What would make you drive an EV?

[DanceswithUnix]

I thought the actual carbon footprint and environmental cost of any electric vehicle was miles ahead of any potential saving during said vehicle's life, and that manufacturing wise there is no advantage to being an early electric adopter (in fact as I recall they use way more resources than a petrol car over their lifetime, for example).

Correct me if I'm wrong though. It's been a while.

Depends who you believe.

Also, if you live in a city then not gassing people with fumes is a big win.

[Flibb]

For me, at the moment it is a no. Although it would make sense on the commute, charging would be a problem at home, and no ability at work.

UK generating capacity to support the widespread use of EV vehicles is interesting, overnight charging would be a great way of using excess overnight capacity, although the recent shift to more household solar makes the balance difficult. Also worth remembering that domestic and transport fuels are generally taxed at different rates.

[Phage]

As per Flibb really. Hydrogen looks a lot better. Crack it with your home PV during the day, fill up at night.
http://www.intelligent-energy.com/ou...ll-motorcycle/

[herulach]

As a company car? Pretty much nothing - if I can swing it my next one will be an i3 range extender. The vast majority of my journeys would be on battery, with the range extender for longer trips. The only thing it would really compromise is our annual trip to france, but the savings would more than pay for a hire car, even before accounting for the £100+ month in BIK.

That being said I do do about 60 miles a day more or less 6 days a week, people getting things like that for a 2/3 mile commute or buying them outright would probably be better served with something like the OH's Citigo. IIRC that was about 6k outright and does 45-50mpg on her 3 mile commute. Over a 3 year span (because you couldn't get me to buy one second hand or keep it outside warranty) youre significantly better off financially.

[Knoxville]

The only thing I can think of that would hold back an electric 4wd is the problem of water ingress. That isn't going to play well with a huge high voltage battery, but how many landies out there make use of a snorkel and drive up to the windows in water?

Shame as electric motors have full and controllable torque from zero rpm, which sounds like an ideal tow vehicle.

It is a small percentage, not quite small enough that it's a near pointless accessory for accessories sake (I'm looking at you, spot lights and bullbar) but you're right most owners will never go full Camel Trophy mode and have water lapping over the bonnet of anything but their pay and play machine. I know the JLR test bed solution is simply to mount the battery as high up as possible within the engine bay but that's 410kg exactly where you don't want it, ruining an already nearly ruined center of gravity.

It is actually one of the few needs that a Landy can fulfill that just doesn't make my list though so I can't count it against EV's. Anything above the wheel arches hasn't and is not going to happen in my vehicle under anything but exceptional circumstances. Once you're wading regularly or in water that comes over your bonnet there's more prep to do than just bolting on a snorkel anyway. Someone will work out how to wade in an EV though, probably Mercedes, they'll figure it out when an electric Unimog finds its way into the range.

It is a shame nobody is looking at the utility EV as a market though because you're right. Instant torque is a huge bonus and there's more of it. A standard Defender has a quoted max tow of 3500kg. Yes they can pull more than that but the electric versions can pull twelve tonnes up a fifteen percent grade. I reckon regen technology that charges your battery while doubling as hill descent control is a no brainer from an off road stand point too and most fleet utility vehicles spend twelve hours sat on their own car park every night and work within a relatively short range of it. If someone could manufacture the EV equivalent of say a Mitsubishi Warrior, Ford Ranger or Land Rover Defender I reckon there'd be a marketplace full of environmentally concious county councils ready for it.

[directhex]

It is a shame nobody is looking at the utility EV as a market though because you're right.

I wouldn't say *nobody*

http://www.viamotors.com/vehicles/electric-truck/

[Andy3536]

Can't charge at work.
Difficult to charge at home.
I've not seen a single charger in my regular journey area
Poor range
Cars cost alot to begin with
Second hand market for these cars means that the money you paid up front soon plumets.
A lease for batteries for a normal size car is still not that different to petrol costs a month at the moment (for me). And if i did spend any more on petrol the electric cars wouldn't have the range anyway.
Not signing a lease leaves you with a massive bill. Or you need to sell the car second hand to someone, who knowing they will have a massive bill coming will only pay pennys.
If you are leasing the batteries selling the car second hand is an aditional problem. Your now selling the car and selling the lease. If no one buys it, your only option is main dealer trade in.

If hydrogen cars can become affordable within 10 years they may be the first to take over from petrol cars on the road. I don't see battery only cars doing that.

[Gerrard]

I wouldn't say *nobody*

http://www.viamotors.com/vehicles/electric-truck/

The economical 4.3L V6 GEN V combustion engine...

I'm sure a diesel engine would be more economical as a generator (even a 150bhp one), but I guess it's an American thing. Otherwise, it's pretty much the same idea as a lot of very heavy machinery (like trains) of using an intermediary generator bypassing the beefy transmission system needed to handle the very large torque load.

[Saracen]

....

So. Hexussy people. What would convince you "yes, I'm fully on board with this"?

Right now, nothing.

