Electric cars

[richardfrost]

Way back in 2002 I took my family to Florida and whilst visiting EPCOT we came across a presentation of the GM EV concept nicknamed the skateboard. This was essentially the essence of an electric vehicle without a body on top. Inspired by the original design of the Mercedes A Class it was a flat sliver containing all the battery and electronics required for an EV with electric motors in the wheels.

It seemed to me to be a great concept. It would allow you to drive up to a particular location, detach your 'cabin' from the chassis and attach to a new fully charged chassis and continue on your journey. Alternatively, for car manufacturers, it would allow them to supply different 'cabins' dependent on what the user needs - a two seater sports, an SUV, an estate car etc. I don't say owner as ownership as a concept would be irrelevant in this model.

Essentially, Tesla have taken this concept and used it to create their own EV architecture.

Now imagine these EV chassis as being autonomous, self contained and completely interchangeable, perhaps within brand and overall vehicle size. Suddenly, you have an EV ecosystem. Maybe you drive a Ford compact EV. This would allow you to choose from say a City Car, 2 seater or small family MPV as you needed, and exchange chassis at an interchange station. Or maybe you have a Jaguar large EV, allowing you to choose a large family saloon, large MPV or commercial van chassis.

http://evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=286

This Forbes article is a good read, giving some history and some images of the things I have been discussing here.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/samabuelsamid/2016/05/23/the-father-of-the-skateboard-chassis-dr-chris-borroni-bird/#52e6abbf7b30

[culzean]

https://qz.com/1295679/why-the-solar-revolution-is-in-grave-danger-and-how-it-can-be-saved/

Interesting article about two different futures for renewable power.

[Jocko]

Did anyone see this week's "Top Gear"? The Stig took the Tesla Model 3 round their test track and put it well up the leader board, equal with the ASTON MARTIN DB11 V12 and above the BMW M3 4DR DCT, PORSCHE CAYMAN GTS and  JAGUAR F-TYPE R COUPE. So much for stories of disappointing performance and handling.

[richardfrost]

Well Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster is currently doing over 12,000 mph on it's approach to Mars.

https://www.whereisroadster.com

[Jocko]

This is an interesting car, the prototype of which has just done it's first drive. Built by the startup company in the Netherlands, that has won the Solar Challenge, it will be available to lottery winners in 2021 (the first ones will cost €150,000).
It is a luxury car, built for efficiency. It will have a 800 km (500 miles) range at best and a minimum of 400 km (248 miles) in the worst winter conditions, at high speed and with full heating and air conditioning. The battery is 2/3rds the size as that of a Tesla. It has in wheel motors (they have managed to get the unsprung weight to almost that of a conventional wheel and tyre). The solar panels will give 10,000 km (6,200 miles) per year (to users in the Netherlands. Less as you go significantly North and much more in sunnier climes). It can also be rapid charged from all the standard chargers as well as domestic mains.
Not a car for the masses or early adopters but a look at the way technology is moving.

[Jocko]

More EU nonsense.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48815968
I find that modern car engines tend to be quiet anyway, that tyre noise is a bigger giveaway than the engine.
And drivers can switch it off? Seems regulation for regulations sake.
Mind you. I did read about one woman who had been knocked down by twice, by the same electric car, at exactly the same spot. Think she deserved it the second time?

[sparky Paul]

More EU nonsense.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48815968
I find that modern car engines tend to be quiet anyway, that tyre noise is a bigger giveaway than the engine.
And drivers can switch it off? Seems regulation for regulations sake.

Seems reasonable to me under 12mph, there can be zero tyre noise on good surfaces. Electric cars, and indeed hybrids, are spookily quiet when pulling away.

Agree though about the general quietness of cars these days, you can hardly tell the Jazz is running at tick over... until you pull away, trying to avoid stalling.    Other car is a diesel, and even that can sneak up on meandering cyclists on country lanes.

[peteo48]

More EU nonsense.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48815968
I find that modern car engines tend to be quiet anyway, that tyre noise is a bigger giveaway than the engine.
And drivers can switch it off? Seems regulation for regulations sake.

Seems reasonable to me under 12mph, there can be zero tyre noise on good surfaces. Electric cars, and indeed hybrids, are spookily quiet when pulling away.

Agree though about the general quietness of cars these days, you can hardly tell the Jazz is running at tick over... until you pull away, trying to avoid stalling.    Other car is a diesel, and even that can sneak up on meandering cyclists on country lanes.

It's a good few years ago now - at least 10 - when I nearly met my maker under the wheels of a Toyota Prius in Tesco's car park. There does need to be an audible warning.

[Jocko]

Nice of you could re-programme the sound, like sat navs. "Reversing I am", or "Feck off, feck off, feck off".
Wonder if this will open the door for reversing warnings for cars, currently illegal in the UK.

[sparky Paul]

Nice of you could re-programme the sound, like sat navs. "Reversing I am", or "Feck off, feck off, feck off".

Not sure if it will be allowed by the legislation, but there was some talk of a user selectable sound. I don't think it would be in the realms of fantasy for someone to hack the software...

[John Ratsey]

I think it's a good idea and should also apply to the electric vehicles which use footpaths. I'd like a steam engine chuffing noise.

[Jocko]

there was some talk of a user selectable sound.

A Twizy with a burbling V8 !

[culzean]

So any quiet vehicle travelling below 12mph needs a 'pedestrian safety noise' - does that include mobility scooters and bicycles ?  this could open a real can of worms. Some normal ICE cars are very quiet at low speeds as well. 

[sparky Paul]

So any quiet vehicle travelling below 12mph needs a 'pedestrian safety noise' - does that include mobility scooters and bicycles ?

To be honest, some mobility scooter users are downright dangerous. There was a 'hit and run' incident in the pedestrian part of the local town the other week where someone was quite seriously injured, and about a month or so ago, I witnessed one in Aldi where a fellow on a large, fast mobility scooter went flying through the checkout, totally out of control, barrelling this poor old woman over. To be honest, I thought he was going through the plate glass window! The speed needs restricting on some of these things, and the way some folk use them, I think there is an argument for some sort of audible warning.

As for cyclists, and most mobility scooter users, visibility is not restricted in the same way as a car, and a diligent user should spot even a small child. In any case a bicycle reversing over you is not going to do quite the same damage as a ton or more of electric car.

[peteo48]

So any quiet vehicle travelling below 12mph needs a 'pedestrian safety noise' - does that include mobility scooters and bicycles ?

To be honest, some mobility scooter users are downright dangerous. There was a 'hit and run' incident in the pedestrian part of the local town the other week where someone was quite seriously injured, and about a month or so ago, I witnessed one in Aldi where a fellow on a large, fast mobility scooter went flying through the checkout, totally out of control, barrelling this poor old woman over. To be honest, I thought he was going through the plate glass window! The speed needs restricting on some of these things, they are downright dangerous, and the way some folk use them, I think there is an argument for some sort of audible warning.

As for cyclists, and most mobility scooter users, visibility is not restricted in the same way as a car, and a diligent user should spot even a small child. In any case a bicycle reversing over you is not going to do quite the same damage as a ton or more of electric car.

I've seen some insane mobility scooter driving as well. In Boots Opticians (oh the irony) some old geezer (older than me anyway) reversed into me and just shot off when I tried to remonstrate. In Sainsburys - only yesterday - some maniac was driving his scooter at high speeds - you could hear the electric motor accelerating - I'd go for for speed limiters on these things.