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Who Killed The Electric Car?

We've shared access out the back which means you can't attach anything to the back wall or in the back garden immediately adjacent to the house and we're not even allowed to put our wheelie bins out the front, so I can't see them allowing heat pumps!

The real point is that, like electric cars, unless the technology is available to absolutely everyone, they can't make it compulsory or eradicate the alternatives to force you into using their 'chosen' device. Otherwise what happens to those who don't have the access?
 
When I insured my latest Jeep, which is a petrol/electric hybrid, I noticed the insurance was a fair bit higher than my previous Jeep, even though that was a larger model with a more powerful and higher performance diesel engine. I understand that this was due to the complexity of the new vehicle.
With all-electric cars though, the situation is far worse. Insurance costs for Teslas are particularly astronomic (see article I posted above) as they cannot be repaired or serviced in mainstream garages, but have to be sent to a specialist Tesla-Approved Collision Center.
 
Floyd1 said:
Good rule.
I wish they'd implement that everywhere. And enforce it.
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This is all right when you are young and in fine fettle. But, as my elderly neighbour found, dragging a wheelie bin down the garden (can't have it immediately by the door because of the right of way that goes past the back doors), down the steps, along the narrow entryway and out through three gates (unless you take it through the house, and that way you have to negotiate the steep steps at the front door), can be too much when your upper body strength isn't what it could be.
 
Floyd1 said:
Good rule.
I wish they'd implement that everywhere. And enforce it.
Click to expand...
I'm going to shamelessly engage in a bit of nostalgia

It was better in the olden days of my youth when the bin men would go round to the back to collect it and take it back.

However I grew up in the countryside (and we all had long paths) but I can see that town dwellers in terrace streets haven't got that option unless the terrace has a right of way along the back which not all do. But even on modern estates build by the volume builders proper provision is not always made for the bloody bins.
 
Sollywos said:
I'm going to shamelessly engage in a bit of nostalgia

It was better in the olden days of my youth when the bin men would go round to the back to collect it and take it back.

However I grew up in the countryside (and we all had long paths) but I can see that town dwellers in terrace streets haven't got that option unless the terrace has a right of way along the back which not all do. But even on modern estates build by the volume builders proper provision is not always made for the bloody bins.
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The bin men were big guys with huge muscles back then. They earned their money.
 
There's lots of roads where I live where due to the houses being multi occupancy and a problem of space, all the various bins can only be left on the street 24/7.

Screen Shot 2023-10-01 at 16.51.38.png
 
Floyd1 said:
Why not?
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Erm.
Multiple occupancy places where your flat is in the back-half of a terraced house? Or even above-ground level?

It's a long time since everyone has sole access to front gardens, and (from experience) dragging a full bin along an uneven and cluttered back-alley to reach the road where it gets emptied, only to drag it back, is slightly more than inconvenient?
 

Drop in households buying electric cars as ministers warned over lack of tax breaks​

The number of households buying electric cars fell sharply last month, new figures show, as industry figures warned over a lack of tax breaks for motorists.

1692106928480.jpg


Share of electric vehicles in total number of passenger cars, 2021 (UK in black; full caption at link)

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed private sales of battery-powered vehicles fell by more than 14pc in September, which the trade body said highlights a need for greater incentives to boost demand.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/10/05/drop-in-households-buying-electric-cars/

maximus otter
 
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Electric cars do also seem to be affected by disproportionately numerous safety recall notices.
Just Google safety recall for Tesla, BMW, Nissan, Hyundai Toyota etc.
My Jeep, although a hybrid, rather than full EV, has just received a safety recall due to a potential fire risk with the electric motor's high-voltage battery pack.
 
Frideswide said:
The bin discussion also tells us something about on street charging points - not everyone has an outside!
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I have an outside, but my onstreet parking isn't guaranteed - if I work a run of late nights, I can't park my car outside my house and have to park elsewhere in the village, so I can only imagine how bad it must be in a town or city. Plus, I have a large(ish) front garden which separates my house from the road (a garden in which I am not ALLOWED to put my wheelie bin, sigh) so even were my car to be parked right outside my house, I'd still have to run a cable down and out to the car, which would obstruct the little bit of pavement. There is absolutely no way that terraced houses with no dedicated parking can charge a car. And there are no streetlights in the village into which to install chargers.
 
