Would you have an electric car if you had the money for a new car and were in the market for one?

[cheb]

Plus you can actually park it.

It's half way between comedy and tragedy, watching all the mums and dads (and it is both) failing to manoeuvre their X5s and Cayennes around the school car park.

In her defence, my missus is a very good driver and has had all kinds of tanks in the past with no trouble. But, as discussed before, cars are getting bigger and parking spaces and roads are not. There are only so many Waitrose spaces that'll comfortably fit a 2m+ wide SUV.

Lots of them will take a swb Transit sized van though. I used to delight in parking mine in an Edinburgh multi storey, there was a huge sign stating 'Suitable for small cars only', it was a length and not a width thing.

[Yorick]

I'm just about to buy a Dacia Duster, I suppose that counts as an SUV.

Yes, the ugliest SUV ever made....

Ours looks cool

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20180522_164256.jpg (1.99 MiB) Viewed 454 times

[Slenver]

If I had £250k to spend on a car I would, I know how much they are because I looked at the Porsche site a couple of evenings ago. Still not as much ground clearance as a Duster though.

Not at all! A mere snip at £173k...

Ground clearance is nearly the same but a little lower than a Duster, yes. 191mm compared to 210mm. But you'd get there quicker.

[Pirahna]

If I had £250k to spend on a car I would, I know how much they are because I looked at the Porsche site a couple of evenings ago. Still not as much ground clearance as a Duster though.

Not at all! A mere snip at £173k...

Ground clearance is actually about the same, albeit with a cost option to extend it more than standard.

Ground clearance on the Porsche is 161mm, on the Duster it's 210mm.

[Slenver]

Ground clearance on the Porsche is 161mm, I think there's an option to add another 20mm, on the Duster it's 210mm.

An option for another 30mm, yeah, but it's just a switch. Can only be used up to 106mph though, and then will automatically lower again

[Yorick]

If I had £250k to spend on a car I would, I know how much they are because I looked at the Porsche site a couple of evenings ago. Still not as much ground clearance as a Duster though.

Not at all! A mere snip at £173k...

Ground clearance is actually about the same, albeit with a cost option to extend it more than standard.

Ground clearance on the Porsche is 161mm, on the Duster it's 210mm.

Being short wheelbase, it goes over everything you want.

[Greenman]

I'm just about to buy a Dacia Duster, I suppose that counts as an SUV.

Yes, the ugliest SUV ever made....

Ours looks cool

20180522_162233.jpg20180522_164256.jpg

My neighbour has just bought one and it looks hideous. Maybe personal taste. It's got Aria Tuning or something along the side of it with go faster white stripes, i literally nearly threw up the first time i walked past it... It sits higher than me on a friday night too!

[Pirahna]

The Duster has been purchased. It's a brand new Prestige 2 wheel drive 2022 model, so not the latest one with new graphics and diesel because it was it stock at the dealer. Got a bit off because it's the old model, €22k which isn't too bad. I'll collect it next week.

[Yorick]

The Duster has been purchased. It's a brand new Prestige 2 wheel drive 2022 model, so not the latest one with new graphics and diesel because it was it stock at the dealer. Got a bit off because it's the old model, €22k which isn't too bad. I'll collect it next week.

Blimey. They've gone up a bit.
Our top of range 4WD was €17k 5 years ago.

[Pirahna]

The Duster has been purchased. It's a brand new Prestige 2 wheel drive 2022 model, so not the latest one with new graphics and diesel because it was it stock at the dealer. Got a bit off because it's the old model, €22k which isn't too bad. I'll collect it next week.

Blimey. They've gone up a bit.
Our top of range 4WD was €17k 5 years ago.

That's pretty much as cheap as you'll get a Duster for. The 23 model has got a few changes and would have been €700 more plus a 3 to 4 month wait. The 24 model will probably be a hybrid (you can already order a hybrid Jogger) and will step up in price again.

[cheb]

Top of the range Dacia? That's a bit Dutch mountaineering champion.

I looked at electric vans very recently, they still seem to be much worse than the cars, which is a shame.

[Yorick]

Top of the range Dacia? That's a bit Dutch mountaineering champion.

I looked at electric vans very recently, they still seem to be much worse than the cars, which is a shame.

