Electric cars

[heatmeiser]

Test driving a Peugeot 2008, Mokka-e and a more sensible Toyota ch-r hybrid this week. Seeing as I've no off street parking I guess the Toyota makes more sense but I'm very very tempted to go all electric

 

[mmmmsnouts]

The plug-in hybrids are still more appealing to me. You don’t get as much pure electric range, but still plenty for getting to work or running errands around town… and you also have a regular hybrid gas engine for longer trips. Best of both worlds.

I have an oldish Toyota Prius with a small battery (10 miles or so). Does the job for trips to the supermarket or taking the kids to the playground. Plus I have an electricity plan that gives me free nights so I can charge it up for zero cost.

 

[OneTrueLegend]

I recently changed my car so had a look at electric ones, but in the end decided not to take the plunge. Got a petrol one instead, probably gonna keep that for about 5 years and then look at it again. The main problem for me was the price and the range. It looks like Tesla and Toyota are really gearing up the battery production sites, that should hopefully bring the price of the battery down, so that the price of electric and internal combustion engines will be closer in price in the next 4 to 5 years. Also Tesla are promising better ranges plus a car under $25k and Toyota believe they have a working solid state battery. If we get a 4 door family car under $25k with good range and charge times in the next 5 years I will be getting one.

 

[Methuselah]

Remember 10-15 years ago when we were all being told that buying a diesel car would save the planet…welcome to 10-15 years ago……

I used to buy the cars for the firm's 4,500 vehicle fleet. I remember in the 1990's, following the government positive advice on diesel cars, that the number of diesel cars on the fleet, (previously not attractive) increased by about 40%.

 

[peteblue]

I used to buy the cars for the firm's 4,500 vehicle fleet. I remember in the 1990's, following the government positive advice on diesel cars, that the number of diesel cars on the fleet, (previously not attractive) increased by about 40%.

…and in 10 years time we’ll be told to ditch the electric car in favour of the latest cunning idea……

 

[jonesey10]

When they can do 500 miles on a charge, recharge in 10 mimutes and last longer than 50,000 miles without having a new power unit... I might be interested.

 

[Tree13]

When they can do 500 miles on a charge, recharge in 10 mimutes and last longer than 50,000 miles without having a new power unit... I might be interested.

I'd say most people would be interested at that point.

 

[jonesey10]

I'd say most people would be interested at that point.

Exactly, so why would some people be interested now, in a car that is unreliable, expensive, not tested enough and nowhere near enough infrastructure in place to run it?

 

[Yarrgh]

Remember 10-15 years ago when we were all being told that buying a diesel car would save the planet…welcome to 10-15 years ago……

The only thing that will be the same in 10-15 years is that people will want mobility available for them for their day to day activities and probably for some trips within a few hundred miles.

What that looks like I don't know. Hydrogen? Leasing access to a communal car pool? Self driving cars? Electric? A move to less required work travel? Intelligent road systems? Personal air transport?

Guaranteed it will change in the next 10-15 after that.

 

[Tree13]

Exactly, so why would some people be interested now, in a car that is unreliable, expensive, not tested enough and nowhere near enough infrastructure in place to run it?

Good question pal. Others on here might be able to offer an explanation, but I can't.

 

[Methuselah]

We have yet to go through the phase of Roads, Streets, Motorways being disrupted by electric cars that have run out of power during a journey. Hybrid for me. (If I ever change my car again!)

 

[woomy]

I would be all over a plug in SUV hybrid that did around 50 or so miles on a charge. That would see me right for most of the year.

It's still too early for me to think about all electric.
Mainly because we travel to the top of Scotland once or twice a year. Charging points are shocking. There are so few of them. The ones there are are always being used. Could see us waiting hours just to get a charge point, then you have to wait whilst it charge's.
So we would end up having to hire a petrol car for 10 days or so each time. The cost of that would easily negate the savings that would have been made without buying petrol through the year.
No point having all these ideas if the infrastructure is just not there to support it.

Give me a SUV with a true 400 miles or so. Not a made up 400 miles where you get 250. That wasn't a silly price, and I will have a serious look. Until then an electric car won't be a consideration for me

 

[peteblue]

Mind you, I paid my road tax yesterday… £585 for the year, I’m getting ripped off here by the ‘green’ brigade…..

 

[Charles Hawtrey]

The difference between the UK and the US is also about scale and therefore related range for the cars. I used to live on Merseyside and commute weekly to London (220+ Miles) and my family would say "I dont envy you that journey every week!". Here in the US my daily commute is about 60 miles each way and we regularly go visit our daughters about 300 miles away sometimes for a day trip. I think that's the equivalent of doing Lands End to John O'groats. So those trips we would have to stop (40 mins) part way there to refuel - pain in the ass.