Thread: EV general discussion

I hate to be pedantic, but electric cars predated the Wright brothers by about a decade.

Originally Posted by bob10

You have misunderstood my post. I don't think people aren't on top of the technology, I just think people of a certain age are stuck in their comfort zone, and refuse to come out. I look at it this way. When the horseless carriage came about, people used to walk in front of them with flags. EV's are at the flag stage, but the momentum is building. As for forcing people to take up a new tech, I agree it is far too expensive at the moment, but as with the horseless carriage, how many people drive a surry with a fringe on top nowadays? I will buy an EV when the price is right, but will persevere with my old D2 until then.

There are many questions to be answered, like tradie utes, and tow vehicles for caravans [ a whole industry needs the answers] Trucks etc. But you are not giving the people who are the moving force behind this EV revolution the credit they deserve. But that's ok, no one thought the Wright brothers would get off the ground either. Cheers.

I don’t give some the credit because I understand the tech, and what’s involved to make it work - my whole career has been power - and a lot of it now with the supply authorities so I know power distribution, how much power is needed to do what these people want, etc - you’re missing the point, not me. Comparing it to the Wright brothers is BS too - that line is peddled by anyone who believes others aren’t getting on board an idea they have - particularly Electric Jesus Zealots.

It’s the same old rhetoric - ‘You have questions I can’t answer about EV’s so you’re an EV hater’ - kind of like ‘All wood burns states Sir Bedivere, therefore he concludes all that burns is wood’ - in the immortal lines on Monty Python “This is of course pure bull****”

Originally Posted by Homestar

I don’t give some the credit because I understand the tech, and what’s involved to make it work - my whole career has been power - and a lot of it now with the supply authorities so I know power distribution, how much power is needed to do what these people want, etc - you’re missing the point, not me. Comparing it to the Wright brothers is BS too - that line is peddled by anyone who believes others aren’t getting on board an idea they have - particularly Electric Jesus Zealots.

It’s the same old rhetoric - ‘You have questions I can’t answer about EV’s so you’re an EV hater’ - kind of like ‘All wood burns states Sir Bedivere, therefore he concludes all that burns is wood’ - in the immortal lines on Monty Python “This is of course pure bull****”

Well I'm sorry but I can but assume you are in denial. I'm not going to make this personal except to say your post is mostly a desperate attempt to remain relevant in a fast moving situation you have no control over.

Originally Posted by bob10

Well I'm sorry but I can but assume you are in denial. I'm not going to make this personal except to say your post is mostly a desperate attempt to remain relevant in a fast moving situation you have no control over.

That’s just trolling - tut tut - you should know better.

Also confirms my theory about people not being able to answer my genuine questions on the subject but would rather divert the attention so they don’t have to.

Poor attempt, F- You can do better, see the Headmaster after School.

I'm 59 next birthday and the "plan" that SWMBO and I have is to retire in the next 2 years or so, buy a D250 or D300 Defender, a 2.5t ish a semi off road van and hit the road, see the sites, take some pics. I'd like to think I could carry on doing this into my mid 70s, finances and health (Back, knees, eyes, brain) permitting.

but.............

The Defender will need to be replaced in my mid to late 60s, say 2028?

My guess of our motoring future will be a small EV for day to day. Maybe a Kona or ID.3. Charged at home from a battery charged from roof top solar. For highways and byways a PHEV Defender or alike. Big battery, small petrol engine to charge the batteries. Maybe a hydrogen or synthetic fuelled engine.

Porsche to become synthetic fuel-maker from 2022 - carsales.com.au

I don't see any real issues with any of this. Change? Yes of course but my grandfather passed at 99 and had not had a horse for a very long time. He adapted and so will I. It's not like I have a choice............so

The other thing to think about is assuming we will have a choice. Climate change denier or no, techno-phobe or ostrich (think left leaning politician), this is where we are going. The US is back on board with the Europeans re EVs and pollution; little old Australia will just get dragged along with it whether we want or like the change or not.

Bring it on I say.

Originally Posted by Homestar

15 years - no chance. If they started putting in the infrastructure now, it wouldn’t be ready in time and there is very little going on in the way of large scale infrastructure to support us all having EV’s. We’d need around double the power we currently do as well, which won’t happen in 15 years either nor will adoption of solar and batteries into the vast majority of homes that would be required to work.

Globally while car manufacturers say they are switching to EV’s the reality of being able to power them will push these time frames out by decades - countries with a decent uptake of EV’s due to government subsidies, etc are starting to feel the squeeze on power already. And remember a lot of places don’t have the vast quantities of sunshine we enjoy here - in Europe, they won’t be able to have home solar charging EVs in the Winter - there isn’t enough to charge a car with each day.

Australia has just on 1,000,000 homes with solar - and that’s taken decades, although things are speeding up no end, you’d need to do 500,000 homes a year from now to get to where is needed in 15 years - I think the numbers closer to 25/30 years in reality. And who’s paying for it all - will the government just say they’ll stick solar and a 15KWh battery system in every house? I don’t think so, and I’d say around 95% of the population couldn’t afford it.

No one who pushes these unreadably short time frames offers anything in how the infrastructure is going to cope with everyone switching to EV’s - I love the dedication, but the reality just doesn’t match sorry.

I’m not anti EV - you know that, but I just don’t see how we’re going to charge them all is my point in that sort of timeframe - no one does.

Australia has no choice in the matter, the world isnt going to be making ICE cars, where will they come from, its not like they will be made here .

Originally Posted by goingbush

Australia has no choice in the matter, the world isnt going to be making ICE cars, where will they come from, its not like they will be made here .

I doubt that will happen as quickly as they say - as per my last post countries are already struggling with the infrastructure - car manufacturers can’t make cars people can’t use.

That’s my whole point and I’ve heard nothing from any proponent answering this fundamental question - where’s the power coming from? Happy to hear opinions on this but as someone who works in this field I’ve not heard anything that is actually possible in the timeframe you’re talking about.

Change my mind - I’m all ears - just answer than one question please.

Also, if you’re right then that’s just new cars - given the average age of a car here is around 10 years then that to consider too. I think ICE vehicle will hold their value better if all OEM’s drop the tech - I’ll still have a 97 Camry going then anyway.

Originally Posted by Homestar

That’s my whole point and I’ve heard nothing from any proponent answering this fundamental question - where’s the power coming from?

Its not just the power, its the infrastructure to get the power to hundreds of thousands of charging points all over the countryside, and thats just in Aus.

For those that do a few Km a week,solar and a battery may workout, for those that do hundreds of Km a week, plus run a work or second vehicle that does up to around 800 to 1000km a week, its not going to happen.
Not with the tech we have today, or any tech that is suddenly going to appear in the next few years.