...or this

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Originally Posted by Homestar

Yes, range is still the biggest obstacle to the electric vehicle, particularly here in Australia. While a daily driver that does 30 or 40KM each way each day is fine, I'm not sure how you can make an electric 4x4 work as you generally need to drive a fair way to start and 4 wheeling, then if you're going out for the weekend, then what?

Sort of a self defeating idea IMO.

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Seeing that for over a decade there were lots of short range petrol/LPG Discos and RRC's that headed off for some weekend fun, I can't see that a relatively short electric range will stop too many sales. To displace the current crop of long range diesel bush pigs will take some ingenuity and probably require range extender engines. Even now I can imagine someone getting a pure electric 4WD and strapping an EU20i into one of the jerry can holders. It's a challenge for the next generation, not a hindrance for some crusty old buggers in diesel powered sheds.

Love to camp next to someone who has to run their genset all night to charge their vehicle...

Hardly very green - why not just have a petrol or diesel powered vehicle to start with.

I'm sure the sales of this diabolically ugly thing will be in the millions.... ;)

He he, yes, us crusty old diesel addicts will have some ground to make up in the near future... electrickery isn't going anywhere. Infact it's almost on par with mechanicals already.

Agree electric is not good for aus application but sadly we don't have enough sales to influence a decent range in a diesel Land Rover.

If we could solve the challenges around electrical energy storage and delivery, I have no doubt that four wheels driven by four independent electric motors would be the absolutely best thing for off-road use. But even though I'm a clean energy advocate and I'm convinced that global warming is a very frickin real and present danger, the criticisms in this thread so far are not at all wrong.

I reckon electric vehicles will become the standard in cities where trips are short and infrastructure is dense. The biggest reason isn't global warming, it's to do with clean air and the advantages of automation.

Until we get some kind of break-through electric storage tech, extra-urban transport is going to be largely powered by liquid fuels which we either burn the same way we do today or perhaps catalyse directly into electricity in a future fuel cell. These vehicles will continue to emit gases.

Whether it's electric vehicles in cities or internal combustion engines in the bush, the real "green" issue is where the energy itself comes from. Fossil fuels are *the* problem, but wind and solar aren't even close to being *the* solution. I want to see modern (fuel efficient, clean, safe, reliable, low cost) nuclear replace the bulk of the world's energy supply, with wind/solar/hydro etc contributing in every place it makes sense for them to do so. Obviously nuclear heat can drive steam turbines to produce electricity. That heat also can be used to synthesise liquid fuels from renewable feedstock including from CO2 captured directly from the atmosphere.

I already own a baby Land Rover and I'm hoping to upgrade to a big one later on for touring our amazing country. My city car is currently a diesel Golf... but I have my eye on a Tesla 3.

Homestar... I LOL'd to see your comment about the ugliness of the electric truck coming from somebody with a pic of an FC in their sig. I'm presuming a dry sense of irony on display [biggrin]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - I love my 101 but know many that think it's as ugly as a hat full of aresholes. I find this monstrosity being discussed here makes my eyes bleed but happy for those that see beauty in it. :)

I'm pro electric vehicles, but like you I think that with current technologies they are limited to the urban environment.

Who knows where battery storage will be in 10 years though. :)

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Originally Posted by Homestar

Love to camp next to someone who has to run their genset all night to charge their vehicle...

Hardly very green - why not just have a petrol or diesel powered vehicle to start with.

I'm sure the sales of this diabolically ugly thing will be in the millions.... ;)

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But they could run the genny while they're driving, or for a few hours before bed time. No good reason for believing an electric vehicle owner to be as antisocial as the average Lowlux owning plonker ( who would run a loud genny all night just for the hell of it).

As for "hardly very green", what part of "range extender" are you having trouble with? You can still charge the main battery every time you get somewhere civilised.

As for sales, I suspect most would go to mining and industry who couldn't care less what they look like, then people will try to get their hands on used ones at disposal auctions and turn them into something more suited to their tastes.

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Originally Posted by TB

Homestar... I LOL'd to see your comment about the ugliness of the electric truck coming from somebody with a pic of an FC in their sig. I'm presuming a dry sense of irony on display [biggrin]

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If we based the decision of what we drive solely on what is beautiful, we'd all be driving nothing but old Mercs and Veyrons.
I would hardly describe the 101 as beautiful, but, considering you will have to spend about $30k for a roadworthy example of a 40y.o. utility vehicle, I suspect there are many other aspects that make the 101 desirable.

As the Bolinger B1 has a rather short range for an off road tourer, I suspect many of these will be nothing more than Toorak Tractors which, compared to FFRRs, X5s, F-Paces and Cayennes, it is just butt ugly.

I'd rather have a Tesla to do my weekend shopping. As I have a far more beautiful luxury saloon to do my weekend shop (A '65 Mercedes 300SE), I don't expect a Tesla will make it's way into my stable.

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Originally Posted by Homestar

Who knows where battery storage will be in 10 years though. :)

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I'm tipping not much more than now.

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Originally Posted by bee utey

But they could run the genny while they're driving, or for a few hours before bed time. No good reason for believing an electric vehicle owner to be as antisocial as the average Lowlux owning plonker ( who would run a loud genny all night just for the hell of it).

As for "hardly very green", what part of "range extender" are you having trouble with? You can still charge the main battery every time you get somewhere civilised.

As for sales, I suspect most would go to mining and industry who couldn't care less what they look like, then people will try to get their hands on used ones at disposal auctions and turn them into something more suited to their tastes.

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I would have thought someone like yourself would have understood the requiments for charging a battery bank that is capable of moving a large electric vehicle several hundred KM. A couple of hours at a campsite with a 2KVA Honda sure won't cut it, but I suspect you knew that's already. ;)