Everyone bailing out?

[Samro]

I didn’t quote from marketing BS. It came from a wider report about challenges to buy EVs. It was a statement that many who say that an EV isn’t for them is due to range, but for many their daily driving habits showed they didn’t need 400+ mile per journey/day range. But for sure everyone has their own needs and opinions and EVs may not be a solution. Not trying to convert anyone, nor have an agenda here. Like many car forums I visit, EVs get a savage response from some members whom in some cases neither have tried nor will convert to electrickery for their transport.

Some will be against EV's, just for sake of resisting change.
You're quite right that an EV will probably suit most people for their daily drive.
Most folk would probably be happy as Larry the majority of "the time"...... However, for the remaining small percentage "the time" folk may well find an EV a pain in the arse!

 

[rolla]

Only got a t5.1 4motion dsg .... its a twin slider barn door, boarded out, covered, ikea bed in back ... it drives so well I don't know what I would find that would be as nice to drive, well there's probably alot but I'm not looking, it's a keeper for now.
The T6 dsg box and running gear(4motion) I fitted last year has made it a real difference to be in, I'm losing a bit of consumption due to 4mo set up, but today I did 75miles to oxford area, fairly flowing but busy, got 25- 28mpg ... horrendous really but other ride is a v8 LS powered ratrod ....

 

[Bav]

I didn’t quote from marketing BS. It came from a wider report about challenges to buy EVs. It was a statement that many who say that an EV isn’t for them is due to range, but for many their daily driving habits showed they didn’t need 400+ mile per journey/day range. But for sure everyone has their own needs and opinions and EVs may not be a solution. Not trying to convert anyone, nor have an agenda here. Like many car forums I visit, EVs get a savage response from some members whom in some cases neither have tried nor will convert to electrickery for their transport.

I suspect a lot of the 'savage reaction' is borne of frustration, given that the government appears hell-bent on forcing EVs upon everyone, regardless of their appropriateness. Add ludicrous new EV prices and dire residuals into the mix and its hardly surprising that EV sceptics are spikey when an EV evangelist suggests "well it works for me" and, by implication, "...so it must work for you".

Just to be clear, I'm not accusing you of being that evangelist, I'm simply describing a conversation I've seen played-out many times.

 

[DaveD]

I didn’t quote from marketing BS. It came from a wider report about challenges to buy EVs. It was a statement that many who say that an EV isn’t for them is due to range, but for many their daily driving habits showed they didn’t need 400+ mile per journey/day range.

Apologies, I wasn't clear enough.

Daily driving habits (averages) are no indication of what range an owner needs.
I drive my van an average of about 20 miles per day - I was one of those that the report says don't need much range.
However, I occasionally need to do a 300 mile round trip journey towing a 2 tonne trailer, suddenly the average isn't relevant, it never was.

Most of my EV owning friends love their EV. (I've driven some and they're fantastic to drive and I think will be far more reliable than IC vehicles). I have noticed that they usually have a petrol or diesel car too, funny that.
But they're not right for everybody yet and the report you mention is using flawed methodology to suggest what people do or don't need from a vehicle. It's usually the case with reports that whoever pays for it gets what they want from it.

 

[Salty Spuds]

I hope that is true.
Assuming the grid can cope with EVERYONE charging their EV's overnight, what do you think existing EV's (with limited range) be worth in 5 years if a new generation of vehicles are on sale with a far superior range and capability?
Existing EV's will be next to worthless and the lack of ability to recycle all that lithium will make a dent in the well-being of the planet!


Really? Is that before or after accounting for losses in the initial generation of power and charging the vehicle? I agree that from the point the battery is charged, efficiency is significantly better for an EV than ICE, but not sure that an EV is as efficient as you have been led the believe.
I am sure that if there were a study on how much power is needed to be generated (at source) vs how much power is put out by each vehicle, an EV would be a fair bit less than 85% efficient.

I was referring to efficiency at point of use. If you go far enough back down the food chain of any source of energy, you’ll find that ultimately all sources of energy are zero efficient, due to the laws of thermodynamics.

 

[Salty Spuds]

Some will be against EV's, just for sake of resisting change.
You're quite right that an EV will probably suit most people for their daily drive.
Most folk would probably be happy as Larry the majority of "the time"...... However, for the remaining small percentage "the time" folk may well find an EV a pain in the arse!

Electric Vehicles, a plan that doesn’t work for a problem that doesn’t exist.

 

[BognorMotors]

We are getting a lot of people ringing us with vans for sale, more than we would usually get. And asking for the retail prices of six months ago or stronger!!
Our sales are still strong though off our forecourt.

