a big insurer…

Then EV fires are more rare than ICE fires. By quite some way.

I dare say these people who fight fires, plan for emergencies and keeping the public safe, or want to avoid having to pay out for things like vehicle fires probably have a bit more experience on the subject than someone on YouTube looking for clicks to supplement their financial gain.

Here’s a snippet from Autotrader:
“
EV fires aren't a common occurrence. According to Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions, 239 fires recorded in the UK from July 2022 to June 2023 were linked to EVs.
While this is an 83% increase year on year, it’s important to note the number has increased along with the increasing presence of EVs on our roads.



Meanwhile, according to Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, some 1898 fires in 2019 were from petrol and diesel vehicles and 54 were from EVs.
Another study by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency found that EVs are 20 times less likely to catch fire than ICE cars.
An additional study by that agency and an American insurer found that just 25 out of 100,000 EVs suffer fire damage.
By comparison, 1530 per 100,000 ICE cars experience fire, and hybrid vehicles suffer a much higher risk of 3475 per 100,000.”

Of course, doubters and vloggers will only ever tell you that 83% figure and provide no other context.

And here is one link on the subject: Link

Anyone can google ‘number of EV fires vs ICE fires’.
You just need an open mind. Doubters will just google ‘EV fires’ and get a one sided view.