Does anyone here own an electric vehicle?

[mx wcfc]

We recently got a 1 year old Mitubishi outlander PHEV. (Plug in Electric Vehicle). Supposed to do 33 miles on battery and has hybrid petrol with range of 300 miles . Running as EV only does c. 20 miles in real life. Principle is that local stuff is all electric ( except we generally cycle ) but needed a car as elderly parents live v rural location 160 miles away.
The instructions say not to top up the battery ( not sure how that is defined ) so that affects the “range” at random times as we are not charging till under half full.
Took it 2000 miles through France in April and was really disappointed with petrol consumption on long trip without any electric charging...did about 29 mpg but I think that’s cos we were doing 130kph on motorways. On main roads in uk 50-70 mph it appears to be doing 38 mpg. It’s v brick shaped.
We needed to get a newer vehicle (Toyota had previously was 14 years and 150k miles) and was looking for a 3 year old one but failed to find anything suitable. It’s a compromise until EVs get more main stream... in theory Sainsbury’s does free charging but for plug in hybrid it’s not worth it.

We have the Outlander PHEV too. Similarly disappointed with battery mileage. Being able to pop into town/to Sainsburys without burning petrol is great, and Mrs mx can get to work on the electric, but sometimes we have to do longer trips and the mileage is piss poor.

mrs mx wanted a big 4x4 type car, and I wasn't going to put up with a diesel guzzling hunk of junk, so that's why we went for it, and I don't regret it.

I have bought my last non-electric car. I might stick to Plug in hybrids if we need a new car in the next couple of years (my Focus is dying) but I hope when we next need a car, there are decent all electrics available and the infrastructure to support them

 

[Badgers]

I thought this was a vibrator thread

*unsubscribed*

 

[DexterTCN]

The average car journey in E&W is 10 miles, 11.2 in the SE.

 

[Proper Tidy]

All in favour but every car I've ever owned has been at least twelve years old when I've bought it so I look forward to driving an electric car in about 2030

 

[dessiato]

Another issue for me is that not only are electric cars expensive and rare in Spain, but I've never seen a charging point.

I really would consider it otherwise.

 

[neonwilderness]

mrs mx wanted a big 4x4 type car, and I wasn't going to put up with a diesel guzzling hunk of junk, so that's why we went for it, and I don't regret it.

Am I right in thinking that it's in 4WD all the time and the button just changes the distribution of power between the axles?

I have a 4x4 at the moment, but don't really need it these days. It'd still be handy to have something for winter and driving through the occasional field, but I can't really justify another proper 4x4.

 

[kebabking]

The average car journey in E&W is 10 miles, 11.2 in the SE.

It may well be - my commute to work however is a 140 mile round trip, and one weekend a month I drive from Worcester to Glasgow to see my daughter - 300 miles each way over Shap and Beattock. I generally take a 30 minute break near Lancaster, and in winter I'll fuel up at Carlisle. In summer it's usually just Aircon, radio and if it's raining, lights and wipers - in winter it's aircon, heater, lights all the way, radio, and often wipers all the way.

Electric cars are great for short journeys. They are crap for long journeys where, by definition, you can't stop for 3 hours half way through because otherwise you'll fall asleep before you get to your destination, and where there's a heavy electrical load, or indeed where there's a chance you might have to sit on the motorway for 4 hours with the heater on while they clear the snow.

When they have a range of 300 miles with heavy load, in the cold, and I can charge it to full in 30 minutes, I'll buy one...

 

[mx wcfc]

Am I right in thinking that it's in 4WD all the time and the button just changes the distribution of power between the axles?

I have a 4x4 at the moment, but don't really need it these days. It'd still be handy to have something for winter and driving through the occasional field, but I can't really justify another proper 4x4.

Honestly couldn't tell you. I think you may be right. The 4x4 capablity has yet to actually be tested in anger.

 

[weltweit]

Electric vehicles have to come down in price a lot before the majority of drivers will be using them.

