The electric car thread

[Retro]

Talk about anything regarding electric cars here.

I'll kick it off with this nice positive article about the new phenomenon of charge rage. These cars take ages to charge, so no wonder this has now become a thing. Just didn't happen at the pumps.

Until the crappy lithium battery that powers these cars is replaced with something better that gives the same performance as petrol or diesel, or near enough, I'll never be pro electric car. Other than that achilles heel, they can be very good indeed.

What is charge rage?

The term charge rage is beginning to be used to describe situations where anger breaks out at EV charging points.

McMeikan said long waits for charging points to free up at some Moto service stations meant that tensions had risen, resulting in arguments.

Rapid chargers at motorway service stations can charge most electric vehicles full in 30 minutes to an hour.

However, two cars plugged into the same unit may increase the charging time, while extreme heat or cold can also slow the rate.

Fast charging stations, commonly found at public car parks, will take longer to reach 100% – from between four to six hours.

These slower waiting times may have led to frustrations while charging.

What is 'charge rage' and could it get worse in the UK?

Arguments over EV charging points etiquette have reportedly broken out at some service stations.

uk.news.yahoo.com

 

[Retro]

Electric vehicle fires are so much more serious than conventionally fueled vehicles. I didn't know about this menace, either:

Electric cars are also known to reignite "up to two or three weeks after the initial fire", says Mr Maher, meaning they have to be "quarantined" away from other vehicles even after the fire appears to have been put out.

One doesn't get this risk with petrol or diesel cars and the energy density of those fuels is around 10 times higher than batteries, too.

The crews bracing themselves for a rise in electric car fires

Dealing with an electric car fire takes up to 10 times longer than tackling a conventional fire.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Crims]

I'm looking forward to the future of technology, though electric cars have never registered for me.
Electric cars have several features I've never seen talked about - weightless acceleration, risk of crashing, unadjustable brakes, a lack of maintenance (which is a issue), right of repair, and a lot of disconcerting factors (production, lifespan, overall worth or depreciation), yet none have warranted conversation. I'm incredibly averse to jumping on this obvious titanic. I see their use in Norway however as it's 90% country

 

[Tiffany]

I would fear a fire in my garage with an electric car.

 

[live627]

I first learned about these fire dangers two years ago. All lithium batteries would like to explode but the danger is much more acute because BEV batteries are somehow over-clocked to maximize range. Batteries hate that.

I read of a BEV catching fire on ship en route from China. It spread to other cars—both EV AND ICE. They had to wait for the inferno to die out in I believe two MONTHS or so. Not days.

 

[Tiffany]

Wow, I didn't know that batteries could burn for so long and the over-clocking. Yeah, not interested in EV right now. I like my combustion engine.

 

[Retro]

If you were keen on buying an electric car, then bear this awful statistic in mind. If you're like me and always wanted to steer clear of them because of that bloody battery, then this will make you run a mile.

Electric car buyers should be aware of the “astronomical” costs required to regularly replace short-lived tyres, owners have warned.

Car lover Jim Bassett managed just 7,500 miles in his brand new Volkswagen ID.3 before being quoted more than £300 to replace the rear rubber.

This crappy 7000 mile range and high cost is standard with electric cars. Still want one?

Electric car drivers face astronomical costs to replace tyres

Electric car buyers should be aware of the “astronomical” costs required to regularly replace short-lived tyres, owners have warned.

uk.finance.yahoo.com

 

[Crims]

+1 to this. I'm sure it sounds biased due to all the hype around EV, though if you see the specs compared to a regular motor vehicle it ends up as the bad option. Dumb logic kind of prevails in this argument.