Except, perhaps, being given one.

In the longer-term, and assuming you meant to actually buy one ....

1) Similar costings to petrol car options
2) Overall TCO has to be at least similar
3) No huge potential costs for replacing battery
4) Servicing cost has to be realistic, too
5) 120 mile range is no use to me AT ALL. Needs to be much better.

I hqve no objection in principle. But right now, the tech just isn't there.

Oh, and "public charging is free". I bet it ain't. Currently free to end users, maybe, but someone is paying for it, so if it's free to users, there's a subsidy going on somewhere. And I'd bet my left gonad that when market adoption reaches a suitable saturation level, "free" public charging will become anything but free. Governments love doing that kind of subsidisation to prompt public changes in behaviour. They'll subsidise activity A, and tax us out of activity B, and once their objectives are met, then .... wallop. Case in point? Tax on diesel.

[Dareos]

The Keys

I sat in a tesla in Houston, loved the feel of it, not driven it unfortunately, but the dash and surround had me sold

I rarely drive more than 100 miles in a day, plugging the car in when I get out of it at home wouldnt be too much of a hassle and probably less so than going to the petrol station once a week.

long journeys would be out though, sadly, 2 cars would be a must in that case.

[Knoxville]

I wouldn't say *nobody*

http://www.viamotors.com/vehicles/electric-truck/

Interesting concept but reading through the features I can't help but feel the American domestic markets expectations might have knee capped it slightly at the design stage, for both itself and me. There are some very good points, it has four wheel drive and a full size GM truck chassis, making it versatile and allowing a myriad of different body styles from vans to pick-ups and tray backs. The idea of a power outlet for contractors tools is very sound and I would think that concept could be taken further still to run hydraulic systems for tipping load beds, access platforms and winching equipment. So far so good. The engine running at a constant rpm purely as a generator means it can run very efficiently too. If it met my expected range in the middle and would do 150 miles on pure battery power, was more the size of a Ford Ranger and came with a reasonable lease agreement that covered replacement batteries it might sway me as a working vehicle. Especially if there were road tax breaks or some kind of grant scheme to help push EV's into the commercial market.

What kills it for me though is the choice of a 4.3 litre V6 as the power plant and that it's a full size yank tank. Leaving the size issue out of things the Chevy V6 isn't a bad lump, but a nagging part of me says that smaller turbo diesel power plant designed to run at a set rpm would have to be even more efficient and generate as much power. I think the V6 has found its way in because General Motors are firm believers in pulling from their own parts bin to cut costs and because history has shown that Americans won't buy a full size truck in large numbers that doesn't have at least six cylinders, even if those cylinders aren't being used conventionally in this case. I might be wrong and that engine might be the key to making that platform all that it appears to be on paper but part of me just won't let the off the shelf V6 slide without wondering if a bespoke power plant couldn't have made the proposition of ownership even better still. The only upside I can see to using that engine other than not having to pay development costs on a completely new block is that any grease monkey that's seen a Gen 5 Chevy truck will be able to work on it.

It's a good start though and I'm pleased somebody is at least looking into it

[TeePee]

Range just isn't good enough in the Western US. I used to live 140 miles form the nearest town.

[Saracen]

....

I rarely drive more than 100 miles in a day, plugging the car in when I get out of it at home wouldnt be too much of a hassle and probably less so than going to the petrol station once a week.

long journeys would be out though, sadly, 2 cars would be a must in that case.

I don't do 100+ (even 150+) miles per day often, but it's still often enough for a 120 mile range to be a non-starter. I need to be able to get there and back (can be 300+) in a day. A few minutes filling up with petrol is practical. Hours charging is not.

[Dareos]

Aye, can see your point Saracen but I wonder what the stats would be across the board for car owners in the UK. Tbh it would have to be car owners with a garage for charging purposes.

1. Miles travelled per week
2. Length of journey
3. Time between journeys

With data like this (and I realise we need lots more) for all drivers capable of having a fixed charging point at home it would be possible to work out which percentage of UK drivers could switch to electric with no downsides.

The one thing that gets me tho, if we get winters like we had a few years ago and people get stuck for several hours on motorways then there would be lots of flat batteries and no way to charge them. Hybrid seems to better ATM than pure electric for such situations.
4.

[DanceswithUnix]

Tbh it would have to be car owners with a garage for charging purposes.

Hmm, that is a killer right there. I have a garage, but it already has a car in it. I'm not going to replace the kit car which is there for enjoyment with an electric car which will be heavy enough that it is only any good in a straight line.

I know quite a few people in the same boat. I can't see them ditching their Lotus/Porsche/whatever for a recharge station and certainly in my case if the car isn't locked in the garage at night then it isn't insured (not that I would want to have it on the drive) so swapping the car parking isn't an option.

[Saracen]

Aye, can see your point Saracen but I wonder what the stats would be across the board for car owners in the UK. ....

Oh, sure. I'm not suggesting my circumstances are typical. Merely that, in answer to the original question, an EV wouldn't suit me.