Smoke on The water

[mrsmelly]

8 minutes ago, Jim Riley said:

There were comments earlier in the thread about using home battery banks to buffer demand, 10kwh in 9kwh out, and that this is a Bad Thing. Of course, if it's from the grid generated electrickery, but that sort of system is solar charged, Shirley. IKEA are selling systems. I keep contemplating adding a battery bank to my 2.4 kWh solar system at home. Prices are dropping.

How many cars would your 2.4 KWH solar system have charged today with the cloud cover and heavy rain?

[nb Innisfree]

5 minutes ago, Jim Riley said:

There were comments earlier in the thread about using home battery banks to buffer demand, 10kwh in 9kwh out, and that this is a Bad Thing. Of course, if it's from the grid generated electrickery, but that sort of system is solar charged, Shirley. IKEA are selling systems. I keep contemplating adding a battery bank to my 2.4 kWh solar system at home. Prices are dropping.

Tesla do 7.5 and 14 kwh batt packs

EVs are coming but you won't hear them

[mrsmelly]

5 minutes ago, nb Innisfree said:

 

EVs are coming but you won't hear them

Another problem!!

[nb Innisfree]

2 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

How many cars would your 2.4 KWH solar system have charged today with the cloud cover and heavy rain?

Maybe enough for a short trip to the local shops. 

2 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Another problem!!

A person in front with a flag would help. 

[mrsmelly]

5 minutes ago, nb Innisfree said:

Maybe enough for a short trip to the local shops. 

I may appear negative I suppose but I would say I was being a realist. The problems yet to be overcome are way bigger than many seem to realise. I would love to run an electric car if they were viable but at present they are not even close to serving my pattern of use, not even remotely and I don't even need to travel for work like millions do.

[nb Innisfree]

I was talking to our local garage owner about the possibility of buying a Nissan Leaf he's a very good and conscientious mechanic, but he shook his head and said that you wouldn't want to drive it on the motorway way. He though 45mph would be the max. There's a lot of ignorance out there. 

[b0atman]

A friend has an EV its range is 180 miles .

We all know batteries are not 100% for long so are the figures as reliable as manufacturers fuel consumption figures for motor vehicles ?

[Rob-M]

52 minutes ago, Jim Riley said:

Why do people with cars buy houses without parking?

Because town planners will not allow sufficient parking in new developments. In our town new builds are at a maximum ratio of 1.2 parking spaces per house regardless of house size. As there isn't suitable public transport most houses have a minimum of two cars, many have more as children are having to continue living with parents as they can't afford to move out therefore a house with a single drive may have three or four vehicles. Unless charging points are installed all along the pavements it would be impossible to charge all the cars around here in an evening.

[Jim Riley]

2 minutes ago, nb Innisfree said:

I was talking to our local garage owner about the possibility of buying a Nissan Leaf he's a very good and conscientious mechanic, but he shook his head and said that you wouldn't want to drive it on the motorway way. He though 45mph would be the max. There's a lot of ignorance out there. 

Leaf 18 has top speed of 90mph, range of 253m. But that would be at slower speeds.

[nb Innisfree]

18 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

I may appear negative I suppose but I would say I was being a realist. The problems yet to be overcome are way bigger than many seem to realise. I would love to run an electric car if they were viable but at present they are not even close to serving my pattern of use, not even remotely and I don't even need to travel for work like millions do.

Same here, in a typically month I need to do three round trips of 280,  200 and 120 miles respectively. If I get a Leaf I will only realistically be able to do one of them without a couple of recharges en route. We do run two cars at the mo so I could replace one for local stuff and keep the IC car for occasional long trips. A brand new Tesla Model 3 with the longer 300+ mile range would do nicely (when they come on stream) but I would wince at the £35k+ price. I'll wait and see. 

11 minutes ago, Jim Riley said:

Leaf 18 has top speed of 90mph, range of 253m. But that would be at slower speeds.

Real world 180 miles. 

Old leaf has 108 bhp and 89 top speed, Leaf'18 has 155 bhp so would manage more than that

Edited January 4, 2018 by nb Innisfree

[system 4-50]

I don't need to fly to the moon most weeks, but it would be nice. Which is just as well as the vehicle to get me there and the fuel to propel it are not readily available, and certainly wouldn't be if Joe Bloggs and all wanted to do so too. I don't need to go to Cornwall ditto. I don't need foreign holidays either (I have it on good authority that nowhere is as good as the UK though I would like a second opinion.) We don't need a change of fuel, we need a change in our habits and our infrastructure so that we don't need (or want) to travel as much. (affix smillie of your choice here -> .)

Yay! I got to an edit!

Edited January 4, 2018 by system 4-50
Joie de Vivre! (is that how you spell it?)

[nb Innisfree]

23 minutes ago, b0atman said:

A friend has an EV its range is 180 miles .

We all know batteries are not 100% for long so are the figures as reliable as manufacturers fuel consumption figures for motor vehicles ?

Best case scenario though Tesla and Nissan give a 8year/100k miles battery warranty. 

13 minutes ago, system 4-50 said:

I don't need to fly to the moon most weeks, but it would be nice. Which is just as well as the vehicle to get me there and the fuel to propel it are not readily available, and certainly wouldn't be if Joe Bloggs and all wanted to do so too. I don't need to go to Cornwall ditto. I don't need foreign holidays either (I have it on good authority that nowhere is as good as the UK though I would like a second opinion.) We don't need a change of fuel, we need a change in our habits and our infrastructure so that we don't need (or want) to travel as much. 

Quite agree. 

