egafd.com

I also like to hear from drivers .
I ask this ,
VW was hit hard by the Diesel Fraud , and I do tend to watch re runs of the Top Gear, not a support of Clarkson , how ever one show he explained that to build the
Bugatti veyron , VW lost I think he said a cool ?1m ?

Does beg the question , how cheap would the ordinary cars built VW if the elitists
toy was not made .

So how cheap could the NEW VW electric cars actually be . Smell another Con.
But hey WW2 Germany did not succeed ?

i want to see a standardised battery pack for cars - say it needs to be 3ft square and 1ft deep - with universal terminals that wire into a high current plug

you take your car to the shell garage and drive it over a pit or ramp and they drop your empty battery out and put a new one in from underneath - 5 minute job and its essentially the same as refilling your car

and of course you can slow charge at leisure on your driveway...

oh hang on... this means everyone must own a house with a driveway

crippled from the outset with a lack of forethought

I have not heard the idea of standard swappable battery packs and I like it as an alternative to having to stop for an hour or more on a long journey for a recharge.

For range the motors and drive train are already relatively efficient while the forces of drag and gravity can not be changed. Styling to minimize air resistance only has a limited overall effect. Without increasing bulk and weight the only developments in battery energy density will increase the range significantly.

The whole charging network has not been thought through. As already stated it only works for those with a private driveway. Some new builds only have a communal area and what about flats. Then there are those who only have wherever than can find on a street nearby, maybe not even the one they live in.

Where is all the power coming from? Can the infrastructure handle every house have at least one car slow charging at 16A / 4kW each night.

Think of a motorway. Three lanes each with a car every 2 seconds is over 5000 cars an hour. If each car is using 20kW per hour that is a power use of over 100000kW or 100MW per hour. While fewer large vehicles per hour each will be using more power.

Think then of a service area. Of course some cars will be on shorter journey so not need to charge en-route. There will be exceptions though e.g. M5 Bristol - Exeter in the summer where mostly long distance traffic. With 150 mile / 2 hour range the recharge for 1 hour is 40kW. If 500 cars are charging the total is 20000kW or 20MW. That is significant and of course doubles with the service area on the other carriageway. If swappable battery packs is a solution they still need charging.

I have plucked at figures but believe they are in the right ballpark.

I really doubt the main infrastructure can cope with that and more than new feeds of a few miles from the main network will be required.

Not least of course is the sustainable source. We already get winter warnings about demand exceeding supply. With heating and lights vehicles too will use more power in the winter. Wind power is unpredictable and solar output at it's lowest. The only sustainable source is nuclear. Most existing stations are approaching end of life while new build takes years plus with decommissioning too is expensive.

I wonder where we really will be with all of this by 2040 ?

New point , though we all know

I had to go to Selsey in Hampshire this weekend ,
I reset the miles trip
64 miles one way . 72 the return trip
So I don't think I shall go electric, when all they claim is about 100 for a cost of ?30 K

Nice for the Greens, and loan Shark merchants

I know this is not a motoring journal, I hope that folks are all Ok with this and the average motorist, who pays for all & get below average service

Another thing that has come to mind
VW are boasting that the possible their new cars will achieve higher millage with electricity:
The point I think is that Every Year the motor manufactures produce a different and Improved models so those with accounts or money to burn must be seen to have the, latest model , to keep up with the Jones's or just Snobbery,
Is this Really Green ? or necessary....

It is hard to believe that cars have to change every 15 months ...

Surely it is time to slow the car industry down , and stop using resources



I have has some fast cars and some slow cars , when overtaken by the speed merchants I catch them up at the junctions , or urban areas .

I'm losing the "love " for cars and the industry...

M25crash.

I agree with you.

I've no great interest in cars nor want the latest model. Rather it is a tool to get me, those with me and whatever items are required to where we need to be reliably, economically and in reasonable comfort.

Some people enjoy car shopping but to me is a chore.

My current car is nearly 9 years old but I plan to change next year as several expensive parts will soon need replacement. If the cost was much less I'd pay for the parts and fitting.

With better targeted public transport there could easily be fewer cars needed.
My drive to/from work is 20 minutes.
By bus with at least one change but two changes could be quicker plus the walk either end it is at least 90 minutes. I could not get there for 8am nor stay later to compensate as buses finish.
This equally applies to travelling between the local hospital and the major one 15 miles away where more and more non-routine services are being transferred to. There ought to be a direct bus at least every 30 minutes from 7am until 9pm. If there was I could probably get to work in 50 minutes. While still over twice as long I could use the time on the bus to check emails etc.


Generally our use of raw material is poor. Items e.g. washing machines, fridge/freezers need to be made to last longer or at least be easily and economically repairable. The bulk cost of the failed part might be under ?10 but the individual price charged plus cost of time to fit makes repair uneconomic.
Mobile phones used to have easily replaceable batteries but now most are sealed.

Hi All

here is a nice video ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQut6ks3nSY


just need deep pockets ..


& here is a compnay I wish I could covert a few cars , need some overtime

https://www.electricclassiccars.co.uk/

lamp posts are being converted to charge electric cars for those without driveways. Home charges will benefit from solar panels. Old electric car batteries will be used to store said solar energy.
Fuel tax will be covered by toll roads or increases in yearly car tax. They cant hit electric too hard with a new tax (its only 5% vat at moment) or it will effect homes and businesses...my 2p

Though it Needs the UK to Back the idea .

Alas I doubt if the Brits will embrace , not will big business unless they can make money ....