QOTW: Do you own an electric car?

[johnclaire0198]

no but i do own an electric/rechargeable motorcycle..

[[GSV]Trig]

Carbon footprint of electric car is much smaller than ICE cars cradle to grave.

I thought this was debunked, given the mining of minerals for the batteries and all of the other fancy electronic parts inside them vs a normal ICE car?

[Ttaskmaster]

I might be slightly more interested if EV interiors didn't all look ridiculous.
I guess I see those the same way most Hexites see RGB in computer cases... except I can turn off my RGB, but an EV is rather reliant on those iPads bolted onto the dash like some drunken afterthought.

[Stukes]

I do - A Nissan Leaf. And I get the actual range, not the 30 miles that Top gear saw - they must have taken it to a hill-climb or something. Or bought a dud.

We decided not to get a hybrid because we didn't want to have to maintain an ICE engine.
My commute is only around 20kms, and we still have a petrol car for long range duties.
When we started looking at electric I'd assumed it would feel pretty horrid to drive, but we'd save money. I actually really enjoy driving it - the low center of gravity combined with the instant response is fun, even in the Leaf (which I consider a pretty entry level EV).
Charging is easy - it just uses a standard wall outlet overnight, so it draws about as much as running a heater. I'm in NZ, so 240V, and 0 to full takes 12-14 hours at ~8A.

Some of the stuff I appreciate about it that don't really get mentioned are things like..
The engine is never "cold". With our ICE car, I always feel like I have to baby the engine a little until it warms up.
It's so quiet. You turn it on, it dings a bit, then pretty much all you hear is the heater fans.
Heating the cabin isn't based off the car engine, so it starts working straight away.
Every time I get into it in the morning, the battery is full.
0-50kmph is fun. It's no Tesla, but it has enough "pep" to be enjoyable.
The obvious ones are the cost savings - we're spending $60 less a week on fuel. And next to no maintenance.
Downsides are the range limitations (why we kept an ICE car) and, tbh, the steering is a bit woolly.
70-100kmph doesn't have the same kick as the 0-50kmph. Our petrol car is much better in the 70-100 bracket.

Re: carbon impact. It takes more carbon to make an electric car, but over its lifetime the carbon footprint is much smaller. There is a bunch of info out about that, and most of them are *very* generous towards the ICE cars. E.g. not taking into account what it costs to get the oil, refine it and transport it to get it into your car (but they still count generating electricity via coal, for example). And the EVs still come out on top after a couple of years (distance driven depending).
If you're genuinely interested look into it. There is heaps of info out there now.

No, EVs aren't for everyone. But there are a lot of people that just don't like the idea of them but haven't tried one.
At the end of the day, I wouldn't have got one just to save the planet (if I'm being honest). It was actually a great car upgrade for us, and saves us money over the long run. In fuel savings it'll pay for itself in 10 years. 0 emissions is a side benefit

[Ttaskmaster]

EVs are probably great for people that already have the facilities and lifestyle to accommodate one, but that don't like having to drive as part of their lifestyle.

Those who are quite picky about their vehicles, and choose to drive or ride because they enjoy it are probably not best suited to EVs, I imagine...

[Rad77]

Those who are quite picky about their vehicles, and choose to drive or ride because they enjoy it are probably not best suited to EVs, I imagine...

That'd depend in the EV. 0-60 in a couple of seconds with no irritating gear changes is quite fun. I like dropping through the cogs in my car but having max power and torque on tap all the time beats that hands down.

[Rad77]

I thought this was debunked, given the mining of minerals for the batteries and all of the other fancy electronic parts inside them vs a normal ICE car?

Nah, see Stukes post. Considerably smaller carbon footprint.

[Hoonigan]

The only thing preventing me having one now is that I have nowhere to install the charging point (my driveway is not adjacent to the house and I'd have to dig up a big stretch of shared ownership tarmac to get power to the car).

This is exactly the issue we have at the moment, and will be a big problem for a lot of people who live in flats and high-rise buildings, I'm sure.

[Ttaskmaster]

That'd depend in the EV. 0-60 in a couple of seconds with no irritating gear changes is quite fun. I like dropping through the cogs in my car but having max power and torque on tap all the time beats that hands down.

