Thread: EV general discussion

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

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The next issue is of course how will we even get EV's to this country if the globals shipping companies refuse to ship them as they keep sinking there ships when they torch off

BYD lease and own their own RO-RO ships.

Hi, Roll On Roll Over?

Cheers

Last figures I saw was they have lost at least 7 Chinese BYD dealerships burned down in the last 3 years, so I hope their ships last longer than their dealerships! The current joke is that BYD stands for 'Burn Your Dealership" or "Burn Your Driveway".

But in all seriousness, in the last 3 years, 3x car carriers have sunk due to EV fires, another towed into port on fire before it sank, with another one recently catching fire dockside. This is not just an issue when transporting EV's on large ships, but car ferries, etc as well. Worldwide there are many dozens of shipboard fires every year, so even when EV's are not the actual cause of a fire, if they do caught up in it, things can go bad fairly quickly.

The current methods for suppression of shipboard EV fires are totally inadequate, though they are catching up. One of the promising techniques currently being trialed uses chilled saturated saline solution stored onboard a vessel ready to be used as required. I'm sure the Insurance actuaries will be all over it! Good, bad or indifferent, as in interim solution EV's and hybrids are here to stay.

What isn't here to stay is my eScooter which was recently stolen! I would just go out and buy another one, but this one was modified to tow a trailer (made out of a defunct scooter of the same type) which had a double rear axle and a battery to extend the range. I got an EV mechanical workshop to wire them up in tandem and an engineering mate to put it all together out of some spare bits lying around. If anyone sees this anywhere let me know. This is a photo when it was still being put together. You can't mistake the tow hitch!

Unfinished scooter and trailer.jpg

Pity about your scooter. AFAIK, the merchant marine industry has very good safety regulations and testing due to the law of SOLAS (safety of life at sea), so I'm sure they will come up with something for EV's.

Originally Posted by RANDLOVER

Pity about your scooter. AFAIK, the merchant marine industry has very good safety regulations and testing due to the law of SOLAS (safety of life at sea), so I'm sure they will come up with something for EV's.

Ejection systems would be the only option .... the ability to eject entire levels of cars into the ocean at the push of a button. The idea anyone can contain a battery fire is fanciful to say the least. Even if you completely submurge the battery in the ocean, it will continue to burn as it creates its own fuel. Attempts to smother the fire will not work.

With electric cars, forget the "car" bit, its not a car fire, its a battery fire. It like comparing a fuel drum of petrol to sweating, aged stick of TNT with regards to risk.

seeya
Shane L.

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

It will be really interesting to see how this works out for you. I hope you keep it for the 5years and let us know how it goes. I have my fingers crossed that the batteries do last for 20years or whatever the latest fanciful claim is. Heading into the future it appears leasing EV's will become extraudinarly expensive, not simply because they are expensive to buy, but because leasing companies around the world are loosing millions due to eye watering depreciation. This isn't sustainable, so my best guess is they will want the full amount paid off over 5years with no balloon payment at the end (as they will be essentially worthless). Who is going to buy an EV with a 5 year old battery Not me, that is for certain!

seeya
Shane L.

The initial and still current intention is to keep it (having paid the balloon payment at the end of the lease) until it is not economically viable to do so.

Originally Posted by Narangga

The initial and still current intention is to keep it (having paid the balloon payment at the end of the lease) until it is not economically viable to do so.

If you do mainly short trips, you may be able to work around the battery as it derates with age (as all batteries do). I don't really believe the reliability studies that show EV's are proving to be extremely unreliable compared to normal cars. You see, with recalls, warranty work etc... What do they consider unreliable? is it just dumb stuff like parking sensors not working, tire pressure senders.... or is the car actually breaking to the point where is can't be used.... That is what I consider unreliability. if the car can't function as a car.

seeya
Shane L.

Recently, a mate's EV, albeit a golf cart, caused an expensive fire in his backyard shed. He lost tools, mower and sundry gardening equipment. His main distress though, was in the loss of three sets of custom, golf clubs.

He was also a lucky boy as, while he was hosing down a house wall which was endangered, an aerosol, paint can stored in the shed, blew out and went through the patio screen door and left a large dent in the beer fridge. Missed his head by a foot, or so.

When the firies arrived, one had his 'Report' at the ready, to complete. When he saw the EV was the cause of the fire, he more or less, just said 'Oh', jotted something down and closed his book. End of report!