I've notice that the charging points in town are usually two feet to two and a half feet away from where the car would be parked in order to use the charger. I assume that's the same everywhere in other places. The charging cable is quite thick and lays across the pavement obviously between the car and the charger. It is a dangerous and illegal trip hazard.

I window clean using a pole system. Big tank in van full of pure water, 12v battery and pump, long hose going to a brush on an extendable stick. According to the law and H & S safety regulations any hose/cable over 7mm is a trip hazard and for hose it has to be a bright colour - yellow is recommended. Hose under 7mm also has to be made of a material that means it lays flat on the floor/pavement/etc. I use 6mm hose made from nitrile rubber.

How comes when it comes to road side chargers the law gets ignored? If someone was to walk between the charger and the car, they could easily trip up and potentially have a nasty accident because the half inch thick or so cable. If that happened, who would be responsible, the car owner or the local authority who allowed it? Was a risk assessment done before the charger was installed? It seems not. Are hazard cones used - nope. Again, that's breaking the law. They must be used and placed where easily visible and placed in such a way so as to not create a another hazard.
 
kesavaross said:
I've notice that the charging points in town are usually two feet to two and a half feet away from where the car would be parked in order to use the charger. I assume that's the same everywhere in other places. The charging cable is quite thick and lays across the pavement obviously between the car and the charger. It is a dangerous and illegal trip hazard.

I window clean using a pole system. Big tank in van full of pure water, 12v battery and pump, long hose going to a brush on an extendable stick. According to the law and H & S safety regulations any hose/cable over 7mm is a trip hazard and for hose it has to be a bright colour - yellow is recommended. Hose under 7mm also has to be made of a material that means it lays flat on the floor/pavement/etc. I use 6mm hose made from nitrile rubber.

How comes when it comes to road side chargers the law gets ignored? If someone was to walk between the charger and the car, they could easily trip up and potentially have a nasty accident because the half inch thick or so cable. If that happened, who would be responsible, the car owner or the local authority who allowed it? Was a risk assessment done before the charger was installed? It seems not. Are hazard cones used - nope. Again, that's breaking the law. They must be used and placed where easily visible and placed in such a way so as to not create a another hazard.
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That's precisely the problem for people charging cars outside their houses; if their car is parked on a public road with pavement between the car and the house - where is the cable supposed to go? It's either on the ground and a trip hazard, or up in the air, suspended above the pavement. Either way, it's a problem for pedestrians passing by (and particularly for prams and buggies).
 
catseye said:
That's precisely the problem for people charging cars outside their houses; if their car is parked on a public road with pavement between the car and the house - where is the cable supposed to go? It's either on the ground and a trip hazard, or up in the air, suspended above the pavement. Either way, it's a problem for pedestrians passing by (and particularly for prams and buggies).
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I don't seem to be able to quote Floyd's post above for some reason.

Anyway, in reply......

That is still a trip hazard and should only be used as a 'temporary measure in a situation where no other safer alternative is possible and is only to be used for short durations - 20 minutes or less. Hazard cones and warning boards should be suitably placed to warn pedestrians', etc, etc.
 
kesavaross said:
'temporary measure in a situation where no other safer alternative is possible and is only to be used for short durations - 20 minutes or less. Hazard cones and warning boards should be suitably placed to warn pedestrians', etc, etc.
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tough if you're blind... :( (not you @kesavaross , the info you are quoting)
 
Rain (In Scotland! Who could have predicted that?) apparently killed the electric car:

A Tesla owner says his 'heart missed a beat' when he received a £17,374 bill after the battery was damaged by rain​


A Tesla owner said he was "flabbergasted" when he and his partner were hit with a hefty bill to fix their electric vehicle.

Johnny Bacigalupo and Rob Hussey [said that] they were billed £17,374, or about $21,000, to fix their Tesla after its battery was damaged by rain last week.

"I honestly can't believe that this has happened. When I first got the call, I thought we would get a bill for £500 or £1,000," Bacigalupo [said]. "When they said over 17 grand — it's absolutely obscene. My heart missed a beat, honestly."

