Thread: EV general discussion

Originally Posted by Arapiles

Yep .... except:

• it's only between 4pm and 9pm on two specific days that they've asked people to limit their charging - you could of course charge-up your car earlier on those days;

• because that's peak time not many EV owners charge during those hours in any case;

• the problem with the grid is air conditioning use a couple of days during a heatwave, not EV use.

Amid Heat Wave, California Asks Electric Vehicle Owners to Limit Charging - The New York Times

Can you imagine if they asked everyone to limit AC use so people could charge their EV’s? That would go down well.

I think the point that Scarry and I have been making for ages - years in fact, is that the world doesn’t have enough electricity for everyone to switch to battery EV’s - it just doesn’t. Glossing over all of this with tid bits and saying ‘it will happen’ as some do doesn’t make it so.

I’ll probably get called an EV hater again which I’m not - I’ve actually been looking at some for work, but they just don’t stack up for a replacement to ICE in key area - lack of power to charge them is the biggest after range issues.

The world is starting to see what we could see a mile off - those that work with power and understand it have all been saying this for ages.

Originally Posted by Homestar

Can you imagine if they asked everyone to limit AC use so people could charge their EV’s? That would go down well.

I think the point that Scarry and I have been making for ages - years in fact, is that the world doesn’t have enough electricity for everyone to switch to battery EV’s - it just doesn’t. Glossing over all of this with tid bits and saying ‘it will happen’ as some do doesn’t make it so.

I’ll probably get called an EV hater again which I’m not - I’ve actually been looking at some for work, but they just don’t stack up for a replacement to ICE in key area - lack of power to charge them is the biggest after range issues.

The world is starting to see what we could see a mile off - those that work with power and understand it have all been saying this for ages.

California is asking people to be carefull today "Turn if off it you can" - trillion/Billions + of $$$$$$ investments in non nuclear and they have just worked out that the Nuclear power they were going to turn off in 2025 is needed Ditto for Germany.

Its not just EV using power. It is clearly a lack of science in spending billions+++ in the wrong areas. Not suggesting wind and solar are bad. I am convinced that Germany, California and similar over optimistic claims need reality and science if C02 free options are taken. Not here of course. We are smarter than German and .... we don't need to divert the billions being spent here to reliable and efficient energy options Joking of course

Not celebrating what is occurring in China, E.U. UK or anywhere else with significant power supply issues high jacked by ideological bigotry. It is clearly gong to hurt people. Texas freeze in 2021 stopped gas power and almost everything stopped for is another perfect example how power failure to plan kills hundreds of people.

Oddly very interested in my next EV option being able to feed my home when the failures to plan here bite as it seems likely they will. My home is not yet set up with hybrid inverter/ grid isolator. My old spare from work might or I may take than to a family member. Most of the newer ones have output power options. A Navy mate of mine lost grid for over a week now and is not happy as cloud day after day has stopped his set up keeping the lights on.

No perfect answer. Not fair to people who cannot afford to take steps to protect themselves. Be fair to ask the ideological bigots if they have removed themselves from the Grid perhaps

Not here of course and not perfect either- "The F-150 Lightning extended-range battery system can store 131 kilowatt-hours of energy" it could power my home for over 4 days or longer if I shut a few things off!

Appreciate you have to charge batteries first. A 5kwh fuel cell generator is going to QLD soon. Not YET available of course. It is a race. more than a few people trip over when running I know for a fact

Happy fathers day all Dads

And on another note.

Didn't the Qld Govt just approve another coal mine,or an extension to existing?

The state will be broke,well it is anyway,i mean, more broke if we dont keep mining coal?

Wind farms,i was reading about the loss of birds and bats,need to dig out the article.

The first survey on animals killed was done by researchers,then they used sniffer dogs.
The dogs found something like 90% more peices of birds and bats,in the same area,hit by the blades,so they are pretty devastating to the wildlife.
And the ones in the sea will no doubt probably upset the birds that migrate thousands of Km's a year.

