Electric cars

[Jocko]

Watched this the other day. I had recorded it and never got around to watching it but it is on i-Player.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0fzlswg/what-they-really-mean-for-you-series-1-1-electric-cars
A very balanced view in my opinion. A nice bit about a Hyundai fuel cell car. 4 minutes to fill up with H₂, a 380-mile range and approximately the same cost as petrol to fill up. There was also a brilliant idea from Trojan Energy where customers in their connected areas have a "Lance" that just plugs into a socket in the pavement, like a fire hydrant-type set-up.

Another thing they quoted on the programme was 60% of UK homes have off-street parking!

[Kremmen]

60% !

When I see the rows and rows of Victorian style terraces and proliferation of new build tower blocks I'd never have guessed.

[richardfrost]

Another thing they quoted on the programme was 60% of UK homes have off-street parking!

Not really believable. Maybe that meant 60% of car owning homes?

[Jocko]

Maybe that meant 60% of car owning homes?

And is that not near as damm it, 60% of homes?

[richardfrost]

Maybe that meant 60% of car owning homes?

And is that not near as damm it, 60% of homes?

I wouldn't say so myself. There's a lot of people/households round where I live that don't have cars. My son lives in London and has no car. Most of the flats in his development don't have them. They built underground parking for maybe 40% of the flats, and even that is hardly used. Obviously in more rural areas, that number will go up. But in terms of housing near me, I would say way more than 60% of households do not have off street parking.

[peteo48]

Not sure what the exact figures are for homes without off street parking but it's a substantial number - 35% seems to ring a bell.

In the early days of EVs, advocates used to say "most people charge at home." It was probably true but was also meaningless - it just meant most early adopters had off street parking.

Having said all that, I sense a sea change in adoption of EVs. Teslas are, quite literally, 10 a penny where I live which is just a run of the mill area in North West England. All sorts of other EVs being bought as well. I understand one in five new cars sold is now a pure EV and hybrids are even more popular.

Given you will still be able to run an ICE for the foreseeable future I think the transition will be less problematic than naysayers think.

[Jocko]

Teslas around here are more numerous than Jazz models. One regularly parks outside my door. The owner obviously doesn't charge at home. My brother has just bought a PHEV with a view to going EV with his next car. His experience of driving the PHEV in EV mode has made him perfectly happy to make the change. He says if he knew before buying it a couple of months back what he knows now then he would have made the move to full EV then. He does have charging at home but doesn't as yet have a dedicated tariff arranged and he still is saving a lot on fuel.

[madasafish]

Maybe that meant 60% of car owning homes?

And is that not near as damm it, 60% of homes?

I wouldn't say so myself. There's a lot of people/households round where I live that don't have cars. My son lives in London and has no car. Most of the flats in his development don't have them. They built underground parking for maybe 40% of the flats, and even that is hardly used. Obviously in more rural areas, that number will go up. But in terms of housing near me, I would say way more than 60% of households do not have off street parking.

Household car access
The proportion of households with one car was 45% in 2021, however, the long-term trend has remained broadly constant since 1971 with an average of 43%. The proportion of households without a car has fallen from 48% in 1971 (based on the Census) to 22% in 2021.31 Aug 2022

AND
https://www.field-dynamics.co.uk/25-drivers-no-off-street-parking/

[peteo48]

Teslas around here are more numerous than Jazz models. One regularly parks outside my door. The owner obviously doesn't charge at home. My brother has just bought a PHEV with a view to going EV with his next car. His experience of driving the PHEV in EV mode has made him perfectly happy to make the change. He says if he knew before buying it a couple of months back what he knows now then he would have made the move to full EV then. He does have charging at home but doesn't as yet have a dedicated tariff arranged and he still is saving a lot on fuel.

Just booked my car in for it's 2 year service. It will have done just over 4,000 miles or about 5.5 miles per day. I then looked at the longer journeys I have done in those 2 years. 2 stand out - a trip to Dumfries and Galloway from Warrington for a 4 day break - did about 500 miles in total. A few weeks ago I did a return trip to Rhos on Sea in North Wales - 120 miles.

In short there were 5 days out of 730 when I did anything other than a trifling distance. A knackered Nissan Leaf would have sufficed for 725 days out of the 730 and I wouldn't have even needed a charge point. An outdoor socket and a "granny" cable would have done me.

I paid about £21,000 for the Jazz (give or take). I could have bought my mates old Nissan Leaf which he got £5,000 for when he traded it in against a newer Kia Niro EV. That would have left me £16,000 for hire cars!

I do love the Jazz though.

[Kremmen]

Same here, 3,700 miles from Sep 21

Most of that was London to Reading and back each fortnight, that I no longer do now I'm in Reading.

I need to have my speedo recalibrated from MPH to MPM miles per month

[peteo48]

Wow - almost exactly the same driving profile as me. Having said that, I think quite a lot of people fall into that very low mileage bracket when they retire. A lot depends on how close immediate family are. In my case, both daughters live in the same area. My oldest is 2 miles away and my youngest 1 mile. We pootle to the garden centre (6 miles return) and our favourite National Trust property is a massive 7 miles away!

[Jocko]

I reset my trip every time I take the car out and in the last 6 weeks, it has never recorded double figures. However, I had better check my tyre pressures and fluid levels because on Friday I have a return journey of 11.8 miles!

[Kenneve]

Looks like I’m the other end of the spectrum, took early retirement 25 years ago ( now 86) and have been driving Jazz cars since about 2012, annual mileage is still circa 9000miles
My current Advance,  (Jazz No7) delivered 13th July is showing 1603miles today, which averages about 25 miles per DAY!!
I’m afraid, if for some reason I had to give up driving, then you might as well shoot me

[Kremmen]

Now in Reading I'm currently house hunting.

So far, nothing suitable, all that comes on the market is very old, surrounded by large established trees completely overhanging most of the garden, has been left unloved, etc.

Last 2 I viewed, according to estate agents, are 'very well presented' but I beg to differ. Long cracks in ceiling and wall plasterboard not dealt with, laminate floors damaged, shoddy painting with paint all over electric plastics,
One before last had replaced skirting boards but they didn't sit flush and there were gaps in the joins, spider heaven as the daughter said. Poor DIY.

Yes it can all be sorted but something half decent or price reduced to reflect the damage would be nice.

I am semi restricted as I want to be within a mile from the daughter as I'm getting no younger.

Once I am moved and the car has delivered all my goods from storage and the DIY stores the car will go, won't need it.

[peteo48]

I reset my trip every time I take the car out and in the last 6 weeks, it has never recorded double figures. However, I had better check my tyre pressures and fluid levels because on Friday I have a return journey of 11.8 miles!

It's a biggie. Not only check the levels but pack emergency supplies as well - water, snacks etc

Talking about mileage, mine would be even less but I often go the long way round to the supermarket (8 miles return as opposed to 3) to give the car a bit of a run plus I still enjoy a drive.