My budget for cars is pretty basic. As an example I recently found out that my car needs some welding or it may fail its MOT. On telling someone they reminded me that I can get a second hand runabout for £500 with a couple of years in it.

If I had paid for my Corsa when I got it it wouldn't have been more than £1-2k and I could get a car for £500. I think it is going to be a long time till electric cars are available for people in such price brackets.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I gave serious thought to an old Prious. I drive old cars as thats all I can afford. The consumption specs didn't look that different to desiel for the kind of driving I do sadly I'd have been buying another system that could fail. Its a shame as I do really like the idea. Maybe in 15 years it might make sense for me...

 

[weltweit]

I do think it is sad that there is not more discussion of Hydrogen Fuel Cells, the waste product from one being mainly water. I think they could emerge as a positive choice at some point.

I am pretty sure a Hydrogen car recently drove round the M25 as a promotional exercise.
(I say recently, it could have been a year or two ago)

 

[gentlegreen]

I will need to buy a second hand estate car next year to get my house finished and take stuff to the dump - my first car in over 10 years.
If my plans come to fruition, I will take it to Brittany and will need it for a year or two while I get myself settled. I don't know after that. I may need to transport boats of various sizes, I may end up not being able to resist doing odd jobs while waiting for my state pension in 2026 - perhaps having to transport lawnmowers etc ... and not necessarily for pay - though ideally I would prefer to exchange it for a LHD car to blend in - but that would have to be a big car too.... I suppose a smaller car with a trailer might be an option ...

I can probably get groceries delivered - though I'm hoping I won't be more than 5 miles from a supermarket.
As I get older, I will undoubtedly electrify my pushbike - my curiosity has been piqued by designs for powered trailers ...

I doubt I will ever need to travel further than 50 miles - and if it's purely for recreation, I hope I will choose to cycle certainly into my early 70s

When I turn 80 - in 2040 , with less desire to travel any distance, I may feel the need for a small electric vehicle with more than two wheels that is not a mobility scooter ...

 

[gentlegreen]

I still love the idea of electrically assisted vehicles on this scale.
I hope I'm still up for a bit of pedalling at 90 ...
The roads where I'm hopefully heading will be ideal...

 

[gentlegreen]

 

[Mattym]

I can't find it now, but read an article recently in a newspaper about plans to open a motorway in the UK ( I have got Wolverhampton stuck in my head for some reason, google doesn't seem to agree with me) which does/will do all the electric charging through the road surface. Sounds like an April Fool spoof article to me, but the claim was that if it works & is successful, then it would be rolled out nationwide.

 

[gentlegreen]

I can't find it now, but read an article recently in a newspaper about plans to open a motorway in the UK ( I have got Wolverhampton stuck in my head for some reason, google doesn't seem to agree with me) which does/will do all the electric charging through the road surface. Sounds like an April Fool spoof article to me, but the claim was that if it works & is successful, then it would be rolled out nationwide.

Not necessarily an April fool spoof, but blue-sky bollocks to be bundled with solar roadways and the like.
The site where I work is now a small transport hub and there's a pull-in with a charging pad for hybrid buses.
The need for clearance and the inverse square law will prevent it working with moving vehicles.

 

[lazythursday]

I am struck by the amount of responses that go along the lines of - "Currently I do journeys X, Y and Z at a particular frequency, cost and length of time. Therefore I must always do these journeys in the same manner. Until an EV can let me do this I will continue with my current antisocial method of travelling."

I guess this is predictable - we are all creatures of habit - but there seems very little willingness to adapt ones life in any manner - the emphasis is put on the technology to ensure business-as-usual. And perhaps this will happen for electric cars in the near future, but it seems likely that it won't be the case for other modes of transport (eg flying) or for other aspects of our everyday lives. The twin challenges ahead - the changes that will need to be made to cut emissions radically, and the others that will be needed to adapt to a warmer unpredictable climate - are going to be profound. We're not going to be able to expect to carry on living in exactly the same way as we do now, there will be trade-offs and there will be disruptions.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I am struck by the amount of responses that go along the lines of - "Currently I do journeys X, Y and Z at a particular frequency, cost and length of time. Therefore I must always do these journeys in the same manner. Until an EV can let me do this I will continue with my current antisocial method of travelling."