I was just saying there were 5 price range options.
We chose the top spec and then it was built accordingly.

[Demannu]

Read an article about a journo taking a C40 on a 350 mile round trip.
Couldn't manage 175miles without a super charge to get him there, slow charge was useless, then another supercharge to get home.
Cost him £89, which was £25 more than his ancient BMW would have cost. And it took an hour longer!
Mate of mine works for BP, and has been constructing pipework for a hydrogen production plant.
Imo ( for about 30 years) fuel cells are the answer, just that the fuel companies hadn't seen a need/sorted out the infrastructure. Now they see a market for it, perhaps car manufacturers will start producing the cars to fill the gap between ice and battery powered vehicles.

[Taipan]

I'm just about to buy a Dacia Duster, I suppose that counts as an SUV.

Need to learn the secret handshake brother

[Felix]

That's pretty much as cheap as you'll get a Duster for. The 23 model has got a few changes and would have been €700 more plus a 3 to 4 month wait. The 24 model will probably be a hybrid (you can already order a hybrid Jogger) and will step up in price again.

Mother inlaw bought a Dacia a couple of years ago. The Sandero what is duel fuel. She loves it and TBH not a bad looking car what is full of all the electrical toys you can throw at it

[Taipan]

[MyLittleStudPony]

Dacia Duster? Dacia Scrottager more like.

[Pirahna]

Just the ground clearance, it'll be 2wd. A normal estate would be fine, with either a lift kit or under body protection.

Or just get a 911 Dakar.

Apparently all sold. Here's a review

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/po ... irst-drive

[cheb]

A Norwegian ferry company has banned electric cars from it's ferries. I've no particular view on this, just mildly interested for the obvious reasons.

https://www.ctif.org/news/norwegian-shi ... erry-route

Text from the link:

The Norwegian shipping company Havila Kystruten will no longer allow electric cars on board its ships, according to Norwegian Television NRK. The consequences of an electric car fire are considered too severe, states the company.

The scenic Hurtigruten coastal route between Bergen and Kirkenes runs along the coast of Norway. From 2021, the two shipping companies Hurtigruten and Havila share a mutual agreement on the traffic between the two destinations.



"Toxic gases are released"
After just over a year in scheduled traffic, the shipping company Havilia is now making changes to its regulations. Going forward, electric cars, hybrid cars and also hydrogen cars will not be allowed on board.



Risk analysis found lithium batteries too risky onboard

The decision was made after an external risk analysis was made on behalf of the company. What the risk analysis found was that fires in electric cars are considered more difficult to extinguish than fires in cars powered by petrol and diesel.

"An electric car fire gets very hot, and there may be a risk of explosion where toxic gases will be released. This can mean that you have to evacuate the ship immediately and in the worst case you can have a total breakdown of the ship, says Lasse A. Vangstein who is in charge of communications at Havila Kystruten to NRK.





Competing ferry company continues to allow all types of cars

The competitor Hurtigruten makes a different assessment and will continue to allow all types of cars.

"We have transported cars between all ports for 40 years, and.. we have no plans to stop it, says press spokesperson Martin Henriksen.

The issue of electric car fires on board ships is becoming more controversial in Scandinavia as more and more car owners switch to electric cars. When Finnish Television company YLE reported on the matter recently, the shipping companies Viking line and Ålandstrafiken stated that all types of cars are permitted board their ships as long as there is no reason to believe the battery has been damaged.





Many EVs in Norway due to government subsidies

Referencing the Norwegian Directorate for Safety and Preparedness (DSB), the NRK news company says that fires in fossil fuel cars are 4-5 times as common as fires in electric cars.

However, as fire inspector Sigurd Folgerø Dalen at the Oslo Fire Department said to Faktisk.no, large amounts of water will be needed if an EV catches fire.

According to NRK, already in 2019 there was speculation regarding if the shipping company Havila Kystruten would allow EVs on their new route. However, then CEO Arild Myrvoll decided to allow them based on the need on the population.

Norway has had government incentives towards purchasing electric cars for many years and therefor a large fleet of EVs are on the road in the country.

[Mussels]

That's understandable, battery fires are hard to put out and if that is packed in tightly with a load of fuel tanks then it's likely to cause a problem. Maybe they'll have battery only crossings when there's enough demand.