EDIT found it.Are Wind Turbines a Danger to Wildlife? Ask the Dogs. - The Atlantic

Seems in the whole scheme of things,windfarms are no where near as bad on wildlife compared with other changes we humans make.

Originally Posted by NavyDiver

Oddly very interested in my next EV option being able to feed my home when the failures to plan here bite as it seems likely they will. My home is not yet set up with hybrid inverter/ grid isolator. My old spare from work might or I may take than to a family member. Most of the newer ones have output power options. A Navy mate of mine lost grid for over a week now and is not happy as cloud day after day has stopped his set up keeping the lights on.

No perfect answer. Not fair to people who cannot afford to take steps to protect themselves. Be fair to ask the ideological bigots if they have removed themselves from the Grid perhaps

I must be looking at this wrong, but if you use your EV as battery storage for the house, then should the power go out for more than a few minutes (say a tree over a line and 6 to 8 hours off supply) then unless you’re very aware of your power usage that car isn’t going to go very far the next day if needed. If you just want to run the fridge and freezer, some lighting and the TV then fine but on a hot night when the powers out I can see a car powering an AC system for a few hours before it runs out then someone complaining bitterly the next morning when they can’t get to the Coffee Shop for their morning Latte and smashed avo.

First world problem I guess for those that can afford it - that subject alone is worth a post of its own as the poor will get left behind and cop an unfair share of the **** sandwich like always…

Originally Posted by Homestar

I must be looking at this wrong, but if you use your EV as battery storage for the house, then should the power go out for more than a few minutes (say a tree over a line and 6 to 8 hours off supply) then unless you’re very aware of your power usage that car isn’t going to go very far the next day if needed. If you just want to run the fridge and freezer, some lighting and the TV then fine but on a hot night when the powers out I can see a car powering an AC system for a few hours before it runs out then someone complaining bitterly the next morning when they can’t get to the Coffee Shop for their morning Latte and smashed avo.

First world problem I guess for those that can afford it - that subject alone is worth a post of its own as the poor will get left behind and cop an unfair share of the **** sandwich like always…

That would depend on how much power you use at home - we use under 12kWh per day for a family of 5. So, even a Nissan Leaf would give us a couple of days, even presuming that our solar panels weren't working.

In case you're wondering - we did a big green reno about 10 years ago - double-glazed all windows, bulk and foil insulation in roofs, walls and floors, all lighting is LED and we added a new solar passive kitchen and living room with concrete flooring for thermal mass, etc etc. The new part of the house has never needed AC. Whole house charged rain-water system as well.

Originally Posted by scarry

And on another note.

Didn't the Qld Govt just approve another coal mine,or an extension to existing?

The state will be broke,well it is anyway,i mean, more broke if we dont keep mining coal?

Wind farms,i was reading about the loss of birds and bats,need to dig out the article.

The first survey on animals killed was done by researchers,then they used sniffer dogs.
The dogs found something like 90% more peices of birds and bats,in the same area,hit by the blades,so they are pretty devastating to the wildlife.
And the ones in the sea will no doubt probably upset the birds that migrate thousands of Km's a year.

EDIT found it.Are Wind Turbines a Danger to Wildlife? Ask the Dogs. - The Atlantic

Seems in the whole scheme of things,windfarms are no where near as bad on wildlife compared with other changes we humans make.

Yes, unfortunately the best areas for wind power are also the areas with constant wind that migrating birds use They do need to work out a way of not killing migrating birds.

Originally Posted by Arapiles

Yes, unfortunately the best areas for wind power are also the areas with constant wind that migrating birds use They do need to work out a way of not killing migrating birds.

Migrating birds fly between 500m and 2000m , I'm fairly sure wind turbines are not that high .

"the world doesn't have enough electricity for everyone to switch to battery EVs"

I might die from this. This might be the internet comment that finally kills me.