I guess this is predictable - we are all creatures of habit - but there seems very little willingness to adapt ones life in any manner - the emphasis is put on the technology to ensure business-as-usual. And perhaps this will happen for electric cars in the near future, but it seems likely that it won't be the case for other modes of transport (eg flying) or for other aspects of our everyday lives. The twin challenges ahead - the changes that will need to be made to cut emissions radically, and the others that will be needed to adapt to a warmer unpredictable climate - are going to be profound. We're not going to be able to expect to carry on living in exactly the same way as we do now, there will be trade-offs and there will be disruptions.

Well yes. Otherwide I may as well use public transport, despite it being massively impractical.

 

[weltweit]

I am struck by the amount of responses that go along the lines of - "Currently I do journeys X, Y and Z at a particular frequency, cost and length of time. Therefore I must always do these journeys in the same manner. Until an EV can let me do this I will continue with my current antisocial method of travelling."

I think it is a common approach to wonder - how will this affect me? I travel because I feel I have to, it does worry me that perhaps as EVs become more available government may tax petrol and diesel more as a disincentive to their use, that would hit me hard, especially as I doubt I will be able to afford an EV for many years.

I feel that it is going to be the richer among us that are going to be able to afford an EV while the rest, the poorer will have to continue with petrol etc .. taxing the poor more will be regressive.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I think it is a common approach to wonder - how will this affect me? I travel because I feel I have to, it does worry me that perhaps as EVs become more available government may tax petrol and diesel more as a disincentive to their use, that would hit me hard, especially as I doubt I will be able to afford an EV for many years.

I feel that it is going to be the richer among us that are going to be able to afford an EV while the rest, the poorer will have to continue with petrol etc .. taxing the poor more will be regressive.

Yup. It certainly worries me. I will be intrested to see how the electric cars of today are fairing in 15 years time. And how much new battery packs will cost and if we will start to see more third parties who will be able to offer them cheaper.

Apparently in theory the engines themselves may last longer as there is less to go wrong. So maybe there is hope.

 

[Riklet]

No intention of buying one any time soon. I wince at the idea of paying more than 2 grand for a car. I wince even more at all the shitty new cars being produced with endless electric circuits and computer chips which can and inevitably will go wrong - at great hassle to repair.

Electric cars are expensive, inconvenient and not realistic. Then theres all the virtue signalling environmental nonsense - give up flying or stop eating meat or push for a greener economy if you want to make a difference. But in Britain 2019 driving an spanking new electric car isn't going to make much difference at all.

I trust what works and what can be easily fixed so petrol cars for me for the forseeable future. Greenest option is to not drive at all - for short journeys, especially.

 

[chainsawjob]

OH has a Peugot 308 diesel hybrid. I like it, drives well. But it does make pedestrians jump when you creep up silently on them, you have to make sure they've noticed you! My Astra diesel ecoflex does better mpg for long journeys though. With the hybrid and with my ecoflex I particularly like the stop-start so that engine isn't polluting when you're sat in traffic (I should say I love it when it works, mine's a bit hit and miss, and with his the engine cuts in after a while if you've got the heating/aircon on). I test drove a Leaf but didn't like it at all, too small, and too impractical with a 50 mile (iirc) limit on the battery, and these estimates are usually optimistic. I don't fancy the idea of having a car you need to remember to plug in, I know I'd forget and not be organised enough, and then find my car dead in the morning (but then I thought I'd never get on with contact lenses either and was wrong). But he's thinking of all electric next time. I'm seeing more electric charging points near where we live, and I think you can still get a grant to install one at home?

 

[chainsawjob]

I am struck by the amount of responses that go along the lines of - "Currently I do journeys X, Y and Z at a particular frequency, cost and length of time. Therefore I must always do these journeys in the same manner. Until an EV can let me do this I will continue with my current antisocial method of travelling."