Edited January 4, 2018 by nb Innisfree

[nb Innisfree]

Tesla electric motor producs 360 bhp and 330 ft lbs of torque, that torque is available from zero. Not bad for a weight of 70lbs and the size of a top hat box. 

Or a cat basket. 

My local mechanic thought that was a bit heavy! 

Edited January 4, 2018 by nb Innisfree

[Jim Riley]

A problem for me is the carrying capacity, my work stuff, not heavy but bulky. Otherwise, I could have an ev for most of the stuff, especially if I could tow the trailer, and keep the ic for king trips and towing caravan.

[nb Innisfree]

7 minutes ago, Jim Riley said:

A problem for me is the carrying capacity, my work stuff, not heavy but bulky. Otherwise, I could have an ev for most of the stuff, especially if I could tow the trailer, and keep the ic for king trips and towing caravan.

Tesla x suv is massive (and so is the price) Passed on the other day, I felt quite inadequate. Nissan Leaf is about Ford Focus size. 

[Peter Thornton]

Ref charging in the street: The latest development is wireless charging. You just park in the bay and this lines up a pad under the car with a charging pad under the tarmac. No wires, or connections.

Of course that’s a large financial commitment for someone and I do wonder if someone somewhere is doing the figures as to what it all means in term of ultimate demand and how many new cables locally will be needed along with new sub stations etc? I’m not encouraged by the Horlicks the UK is making over simply changing one wire over to another in order to bring fast fibre broadband to us all. 

By the time Brexit is sorted (!) there will only be a few years left to work this all out ........

Edited January 4, 2018 by Peter Thornton

[cuthound]

8 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

Only possible if the laws of physics are suspended. 

Well, since the government decided to ignore experts,  that is a possibility.  

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, nb Innisfree said:

Best case scenario though Tesla and Nissan give a 8year/100k miles battery warranty. 

Quite agree. 

My son was looking to get a Merc, but what would be the resale after 4 years with only 3 year battery life left.

[bizzard]

Battery power is similar to clockwork power, strong at first and slowly but surely getting weaker and weaker until you fail to proceed at all. For this reason your route needs to be planned very carefully beforehand, with any steep inclines at the beginning of the run whilst the battery still has plenty of oomph in it, or the spring is still well wound to charge up the hills, with an easy run down to your destination, dodging any upgrades towards the end of the run or you might not make it. More and more folk will need to live on mountain tops and big hills to take advantage of the powerless downhill head start of the run.  For example, Shap summit where you could coast with power off all the way down north to Carlisle or south to Lancaster for shopping and afternoon tea and things, which should then leave plenty of battery power or spring tension in reserve to climb back up and return home without having to get out and push it, but all things generally being equal you will end up pushing it, from about halfway up. Ideally special escalators should be installed up and down steep hills to convey these vehicles up to save battery charge and spring tension which should increase the vehicles mileage endurance.

Edited January 4, 2018 by bizzard

[nb Innisfree]

41 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

My son was looking to get a Merc, but what would be the resale after 4 years with only 3 year battery life left.

No idea but Tesla batts are expected to last 10 years. Reports of 90% left after 200+k IIRCC

8 minutes ago, bizzard said:

Battery power is similar to clockwork power, strong at first and slowly but surely getting weaker and weaker until you fail to proceed at all. For this reason your route needs to be planned very carefully beforehand, with any steep inclines at the beginning of the run whilst the battery still has plenty of oomph in it, or the spring is still well wound to charge up the hills, with an easy run down to your destination, dodging any upgrades towards the end of the run or you might not make it. More and more folk will need to live on mountain tops and big hills to take advantage of the powerless downhill head start of the run.  For example, Shap summit where you could coast with power off all the way down north to Carlisle or south to Lancaster for shopping and afternoon tea and things, which should then leave plenty of battery power or spring tension in reserve to climb back up and return home without having to get out and push it, but all things generally being equal you will end up pushing it. Ideally special escalators should be installed up and down steep hills to convey these vehicles up to save battery charge and spring tension which should increase the vehicles mileage endurance.

This has to be a wind up, yeah? 

[nb Innisfree]

51 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

My son was looking to get a Merc, but what would be the resale after 4 years with only 3 year battery life left.

As Mercedes use Tesla batteries and power train I expect their warranty will be similar. 

[bizzard]

6 minutes ago, nb Innisfree said:

No idea but Tesla batts are expected to last 10 years. Reports of 90% left after 200+k IIRCC

This has to be a wind up, yeah? 

Surely as a kid you had a battery driven toy or a clockwork trainset which demonstrated my above predictions to a T.

[nb Innisfree]

7 minutes ago, bizzard said:

Surely as a kid you had a battery driven toy or a clockwork trainset which demonstrated my above predictions to a T.

Nothing so primitive, I had a Hornby Dublo! I did have a clockwork motor with my Meccano, later upgraded to electric. 

I used to drive mum to the edge with a friction powered American police car. 

I was joking about the 'wind up' 

[nb Innisfree]

13 minutes ago, nb Innisfree said:

Nothing so primitive, I had a Hornby Dublo! I did have a clockwork motor with my Meccano, later upgraded to electric. 

I used to drive mum to the edge with a friction powered American police car. 

I was joking about the 'wind up' 

One of my childhood pal's parents were less well off than mine, one Xmas he had a small clockwork loco and a few carriages going round an 18" circular track. I think he was happy with it but due to feelings of guilt I used to avoid him coming to play with my large Hornby Dublo setup. 

It's a rotten old life at times. 

[MtB]

41 minutes ago, nb Innisfree said:

 

This has to be a wind up, yeah? 

 

Lol, I see what you did there...

Almost worth a greenie. 

(Almost, I said!!)