 

[dubber36]

I don't know anyone with an EV that doesn't have another vehicle as well. There's a fella in the village with an ID.3 and a Disco 4. He's got solar on his roof, so probably costs pence to run and as it's the local run about car, range or charging on a journey is not a consideration.

 

[Samro]

We are getting a lot of people ringing us with vans for sale, more than we would usually get. And asking for the retail prices of six months ago or stronger!!
Our sales are still strong though off our forecourt.

You're going to have to knock down the prices on the forecourt soon!

 

[T6Paul]

You need to think differently with an EV. Think of it more like charging your mobile phone, rather than charging from empty to full like you would in an ICE vehicle.
Charging overnight at home on a cheap tariff (~3p per mile) and only topping up what you need on a long journey.
With a 150kW rapid charger you can get from 20-80% in less than 30 mins which is about 150 miles so around 2hrs driving at motorway speeds.

 

[colinsunbeam]

Nearly bailed to a Caddy but decided to stick with the Transporter and cancelled the Caddy. Will now wait and see what is available in a year or twos time. I often do long trips for work so would want a decent range in any EV as I really couldn’t be stopping for charging. If I was only working locally I would look at getting a Buzz possibly second hand.

 

[DaveD]

There are currently many thousands, possibly millions, of people who own a car worth less than £2,000 and park it where ever they can find a space near their flat / mid terraced house because they have no allocated parking. Charging at home won't be an option for them and I doubt they'll ever be able to fund an EV anyway.

 

[DXX]

Charging overnight at home on a cheap tariff (~3p per mile)

When it’s time to replace the battery the 3p / mile might not be cheap enough.

 

[Bav]

When it’s time to replace the battery the 3p / mile might not be cheap enough.

And, lest we forget, the tax advantage that EVs currently enjoy is merely a fleeting enticement - once the tipping-point is reached, the government will refocus the tax burden on to EVs.

 

[Paynewright]

And, lest we forget, the tax advantage that EVs currently enjoy is merely a fleeting enticement - once the tipping-point is reached, the government will refocus the tax burden on to EVs.

Akin to Vape products now being targeted for tax increases (according to the Kings speech)

‘Fleeting’ - clever use of language

 

[Bav]

‘Fleeting’ - clever use of language

If only I was clever enough for that pun to have been deliberate!

 

[Toffermora]

My wife has an EV, it's ok.
Fine for what she needs it for, taking the kids to school and work but that's it. The range in hers is shocking, when it's summer it's about 120 miles, as soon as it gets cold it drops to about 60! That's without turning the heating on!

Then charging, we can't have a charger at home as we don't have a carparking space outside our house so they won't fit one. So only way to charge at home is via 3 pin plug which takes forever.

We are driving it to the airport at Christmas and while it will get us there, the wife is panicking about where we will charge it when we get back as she doesn't think it will get us home!

EV charging infrastructure is terrible. You can get to one and then find it's out of order, or certain types have two bays but then only have one of each type of connector, so if someone is using the one you need then tough you can't charge!

 

[Samro]

My wife has an EV, it's ok.
Fine for what she needs it for, taking the kids to school and work but that's it. The range in hers is shocking, when it's summer it's about 120 miles, as soon as it gets cold it drops to about 60! That's without turning the heating on!

Then charging, we can't have a charger at home as we don't have a carparking space outside our house so they won't fit one. So only way to charge at home is via 3 pin plug which takes forever.

We are driving it to the airport at Christmas and while it will get us there, the wife is panicking about where we will charge it when we get back as she doesn't think it will get us home!

EV charging infrastructure is terrible. You can get to one and then find it's out of order, or certain types have two bays but then only have one of each type of connector, so if someone is using the one you need then tough you can't charge!

They have different types of connectors?

 

[Ali-G]

Don’t you have to have a fight before you can use a public charging point?

 

[t0mb0]

My wife has an EV, it's ok.
Fine for what she needs it for, taking the kids to school and work but that's it. The range in hers is shocking, when it's summer it's about 120 miles, as soon as it gets cold it drops to about 60! That's without turning the heating on!

Then charging, we can't have a charger at home as we don't have a carparking space outside our house so they won't fit one. So only way to charge at home is via 3 pin plug which takes forever.

We are driving it to the airport at Christmas and while it will get us there, the wife is panicking about where we will charge it when we get back as she doesn't think it will get us home!

EV charging infrastructure is terrible. You can get to one and then find it's out of order, or certain types have two bays but then only have one of each type of connector, so if someone is using the one you need then tough you can't charge!

That definitely sounds like a non-ideal scenario for an EV!