Electric cars

[Kremmen]

..... and just to add to the list of potential problems :

Weight of electric vehicles could cause 'catastrophic' damage and 'lead to car parks collapsing'

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/weight-of-electric-vehicles-could-cause-catastrophic-damage-and-lead-to-car-parks-collapsing/ar-AA15p3NF#:~:text=Feedback-,Weight%20of%20electric%20vehicles%20could%20cause%20%27catastrophic%27%20damage%20and%20%27,lead%20to%20car%20parks%20collapsing%27&text=Multi%2Dstorey%20and%20underground%20car,electric%20vehicles%2C%20engineers%20have%20warned.

[Jocko]

Scaremongering at its best. All they need do is enlarge the bays (so that standard-shaped human beings can get in and out of their cars without having to be contortionists) and that will reduce the loading. Oh but hold on a minute. That might cost them revenue. Well, we will just have to let them fall down then.
And for a bit of clarity. The heaviest Tesla Model 3 is only 14% heavier than the lightest Honda CR-V.

[Jazzik]

Around 1900 my great-grandfather's horses did many many miles on a small bag of oats, which cost him hardly anything, because he grew it himself.

Oh, sorry, this also belongs in a history book...

[Kenneve]

..... and just to add to the list of potential problems :

Weight of electric vehicles could cause 'catastrophic' damage and 'lead to car parks collapsing'

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/weight-of-electric-vehicles-could-cause-catastrophic-damage-and-lead-to-car-parks-collapsing/ar-AA15p3NF#:~:text=Feedback-,Weight%20of%20electric%20vehicles%20could%20cause%20%27catastrophic%27%20damage%20and%20%27,lead%20to%20car%20parks%20collapsing%27&text=Multi%2Dstorey%20and%20underground%20car,electric%20vehicles%2C%20engineers%20have%20warned.

According to Parker’s website, the Mk4 EX e-hev Jazz is only 12% (134kg) heavier, than the previous MK3 EX Jazz , hardly a catastrophic increase!

[Jocko]

Around 1900 my great-grandfather's horses did many many miles on a small bag of oats, which cost him hardly anything, because he grew it himself.

And horses, as a form of travel, were replaced by the automobile almost overnight. Without government legislation.

[John Ratsey]

Tesla has now dropped the price of new vehicles https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64266471 which will push the cost of second hand ones down another notch. Those who have just taken delivery of a new Tesla aren't happy!

[Lord Voltermore]

Scaremongering at its best. All they need do is enlarge the bays (so that standard-shaped human beings can get in and out of their cars without having to be contortionists) and that will reduce the loading. Oh but hold on a minute. That might cost them revenue. Well, we will just have to let them fall down then.
And for a bit of clarity. The heaviest Tesla Model 3 is only 14% heavier than the lightest Honda CR-V.

Scaremongering for buyers.  But it is something architects and civil engineers have to consider.  Many EV's weigh over 2tonnes  some nearly 3 tonnes  and a few over 4 tonnes. A loading safe for standard cars, typically 1.2 tonnes , may  be dangerous if there is a concentration of EV's.  A few shoddy multistories may have to close or be  renovated, or parking spaces reduced. .   I know of one multi-storey that installed about 20 charging points  in  a row.     

  There is a bridge near me where a 10 ton vehicle fell through the bridge into the river.  OK it was in 1914 and it was a traction engine,  but too heavy is too heavy. possibly only 3 ev's worth.   (even within my memory the bridge had an "Unsuitable for charabancs" sign )     Maybe there will soon be "only one EV allowed at a time " signs     

[Jocko]

But it is something architects and civil engineers have to consider.

Without a doubt. There are already many bridges with weight limits and perhaps, as you say, they will have to limit the number of vehicles allowed to cross at a time.
What EV weighs over 4 tonnes?
The heaviest car on the list of almost 70 EVs is the Mercedes-Benz EQV luxury passenger van, which is not far from 3,000 kg. 3 tonnes.

[Jazzik]

What EV weighs over 4 tonnes?
The heaviest car on the list of almost 70 EVs is the Mercedes-Benz EQV luxury passenger van, which is not far from 3,000 kg. 3 tonnes.

Put 5 sturdy, well-fed, obese American (sorry, not only American) persons in that Mercedes and there you are. And then we are not even mentioning the fact that there is room for 8 people...

[Lord Voltermore]

What EV weighs over 4 tonnes?

GMC Hummer      the lightest is 4100 kg  the heaviest  4282 kg.      Maybe not common  in the UK (wont they need to ensure they have  a 7.5 tonne driving licence?)   but if the Hummer enthusiast  club  have a club meeting , maybe they will all end up in a river.     Full of fatties that could be 5 tonne each. I wonder if they would obey a  3.5 tonne weight limit.

[Jocko]

As there are only 137 General Motors vehicles registered on UK roads I would assume that Humvee EVs are a very small percentage but I grant you, it does weigh over 4 tonnes, half as much again as a standard Humvee.

[madasafish]

Heavy cars and snow and ice are NOT easy to control. See U Tube videos.
Most EVs have tyres optimised for fuel consumption so us in bad conditions.

I expect EV car prices to fall - lots more to come. 30% and I will think of buying (used  not new)

[Neil Ives]

While at the supermarket just now I noticed a vehicle recharging at one of the provided charging points. The connection cable was still semi coiled and laid across a pedestrian walkway. I was wondering who would be legally responsible for injuries caused by a pedestrian tripping up on the cable. In a situation where a trip hazard is in a public area the person causing the hazard has to be responsible for safety of the public. In the past when I had to lay a cable across the footway to charge the battery of my old Land Rover that lived on the street I put rubber car mats over the cable to try to be safe. If I was taken to court I could point out that I had taken steps to make the situation as safe as possible. I would do the same thing again if I had to charge the batteries of an EV.

[Kremmen]

I can see trip hazard wires being in every street as EV increases and fuel declines.

I can also see many copper cables being cut and/or stolen overnight.

[Lord Voltermore]

 VW currently (excuse pun) have a series of humorous  ident adverts   where they are sponsoring the TV programme.    There is one where an old woman unplugs their  EV  ,throws the lead on the ground  with contempt,  then plugs her own car in. 

The humour is they were prevented from carrying out things  such covert hi tech surveillance, Energising Frankenstein's monster, torturing someone with electrodes etc.  I dont expect to do any of these things for a while, but the ads certainly dont encourage me to buy an EV.