Electric motorhome

[sparrks]

I'm not exactly sure how the heater matrix works, eCars/vans I have driven to date, heat is suffice, but of course, at a price of reduced miles.

Last Feb, just after the beast from the east cames and went, I had a 80 mile (round trip) business trip to the Scottish borders. On my own, was very cold, I had no choice but heat car, also required to demist front screen. I watched the miles drop away, I knew when I got to destination, the small town has three charging points, one a is a fast charge.

I found the bum warmer, I worked the heating to clear misting up screen, bum warmer on, which did use less power, all about boxing clever, all part of the learning curve and, the new technology.

I have noticed, there are a few BMW i3's around my way, I suppose the big lure is free charging in Scotland, not sure if same for other UK countries, mind you, Scotland is streets ahead with renewable tech.

Scotland has huge potential for renewal energy in particular hydro and wind some already tapped others in the future. The problem that Hairydog was/is making is that at present the infrastructure is not in place and to add a massive amount of fast chargers into the system would easily overload it, slow chargers not so much a problem.

 

[Fazerloz]

Free electric wont last long and why should it. We can't even afford to keep the street lights on. 85% of councils either turn off or dim street lighting.

 

[colinm]

Scotland has huge potential for renewal energy in particular hydro and wind some already tapped others in the future. The problem that Hairydog was/is making is that at present the infrastructure is not in place and to add a massive amount of fast chargers into the system would easily overload it, slow chargers not so much a problem.

Fast charging is easily catered for, and Tesla already have sorted this with battery banks under the chargers.

 

[wildebus]

I'm not exactly sure how the heater matrix works, eCars/vans I have driven to date, heat is suffice, but of course, at a price of reduced miles.

Last Feb, just after the beast from the east cames and went, I had a 80 mile (round trip) business trip to the Scottish borders. On my own, was very cold, I had no choice but heat car, also required to demist front screen. I watched the miles drop away, I knew when I got to destination, the small town has three charging points, one a is a fast charge.

I found the bum warmer, I worked the heating to clear misting up screen, bum warmer on, which did use less power, all about boxing clever, all part of the learning curve and, the new technology.

I have noticed, there are a few BMW i3's around my way, I suppose the big lure is free charging in Scotland, not sure if same for other UK countries, mind you, Scotland is streets ahead with renewable tech.

It sounds like a most uncomfortable journey and a throwback to cars of the 60s with poor (and optional) heaters and poor screen demisting. I wonder how well this 'step forward' will be received?
"Come and pay £15k extra for this small car and freeze your arse off" - I'm inclined to pass on that one.

The only electric cars I have seen down here in the Scottish Borders is the one that is always parked up in the Jedburgh Car Park at a charging point, plus a Mitsubushi Outlander Hybrid (think that is the model?) that recharges in Kelso.

 

[trevskoda]

Free electric wont last long and why should it. We can't even afford to keep the street lights on. 85% of councils either turn off or dim street lighting.

Councils here replace street lamps with led a street at a time as the old units fail,roundabouts are all done last year cutting lecy by over 75%.

 

[sparrks]

Fast charging is easily catered for, and Tesla already have sorted this with battery banks under the chargers.

How many vehicles can they charge before needing replenishing?

 

[Fazerloz]

Councils here replace street lamps with led a street at a time as the old units fail,roundabouts are all done last year cutting lecy by over 75%.

They do here but save even more by turning them off. Usually between midnight and 6am.

 

[wildebus]

Something Tesla have not sorted out ....

1) How to actually run a sustainable business (they have lost a fortune and are unlikely to be around by the time Electric Cars are commonplace, let alone mandatory

2) How to control the mouth of their Founder (already fined and removed as Telsa Chairman for stupid remarks about the business, and currently being sued for defamation by a Brit he claimed was a pedophile (but apparently Musk can say anything he likes about anyone if he hasn't met them - some new rule his legal team have made up!))

 

[colinm]

How many vehicles can they charge before needing replenishing?

Firstly it's not fully deployed, that aside, the battery bank only needs to charge slowly, it means there is less chance of big peaks in demand which seemed to be your concern.