Bacigalupo and Hussey said that after being unable to start their vehicle and arranging to have it delivered to Tesla Edinburgh by a collection firm, they received a call Wednesday informing them that the battery was "damaged due to water ingress."

They said they were told the eight-year warranty didn't cover this...

https://www.yahoo.com/news/tesla-owner-says-heart-missed-101437691.html

maximus otter
 
maximus otter said:
Rain (In Scotland! Who could have predicted that?) apparently killed the electric car:

A Tesla owner says his 'heart missed a beat' when he received a £17,374 bill after the battery was damaged by rain​


A Tesla owner said he was "flabbergasted" when he and his partner were hit with a hefty bill to fix their electric vehicle.

Johnny Bacigalupo and Rob Hussey [said that] they were billed £17,374, or about $21,000, to fix their Tesla after its battery was damaged by rain last week.

"I honestly can't believe that this has happened. When I first got the call, I thought we would get a bill for £500 or £1,000," Bacigalupo [said]. "When they said over 17 grand — it's absolutely obscene. My heart missed a beat, honestly."

Bacigalupo and Hussey said that after being unable to start their vehicle and arranging to have it delivered to Tesla Edinburgh by a collection firm, they received a call Wednesday informing them that the battery was "damaged due to water ingress."

They said they were told the eight-year warranty didn't cover this...

https://www.yahoo.com/news/tesla-owner-says-heart-missed-101437691.html

maximus otter
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They'd better cover up- there's a tad more forecast for up there later on.
 
We got an EV in November ‘21 (Mustang Mach E) and my partner loves it. We were happily planning a summer holiday when the display screen just went black. This was in May. It had to go back to the Ford garage and was there three months as it was a computer issue and no-one knew how to fix it. (They said, if it was mechanical, no problem, but this was beyond their training).
They eventually had to bring someone in from Germany.
We did get a vehicle to replace it but my partner wasn’t keen on taking it anywhere not local in case there was an accident. Eventually we got the car back and went away in September.

He had a charge point fitted and the front garden made into into a bit of drive so the cable doesn’t get in the way of pedestrians or other cars, but range anxiety is a real thing.
In general we’ve been lucky as twice we went near Brecon, and their Morrisons has a fast charger and it was always available, so we could shop and have a walk around the town (which is a lovely place for wandering). But anywhere much further and you’re in the wild without any certainty. This year the holiday cottage we booked was listed as having a charger but four days prior the owner rang me and said it was out of order and she couldn’t get anyone to repair it for two weeks. In the end, they let us charge from the house. I’ve noticed now that some holiday lets do say you can do that if you pay for it.

Next year he’s going to go for an extended range but also because the warranty runs out which he says will be too expensive. Of course the price has depreciated a great deal but he’s still keen on staying with the make and an EV. He says it’s a lovely drive and corners like something from Tron.

The Govt does need to get a wiggle on with chargers. Every car park should have one, schools, doctors, community centres, pubs, hotels (they often do) service stations (not just on M-ways) but yes, some residential roads are much too built up and cables are hazardous for people especially those who might use walkers or chairs or pushchairs or are partially sighted/blind as has been said. It will take some planning and the will has to be there and so far it’s just lagging.
 

Honda and General Motors SCRAP $5 billion plan to develop more affordable electric vehicles​

Automakers Honda and General Motors have ditched a $5 billion plan to create more affordable electric vehicles amidst an industry-wide slowdown in EV development.

The manufacturers agreed in April 2022 that they would combine powers to slash the battery costs on eco cars and develop vehicles below GM's $30,000 Chevrolet Equinox. The partnership was intended to compete with Elon Musk's Tesla which has aggressively cut prices this year.

But today Honda CEO Toshiro Mibe confirmed the project had been cancelled, citing cost and logistical challenges.

He told Bloomberg: 'After studying for a year, we decided that this would be difficult as a business, so at the moment we are ending development of an affordable EV.

'GM and Honda will search for a solution separately. The project itself has been cancelled.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/yourmon...-boss-warned-eco-cars-political-football.html

maximus otter
 
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