Meh - My bike is faster, even with a gear change in between... although it technically will do 75mph in 1st without redlining!!

TBH, that kind of straight line acceleration gets old. I get more fun from dropping down into 3rd and whanging it perfectly round the country lane twisties, before powering back on and up to 4th again.

But every time people bring up how fast EVs are as a selling point, I just look at the various types of [censored] people already on the roads and seriously question whether giving them something with that kind of performance is a good idea....!!

[Hoonigan]

But every time people bring up how fast EVs are as a selling point, I just look at the various types of [censored] people already on the roads and seriously question whether giving them something with that kind of performance is a good idea....!!

It's definitely going off-topic somewhat but I completely agree. The fact that you gain your UK driving licence in a Ford Focus or Citroen C3 then you're qualified to drive anything of any kind of power is insane. The bike licence is very different for this very reason.

[[GSV]Trig]

IMHO the driving test has needed changing for a while, instructors are training people to pass a test so their figures look good, rather than training them to drive properly, I know people that have passed their test, but wont drive on motorways or dual carriageways or cant talk to poeple in the car becasue they're concentrating that much, but still, tangent...

[DanceswithUnix]

Those who are quite picky about their vehicles, and choose to drive or ride because they enjoy it are probably not best suited to EVs, I imagine...

Not IME, I've met plenty of petrolheads who adore their electric car.

I would have one, I just can't justify that sort of up front investment specially when I don't do enough miles to get any return from the lower per mile running costs.

[Ttaskmaster]

Not IME, I've met plenty of petrolheads who adore their electric car.

I did qualify that with the 'picky' part.
Given the choice, I won't even drive an auto-box because I prefer manual. Same for electric handbrakes.

[DanceswithUnix]

Given the choice, I won't even drive an auto-box because I prefer manual. Same for electric handbrakes.

I'm pretty sure picky is implied in "petrolhead". I'm with you on those, but then not needing a gearbox at all doesn't seem to faze me. I guess "I have control of when it changes gear" and "it never has to change gear" are equivalent levels of control.

The idea of big V8 torque without the fuel bill or engine complexity is compelling. But 50K for a second hand car... if I had that sort of money I would rather 40K on a Maserati with lots spare for servicing and fuel.

I notice Harley Davidson are making and electric bike. I'm sure that must be telling me something, though I'm not sure what

[raygdunn]

Would love to, but not at that price. Were they suggesting 2025 before the price has fully settled?

Probably bought my last car anyway, unless self driving progresses faster than electrification.

Electric vehicles still really need another step in battery technology to lighten the load. Lots promised, but getting it to production is another matter. Sadly Elon Musk (the sort of person who makes things pushes ahead) has plumped for reducing the cost of existing technology with his new battery production line.

[Ttaskmaster]

I'm pretty sure picky is implied in "petrolhead".

Depends how you define that. A petrolhead to me is someone who geeks out over stats and performance and parts and swapping this bit for that bit because you get an extra 5bhp. They will spend £9819.43 just to make an E46 330d go round a track half a second faster than an E92 M3*.

By comparison, I take a picky driver to be more focussed on how the headlights are switched on, whether the gear lever on the steering column blocks the centre console vent from blowing cool air on your left hand**, whether a lift or button or press down mechanism is better for selecting reverse, whether an Octavia is better than a Golf despite having the exact same interior design.

In short - What it does versus how it does it, with a leaning toward the latter.

I'm with you on those, but then not needing a gearbox at all doesn't seem to faze me

Doesn't faze me either and I cope well enough with the wife's car, but given the choice I want a manual. It's about the physicality of it and the engagement with driving.

I always liken these things to racking the slide on a pump-action shotgun - Yes, it would be simpler and easier to just press a touchscreen button and have it happen silently... but it's FAR more fun to rack that slide and have it go "CHAK-CLACK"!!

I notice Harley Davidson are making and electric bike. I'm sure that must be telling me something, though I'm not sure what

It tells you that a company typically ridiculed over charging 2019 prices for 1940s technology, who've had to restructure and cut a load of jobs lately, are taking drastic measures and making drastic departures from their signature brand in order to stay afloat.





*Yes, I watch Car Throttle.
**On a 2003 Honda CR-V, I'm sorry to say that it does... and it's flippin' annoying!!