How does the saying go, necessity is the mother of invention, somewhere along the line these things will eventually get sorted, and whilst the proposed laws will speed things up it will not be an overnight problem.

 

[colinm]

Councils here replace street lamps with led a street at a time as the old units fail,roundabouts are all done last year cutting lecy by over 75%.

We must be on the third generation of LED street lights around here, first ones where straight replacement of lamp with LED, next ones where pupose made lights which looked similar to old street lights, the latest are 6 or 8 ? LEDs which are deeply recessed and produce a 'ribbon' of light down the road, very odd when you first see them.

 

[sparrks]

Firstly it's not fully deployed, that aside, the battery bank only needs to charge slowly, it means there is less chance of big peaks in demand which seemed to be your concern.

How does the saying go, necessity is the mother of invention, somewhere along the line these things will eventually get sorted, and whilst the proposed laws will speed things up it will not be an overnight problem.

How would these rapid chargers be used? Would they be like a conventional refuelling station with a constant stream of vehicles wanting a charge? How many vehicles a day? This would I guess be replicated by many tens of thousands. The battery bank will need to recharge at a rate much greater than slowly. I'm not doubting that it won't happen just not as quick as the idiots in power believe.

 

[trevskoda]

All fuel stations being built or upgraded must fit 2 charge points for every fuel pump on site,have i seen one here yet ,no.

 

[ricc]

Last night saw James Mays cars of the people on TV. Hours programme basically on the alternatives to petrol. Apparently yanks had working battery cars before petrol cars. With a hundred mile range. ..also bits on jet engines and hydrogen power. And steam

Hydrogen uses a fuel cell under the bonnet to make leccy for the motors. All technology is tried and tested all it needs is a network of liquid hydrogen fuel stations.... Claimed to be 4 in UK.

Not sure when the programme was made.

 

[Deleted member 74361]

All fuel stations being built or upgraded must fit 2 charge points for every fuel pump on site,have i seen one here yet ,no.

Plugging into electric charging connections, with potential for a spark, in a petrol fuel station - who the feck thought up that idea?

 

[mistericeman]

Plugging into electric charging connections, with potential for a spark, in a petrol fuel station - who the feck thought up that idea?

I suspect EV charging points MAY be a tad more complex than a couple of bare uninsulated prongs wedged into a socket,especially installed in a petrol station....

 

[Fazerloz]

Plugging into electric charging connections, with potential for a spark, in a petrol fuel station - who the feck thought up that idea?

Nothing uncommon or difficult about using intrinsically safe plugs and sockets. That's if they were even needed as the charging points would no doubt be away from the pumps.

 

[mistericeman]

It makes no sense to have charging points at petrol stations. More sensible to put them at coffee shops.

They probably said that once upon a time about coffee shops....

 

[wildebus]

petrol stations make their money from the overpriced bread and chocolates people nip in to get. I'm sure having a car taking up a parking space for 30 minutes or more while plugged in and stopping another 5 or so cars coming in to shop during that time will be very welcome to them!
And of course those spaces taken up will mean those filling up with "wet fuel" will not be able to move their car when they do their bit of shopping so queues will build up behind them waiting for a pump to free up.

I wonder what happened to the idea of a business being allowed to decide what they are allowed to sell and what they would prefer not to?

 

[colinm]

Gf has used fleet Renault Zoe's a few times, the early ones where not that great, the latest have improved a great deal.

 

[wildebus]

Just out of curiosity, how many commentators within this thread, only, have used an eCar or eVan?

I'll start. Peugeot 12 seater mini bus, small Nissan Van, Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi i-MiEV, BMW i3.

Not me (If I go somewhere I like to get back again )

But on a more serious note, there is such a big premium on them, it is just not practical for most on cost terms let along distance limitations.
Of 'your' list, how many have you used privately and without being given access to them as part of your job? And which one do you drive now?


Oh, and possibly I could nearly say yes as my Citroen DS5 was a "microHybrid" with regenerative electrical recharging of the battery, lowering alternator load.