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

[Yorick]

I've had an idea that could resolve the "occasionally I want a longer range" problem, you could hire a small trailer with an extra battery in it, thereby giving you increased range.

Could breakdown services have a mega battery on board that will charge a car in only a few minutes?

[Mussels]

I've had an idea that could resolve the "occasionally I want a longer range" problem, you could hire a small trailer with an extra battery in it, thereby giving you increased range.

Could breakdown services have a mega battery on board that will charge a car in only a few minutes?

Hmm, my range anxiety just got worse.

[JamJar]

Just been looking at The Mustang Mach E and it is appealing to me especially the AWD.

[ZRX61]

We're been having black outs here owing to the power co turning of the power because it's a bit blowy & they refuse to take care of the forests to prevent fires, so all the people who have coal powered cars are at a disadvantage.

[Horse]

We're been having black outs here owing to the power co turning of the power because it's a bit blowy & they refuse to take care of the forests to prevent fires, so all the people who have coal powered cars are at a disadvantage.

Blimey, I didn't realise that your part of the US still had hand cranked pumps at the petrol stations.

[ZRX61]

Blimey, I didn't realise that your part of the US still had hand cranked pumps at the petrol stations.

Simple enough to just gas up on the way home or to work etc where the power is still on, takes a few minutes.. I guess you could spend a few hours at a charging location during your commute.... if the line isn't too long.

[Cousin Jack]

I've had an idea that could resolve the "occasionally I want a longer range" problem, you could hire a small trailer with an extra battery in it, thereby giving you increased range.

If I were content to plan my life I could just hire a longer range Tesla.

But I'm not, I like to be able to make instant decisions (I fancy driving to X this morning) or react to emergencies (Yes, we will come and help you out, see you in 5 or 6 hours) My existing car will let me do that, when the new fangled one will do the same I will treat it as a viable alternative.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Yes, we will come and help you out, see you in 5 or 6 hours

Somewhat ironically, out of the two times in my life that's happened to me on only one occasion was my petrol car actually working

So it's not something I worry about.

[Cousin Jack]

Yes, we will come and help you out, see you in 5 or 6 hours

Somewhat ironically, out of the two times in my life that's happened to me on only one occasion was my petrol car actually working

So it's not something I worry about.

Should have bought a Lexus.

[Yambo]

[Horse]

Didn't Musk have a submarine that he offered for the cave rescue operation?

Perhaps this where it is recharged?

[Kneerly Down]

Didn't Musk have a submarine that he offered for the cave rescue operation?

Yes, according to recent pedagogy.

[Horse]

But although a potentially great breakthrough (albeit the 'required infrastructure' caveat), that's not the bit that really interested me. Further on:

“Ultra-fast charging is at the heart of BP’s electrification strategy, which is why we invested in StoreDot last year, and why we are supporting this technology demonstration today”
Jon Salkeld, technology director for BP’s AMU

And:

Shell has signed an agreement to buy 100% of ubitricity, a leading European provider of on-street charging for electric vehicles (EVs). The move represents a further step in Shell’s efforts to support drivers as they switch to lower-carbon transport.

Unless it's like Hoover trying to buy-out Dyson ...

[Cousin Jack]

Unless it's like Hoover trying to buy-out Dyson ...

Oi!

I do the cynicism around here.

[Horse]

https://www-fleetnews-co-uk.cdn.ampproj ... ad-of-2030

Sales of internal combustion engine (ICE) petrol and diesel cars could be curtailed ahead of the Government’s planned 2030 ban, when it publishes the finer details of its strategy in the spring.

Since announcing it would end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans in 2030, with a five-year grace period for some hybrids, the Government has yet to provide clarity on how it will be achieved.

Speaking at the Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum policy conference for low emission vehicles in December, Katie Black, joint head of the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) at the Department for Transport (DfT), indicated that the Government wants to avoid a situation where car makers are “selling the maximum amount of petrol and diesel cars right up to the 2030 milestone”.


One interesting bit later in the article about hybrids:

These are likely to be limited to range-extender EVs, which feature a small petrol engine to charge the battery while the vehicle is driven exclusively by its electric motor, or plug-in hybrids.

Nick Molden, founder and CEO of Emissions Analytics, believes regular hybrid vehicles, which have a limited zero-emission range, actually have a lower environmental impact than plug-in hybrids.

....

“In our strong opinion, full hybrids, for a good period forward, is the sweet spot while the supply chain issues around batteries are sorted out,” Molden stated.

[Mussels]

I would be a lot more receptive to a range extender type EV, I could have a moderate sized battery that will serve 95% of my journeys but not be reliant on ropey and slow charging stations for the occasional longer journey.
That is assuming the range extender is up to the job and not designed to provide just enough power to limp to a charging station.

[Mr. Dazzle]

BMW used to do Range Extended (Rex) i3 which used a 600cc twin cylinder engine. Cause the engine isn't connected to the wheels it can be rubber mounted and heavily isolated to keep it very quiet.

They stopped offering it when they increased the battery capacity. Presumably they didn't sell enough of them to make it worth it, which might tell you something about the want/need relationship on range. Dunno.

[Horse]

That is assuming the range extender is up to the job and not designed to provide just enough power to limp to a charging station.

I had a Vauxhall Ampera for a couple of days, from Soft Southern Shandyland up to well 'ard Steel town Sheffield, it was fine.

1.4 petrol engine.

It has a 'hold' button which means that you can stop it using electric power, for example not on the motorway to keep it for town use.

[Mussels]

BMW used to do Range Extended (Rex) i3 which used a 600cc twin cylinder engine. Cause the engine isn't connected to the wheels it can be rubber mounted and heavily isolated to keep it very quiet.

They stopped offering it when they increased the battery capacity. Presumably they didn't sell enough of them to make it worth it, which might tell you something about the want/need relationship on range. Dunno.

The i3 is a city car and not the one that it's wealthy owners would pick for a long journey, I wouldn't bother with a range extender in an electric second car.

[Horse]

BMW used to do Range Extended (Rex) i3 which used a 600cc twin cylinder engine. Cause the engine isn't connected to the wheels it can be rubber mounted and heavily isolated to keep it very quiet.

They stopped offering it when they increased the battery capacity. Presumably they didn't sell enough of them to make it worth it, which might tell you something about the want/need relationship on range. Dunno.

The i3 is a city car and not the one that it's wealthy owners would pick for a long journey, I wouldn't bother with a range extender in an electric second car.

See my post about the Ampera. It took three of us, plus luggage, comfortably along motorways, a 350 mile round trip. One colleague was able work on her laptop, then sleep, during the journey. I managed neither. But then, I was holding the steering wheel.