I guess this is predictable - we are all creatures of habit - but there seems very little willingness to adapt ones life in any manner - the emphasis is put on the technology to ensure business-as-usual. And perhaps this will happen for electric cars in the near future, but it seems likely that it won't be the case for other modes of transport (eg flying) or for other aspects of our everyday lives. The twin challenges ahead - the changes that will need to be made to cut emissions radically, and the others that will be needed to adapt to a warmer unpredictable climate - are going to be profound. We're not going to be able to expect to carry on living in exactly the same way as we do now, there will be trade-offs and there will be disruptions.

Absolutely this.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I don't think it's unreasonable to say they are impractical if you mostly do long journeys and can't charge at home.

 

[DownwardDog]

The interior of the new Honda e is great.

I will probably have a Renault ZOE for my next daily driver when I trade the Clio RS.

 

[A380]

Didn't A380 get one?

I did indeed. We have a BMW 330E plug in hybrid. With a full charge you could, if you wanted, get about 20 miles from the battery, it then runs like a conventional hybrid. I estimate it uses about the same petrol as a 1.8 but drives like a 3l. (I went for the aftermarket mod that puts these little flashing Amber lights on the corners that tell other road users where you might turn next- the garage said they didn’t sell many).

I think they were designed to be a company car tax dodge, as Mercedes and VW at least made almost the same spec.

It suits us though. Ms 747 does mostly short journeys round town (when her MS is ok she cycles but when not she needs a car) and that’s most of its journeys. Once a week on average we do a longer drive, by longer anywhere from a 40 to 200 mile round trip. It fits perfectly with our usage profile. Most of the journeys and probably half the mileage is electric.

Ms 747 wanted a pure electric, I’m not convinced they are there yet. Both for the range of the cars themselves, although that’s changing, but more in order to really contribute meaningfully to decarbonisation of transport we need smart networks so that the cars charge in a synchronised way with other demand and also the ability to put energy back into the distribution network to cover peaks and so avoid all of the extra copper and energy we would need if everyone went non smart charging EV tomorrow.

I do have an app on my phone that shows a high level dashboard of the UK generating picture and gms of CO2 per KWH (GridCarbon) and try to avoid charging the car whenever there is coal on the network or more than 50% gas. But that’s still a bit of an affectation on my behalf probably.

It’s quite fast though. And has what my inner 12 year old thinks are cool alloys- not that I’d admit that ever....

 

[A380]

So, any fellow EV nerds. This is a screen grab right now from GridCarbon so, if the car wasn’t already charged I would charge it now....

 

[Smick]

I have a BMW 225xe. It does about 20 miles on electric and then a 1.5l petrol kicks in.

I charge it for free at work and top it up in the evening to get me back in the next day. I think every return journey of 25 miles costs me about 40p with Bulb as my energy supplier.

If the weather is right, I turn off traction control, don't use heater or aircon at all, cut down my speed on dual carriageways and really read the road ahead, I can just about eke the full return journey out. But that is just too much effort for me.

I've got it on lease, £239/ month, I do about 500 miles per month, spend £10 on petrol and think my electric bill has gone up by £10.

 

[RubyToogood]

As a motorcyclist I've done a fair bit of research into electric motorbikes and sadly concluded they aren't there yet for me. There are expensive toys and delivery scooters, and nothing else. And not many of either anyway. A delivery scooter might do *some* of what I need but the numbers manufactured are so small it doesn't inspire confidence.

They do have the advantage that you can take the battery OUT and charge it indoors.

Like Ms 747 I have a disability that means I need my own transport and can't always cycle. Disabled people are going to be particularly affected by policy changes in this area, especially as many aren't blue badge holders.

 

[Marty1]

The full environmental impact of electric vehicles now beginning to be realised?

Britain faces 'waste battery mountain' as electric car use surges

Researchers have calculated that the one million electric cars sold in 2017 alone will produce 250,000 metric tons, or half a million cubic metres, of unprocessed battery pack waste when they reach the end of their lives in seven to ten years’ time, enough to fill 67 Olympic swimming pools.