Electric vehicles

[johnb80]

Heating up sand brings back memories of electric storage heaters using off peak leccy. They worked quite well - Economy 7 etc.

Aye, there are boilers now that work on the same principle but have a better heat retention than sand. Tepeo

 

[Rhossydd]

Snag is with diesels, if you live in or near London, you need a PFI loan to fund the Khan taxes and penalties. And for an SUV diesel the road tax is insane.

I drive a 9 year old diesel estate, £20 pa VED and ULEZ compliant. No issues driving into London regularly.

 

[Lons]

And for an SUV diesel the road tax is insane.

It must be just the newer ones as my GLC SUV diesel costs the same as my wife's petrol mini at £190 currently as does our diesel motorhome. All that will likely change next month of course as Ms Reeves needs to replace her clothing allowance, err... I mean office expenses.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

https://rogerboyd.substack.com/p/the-ongoing-collapse-of-the-western

"Between now and the end of 2026, the Chinese domestic market is on track to achieve nearly 100% EV market share. The intense levels of competition are driving the Chinese EV manufacturers to continuously innovate and reduce prices at a rate that the Western manufacturers (except perhaps Hyundai and Kia) cannot keep up with. The result will be a domestic market nearly totally dominated by Chinese EV manufacturers, with levels of efficiency, innovation and tight profit margins unheard of in the West."

 

[sploo]

Having had diesels for decades I don't recall going out of my way for fuel or getting diesel on my hands.

In my experience, if there are gloves at a forecourt the diesel pumps are really nice and clean. If there are no gloves, the pumps are basically swimming in diesel.

I still keep a hand sanitiser in the car; not for sanitising, but to try to mask the smell of oily dinosaur juice

 

[Spectric]

But even if we didn't the 32Kw home charger is cheap off peak and MUCH less than petrol.

I suppose that there is another advantage that you have not mentioned in that now you have three phase laid on for the EV charger that could also be ultilised in your workshop so you could have some lovely big solid machinery.

It’s the Mercedes GLC which has an 80 mile battery range.

We need to remember that you can easily get 250 miles on a full tank of fuel with many ICE vehicles so 80 is not fantastic. I still believe that for now hybrids are the way forward and PHEV's because you are not just battery powered so if the battery runs flat or you find yourself miles from the nearst charging point you are not stranded.

Furthermore, the more you guys keep knocking EV's the lower the demand is which drives the prices down

In some countries like Germany the sales of EV's have fallen once the government stops the subsidies so how many people would still buy an EV if the subsidies were not there ?

Where I am there is not a large number of garages and the ones I use have no intention of undertaking the training to work on EV's because there are other associated cost such as higher business insurance and so leave them to main dealers who just ship them out to get them repaired elsewhere. The garage I use will not do any work on an EV even brake pads because they are not covered on insurance.

All that will likely change next month of course as Ms Reeves needs to replace her clothing allowance, err... I mean office expenses.

You forget the botox, now she has that personal photographer it was needed.

 

[johnb80]

In some countries like Germany the sales of EV's have fallen once the government stops the subsidies so how many people would still buy an EV if the subsidies were not there ?

I have, twice with no subsidies and even if there was additional charges I would still buy EV because it's so much better.

Where I am there is not a large number of garages and the ones I use have no intention of undertaking the training to work on EV's

That will soon top be a business dying then over the next few years. Daft outlook really.

because there are other associated cost such as higher business insurance

on what grounds? If customers of insurance companies allow them to get away with charging more, they deserve the higher bill. There's no increased risk working on EV's than on ICE vehicles. There is the mass hysteria caused by the media but reality is there's no greater risk to insurers.

and so leave them to main dealers who just ship them out to get them repaired elsewhere.

Thats a sweeping statement that I would contest, my local BMW Dealer (Soper in Lincoln) have several master techs on the various models and do onsite repairs etc, definitely not sent away.

The garage I use will not do any work on an EV even brake pads because they are not covered on insurance.

I'm sorry, thats their own stupid fault, choose a better insurer not a third rate one that wont cover EV work in garage, ridiculous if it's true, frankly I'd take that with a pinch of salt.

 

[Spectric]

There's no increased risk working on EV's than on ICE vehicles.

The difference is 12 volts to 400 volts and there are very few electrical engineers working in automotive.

choose a better insurer not a third rate one that wont cover EV work in garage

Insurers make certain stipulations, one is the people need to be fully trained and on the basis of safety because you don't let your average mechanic loose with lethal voltages. Also they are still playing the risk of fire card. An EV is a very different system to work on, when the local garages struggle to even employ an average motor engineer then asking for EV technicians is really not happening.

 

[johnb80]

The difference is 12 volts to 400 volts and there are very few electrical engineers working in automotive.

Many are 800v nowadays but this still doesnt create a greater risk for an insurer, no flammable liquids, very little heat etc.

Insurers make certain stipulations, one is the people need to be fully trained and on the basis of safety because you don't let your average mechanic loose with lethal voltages.

Of course that goes without saying. Garages that arent continuing CPD wont be in business very much longer EV's or not.

Also they are still playing the risk of fire card.

ICE vehicles are 10x more likely to burn than EV's

An EV is a very different system to work on,

It is, it's much simpler, fewer moving parts, very modular chunks.

when the local garages struggle to even employ an average motor engineer then asking for EV technicians is really not happening.

Try talking to colleges that train vehicle techs, nearly all candidates are doing EV's now.

Current businesses have to move with the market or fail. If they cant find EV Tech's then they need to recruit trainees and day release them to college etc.

 

[selectortone]

It is, it's much simpler, fewer moving parts, very modular chunks.

Absolutely. An EV is basically a big washing machine motor with lots of clever electronics. (Yes, I know, that might be oversimplified a bit - but not a lot.) Compare that with a modern internal combustion engine with thousands of parts machined to incredible tolerances and high temperatures, working at amazing speeds (especially now with turbos), and also lots of clever electronics and software to make it all run in harmony and meet ever tighter environmental specs.

 

[Jameshow]

Many are 800v nowadays but this still doesnt create a greater risk for an insurer, no flammable liquids, very little heat etc.


Of course that goes without saying. Garages that arent continuing CPD wont be in business very much longer EV's or not.


ICE vehicles are 10x more likely to burn than EV's


It is, it's much simpler, fewer moving parts, very modular chunks.


Try talking to colleges that train vehicle techs, nearly all candidates are doing EV's now.

Current businesses have to move with the market or fail. If they cant find EV Tech's then they need to recruit trainees and day release them to college etc.

They will trickle down from main stealers I expect. The majority of smaller garages won't see an EV for 10 years yet ..

Perhaps brakes on a leaf but anything HV electrical will write it off.